Sam and Coffee

We were seeing snaps that I took while I was at onsite (@ Atlanta) at home. After seeing one photo my mom asked – who is that??

I smiled and said – Oh that was my friend and he owns a coffee shop at my client’s office. I used to go there for refreshments.
Sam was holding me and my friend with such a big smile and twinkling eyes.

I have quite forgotten about him, now that it has been six months after I returned back to India.

While at ATL, my daily routine was to visit his coffee shop. That served as a break, and for walking as well in-between monotonous staring of monitor.

Our conversation would be like this –

Sam, we would like to have some hot chocolate, what’s special in your shop today?

He says Devi, Wow happy to see you today. XXX brew is good (half the time he says this as well - take it for free. I won’t charge you.)

Conversation looks interesting right ho!! Sam has changed his name from a traditional Pakistani to something that Americans will find easier. Let’s come to the part. Sam is no close acquaintance of me, but I have dropped in to his café almost everyday during my office hours and half the time had hot chocolate topped with yummy cream for free.

Beauty here is, while in India I have never thought of talking to a Pakistani with such friendliness and there in an alien country where I least expected, we chatted like good old buddies.

Over the time, I have grown fond of him and because of that I had accustomed to drinking hot chocolate every other day.

In-between for few weeks, his shop was closed as he had a heart surgery. Soon after recuperation, he started serving coffee and chatted with his customers in the same jubilant, vivid manner. After his surgery, frequency of my coffee and hot chocolates increased. We used to talk about places we would love to visit in India or in Pakistan. This gave a euphoric thought of being best neighborhood countries.

Last day before my return, we took snaps and as usual had great steaming hot chocolate. He jokingly commented that after returning back, I will forget him. I promised that I will send him card every year and for sure keep in touch
False promises aren’t they?? It’s been six months and all of a sudden, after seeing snaps, I remembered him.

And the conversation we had at home after seeing the snaps –

My mom laughed and asked me whether it’s my habit to become good friends with café owners. Yeah true! We don’t make friends with few people, whom we see almost everyday. Infact I see people who do lot of favors every day – office bus driver, conductor, restaurant waiter, lady who sweeps my office floor…. I have taken them for granted and not gone beyond a customary smile.

Is life like this? We tend to move away from trivial things that we would like to remember, enjoy rather than tied to our own cob web of daily life’s worries??

There are several types of acquaintances we make in our life. Few of them are for life long, where departures are of no concern because we are bound to meet again and would very much want to. Few of them are like passing clouds, as long as they were, we had companionship and the moment we are far off, they don’t cross our mind. Few of them come into our life uninvited, make a big impact and leave for good and we are bound to miss them in some corner and are meant to be that way. Few of them come in like a co passenger in train with whom we make pleasant conversations, share few things. Sometimes surprisingly they seem lot more interesting, with whom we would like to share lot more but situations don’t allow.

Sam –is of last type. He had come to my life in making me realize small things. To smile and talk friendly with everyone I come across, to enjoy everyday life and be free spirited. Isn’t time an elixir to be spent carefully and with maximum joy?

Should I say I am posting well wishing card right away to Sam?