Endless Loop

Nostalgia

As she walked into that old cafe, all the memories of the time spent there rushed through her like a wave. The jingling of wind chimes above head made her stop for a second. And just like that, her mouth stretched into this faint sardonic smile, making the ongoing turmoil inside her invisible to the world.

Shaking her head a little, she continued walking until she reached the counter where a man with burly physique seated next to a cashing machine. She tried recalling his name. However, even after minutes of struggle when she failed to do so, she simply dropped the idea and continued with her question.

'Where is the old lady that used to sit here?'

The man behind the counters looked at her strangely, as if she had asked him if he had seen ghosts.

Raising his eyebrows, he asked 'Which old lady, little girl? I have been the owner of this place for years.'

Now it was her turn to raise her eyebrows. She snaked a hand inside the left pocket of her hoodie and fished out a crumpled piece of paper. She unfolded it and reread the content.

'This is Martha's Dale, isn't it?'

She asked the burly man, showing him the crumpled paper along with the address written on it.

The man picked the paper and read what's written in there.

'Yes it is' He said, handing the paper back to her. 'However, I don't know which lady you are talking about. I have been the only person who has ever run this shop.'

'Oh'

Confused and a little disheartened, she decided to spend some more time in the cafe. She walked over to a seat that was in the farthest corner of the room. Sliding into its plain yet polished oakwood seat, she made herself comfortable.

The waiter came just in time to take the order. She didn't know what propelled her to do so, but she ordered a strawberry shortcake with lots of cream on it and a cup of coffee, black.

'It's this feeling again,' she thought. She has been having this sensation ever since she had set her foot in this strange city. It is like she is walking in a dream, but can a dream be this vivid? As if the dream world has actually come alive, blurring the lines between what's real and what is not.

The people she is meeting, this cafe, the burly old man - they all seem like vague impressions veiled by the dust of time. A faint memory that has been left behind, just like that.

What more strange is that she has never been to this city before. Still, she could feel a sense of nostalgia - the library that is just around the corner from the station, the little vegetable shop about 5 kilometres away, this cafe, and....that old woman.

'Your order mam.' The waiter called out to her, drawing her attention to him.

'Thank you' She smiled.

'I will think about this later. Right now, I am hungry as hell. Let's first eat this!' With this in mind, she took a bite of the cake. Infinite flavours burst in her mouth, making her eyes droop close with all the sensations that are boggling her mind.

'Who the hell cares about that old lady when you have food this good in front of you!' With this thought in mind, she devoured the entire meal happily, glancing outside at the passersby every now and then.