Coffee with salt

Coffee with salt (unknown author)

I was waiting for the train at Rosslyn subway station (in Arlington) last night when I overheard a white American guy on the phone with his beloved. He non-stopped talking loudly ‘I love you so much. I miss you. I want to talk to you forever. How sweet your voice is!’ and those words happened to drip into my ears without intention.

It must have been something that got him damned bored by repeating ‘the words of all time’ then he popped up an idea, “All right… Now honey you can hang up.” What a gallant man to have lady hang up in advance. But he was wrong because she would like to sing another canary’s song.

5 minutes – It took him that much to drag on the goodbye. ‘Now we do the hang-up together’ But it didn’t work out. Another trick! ‘Let’s count to four. One, two, three, four and hang up!’

Fortunately, this helped. And the sweat lips mumbled ‘Bloody lady… It’s gone.’

‘I love you so much. I miss you,’ turned out to be simple lies. Yet the more lies he made, the more she fell in love with him. She stroke. The man then entrapped himself. However, he made way out. He wasn’t someone to endure such a conclusion just like one did for all of his life…

…He first met her, supposed the nicest and prettiest, at a party. At the party’s end, he overtook his own encouragement to verbally send her an invitation of a drink. Being deeply surprised, the girl accepted his as a politeness.

They were sitting quietly. He was too nervous to say a word. She then felt lost and wanted to leave… Just at the moment she was about to stand up for her leave, he uttered to have the waiter to ‘give me some salt for my coffee.’

Almost everyone in the restaurant turned around stared at the man. She was one of them.

She questioned his weird preference. He embarrassedly puzzled the answer, ‘I used to live nearby the sea. I loved playing with the waves as well as the salty and bitter taste of its water. The salty and bitter taste, just like coffee and salt… It reminds me of the place and my parents. It’s all in my heart.’

She looked at him and in her heart – there was a warm-hearted emotion for his being roused.

Date after date, she was sure he was a courageous man of niceness. He was honest, patient, and he had sympathy for her issues.

It has a happy ending which is similar to many fairy tales. They got married and lived happily. She prepared a cup of salty coffee for him every morning before leaving for work.

Years later, they got older and it was the man who switched for a death first.

After the funeral, she discovered a letter in the drawer entitled ‘For the girl I love most.’ ‘There is one thing I don’t ever dare to tell you that I have cheated you for all of my life. I have never favored and, also, have not ever tried coffee with salt. For so many times I made myself tell you the truth but I was scared. Then I made a promise that it was the first time and the last ever have I told you a lie. If I had had a chance to turn back, I would have done it again just to be with you and enjoy the coffee with salt you made – every single day in my time. I love you.’

Her eyes obscured with tears when skimming the last lines.

She folded it, slowly rose and made herself a cup of coffee with salt.