She saw him today, picked him out from the crowd, just as she had picked out the single packet of chips from rows of identical ones. Of all the places, she didn't think it'd be at the supermarket, junk food section. But because she didn't expect it, it was perfect. She knew why she noticed him. As she writes this down later, she is gripped by a strong sense of deja vu. As if she has written this down before.
But now, back to the present past. When she is still grasping the bag of chips, careful not to stare at him, but wanting to get a good look at him. This was accomplished by staring across the aisle, as if trying to look for the item behind him. But even that is too short. Her heart was beating too quickly, she was too nervous and looks away quickly. She notices a few minor things. He has green eyes and brown hair, very dark brown but not dark enough that she would mistake it for black. He was tall. She went back to her shopping cart, not wanting to seem like a fool standing there for too long. She put the chips in her cart and pushed it along, walking away, feeling her back prickle. She told herself that it was stupid. It was just her mind trying to come up with things to entertain her with.
Moving on to the next aisle, all was almost forgotten. New aisle, different category, start over. Her cart rolled lazily down as her eyes wandered over each magnetically attractive item, all screaming at her to buy them.
She looked up ahead and there he was again.
At the same aisle.Walking towards her, well, not literally towards her but just down the aisle in the opposite direction. He too, was looking at the items on display. But he glanced up. His eyes were blue, not green. She was close enough to see that now. They moved past each other, and she averted her eyes back to the colourful goods. She grabbed a bright purple something and threw it in her cart, just for something to do. She moved out of the aisle.
After few moments moving in aisles free of his appearance, she began to calm down again. She picked up the purple box she had earlier threw in hastily. Seafood-flavored baked biscuits. Making a disgusted face, she put it back on the shelf, nudging it in between an array of Coke and Pepsi bottles, lined up competitively side-to-side. The temperature dropped down a notch. Frozen food section! She whizzed through the traffic jam of shopping carts expertly, cutting into the ice cream aisle. Mm.. Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz. Selecting a carton of Chunky Monkey instead, she peered at the tiny lettering. Banana ice cream with fudge chunks and walnuts? How intriguing! Her eyes, without her consent, flickered past the ice cream to a strangely familiar green figure walking past casually in the next aisle. Surprise, surprise. Her heart skipped and she felt warm, eventhough she could feel the icy cold carton of ice cream in her hand. She put it back down, in case she should melt it and grabbed her Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz instead.
In a blur of floruescent lighting and foodstuffs, she found herself at the checkout aisle, mechanically putting things on the conveyor belt. Obviously, trying to not think of him was useless since everytime she didn't think about him, he appeared in front of her. He wasn't there now, she had wandered away from the frozen food quickly and straight to the check out lines. He probably still had other things to buy. She looked at the things she was stacking onto the moving belt. Her cart was emptying gradually. She wondered if he would pull up in her line. There was no one else behind her. She placed a square of cheese gingerly on the belt. Two more items to go. She glanced around as nonchalantly as she could. He wasn't anywhere in sight. No green shirt, no darker than dark brown in the sea of pallid dull colours. She held onto her strawberry-flavored toothpaste and then knowing it was no use, put it defeatedly on the conveyor belt. There seemed to be some sort of problem with the lady in front of her. Her credit card wouldn't go through. She kept her composure calm. That didn't mean anything. She should be feeling annoyed at the delay. She put the last item on the belt. Her Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz.
And waited.
Finally, the beeping stopped and the woman got her card back. Her own items were being scanned now. She grinned inwardly. Obviously, she didn't expect to see him again. Anything out of the encounters was purely in her head. He was obviously in the same aisles at her because he was following the same system as her, of going down the each aisle alphabetically. Just like any other shopper. She only noticed him particularly because of his blue eyes and his brown hair. She smiled at the cashier who distractedly smiled back. Service with a smile.
