your go-to café

have you travelled far far away and need to find your way back home, darling? this would be listed among the most humane situations, no need to be coy about it. if this is not the case, though, I’ll try and make you leave whatever it is that you are trying to leave behind. we are not in a hurry, so just leave the “thought of leaving” behind. you can leave it here.

you can always find your way home, I’m not kidding! I’ll also tell you how to make a friend that would be of help, if you are struggling with making one nowadays. first, I have some questions for you.

do you feel stone-cold during these steamy days? ah, don’t tell me you always do! I, myself too, shiver whenever I feel the chills around. are you away or home? oh, I see. you are not a fan of football, and to be honest, neither am I.

and how do you feel there? are you actually home, or are you feeling more as if you are trying to get away from everything? oh, I’m surprised to hear that.

let me understand if I’m getting this right. what you tell me is that you feel like a tourist in your hometown, perhaps a little lost. I know the feeling. I also am one big tourist wherever I may roam. but this is not my story, forgive me for indulging.

during “tough-to-believe-in times” like our days, I’d suggest going to your go-to café, to taste it again. the taste of the coffee, your go-to dessert, your favorite memory in your usual seat. doesn’t matter, taste it. now, listen to me. I’ll be with you the whole time, but not in a weird-way. relax a little, after all, you are just a tourist.

if you enjoy, read a poem or write a little story. if you don’t, put your headphones on and pick some tunes that better reflect your current mood. the tour you have been waiting for should be starting momentarily.

take your sun-glasses off and start seeing with your own eyes where you are. you know this café, but you are visiting as a tourist. how lucky you must be! let me be your go-to person for the time being and please, bestow upon me the seat next to you. if you think we are moving a little too fast, I said I’d be with you the whole time, I might stand still as well. this is about you darling, don’t mind where I stand with regards to you.

alright, what do you see? don’t be shy, look around a little. nobody knows you, but everybody acts as if they do, don’t they? why do you think that is? I believe you know the answer to this question. even if you don’t, don’t worry. you should have some clue any time now. do you want to make a new friend now?

as far as I’m concerned, you start with making some new enemies, as is customary at this café, but don’t give in without a fight. perhaps your long-gone friend is also a tourist here, sitting right in front of you. keep it cool and play it nicely now, so that your new-born enemies will lead you to your friend even if you don’t see them.

or, better yet, perhaps your far-gone friend is among your recent enemies. why is he among them? forget about him for a second. what do you think about her?

we will handle these questions later, my dear tourist. tell me, what about you? what do you think about yourself? I know, this is a bit too personal, forgive me. let’s turn back to your enemies and friends at your café.

I see, you are able to forgive them, but forgetting about them is a whole other process, is it not? that’s okay, forgiving someone takes no more than three words; but forgetting, on the other hand, is harder. don’t worry, once you make the friend you are looking for, you will not have to remember anybody else. and behold: a new notification! you can check it out, I don’t mind. the tour is not going anywhere, and neither is your friend. but the enemies? you are right, they are not to be forgotten about before they become a non-threat.

so let’s revisit the enemies you recently made. because you have nothing but bad blood in between and not one spoken word, they became your enemies indirectly. no direct conversation could have been in order up until now. we will make contact though, do not worry.

they, namely your enemies, might not have realized yet that you are their enemy instead of, say, a stranger. that’s better, this means we still have time. meanwhile, I need you to think about your friend that you lost. you might still be angry with them because they left you, you might be mad that they left without a note. you might possess all the emotions there are and they might all be directed towards that friend, let it be. it’s all OK. all the emotions you feel are real, where or whomever they might be directed at does not really matter. the raw emotions are unstoppable. don’t let a soul tell you otherwise. let me see how you are doing. oh, you are doing great, but…

the flaming sadness in your eyes? okay, time is up. you better now go to your enemies and ask it away: “do you hear it too?” it is a bit of a frenzical question, but don’t be afraid. if they don’t, you are the only sane person there and they are not even worthy to be your enemies. if they do but still blame you for being insane, tell them: “it takes one to know one.”

now, the enemy-ship is over and those people are nothing to you, once again. you can go back to being a stranger, a heretic, a hottie, or a fool, if that’s what you like. the ship is now ready for sailing into new seas. since it has no name, I leave it to you. you can choose a name for it. “The Escape from LA” has already been tried, so I’d suggest a new name.

and your friend that we have been looking for? you just made it! that friend is for life, and I know, such a friend always looks upon and guards you whenever you are lost. you found your friend when they were lost, and they are forever grateful for that. have fun with them, for they are whatever you want them to be.

finally, let me give you one secret. whenever you need your new friend to be your whatever, they will be. and the non-secret part: a true friend always has your back. thus, no need to look back ever again. they love you, darling, you deserve it.

now you are ready to walk the path you don’t remember, and your friend will gently nudge you to your home.

if you need to leave your friend behind, for whatever reason, they will not hold it against you. how do I know? I found my friend the same way, and my friend is never wrong. ask her if you like!