I saw the coffee shop near the James’ Hardware. I got no hesitations. I walked my wandering feet trod dried leaves of the alluring summer. Neither rush nor worry carved on my emotions. I know I was early. Indeed I still have fifteen minutes ahead of the appointed time. All I foresaw was I am too close to knowing everything.

A coffee shop became the hangout of best friends Brendan and Nesto. They used to sit on the chairs on the right corner table. Brendan was three days ahead of Nesto when their mother brought them into this world.

Growing up together was a normal part of them. I was a part of their eating, brushing, bathing, and even sleeping. They grew up with the revolutionizing world as any other organisms do. They went to school together. They played together in the school quadrangle with their classmates. Brendan would draw squares on Nesto’s jaw while the latter would lock up his long arms. Brendan ran ahead of Nesto leaving Nesto struggling at the middle of the court. They shared homework, peeped through small windows, and smacked gang’s faces while their faces were being spanked.

The close bond was disturbed when Nesto failed in third year. Close to letting go and reasons unknown to his chum, he quitted. Brendan was not enough to bring him back. He refused to go back to school!

His best friend Brendan succeeded getting his attention back to school without Nesto after a long time of moving on. Before Brendan’s graduation was the time that things went in ways. Nesto was never seen in school again while Brendan forwarded his dream pursuance through entering college. In the times before Brendan’s graduation, the friends made an agreement to meet after fifteen years. Yes, they were separating their ways. But after fifteen years, at four o’clock in the afternoon of the first Saturday, they’ll be meeting each other and realize how they spent their fifteen years away from each other. No one could beat the bond the chums had. They made that accord before Nesto quitted.

Fifteen year after, excitement fueled Nesto’s heart. Brendan was his one and best chap. He was pretty sure that he became one of the best professionals in the modernized world. A man with no hesitations walked towards the coffee shop owned by Mrs. Maria near the James’ Hardware. He entered the room with few people. He smiled at Mrs. Maria while waved his hands hello. He sat on the chair at the right corner pine-made table.

Four minutes past four did not show Brendan’s face. Nesto, on the seat couldn’t lay still. So excited to see his friend, he kept on tapping his fingers on the old table. Nesto and his reluctant-turned countenance positively rounded up the time. People passed through the pathway outside the shop.

Through the thick glass wall, Nesto observed a boy passing through. The boy, who wore white school uniform, walked slowly so people get to pass him by at the middle of the way. His head was pointed on the ground as if the footsteps counting never ended.

The next thing that he noticed was a teenager holding a ball. This young man slowly stopped while his right hand took his phone from his pocket. He moved close to the shop and leaned his back against the corner post and started reading messages. Suddenly after reading he advanced quickly heading his way.

A grown man with a square-jawed face was approaching. This man was about to enter the shop when he unexpectedly froze. He stood in front of the door with his reluctant psyche. He would hesitate, except for a moment he turned his back and walked away.

After a minute with no one passing by came a rushing by several men of an unconscious blooded young man. Blood inked the pathway bricks. Some young women followed exclaiming “faster! faster!”. Afterward everything went back to normal.

Nesto glanced at the gray wall clock and had a deep sigh. But he never lost hope. Then after fifteen past four he saw someone! The man was a doctor. He distinguished him similar to someone he knew very well.

“It is him, yes he is!”



He knew it was Brendan, the man with long arms. He stopped and stood nicely on quite a distance opposite the coffee shop. Nesto’s excitement made him stand and flash a smile. However, the man outside stood straight without any movement directly staring at the shop empty and bearing seemed wondering face. Nesto started to speculate why the man just stood up outside and did not enter. Being late by fifteen minutes following a long wait after fifteen years, how could a best friend bear no enthusiasm?

But Nesto wasn’t fallen to abysmal dismay; instead he waved his hand and signaled his chap. The man inside’s slowly getting back to being seated concurrently held the man outside’s head down. He nodded deeply. And while things got deeper the man took a piece of cloth out of his pocket and wiped his eyes. A pair of teary eyes appeared with the man after he held back his head. Then he took a final gaze with a gloomy face onto the shop and slowly walked away.

Nesto was stopped. He was hit. He was threaded. But then the will to pursue the man won his heart. He stood and about to run out but he froze after hearing Mrs. Maria and an old customer conversing.



“You see that man who just walked away after staring my house?”



“Well yeah Maria, I could just sip wondering.”



“He was Brendan, my old old coffee and empanada lover. But not anymore after his friend was gone.”



“What happened?”



“They had a young plan when they were in high school. In fact it was extraordinary. They agreed to meet after fifteen years because Nesto, his friend, will be going away from town after their graduation in high. They made that special deal here, I was with them because    they always loved my sweet coffee I made them.”



“That was a great deal with them.”



“But you know, there was a time that ruined everything.”



“Com’on.”



“Sometime in third year, he was heavily hit by a car in the main road.”



“Aye, you mean Nesto?”



“Of course. While he could still talk, he told Brendan not to worry because the fifteen years will surely happen.”



“How was it then?”



“You know so very long time he was confined to bed. His family faced so much hardship during those times. Brendan would help a lot. He spent his most time lying beside Nesto and even sleeping there at night. Nesto couldn’t talk, but can write. He wrote the things he wanted to say to his family and his friend.”



“Really? I adore the friendship.”



“Anyone will, Jones. This would break your heart I’m sure.”



“Tell me Maria.”



“No one knows, even his best friend Brendan, what had come into Nesto’s mind. One perfect moment when no one was in the room, Nesto took off the one and only tube that kept him alive.”



“Oh no!”



“Brendan, who walked from school, saw everyone from his friend’s family weeping outside the room. They told him and he moaned. As far as Brendan can remember, Nesto told him that he was the best chap in the world. Those were the last words.”



“Oh I feel so sorry for Brendan.”



“Sure you do. I miss the two young men loving my shop.”



I froze and after a while I wailed. Now I know that no one could see me. No one could look at my heart which is hungry—of feeding a chap’s affection. I realized everything. Only by this time that took fifteen years.
I am Nesto, Brendan’s best friend. I quitted. I quitted my life. No one could see me.

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