Iva - Memories in a Glimpse

It was a beautiful spring day, like a timeless birthday bouquet. The soft breeze touched the open sea, bringing a pleasant smell that mixed well with the colorful land nearby. The gloomy beauty of winter is finally gone, replaced by a sky with fluffy clouds and a calming light blue color.

After school, the three of us were walking back home... together. Back in last winter, I'd totally forgotten this warm feeling. We're never supposed to leave anything behind, our past, our memories, instead, we must carry them along with us. I thought I knew it, and that I was doing things in the right way. But I never really learn, do I? I was too lost that I ended up pushing them away... confused with scars too deep in my heart, that I'd forgotten what even made them heal. Forgotten what really was important to me.

But I remember now. I may have lost something important back then. But I still have something I have to protect myself.

We were right walking past Crystal Sky. "Hey, you two," I called out, abruptly halting in front of the glass door of the café, pivoting to face them with glimmering eyes. "Care to join me for a cup of warm coffee?"

They stopped along my path, the two side by side in my gaze. Alan replied with a quiet nod, suggesting his interest in the sweet after-school venture. But Noah on the other hand seemed unresponsive, having a blank gaze hanging towards the blacktop fashioning the road.

"Hello, anyone there?"

"Yeah, I'm listening..."

I followed his gaze down to the blacktop streets absorbing the spring sunshine. “So, will you join us?”

His eyes rolled up towards me, “I’ve got some errands back home, so…”

“What’s with the long face?”

“Nothing.” He replied, like a slap on the face.

Maybe it's not the best way. Maybe I'm doing everything in the wrong way again. In the end, I don't know if this is what accepting the past is, or if I'm just acting like they'd never existed.

“No, there must be something…” I could barely feel that something, but couldn't put my fingers on it. Those slumped shoulders arching downwards painted a picture of his soul, as if neither it nor his heart would welcome a beat.

After everything that happened between me and Noah, whenever I'm with him, I can feel in his eyes that he has built some new walls inside of him... with him so lonely on the other side. But my words keep failing to reach him.

Perhaps... as time passed after coming here to this town, if I have managed to change even just a bit… It's because I found them, people who accepted me. They saw me for whom I was, recognizing my efforts and appreciating the good in things. They didn't just tell me this is bad, or that's no good. Not all of it is negative, and that brought me joy. It made me happy.

Even when it all seemed to have slipped through my hands, and when I found myself once again all alone... no, that's not correct. Some things just never change. Right now, I can smile at them again. And because I'm happy… I begin to feel like I can keep on trying. So I wished the same for them too, for Noah.

“Like I said, I’ve just got errands to run…”

Still, I couldn't reach him.

I slapped him over his arm, crossing our arms afterward. My eyes slithered at his, “Don’t think that you can fool me with that. I know you don’t have anything to do back home.”

“Like I said, I don’t want-”

Nothing feels right this way, the way I'm trying to act. But that's all I can do... keep trying. Hoping that we'll all return to feeling the same way as we did before, without making Alan worry too much, without making Noah... "No's wont work today!" I pulled him inside the cafe before letting him finish.

The varnished wood and the colored walls, along with the doorbell rang our entry into a totally different world. Different in an enchanting way. Outside you are welcomed with the fragrance of nature in mystic bloom. Turn them into beans, grind them, and brew them in hot water, that’s what awaits you here.

At this hour, the cafe isn't that crowded, allowing us the luxury to choose where we would sit. After some dilly-dallying, we settled for a seat to the left, with a view of the vast blue ocean through a large window. Even from here, I could hear the slurping of waves on the shore far away.

As soon as we were down on our seats with the menu, the waiter arrived with a warm smile. “Will it be the regular today?”

“Let me think-” Alan seemed enthusiastic, “Let’s try something different today. What do you guys think?”

“Whatever you wish…” Noah whizzed with his nonchalant eyes toward the ceiling. His body clung to the seat like a doll.

“What’s with you today, man? Did you get into a fight with someone or something?”

“What do you mean by something? Don’t come up with weird assumptions.” Noah wailed, “Just do as you wish.”

“Now, now, don’t fight, you two!” I retorted through their wails, slamming the menu in front of them. “We are going with cappuccino then. Any objections?”

“Nope.” Alan said, looking at Noah, “You seem like one with many objections though…”

Noah brushed his gaze off with a swift tilt to his right, “As I said, don’t go on with your assumptions. I’m okay with it.”

"Geez, you should cool off a bit..."

“Then it is three cups of ‘Cappuccino’-” The waiter noted it down with quick strokes of her pen, like a swift calligraphist. “Coming up!”

As we awaited our order, a tranquil hush settled around us, inviting us to bask in the majesty of the vista beyond the windowpane. The delicate tang of saltwater and a gentle mist encircled us, as if life itself had merged with the water, its vibrant energy surging upward to craft a steady rhythm.

Today, however, held a unique aura for me. Amidst the familiar vernal sea and spring, within this very season and against this scenery, the enclosing walls seemed to transcend their ordinary role. These fleeting moments were more than just camera films rolling one after another. Just counting the seconds might be enough for all of it to end. The clock, perched above the entrance, ticked away relentlessly, each sounds a reminder of time's elusive grasp, a silent rebellion against the inexorable hand of fate.

Our waiter reappeared, her smile now even warmer, bearing before us the fragrant cappuccinos. With a graceful sequence, she arranged the cups on the table. Taking one delicately into my hands, I marveled at the swirl of golden glaze harmonizing with the rich hues of the coffee, lifting my spirits.

"Ah, if only everything could remain this way," I mused, a blush tinting my cheeks, my words betraying my self-consciousness.

"What's gotten into you today, Iva?" Alan inquired, taking a sip. "You seem unusually energetic."

