Deja Vu

Chapter 5

Willy opened his eyes:

“Oh, it’s nothing I’m just imagining the heat of the sun, to help get this suit to dry up,” He said; and he found himself staring straight into Wendy’s beautiful, amazing and dreamy-hazel-eyes.

She was a bit shorter than him.

Wendy must have thought he was crazy.

“Go on feel it, see if it’s still wet,” Willy encouraged her.

She pinched the jacket’s fabric and gasped, “It’s dry!” and she added, “Where did that blue dust come from? on the fabric of your jacket?”

Willy shrugged and said, “I don’t know.”

Wendy said, “Here let me dust it off.”

 And she dusted it off.

A group of young people passed by at that precise moment, one of them coughed and said out loud, “I think I’m gonna develop a flu.”

“So, you’re Willy Goodwill,” Wendy said and she smiled at him.

“And— you’re Wendy Rivers,” Willy echoed sentimentally, and he smiled warmly back at her.

They had reached the entrance of a crowded shopping mall.

“You will never forget my name, will you?” Willy said smiling again.

 “How can I? But you are much different now, changed in some sort of, unexplainable way. Why haven’t I been seeing you around much?” She asked looking at him.

 “You want to know the truth?” Willy asked.

Wendy nodded.

Willy looked away and said simply, “I hid from you,”

It was the truth;

 “So, you were hiding?!” Wendy shook her head in disbelief, and she added, “From me? Any particular reason— why? You were hiding from me?”

 “Oh, it’s simple,” Willy said slowly.

Wendy nodded with an, “Ah-huh?” encouraging him to continue.

“Because I was ashamed, that I was just a plain homeless man, nothing much to offer to you,” Willy said simply.

“I can understand that,” Wendy nodded, she had not thought about that.

“I would’ve done the same, If I were in your shoes. But, I am forever grateful that, you have beaten off that mugger that other time,” she added.

She was referring to Nixon Rack, who a few months ago, had held her up at knifepoint in an isolated alley, and tried to make off with her purse. Of course Nixon was un-successful, because luckily, Willy happened to be around at that precise moment and he saved her by scaring off the scumbag Nixon with a piece of timber; which he was ready to use as a club.

Brett’s restaurant was far away now.

She turned back around and pointed to the other side of the street, it was towards the left.

“You remember that cafe right?” Wendy asked.

Willy smiled and nodded, “Sure, how will I forget!”

It was at that cafe, Wendy had first insisted that she should at least buy a coffee for Willy, if he refused to accept cash: That was for rescuing Wendy from being robbed on the street.

It was in that cafe that she had patiently listened to Willy who admitted that he had not even a single clue of who he was, Wendy had given him a puzzled look and she had said, “You don’t seem like you’re from around here either.”

She went on to say that she was a social Worker and Willy’s case was right up her alley, she could help in some ways.

Well here they were again, one year removed from that pleasant first meeting experience; now they were back in that same cafe again:

“I believe the correct term is Deja vu,” Willy said smiling lowering his cup of expresso.

“Yeah that,” Wendy agreed. “How come you know a lot of things, but you can’t remember anything about your past?”

Willy shook his head, “Beats me, but what I do know now is, I’m returning a favour, by buying coffee for the most beautiful girl I have ever seen.”

Wendy smiled deeply the colours of her face flushed.

Willy realized that his right hand was now resting on her soft left hand again. The feeling that it was generating: Was intense.

.  .  .  .  .

The table was small, they were sitting facing each other and unlike a year ago when Willy was careful not to come into any physical contact; today he did not even care; Even Wendy for her part, she was not even aware that, beneath the miniature table their feet were touching and above it, their hands were touching, or did she?

It was now or never, Willy cursed softly under his breath, “F**k it.”

He reached over gently and kissed her.

She did not resist.

Her mouth was soft and warm, Willy’s heart leapt with excitement in his chest, it was the best feeling ever!

.  .  .  .  .

She sneezed into a handkerchief, and she said, “I don’t know what would have happened, if at that crucial moment you weren’t there.”

Willy nodded and said, “Now we are even.”

 Wendy laughed, “I yelled at that dork for being so obnoxious to you; Is that what you’re referring to?”

Willy just nodded and smiled; he wondered what it would feel like to kiss her again, but not just that, to embrace her and tell her that he loved her.

She for her part—

She looked at Willy thinking how cute he looked in that new suit and said, “You’re welcome Willy. By the way it was funny you know.”

“No,” Willy said, smiling eyes wide in mock surprise.

“I don’t think it was funny,” Willy disagreed but he was still smiling.

“Anyway,” Wendy shook her head.

She added, “but, I can see that you have changed a lot, I don’t know if it’s for the best or for worse, are you still that clueless and lost person? Or, are you a totally different person altogether? Probably dangerous: What I’m trying to say is you’re totally different.”

Wendy coughed and looked at Willy curiously.

“And you like that don’t you?” Willy smiled.

“You haven’t even told me how is it that you are now wearing a suit,” Wendy shook her head. “Did you find a job?”

“Kind of,” Willy said shrugging. “But it’s not something I want to discuss about here, now.”

It was quite frank, and Wendy looked a bit uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to — but it’s not what you think it is,” Willy said.

He looked around at the suddenly busy cafe they were in and he said, “I need to do something first, afterwards I will tell you everything, okay?”

“Okay,” Wendy said, and she stood up to go.

She sat back down again and she added, “don’t keep me in suspense you know where to find me.”