I’m writing this from my new spot at Pause Café. Some part of me hopes you read this when I post it and think of the short but amazing time we had. Did you hear Moonshine closed down? I went there earlier and was told the owner sold it. This was surprising because I was there last week, and things were still running smoothly.
Last week, Adebola brought my cup of coffee, and I sat at our booth. The first time we met replayed in my head so many times. I imagined you sitting beside me, working and grumbling whenever your intern misbehaved.
I imagined you twisting your locs when work got too complicated. I remembered the white tank top you wore the second day I saw you and how it outlined your body. I remembered how you smelled like vanilla that day. I breathed in and hoped this new café would smell like you. These are the crazy things you make me do.
Dear reader, I should introduce you to Jadesola now. I imagine you want to know about the woman who has this strong hold on me.
I met Jade at Moonshine Café. It was a busy and rainy Tuesday, and I decided to work from a café because the house was filled with my little cousins. I got a cab and spent the trip ignoring the driver’s complaints about the state of the roads and the drainage system.
We eventually got to the café, and I quickly settled at my spot. I signaled to the waitress and got a cup of macchiato and chocolate chip cookies.
“Wole, just send the doc and stop stressing my life this morning,” I heard someone say.
I turned back and saw a woman yelling into her laptop screen. Good to know I wasn’t the only one having a rough morning.
I had previously sent in a design for review, and the product manager left silly comments on the file. My morning wasn’t going as planned, but the cookie I was having made things look bright.
About thirty minutes later, the café was filling up, and I noticed my laptop wasn’t charging. I decided to change seats as the socket close to me wasn’t working and walked towards the shouting lady’s booth.
“Can I sit here?” I asked politely as I approached her. She shrugged, and I took the seat opposite hers. Only then did I take in her features. How did someone have the brownest and warmest of eyes?
I brought myself back to reality and plugged in my charger. I didn’t come here to be distracted by women.
“Wole, just check the mail I sent to you. I attached these things you’re asking for now,” the shouting lady said again. I looked up from my laptop and wondered who this Wole was. He seemed to rile her up so much. I was also tempted to ask for her name because ‘shouting lady’ wasn’t nice. Then I remembered that she was a stranger frustrated with work, and I had no business questioning her.
She looked up from her laptop and caught me watching her. I quickly averted my gaze but not before catching her smile. I reminded myself to mind my business once again. I focused on the tasks my manager Salim assigned me.
“Hi, I hope I didn’t distract you from work. The intern working with me is very annoying. He never seems to focus on work because his dad is one of the founders of the firm. Sometimes I feel like pulling his ears,” the shouting lady said in one breath.
I stopped working to pay attention to her. I wondered why she was comfortable sharing this with me, but I responded nonetheless.
“I’m sorry, I understand you. I have had to work with some unserious interns recently. If I could, I would have pulled ears too. What’s your name, by the way?” I answered.
“Jadesola. I’m also sorry for disturbing your work. What’s yours? And what do you do for work?”
“Woleola, I’m a product designer.”
“Oh, cool. Our names are like opposites. Wole and Jade,” she replied.
I smiled, and for two seconds, my brain painted a cool picture of the two of us. Again, I reminded myself to stay focused. I had just gotten out of a short relationship and really did not need to get to know anyone right now.
“Do you come here regularly?” Jade asked. “I’m here twice a week because the Wi-Fi at my apartment is horrible,” she added.
She seemed very expressive. Why did I know so much about her already?
“Oh, I’m here Mondays and Wednesdays. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you here. I’d remember your face.”
She smiled warmly and looked away.
“I think I saw you…” Jade was interrupted by the annoying Teams ringtone. She answered the call, and I plugged my earphones back in to continue working.
We didn’t talk again until hours later. I was also occupied with work calls and, at some point, moved back to my booth to avoid talking over each other.
I decided to call my mechanic while settling the bill. His shop was a 15-minute walk from the café, and I hoped to catch him before he closed. I had a minor accident weeks ago and took my car for repairs.
“Oh, you’re also done,” Jade walked to my table holding her laptop bag.
“Yes, I’m leaving for the mechanic soon.”
“Have you booked a ride?” she asked.
“I’m walking there. It’s just by Omorinre Street.”
“Wait, is it Ejo’s shop? I live about two houses away,” she said amusingly.
“Ahn, you know Ejo. Yeah, that’s where I’m headed.”
“Let’s walk together then. I usually walk home to get my steps in.”
I agreed, and this was the first of everything.
I’m such a record keeper. I remember the spots she pointed out to me while we walked to the shop. I remember her little laugh every time I cracked a silly joke. I remember her bantering with Ejo. I also remember how I picked up my car and ended up driving to Maple for dinner with her.
“What are you doing after?” Jade asked as I secured my keys from the shop.
“Get food, then go home. I’m not in a hurry, though. My house is quite full right now,” I found myself sharing more than I should after spending some time with her. I had already told her my little sister’s name.
“Oh, nice. Do you want some company then? I want to get food from Maple.”
You see, this was the first of many outings. On Wednesday, I worked from Moonshine, and we attended Harvesters’ church evening service together.
I went to the office on Thursday. Jade invited me for drinks with one of her friends at Mood. I found out that she was quite the drinker. We kissed for the first time when I dropped her off. I remember it being warm.
On Friday, we went to Tejumola’s exhibition at Art Twenty One. No one needed to tell me I had caught feelings for her because, on Saturday, I drove to hers for breakfast. My mom had prepared her famous akara, but I chose to drive for thirty minutes for Jade’s pancakes.
We spent the next two weeks hanging out. Jade liked to try out new places like me, so we made a list of cafes to work from, and this we did.
“I’m relocating in two days.”
I heard Jade say this while we worked from Moonshine one day. This was the last time I saw her.
“What does that even mean?” I stopped working and asked.
“I’ve been thinking of how to bring it up. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“Oh, you already have.” I looked at her, and she looked genuinely sad. Did the past two weeks mean anything to her, or was it just me? I started to think of solutions.
“What does this mean for us? I’m so used to hanging out with you already,” I added.
“I’m really sorry. I have known you for a short time, and everything just seems right. I insisted we work here today because this place brought you to me,” Jade said sadly.
I couldn’t work anymore, so I closed my laptop. Jade went on to explain how she got her visa three weeks before she met me. I wasn’t planned for. I wondered why the universe always brought temporary love to my doorstep.
After work hours, we went to her apartment, and I wondered how I never noticed how empty it looked. I felt warm tears when we made love for the last time. Were they mine or hers?
It’s been four months and six days now. I wonder if you still think of me. I’m working from Pause Café today—the last café on our list. I’m typing this and hoping I move on today, once I leave the café.