The Last Man to Live

A sits at a long library table in cafe The Years on the Amstel river at the Kloveniersburgwal, light brightens the cafe’s back through the large windows, while A makes notes. He is trying to remember impressions from his youth, but has trouble determining the truthfulnesss of his memories. The sun’s strong beams blinds A as he squeezes his eye lids together to read his notes over, but barely able to distinguish the words on the white paper. The refraction of the light to green and red, brings back visions of his childhood on the countryside.

As his pupils slowly adjust, A notices a girl B’s silhouette stepping into the blinding nimbus of light. When he opens his eyes again, she too being half imagination half real, walking out of his past into his present, he stares at her sitting down next to him at the table.

B: Sorry, you mind? she points at the newspaper that lays folded on the table.
A: Oh of course not, go ahead.

A leans over to his notebook again and writes a memory of his mother down. He hears B’s voice whisper tender thoughts to his mother. The waitress brings a coffee for B.

B: thanks.

A, somewhat disquiet, leaves the cafe and saunters past the canals, the passers-by. He ponders about the people with whom he has nothing in common, on the surface water he sees the broken reflection of his shadow.

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