𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗥𝗬: "A Fairytale in a Café" by JC Punzalan

 

Published by: Aliyah Margareth Imbat

Date Published: October 21, 2022

Time Published: 12:08 PM


Category: Prose

Theme: It's okay to not be the most exceptional; Love makes us feel special no matter who we were.

Synopsis: Never in my life I considered myself to be like one of those special protagonists I noticed in books so often. Yet...did meeting you change that?

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I tend to blend into the background, many would say. There was nothing truly exceptional about me; I was a dime-a-dozen. I hadn’t wandered through Wonderland and met guards made out of a card deck, nor had I flown through Neverland and fought pirates.

My aspirations are great, but nothing out-of-the-ordinary. I just wanted to pass College, get a well-paid job, and give my family a good life. It was nothing I was not used to. After all, there were few who truly encompass the qualities of a textbook protagonist in real life. It was nothing to be ashamed of—heck, it was a blessing not having to run miles a minute, unlike fictional protagonists.

Yet, I was still so fond of myths and fairytales. I read many books as a young lad—I still do, of course. So much so that I dreamt of living the thrilling adventures of these heroic tales. The child-like—bordering on naïve fantasies pop into my mind occasionally. Though I never did take those seriously—until that day we started talking.
If I did say so myself, it was as close to a fairytale morning as I could imagine. The choir of birds chirped outside the clear glass windows of a popular café in the city. The morning canvas' sky was painted with calming blues, warm pinks, and soft yellows; all the while, cotton candy clouds lifted the sun up from its slumber. I left my dorm early with a laptop in hand, grateful I did because the scent of mocha espressos and freshly baked pastries invigorated me to get some work done.

Too engrossed in completing my latest spreadsheet, I didn’t mind the chime of the bell or the customer taking an order. It was pleasant background noise to hear the chatter from the counter, a contrast to the clicks of the keys as I typed the data for my project.

Too engrossed as I sipped on my iced macchiato, I didn’t notice that you were going to my table. A grin was on your face as you took the chair across me.

“Hey,” I heard and flinched as a result. Not comically so, but definitely noticeable if someone paid attention to me. I looked up at you—a blond man wearing an unbuttoned teal dress shirt over a white undershirt. A silver cat pendant dangled off your neck, gleaming from the soft sunshine. “Did I startle you that badly?” you asked with a slight tilt of your head.

I realized I hadn’t said anything back for a good number of seconds. So I blurted out quickly while I readjusted my glasses, “Yeah, sorry…was a bit focused.” You chuckled and said back, “That wasn’t your fault. I’m sure you didn’t expect anyone to approach you.”

You think?

I quipped inside my head. I wished I had the guts to be more direct with people sometimes, but I told myself I might as well see where this conversation was going.

“I happen to notice your hoodie. You go to the same university as me?” you asked, much more sheepish than moments earlier. “There weren’t many free tables around, so I thought maybe I could sit here instead?”

I looked around. Indeed, I saw a small crowd—probably a bunch of introverted students who chose to do their school projects here too. The shop was a hotspot even at the sluggish hour of 6:30 AM; How miraculous it was that this cafe still felt quiet despite the number of people. I nodded and told you, “Sure, I’m assuming you’re here to do some assignment your professor gave you too?”

“Yeah, the deadline's later today and I barely got any work done!” you exclaimed. Then, you hurriedly took out your own laptop and opened it. Distress was clearly etched itself onto your face.

“Yikes, good luck. I hate cramming as much as anyone else.” I told you and thought that that was where we'd end things. A short and sweet conversation with a good-looking stranger who just happened to need a table to work on. Nothing more, and nothing less.

But a few minutes and a few sips later, you asked me, “So, what’s your course?”

“Accountancy. You?” I responded. “Computer engineering, and let me tell you, it is not easy. I haven’t slept properly in like two weeks.” As if to emphasize your point, you took a large swig of your chocolate frappe. You slammed the cup back down moderately hard afterward, then you started to continue that research report.

“I can relate… University, after all. Why’d you pick that though?”

What we talked about wasn’t all that special. After all, we were just two guys talking about life. Nothing super exciting because neither of us was a real-life protagonist. The most memorable thing about that day was that we spent more time talking than actually doing our tasks, so much so I had to help you (badly, but you told me it was good enough) in order for you to pass on time.

-/~/-

It was like a fairytale how it continued. A place where all the stars coalesce to give me that one—just one fantastical moment…where I could say I felt like a prince. Like a peasant-turned-royalty, like a celebrity who garnered attention, like a boy who got to meet you.

Nothing about me drastically changed since the day we met. I was still just a bookworm accountancy student who liked to go out alone and relax somewhere peaceful. Neither was anything drastically different about you, you once told me. You were a clumsy, physically fit, sometimes socially unaware dude who possessed a heart of gold before we met; you still were these things.

But you made me feel like I was more than that. You made me feel like I was player one in some grander story that wasn’t just mine. The way you were so genuine, the way you care for even the little things about me, and the way you looked at me with the sincerest gaze or the fondest smile. I hoped the things I did were enough to make you feel the same way.

For me to be enough for you to see Wonderland’s beautiful pastel sky, and experience what it was like to see flying teacups, paint roses red, or shrink and grow exponentially in the span of a few minutes. For me to be enough for you to want to never grow up, find treasures, and fight foes of the Seven Seas in Neverland together.

We might not be real-life protagonists, but I felt like one the first time you told me, “I love you.”