THE TURNOVER

As the sound of car honks and train collide, Amy hushed to herself, ah this city never fails to be a little peaceful. Not two years ago and not today. It was the year when Amy encapsulated herself in the thought that she could handle it all by herself, and she did not need any help from anyone. She just encountered an emotional turbulence by the end of her seventh term, when she conceded that she must be strong for herself. Some of her friends would call her Abbott, because her stubbornness resembled Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, though not in the parallel way.

As she is waiting for her departure to Bandung, she gets taken aback to two years ago. On the day just like this, when drizzles fell and the shine of sun peek in through tree branches.

-

"Would you mind if I sit here?" a man with tan skin, 6'1 tall, a rather hooded eyes, with a cup of Asian Dolce Latte on his right hand and stacks of papers on his right.

Amy did a quick scan of his features, after seconds she awkwardly responded "Sure, it's vacant"

It's kind of awkward to have a stranger sit before you in a small table, it made both of them exchanged many glances, as if it's a sin not to make a contact. But the coffee shop was really crowded and Amy was too preoccupied with her internship assignment, so she did not mind. She was so fixed on the screen when the man before him tried to catch her attention,

"Um, sorry, I think you got a call"

"Uh yes sure, thanks." at this rate, she cannot really answer the phone due to the sounds of laughter coming from a group of girls just few meters after her. "Um, do you mind if I go outside a minute, I mean, could you keep a look on my stuffs?" Okay that was unstructured, but who cares. Her supervisor is calling her and she knows it's emergency.

"Sure,"

Turned out her SPV would like her to attend the weekly meeting she has with the regional team, and it's running in 15 minutes. "I need you to explain about the overall content of the proposals," Knowing that her spv is the least demanding superior she ever has in her life, she just cannot say no. So she said yes, and came back to her table when she realized her laptop battery is going to die in 10 minutes. "Oh crap" she glanced over the man before him, without second thought she intruded his serenity,

"Excuse me, I know this is very rude at our first encounter, and the fact that I didn't know your name just turned me into the last person you'd like to have a second encounter with, but I gotta attend an urgent meeting on skype in 10miuntes but my laptop is dying and I didn't bring my charger...." She inhales a long breath. the man before him looks at her like she was some sort of politician trying to pass a bill. Just before she'd continue,

"I'm Dean and sure, I'm not in a hurry myself, you can use my laptop."

It was the coolest response she'd ever hear from a stranger, but she got no time to get mesmerized so she exclaimed

"OMG may God showers you with His endless blessing, can we exchange our seat?"

He moves voluntarily with his papers on his chest. "Oh and I'm Amy," she reaches out her hand and he shakes it gently.

And so it became the moment which has been haunting Amy's nights. And every time she is amidst a crowd. While she commutes and when she is alone entertaining herself on Netflix. And in every corner of the road, where the lights from the sky crapper would draw a shadow, she just cannot delete that chapter of her life.

-

Little did they know, God works in a way which can never be comprehended by human's mediocre intelligence. On how of all tables, he randomly approached her, and on how of all occasion she forgot to bring her charger that day. Malcolm Gladwell would call this as an outlier encounter. From that day onward, Amy and Dean would accidentally meet in the coffee shop, at least thrice in a week. Be it in a queue for a takeaway or during post working hour when either one of them is seated in the corner of the shop with their eyes fixed on screen.

Amy never takes a serious thought on strangers. No matter how captivating their features are, Amy always happens to forget their name by the beginning of the other day. Amy labels herself as someone who would only fall for the depth of talks they have, or the attitude one exhibits in daily occasions.

Dean, on the other hand, is someone who loves to engage in any random discussion with just anyone he meets. Though he would not spend hours to ponder on the person afterward, he is that kind of person who remember people's name and what associates them. He never took falling for someone as an ends, he always sees it as a means to his self-discovery journey. Falling in love helps you to know yourself better.

With their contradicting preferences, they got friendly easier. They did not begin their first long conversation by mentioning a name of an acquaintance, but a blunt comment of their first impression toward each other.

"I thought you are very reserved that you wont take a second thought on responding to my queries," Said Amy as she thanked Dean for the laptop.

"I thought you take pride greatly that you would rather run over to your friend's closest apartment rather than asking a stranger for a laptop," as he curved a crescent shape by his lips, and his hooded eyes went deeper under the shadow of his forehead. Dean has a clear eyes with pure black iris. A kind you would like to get drown in as you talk to him.

Amy lets out a heavy sigh as she responded, "Ugh so classic of me, haha"

They both let out a laughter. The conversation goes on as Dean's Asian Dolce Latte flavor mixed with the melting ice cubes.

From that day onwards, Dean empties his schedule every post-working hour and Saturday evening.

From that day onwards, Amy never forgets to put on her coral lipcover on two layers, at the washroom of her office, just before she left the building.

-

to be continued.