She cast one last survey around, just to prove herself silly. But no sooner she turned her head, a mop of dark brown hair appeared from above the crowd. He was tall, after all. He was about five or six cash registers away. She could see him clearly as day. She stared at him, and again, he glanced up. And their eyes met. She stared for a whole second. Then she looked away. She paid and she left.
But now, back to the present past. When she is still grasping the bag of chips, careful not to stare at him, but wanting to get a good look at him. This was accomplished by staring across the aisle, as if trying to look for the item behind him. But even that is too short. Her heart was beating too quickly, she was too nervous and looks away quickly. She notices a few minor things. He has green eyes and brown hair, very dark brown but not dark enough that she would mistake it for black. He was tall. She went back to her shopping cart, not wanting to seem like a fool standing there for too long. She put the chips in her cart and pushed it along, walking away, feeling her back prickle. She told herself that it was stupid. It was just her mind trying to come up with things to entertain her with.
Moving on to the next aisle, all was almost forgotten. New aisle, different category, start over. Her cart rolled lazily down as her eyes wandered over each magnetically attractive item, all screaming at her to buy them.
At the same aisle.Walking towards her, well, not literally towards her but just down the aisle in the opposite direction. He too, was looking at the items on display. But he glanced up. His eyes were blue, not green. She was close enough to see that now. They moved past each other, and she averted her eyes back to the colourful goods. She grabbed a bright purple something and threw it in her cart, just for something to do. She moved out of the aisle.
After few moments moving in aisles free of his appearance, she began to calm down again. She picked up the purple box she had earlier threw in hastily. Seafood-flavored baked biscuits. Making a disgusted face, she put it back on the shelf, nudging it in between an array of Coke and Pepsi bottles, lined up competitively side-to-side. The temperature dropped down a notch. Frozen food section! She whizzed through the traffic jam of shopping carts expertly, cutting into the ice cream aisle. Mm.. Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz. Selecting a carton of Chunky Monkey instead, she peered at the tiny lettering. Banana ice cream with fudge chunks and walnuts? How intriguing! Her eyes, without her consent, flickered past the ice cream to a strangely familiar green figure walking past casually in the next aisle. Surprise, surprise. Her heart skipped and she felt warm, eventhough she could feel the icy cold carton of ice cream in her hand. She put it back down, in case she should melt it and grabbed her Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz instead.
In a blur of floruescent lighting and foodstuffs, she found herself at the checkout aisle, mechanically putting things on the conveyor belt. Obviously, trying to not think of him was useless since everytime she didn't think about him, he appeared in front of her. He wasn't there now, she had wandered away from the frozen food quickly and straight to the check out lines. He probably still had other things to buy. She looked at the things she was stacking onto the moving belt. Her cart was emptying gradually. She wondered if he would pull up in her line. There was no one else behind her. She placed a square of cheese gingerly on the belt. Two more items to go. She glanced around as nonchalantly as she could. He wasn't anywhere in sight. No green shirt, no darker than dark brown in the sea of pallid dull colours. She held onto her strawberry-flavored toothpaste and then knowing it was no use, put it defeatedly on the conveyor belt. There seemed to be some sort of problem with the lady in front of her. Her credit card wouldn't go through. She kept her composure calm. That didn't mean anything. She should be feeling annoyed at the delay. She put the last item on the belt. Her Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz.
And waited.
Finally, the beeping stopped and the woman got her card back. Her own items were being scanned now. She grinned inwardly. Obviously, she didn't expect to see him again. Anything out of the encounters was purely in her head. He was obviously in the same aisles at her because he was following the same system as her, of going down the each aisle alphabetically. Just like any other shopper. She only noticed him particularly because of his blue eyes and his brown hair. She smiled at the cashier who distractedly smiled back. Service with a smile.
She cast one last survey around, just to prove herself silly. But no sooner she turned her head, a mop of dark brown hair appeared from above the crowd. He was tall, after all. He was about five or six cash registers away. She could see him clearly as day. She stared at him, and again, he glanced up. And their eyes met. She stared for a whole second. Then she looked away. She paid and she left.
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