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I met a time traveler today. He had his chin in his hand, staring blankly out of the window. I originally thought he was staring at the Chevy Truck outside. I assumed it was his.
“How can I help you?” I asked him and noticed he said it with me. I was surprised, and a bit annoyed. I pressed my lips and glared at him.
He didn’t take any notice but picked up the menu.
“Would you like a drink?” We both said at the same time. It was eerie to hear my words tumble out of this man at the same time, and that fear was making me angrier.
“Could you not?” I yelled.
He finally looked up from his menu.
“I’d like a coke please. I still don’t know what I want to eat.” He used his finger to scan down the list of items.
I strangely calmed down. “The Sunday special is pretty good.” I leaned over to point it out. He nodded and ordered.
I went back behind the counter and pointed out the strange man to the chef.
“Ah, he’s back again.” Chef remarked, giving a quick glance to the solitary man by the window.
“You know him?”
“Yep, comes in every Sunday. Claims he knows the future. I cracked a joke once at him, ‘The Future, I barely know her.’ He didn’t appreciate it. All I know is that he can say what you’re about to say, just as you’re saying it.” He shuddered. “That’s how he gets his kicks, I guess.”
Fifteen minutes later, the food was ready.
As I place the plates in front of him, I opened my mouth to say, “I have a question for you,” but realized my words were voiced by the Time Traveler.
He looked at me smugly. I wanted to wipe it off with his drink but resisted.
“If you travel time, why here? Why now?”
He shrugged.
“There’s only so many times I can re-watch time before I want to see something that’s new.”
I tilted my head in confusion. He pointed at the seat across from him, suggesting I sit. I did.
“I watched humanity struggle through the ice age, iron age, and the nuclear age. I watched as we reached for the stars and I’ve seen the sun sputter it’s last sparks. I watched the Earth teem with life and die without a sound.” He held my gaze and I couldn’t escape.
“All I want now, is to live my life, even if I know what’s coming.” He tried to smile but the corner of his mouth formed a grimace instead.
“But I can’t. I have to keep traveling.” He looked out the window, letting me escape his hold, “And traveling isn’t fun if you can’t rest.”
We sat there in silence after his little speech. I never thought of it that way.
I stood up to get back to work, but before I left, I wrote down my number on a napkin.
“I don’t know how much of help I can be, but sometimes talking to people about stuff relaxes me.” I shrugged as I handed it over.
His eyebrows shot up, certainly surprised. Huh, I guess I did something he didn’t see before. He took it slowly and stared at it as I left. I cleaned the counter, and when I looked up, the time traveler was gone. I sighed and put away the dirty plates.
I hope he’ll call.
“How can I help you?” I asked him and noticed he said it with me. I was surprised, and a bit annoyed. I pressed my lips and glared at him.
He didn’t take any notice but picked up the menu.
“Would you like a drink?” We both said at the same time. It was eerie to hear my words tumble out of this man at the same time, and that fear was making me angrier.
“Could you not?” I yelled.
He finally looked up from his menu.
“I’d like a coke please. I still don’t know what I want to eat.” He used his finger to scan down the list of items.
I strangely calmed down. “The Sunday special is pretty good.” I leaned over to point it out. He nodded and ordered.
I went back behind the counter and pointed out the strange man to the chef.
“Ah, he’s back again.” Chef remarked, giving a quick glance to the solitary man by the window.
“You know him?”
“Yep, comes in every Sunday. Claims he knows the future. I cracked a joke once at him, ‘The Future, I barely know her.’ He didn’t appreciate it. All I know is that he can say what you’re about to say, just as you’re saying it.” He shuddered. “That’s how he gets his kicks, I guess.”
Fifteen minutes later, the food was ready.
As I place the plates in front of him, I opened my mouth to say, “I have a question for you,” but realized my words were voiced by the Time Traveler.
He looked at me smugly. I wanted to wipe it off with his drink but resisted.
“If you travel time, why here? Why now?”
He shrugged.
“There’s only so many times I can re-watch time before I want to see something that’s new.”
I tilted my head in confusion. He pointed at the seat across from him, suggesting I sit. I did.
“I watched humanity struggle through the ice age, iron age, and the nuclear age. I watched as we reached for the stars and I’ve seen the sun sputter it’s last sparks. I watched the Earth teem with life and die without a sound.” He held my gaze and I couldn’t escape.
“All I want now, is to live my life, even if I know what’s coming.” He tried to smile but the corner of his mouth formed a grimace instead.
“But I can’t. I have to keep traveling.” He looked out the window, letting me escape his hold, “And traveling isn’t fun if you can’t rest.”
We sat there in silence after his little speech. I never thought of it that way.
I stood up to get back to work, but before I left, I wrote down my number on a napkin.
“I don’t know how much of help I can be, but sometimes talking to people about stuff relaxes me.” I shrugged as I handed it over.
His eyebrows shot up, certainly surprised. Huh, I guess I did something he didn’t see before. He took it slowly and stared at it as I left. I cleaned the counter, and when I looked up, the time traveler was gone. I sighed and put away the dirty plates.
I hope he’ll call.
