I saw a man at the cafeteria
I had been at the cafeteria for 10 minutes or more, but I hadn't noticed him. I didn't see he coming in.
I spotted him when I was about to start eating. He walked too slowly, and it was like in those music videos when the singer is moving around slower than everyone around him.
He looked extremely pale, and had some sort of red blurry spots on the right side of his neck and chin. That was all I noticed at first, and just went back to the world of thoughts, dismissing him as just some other guy.
He walked slowly to the free tea, and waited for three other people to help themselves. Then he grabbed a cup and was about to pour himself some tea. A youngster lined up behind him, but he just let the youngster pass ahead. He then proceeded to pour himself a cup and drink it all the way. He filled his cup again, and drank it. Then he got another cupful, sipped a little and just stood there.
At this point he had my full attention.
He walked slowly to the counter. He took short steps and seemed to have no hurry at all. It was surprising to see that his calm agitated me. I kept observing him, wondering why such a reaction would be brought about by someone that was doing nothing but walking real slow.
He walked back to the tea spot, very slowly. He seemed to be looking at his reflection on the glass walls. He then pulled out a small bag for coins, and started slowly counting them. I noticed he had dark blue pants and a white shirt.
His clothes were one size too big. He had a black belt holding his pants and his shirt had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, like a businessman in a hot day would do.
He walked right beside me and sat at a table right behind me. He had nice sole shoes. I could see that his right sole was open, forming what looked like a smiling mouth that opened itself with each of his short steps.
I listened carefully and heard the tingling of coins behind me and assumed he was counting his money.
Nobody but me seemed to be paying any attention to him. Nobody there has any time and everybody is always in a hurry. There's always stuff to be done.
I wanted to keep looking at him, but I didn't want to be impolite. I had finished my meal, so I walked out.
I looked straight at him as I walked out. He was just sitting there expressionless. His face wasn't expressing any feeling, but it had a worn-out expression of suffering and despair - like when a monitor gets marked after showing the same image for too long.
I wanted to talk to him, hear his voice and whatever he had to say.
I spotted him when I was about to start eating. He walked too slowly, and it was like in those music videos when the singer is moving around slower than everyone around him.
He looked extremely pale, and had some sort of red blurry spots on the right side of his neck and chin. That was all I noticed at first, and just went back to the world of thoughts, dismissing him as just some other guy.
He walked slowly to the free tea, and waited for three other people to help themselves. Then he grabbed a cup and was about to pour himself some tea. A youngster lined up behind him, but he just let the youngster pass ahead. He then proceeded to pour himself a cup and drink it all the way. He filled his cup again, and drank it. Then he got another cupful, sipped a little and just stood there.
At this point he had my full attention.
He walked slowly to the counter. He took short steps and seemed to have no hurry at all. It was surprising to see that his calm agitated me. I kept observing him, wondering why such a reaction would be brought about by someone that was doing nothing but walking real slow.
He walked back to the tea spot, very slowly. He seemed to be looking at his reflection on the glass walls. He then pulled out a small bag for coins, and started slowly counting them. I noticed he had dark blue pants and a white shirt.
His clothes were one size too big. He had a black belt holding his pants and his shirt had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, like a businessman in a hot day would do.
He walked right beside me and sat at a table right behind me. He had nice sole shoes. I could see that his right sole was open, forming what looked like a smiling mouth that opened itself with each of his short steps.
I listened carefully and heard the tingling of coins behind me and assumed he was counting his money.
Nobody but me seemed to be paying any attention to him. Nobody there has any time and everybody is always in a hurry. There's always stuff to be done.
I wanted to keep looking at him, but I didn't want to be impolite. I had finished my meal, so I walked out.
I looked straight at him as I walked out. He was just sitting there expressionless. His face wasn't expressing any feeling, but it had a worn-out expression of suffering and despair - like when a monitor gets marked after showing the same image for too long.
I wanted to talk to him, hear his voice and whatever he had to say.
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