The young men would occasionally catch up after work.
Years earlier they had been close friends at school. But now, their times of leaving work would vary, and every now and again they would see each other in the café near the station. It was more pleasant than waiting on the platform. It was some time since they had seen each other and the man entering was pleased to see the other reading the paper in their favourite corner. He ordered and sat down.
“Long time, eh?”
The other looked up smiling. “You’re right.” He folded his paper and said, “How are things?”
“Oh! You know, same old same old.”
The waitress came across with his coffee. After a silence, he said, “I heard you broke up with her.”
“Yep.”
“Just so happens I passed her today, coming out of the station this morning. I don’t think she saw me.”
The other nodded.
“She was on the arm of this guy. Big fella; looked like a bouncer.”
The other grinned.
“Come on, I bet your still keen on her.”
The other moved his paper around. “Just a little, I guess.”
“Just a little? Oh! I don’t believe that for a minute. Last time we caught up, what, just a few weeks back, you were telling me how incredibly perfect the woman was.”
“I was, wasn’t I?” the other replied shaking his head.
“Yes, you were. You were saying that you shared the same taste in movies, music and books. You said she was so easy to talk to, that you could share all of your private thoughts with each other. You made a point of telling me she was the one, the one and only true love in your life. You said you could hardly believe that you had found such happiness!”
The other nodded in agreement.
“Hey! You told me all this right here; right here in this café.” He looked around. “Probably at this very table.” His eyebrows went up, questioningly. He drank a little coffee. “I just couldn’t believe it,” he went on, “when I heard you weren’t together any more. I mean, what happened?”
The other tapped the newspaper. “You’ve been keeping up with all the stuff that’s been going on since the election, I’m sure?”
“Of course. Couldn’t avoid it if I wanted to.”
The other let out a long sigh. “She voted for him!”