I remember...

Kimberly walked into her favorite cafe. She loved this place. They did not just serve coffee, they also had a book wall. They encouraged kindred souls to come together, read and enjoy their coffee. These were her most favorite things to do. The cafe was a 10 minute walk from Kimberly's house. She would walk there almost every evening, pick her favorite spot and popped a squat. The owners knew her quite well, so her spot and her coffee was always ready. There was a small couch and table towards the tall, glass window, that was where Kimberly always sat. She loved to gaze outside and imagine the world that she had just read about. She looked out of the window, because at times people would catch her staring intently at them (which she wasn't doing), and would get the wrong idea by it.

It was one of those evenings, Kimberly got to the cafe, gave the cafe owner, Mr. Roscoman a big hug and a peck on the cheek, and proceeded towards her spot. Only this time there was someone already at her spot. She felt dejected, but she still decided to ask the person there if he was willing to move to another spot, politely of course. By then, Mr. Roscomon had seen what was happening and was on his way there to ask the man to get up. He had a bad temper, she knew that. She stopped him and went on ahead by herself.

“Excuse me?” she said, tapping the man on her shoulder.

“Yes?”

“Hi, I'm awfully sorry but this is actually my spot. As in, no my name isn't written here. Well, I like sitting here and I was wondering if you would be okay with moving to another table?” Kimberly was embarrassed beyond a doubt. She had never done anything like this before.

“I did get here a while back, and I have made myself comfortable. But how about this? You can share this spot with me for today, I will be leaving in a while anyway.”

“Oh well, if you are leaving anyway then I will sit somewhere else till you leave. No worries.”

“As you wish. The offer is still open though. You can sit here if you would like.”

Her lust for her favorite spot finally got the better of her. “Alright then. I'll take you up on that offer!”

They sat together for a while. At one point both of them were intently staring outside the window and then they caught each others eye and chuckled. They were having the same coffee, which was weird according to Kimberly. Finally, he stood up to leave. “I am off. It was nice sharing the table with you. I'm Charles...”

“I'm Kimberly...” she said shaking his hand. “See you around then!”

“I am sure you will...”

Kimberly was intrigued by this stranger. The way he had looked at her before he left, the way he shook her hand. His touch seemed vaguely familiar. She didn't know what it was. She just put these thoughts aside and continued to read her book. Late at night, way past dinnertime, Kimberly decided it was time for her to head home. She bid goodbye to Mr. Roscoman and walked home.

As she opened her door, she was surprised to see Charles, the guy she met a while back at the cafe, sitting there and smiling at her. She thought he was a stalker, she was petrified. She started pawing around trying to get her hands on something she could use to save herself. While all this was happening, Charles was inching his way towards her. She finally got her hands on a photo frame, she picked it up and was about ready to chuck it at him. He calmly told her to take a look at the frame before she threw it at him. There was a lot of chaos, she was surprised at his request. Something made her do it, so she glanced. She was shocked to see it was a picture of her, but with Charles, holding her in his arms. She put the frame down and stared at him.

“What is this? Who are you? Why is there a picture of you here? Why are you in my house?” Kimberly bellowed her lungs out at him.

“Please sit down Kim,” he said to her. “I will tell you everything. Just please sit down. I know I cant ask you to calm down, it would be very stupid. But what I am about to tell you, will be very difficult and I would like you to hear me out completely before you say anything or decide to beat me up.”

She realized she was still clutching the frame firmly in her hand. This was all a bit to surreal for her. She just nodded her approval.

“Kimberly you were in an accident a year ago. It was a car crash. You hurt your head. I do not have a better way to put this so I will try and be blunt even though it makes me sound like a complete douche. You were in the car with me. I am Charles and we have been seeing each other for the last 3 years. A year ago, you hurt your head and suffered through something called selective amnesia. To cut a long story short, you have wiped off a couple of years from your memory. You remember a lot of things in flashes and parts but nothing as a whole. I am a part of that memory. In the past one year there have been days when you have remembered me and called me to be with you and there have been days when you have dismissed me. Through this one year I have been around you on and off, as a familiar stranger at the cafe, or the angry shopper in front of you in the supermarket line. There are days when you are absolutely clear as to who I am, there are days when I become the psycho stalker. The doctor says that your memory might not come back and hence your family and I we have decided to break this news to you finally. I love you Kimberly, and I will be with you no matter what. Even if you don't remember me, call me a stalker or throw things at me. I am finding ways to help you with this but I am not sure how it can be helped. I unfortunately cannot do this without your co-operation. I understand this is too much for you to handle, but I need you to know that I will always be here for you and that I love you more than anything I have ever loved. Even on the days that you don't remember me.”

There was a look of horror on Kimberly's face. Suddenly she burst into peels of laughter. She fell off of the couch laughing. It was Charles' time to be shocked. He did not know what to do.

“Well honey, that was a terrible way to break such an important news to someone. I mean how can you be so nonchalant about an accident. Total disaster! What were you thinking really? Thank God I remembered everything, otherwise I would've died of a heart attack.”

Charles didn't know what to do. He just blankly stared at her. She continued...

“Baby I remembered everything on my way over. You touched me, my hand, and that was all I needed somehow. After you left the cafe, I could still smell you, your touch seemed so familiar that it got me thinking. Somehow it seemed easy after that. I just knew you were someone important, someone who was meant to be with me. Forgetting you would never be possible, it is like you are a part of me. I know the past one year was difficult for you. But I remember you baby, and I want to thank you for being there for me! I love you Charles, I love you so much...”

They were both crying. She stood up and ran towards him. He embraced her, knowing fully well that tomorrow he was going to have to make the girl he loved fall in love with him all over again...