Noah casually placed his cup on the saucer, his arms lazily draped over the back of his seat. "What's new? Isn't she always like this?"

Alan grinned, "Well, you're right about that, I guess. After all, you had been coming with her here-"

"Ok, Ok!" I clapped my hands, diverting their attention from their conversation. "I've got an idea. Let's write an entry for today."

"You're still doing that?" Noah asked. "I thought you got bored with it last winter."

"I just couldn't find anything to write in it. Who said I got bored with it?"

Abruptly, I propelled myself out of the chair. Moments ago, I could anticipate Alan's words as they echoed in my mind. My body seemed to have its agenda, moving before my consciousness could catch up. It was a conversation I didn't want to have, an exchange unwelcome at this very moment. But at the same time, it made me remember something.

I walked over to the bookshelf, scanning the shelves one after another, looking for 'Memory Lane.' Eventually, I found it right where I had left it the last time. No one had written in it since then. The accumulating dust had taken on a deeper hue. Shaking off the dust, I flipped through the pages to the last entry—February 23rd. Indeed, no one had written anything since then.

Sometimes, you need someone to listen to you, or even a sanctuary to write down your feelings, just to sort through them. That's what Memory Lane is to me—a small world, housing all those unresolved emotions I've been carrying. But it's alright now; I've been trying to make myself realize that. I tore out that page so discreetly that no one would notice, and I tucked it into my pocket. No trace of that winter day remained...

Just as I turned to return to my seat, someone called out to me from behind. I faced the voice and saw Mr. Aubert walking down the stairs from the second floor. "Oh, Iva, it's nice to see you today."

"Mr. Aubert, it's been a while," I walked up to him as he slowly got down the stairs. "I was really worried about you when I heard you were down with a fever."

"Well, this old body of mine is getting weaker by the day." He wore a serene smile, seemingly exhausted. At his age, I wonder how much I'll be able to do. After all, he runs a cafe.

His gaze fell upon the book in my hands. "It seems you're enjoying writing in it."

"Yeah," I smiled, "thanks to you, Mr. Aubert."

A dismissive wave of his hand accompanied his response. "No need to thank me. My intention was merely to encourage the customers to leave a trace of themselves before departing this place—a tangible memento, if you will."

"A memory..." I murmured, my attention drawn to the book's unpretentious, earth-toned cover, exuding a sense of comfort. "Not bad, I guess."

"Perhaps in five years, or even beyond, you'll revisit this café. Whether I remain a fixture here or not, this book will preserve all those moments for us to cherish."

"Alright then, you all enjoy your moments here. I shall take my leave," he said, his footsteps carrying him toward his quarters. However, as I was on the cusp of turning away, his voice called out once more. "Oh, I almost forgot, I have something for you. Give me just a moment."

Vanishing behind the doorway, he reemerged clutching a camera in his hands—a compact instant camera. "I thought this might come in handy for someone."

The camera boasted an outer casing forged from hammered black metal, the lens projecting from a sleek brass cylinder that gleamed with a lustrous polish, capped by a trim of blackened metal.

"So, you're saying we can capture photographs with this, Mr. Aubert?"

"Absolutely, my dear. Why not make the most of it?"

I returned to our table, observing the two of them engaged in an argument. Only Alan seemed to be speaking with conviction, while Noah rode the waves of their discussion. I slammed the book on the table, informing my arrival.

"Are you guys kids? Can't you two just get along?"

"Tell it to this big boy right here," Alan retorted. "By the way, what took you so long?"

Noah's gaze was fixed on the camera in my hands. A new edition to get him irritated, they said with a clear glow. "What's with the camera? Don't tell me..."

"Yes, you're right," I replied. "Let's take a photo—the three of us together."

A scoff escaped Noah's lips. "Do you even possess the faintest idea of how to operate that thing?"

I averted my eyes, attempting to evade the intensity of his gaze. "Well, I mean, sort of..."

A smirk danced upon his lips. "You're undoubtedly clueless..."

"You're not wrong. But you know how to use it." I thrust the camera toward him. He instinctively retreated behind, positioning his arms as a defensive barrier. "Just one photo!"

"That's a 'no' from me. I'm not up for it."

Alan chimed in, offering his support. "Come on, Noah, it's just a single picture. Or is it that you're secretly admitting defeat in front of the camera?"

Noah retorted. "I never said that! I've seen this model before, though it seems like a relic from another era—my uncle did own one."

"Please, Noah, a single photo!"

"Fine, I'll take it." Noah rolled his eyes, taking a deep breath. And after a moment of gazing at the sky, spoke like he would burst if he didn't just say it, "Where do you get all this energy from?"

After Noah set the camera on the table, we sat together on one side of it, counting down as we awaited the flash... though I was the only one counting. The bright light was followed by the mechanical whirring and clicking sounds as the photo emerged from the camera.

Alan snatched the picture from the table. "Woah, this camera isn't half bad. Take a look."

"Yeah, you're right." I took the picture from his hand and settled back into my seat with a pen and memory lane. After finishing my writing, I stuck the picture onto the page and closed the book.

"What did you write, Iva?" Alan's eyes shifted to the book as I prepared to put it away. "Won't you show us?"

"Don't push her, Alan. She's just too embarrassed to show it," Noah said.

"You two can read it someday, just not today."

"Why not show it now?" Alan persisted, trying to take the book from me.

Stepping back, I held it behind me. "Like I said, another day. But not today." Alan sighed and slumped back into his chair. Looking at the two of them, I burst into laughter. I couldn't explain where it came from, but my eyes reflected a vision of relaxed joy and unrestrained mirth. Yet truly, it wasn't just my eyes. This laughter emerged from deep within, as if it were the way the three of us were uniquely wired. I hadn't felt the same in a very long time.

Ah, I wish we can keep laughing like this in the future.