A Wisp of Light
Have you ever wondered, how many pictures you've been in a total stranger's memories? Think about it, a capture of light and a thousand words is formed. For someone who could be living on the other side of the earth, you could be part of their memory. Photography is beautiful that way.
People say that a good photo is all about the angle it is taken. I disagree. In my opinion, the essence that makes a photo grandiose is the light. The rays of the afternoon sun and the shadows that reflect from the photos taken are what make truly strikes me as amazing. Another thing about photography that captures me is the model or the object of the photo. To truly be a photographer, you must share a deep connection with the object or model. Whether it's a flower, chair, piano, animal, or a human. I guess this is where our character's story begins.
It was a winter day and thin layers of snow covered the streets of New York. A figure wrapped in a thick lush scarf with a puffy jacket walked quickly down the streets. Her hands were in her pocket as she rushed to a nearby coffee shop. As she walked in, the coffee aroma welcomed her warmly. With a thin smile, she walked up to the counter.
"Welcome to Karla's Coffee Shop, what would you like to order?" The friendly cashier asked the woman.
"A cup of black coffee please," the woman said as she took her pale hands out of her pocket and lightly blew on it.
"With cream, sugar, or none?" The cashier asked as he typed up the order.
"Black please," the woman said firmly.
"Okay, a black coffee coming up, have a nice day ma'am." The woman smiled and nodded at the cashier as she handed him 5 dollars. The woman looked around for a table to sit and finally spotted one beside the window on the far side of the café.
Slowly walking towards to it, she unraveled her scarf that covered half her face. Her features were strong and beautiful; her mysteriously captivating green eyes stood out the most. Her medium length auburn hair framed her face nicely; altogether, she was a natural beauty. Her face was still red from the cold previously and she stared outside the window longingly.
The snow… she thought,
"This would've been a beautiful picture…" she murmured to herself.
"Excuse me miss, your black coffee?" The waitress asked as she held out a cup of steaming coffee. She smiled thankfully at the waitress and motioned for her to place it on the table. Nodding, the waitress carefully set the coffee on the table. With a quick word of 'enjoy,' the waitress walked away.
With a happy sigh, the woman quickly set her hands on the two sides of the hot coffee cup and sighed in satisfaction. Nothing's better than a cup of black coffee… The woman smiled as she took a sip.
Finally warmed and comfortable, the woman sat back and looked around the coffee shop. Her eyes scanned each corner of the coffee shop; at the opposite side of the coffee shop, an old couple sat together, enjoying two cups of Earl Grey Tea. Two tables away, a business man sat staring intently at his opened lab top. Nothing special today… Being a photographer, the woman was interested in all her surroundings.
Just as she held up the cup to take another sip, the bells of the door ringed signaling the incoming of another customer. She heard a faint, "What would you like to order sir," coming from the cashier. "A cup of hot chocolate with cream," the man replied.
Hot chocolate? Judging from his voice, the woman guessed that it was a businessman but most businessmen settle for lattes or black coffees like her. Curiously and eager, the woman looked up. Instead of a man in suit, she saw a 24 25-ish young man in a pair of jeans and black turtleneck that snugly fit his fit body. However, what drawn her to him wasn't his body. I've seen thousands of male models with bodies better than that, but… his eyes… The man had a pair of dangerously alluring eyes that seemed to draw the entire woman in the coffee shop to him. His amber eyes were… indescribably intense. His outfit, face, body did not radiate a signal that says that he would be the kind of guy to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate in an early winter morning.
The man scanned the room and as his eyes swept by her, the woman convinced herself that his eyes lingered. His eyes… As the man took his hot chocolate, he nodded and walked out. A take away cup of hot chocolate? But just as he walked out, she swore she felt a pair of intense eyes linger once more on her. Convinced, the woman quickly finished her black coffee and ran out the store. Where is he? Where is he? The woman thought impatiently. She looked around hurriedly, left, right, across the street but the crowds of people blinded her. The chattering voices of busy New Yorkers filled the streets.
His eyes, I have to find him! The woman thought determinedly. Walking quickly across the street, she stopped in front of a figurine shop. A lone figurine stood on the edge of the platform, a rabbit looking longingly at the moon. Beautiful She suddenly opened her bag and pulled out a camera. With a quick click, she captured the image.
"You dropped this," a voice said. As the woman turned to face voice, a piece of black scarf was thrown at her. Startled the woman looked up, it's him!
"Thank you." The woman said politely then stopped, "My name is Sakura Kinomoto, I'm a professional photographer, and I would like to hire you to be my model." Straightforward as she seems, the man seemed impassive.
"Are you always this straightforward or am I just special." The man stared at Sakura. Sakura smiled,
"Normally I'm always this straightforward, I don't like curveballs, they're useless and meaningless." The man nodded,
"I see, well I'm not interested." Sakura frowned, but he would make an excellent model she thought stubbornly. Staring at the tall man, she opened her bag and took out one of her business cards.
"Here, this is my business card. You can call my cell phone any time if you change your mind." She turned to walk away, but not before staring at the man one last time.
"You would make an excellent model, think about it." Sakura called out and waved her hand from behind as she walked away. The man stared at her retreating figure and turned to walk away too.
He stared at the business card in his hand and said Sakura's name softly. Cherry Blossoms… he stood there for a minute then started to walk in the opposite direction.
So here we are, the start of a story of two people's destiny meeting once more. Have you heard of the saying that when one person meets another person, they must have had brushed their shoulder with each other 1000 times in their past lives. Magical isn't it? People say, if you met once in your life, you will meet again. This life, the next, somehow, somewhere.
So enjoy this story about two people's destiny and how they intervene. It's the humanity that's perceived that counts.
Author's Notes
My first story! Feedbacks and reviews are appreciated and welcomed!