Me & You

Chapter 3: Café de Amor

    Jane started to walk the streets of Manila, finding her way back to her grandparents' house. Hearing the hustle and bustle of the streets was music to her ears. She gazed at all of the buildings surrounding her, and smelled the air that had a scent that only the Philippines possessed. Jane walked with a skip in her step, and with joy in her heart. She couldn't believe where she was - it was a weird feeling, but she felt like she was where she needed to be.

After walking for a while, her feet began to feel as if they've been carrying her body for miles, and she grew irritated of all the people bumping into her. She decided that she would take a tricycle the rest of the way home.

    As she approached the tricycle man, she stopped in her tracks. A beautiful little café caught her eye. It sat alone between two business complexes, and it seemed to stand strong by itself. A beautiful building made entirely of brick, and a big sign that said, Café de Amor. Childhood memories came rushing back to Jane as she gazed at the building. She recalled the times her mom would read The Three Little Pigs to her before she went to sleep. And she thought about the house made of brick, and how it stood strong against the Big Bad Wolf; all because the Third Pig took his time to build something strong. Remembering this story gave her a great idea for their project.

    Out of excitement she ran into the café and smelled the bitter sweet aroma of coffee brewing. She felt essence of books filling the air with new ideas, history, and love. Jane listened to the silence of those studying around her, and felt like she was home. Then she saw it, something that could potentially change her life forever. A "Help Wanted" sign. She went up to the cashier with her heart pounding with excitement.

    "Excuse me Ma'am. Is the position still open?"

    "Yes, did you come to audition?"

    "Audition?"

    "The position is for a barista that will sing at noon every weekday. The owner wants to try something new to draw in more customers."

    "Oh really...?"

    "Do you not want the job anymore?"

    "No, I'll audition! When should I come back?"

    "You can audition now. Martin was just about to give up hope."

    "Martin?"

    "The owner, his parents have owned this place for twenty-five years now. They gave the café to him last year when he turned twenty-one. Follow me, I'll take you to him."

     Jane followed the barista with her legs quivering in every step. Her heart used to beat with excitement, now it beat as if she was walking to her death. Suddenly the cashier stopped walking, and Jane found herself standing in front of a brown door.

    "Hey Martin, there's someone here to audition."

     Jane's heart stopped. Behind the door was a man sitting at a grand desk. He looked up at Jane and butterflies swarmed in her stomach. Jane began to glimpse at every inch of the man behind the desk. He had a strong face, but there was gentleness in his eyes, that were hidden behind his glasses. As he rose up from his seat, his head turned to the right and Jane saw three ear piercings going up the edge of his left ear. He didn't look like what Jane thought a café owner would look like. He was dressed professionally, a long sleeved collared shirt with black slacks, and dress shoes - despite his casual demeanor, he seemed to want to appear professional. He slowly walked toward Jane and extended his hand.

    "Hello, my name is Martin. I'm the owner. What's your name?"

    "Hi, I'm Jane, but you can call me Nic."

"Nic? Nice to meet you. It's a good thing that you came. I was just about to take down that sign. Please have a seat."

    "Thank you."

    "Before you sing for me, I would like to give you an interview, is that      alright?"

    "Yes, it's not a problem Sir."

    "There's no need for 'Sir', just call me Martin. So do you have experience in making coffee?"

    "Yes, I worked as a barista back in the States."

    "In the States? Let me guess. Starbucks?"

    "Haha, no... There was a coffee shop near my house."

    "Oh, very interesting."

     The interview went on. Martin began to appreciate all that Jane had to say. Martin saw that Jane looked at the world in a different way. When she sang for him, a feeling of calm overwhelmed him. As if the stress of this world no longer existed. He had found what he has been looking for all along.

    "Jane, you're perfect."

    "Really? Thank you!"

    "Do you need anything before you start? A musician?"

    "No, I can play the piano."

    "That's great. Just leave me your schedule and I'll contact you about your hours. Will you be able to sing every weekday?"

    "Yes. I have school Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. But I finish by eleven o'clock."

    "Great. So your set will be at one o'clock every weekday. Afterwards you'll work as a barista until closing, and occasionally on the weekends. Is that alright with you?"

    "Yes, it's perfect! Thank you so much!"

    "No, thank you. I'll see you three weeks from now, on Monday. So we'll have time to set up a stage for you, and announce this new idea to the public - to bring in more customers. Oh, one more thing Nic. Do you have contacts?"

    "Contacts? No, but my eyesight isn't really that bad. I can see without my glasses."

    "Good, I think it'll be more appealing to the audience if you're not wearing glasses. Is that alright with you?"

    "Sure that's okay. Thank you again. See you in three weeks."

     Trying to contain her excitement, Jane walked out of Martin's office in a quick stride. Then she rushed out of the café, and her feet could barely keep up with her. As Jane's body crossed the threshold of the front door, she stood still for a second - taking in all that has happened, then she jumped up and down in an uncontrollable excitement.

    When she opened her eyes, she saw Martin looking right at her. Embarrassment ran throughout her body, melting her into an immovable puddle. Trying to shake it off, Jane gave a shy smile to Martin and ran faster than her feet could carry her. Martin was left standing in amusement, and chuckled to himself.