literature

Late night in a coffee shop.

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Literature Text

"Sir? Do you find me… expendable?"
The man stopped his actions and turned his head to the questioning voice behind him. He had never had to deal with such an absurd and personal question, especially not at this time of day- it was late at night and he was preparing his work for tomorrow and getting ready to close up. Nevertheless, the voice beckoned him to answer, and those tired, stressed blue eyes stared at him, anticipating a reply.
"Ah well…" he began, setting down a bag of freshly scooped coffee beans he was just getting done with wrapping. "Why do you ask?" he retorted- trying to learn more about this mysterious being facing him before composing an answer.
"I ask because I require an answer, sir." They replied their voice hollow and their eyes drifting to look to the tan coloured elixir that would be coffee but was too over run with creamer in their cup.
"That isn't much of a reason, and I can't say- do you feel you are?" replied the coffee vendor, who worked the bag in his hands due to a nervous habit.
"I don't quite know."
"then why on earth do you expect me to know? I hardly even know you." there was an air of irritability rising in his voice, normally he wouldn't mind, but everyone had left and being alone with this mysterious stranger was making him highly uncomfortable, after all their words were comparable to suicide talk.
"Well, sir." They began, taking a sip of their coffee and placing it neatly on a napkin before folding their hands and closing their tired, sunken, vein-filled eyes.
"what if I were to tell you that 3 people who have entered this coffee shop were asking themselves the very same question?"
the man withdrew, perplexed by this "What do you mean?"
"I mean…" the individual started to say "that several people after purchasing coffee in your shop, sat out in the front of it and stared out to the bridge down the street and asked them that very question, with no one available to tell them yes or no."
"what happened to them?"
The individual stopped, staring at the man, no remorse, just curiosity in his interest.
"Are they okay? They didn't do anything stupid did they?"
"Well you didn't hear anything, did you?"
"No… But are they alright?"
"Yes, physically they are alright, emotionally one cannot say or determine that."
The coffee Vendor rubbed the back of his neck nervously and squinted his eyes with suspicion "How do you know this?" he leaned over the counter and stuck out his bottom lip.
"Because I waited by that bridge from sunrise to sunset and spoke to each one who had that look in their eyes."
"But why? You some sort of hero or something?" He gave a laugh, but to his surprise, they responded
"No, just a friend."  
The vendor arched his brows, his face telling the stranger to continue with their reasoning. Therefore, they did.
"You see." They wet their lips, took another sip of their coffee, and set it down "Many people often forget how precious their lives really are, do you know how often you slip by death on a daily basis? How many things can come and kill you on accident or on purpose? Yet we live to see another day. That in itself is a blessing, we have both lived this long to have this conversation." They looked down in their cup, seeming displeased by its taste, this was because it was now room temperature, but they shrugged this off and continued "Everything you do effects someone, and vise verse. It is inevitable; there are no 'accidents.' Yet we claim that there are, we make mistakes to learn from them- that is no accident- that happened for a specified reason. And then one must consider what they do with their time- how precious each and every moment is, and how one minor incident for one- can wholly change the fabrication for someone else's future. Take for example the fact that if I hadn't at all posed that question, neither of us had ever started to speak to one another." They paused in their speaking and gave a laugh "and how humorous it is at that! Why, if the circumstances were different- then what? Would I have walked home and never have seen you again? Would you have just seen me as another customer? Do you still see me as that? Fascinating to think about- isn't it? Tell me, sir, how you met you wife."
The coffee vendor shook his head surprised staring at the stranger nervously "How did you know I was married?"
"You've been stroking your wedding band out of a nervous tick for the past 13 minutes, sir, it's hard to miss." The man laughed and cleared his throat, looking up in thought now.
"we met at her friends house, 13 years ago- we were just exiting high school, and her friend introduced us…"
The stranger held up a hand then gave a mischievous grin "Now consider this circumstance, sir- what would have happened if your wife's friend never introduced the two of you?"
"I- well… then we wouldn't have met?"
"Precisely."
"What?"
"You two wouldn't have met, and yet you did- that tiny occurrence changed your lives forever, have you ever considered that?" The mans' mouth gaped open in surprise, but he closed it and cleared his throat once again "ah- yes- well… I suppose so." He blushed faintly, reaching to stroke his wedding band and look at it thoughtfully.
"Why are you posing so many questions? Why did you start talking to me in the first place?"
"Because sir…" They gave a smile "you had the same look in your eyes, that question was something that you have asked yourself too, isn't it?"
The man was taken back by this statement, surprise filled his face as he raised his hands almost to protect himself, but he couldn't deny it- he was indeed thinking it.
"So… What's the answer then?" He said, meekly
"You are not expendable, sir, No one truly is superfluous, you have changed various circumstances for this evening. One event always leads to another." They tipped their brown fedora and gave a wink, brushed up their brown coat and lifted up their small pile of books and pens they had brought in with them. "But I'm afraid I have to go now, If I stay I'll miss my flight."
"oh? Where are you going?" asked the man, his face lightening up and giving a look of genuine interest.
They walked to the door, looking over their shoulder, wet their lips and smiled "I don't quite know yet, but that in itself is another marvel." He stepped outside.
The coffee Vendor quickly opened the door to go after them waving his hand "wait! What's your name?!" The coffee vendor's smile faded as his answer was met by the sound of a swerving vehicle and the cry of a woman screaming, "Call an ambulance!"  
Random thing I wrote.
Guhh sorry for poor writing xD; I'm working on it.

Story and such is mine and all that good stuff.
UHHHH I hop you guys enjoy! It's not that good, but I hope aside from that it might bring some sort of interest.
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