The sky of the day was blue.
It's not cold, but cool.
I got onto the elevator with the suits on.
A white light reflected off from four sides, shining my face, and removing shadows.
Red light turned on, and bell rang, saying the job was done, with the door opening and letting the bright sunlight through.
I drag myself out, step by step.
Stone grounds and my shoes made sounds which waved the empty hall.
Nobody ever got out of the office.
It was too hard to get out, that they suit selves into the office, making self, at every hour, every minute, every second, moving according to plans. moving just as a machine.
They were transforming into machine.
In a soon time, I reached the front gate, made of glasses.
When metal door knob was pushed, I felt the cool breeze.
Gray buildings...
The streets were empty.
Not one car was passing, wind passed by me as if it was laughing at me.
I was stepping down the gray stairs, one step and another.
When I finished, turned my face to the left, then one step and another, I started walking again.
Again, I turned my face to the left.
Warm brown building greeted me, one unique building with color around this area...
I realized that there are only gray buildings around the area.
No, I realized that I have never seen one building that is not gray, black, or white.
It was as if thief of colors, every night, comes and robs the colors away.
I looked at my clothes, black shoes, black pants, white shirts, black jacket, black tie...
Suddenly, I jerked out of fear.
One day... I too... had my color stolen!
All of sudden, I was getting angry.
My mind started to curse the thief, the one who stole my happiness, my freedom.
But I knew that nobody stole my color, I just didn’t like the colors and threw them away. Then anger settled, and fear covered.
Fear, like cold dark liquid, gradually soaked my clothes.
Gray field... I felt like, if I stayed even one more second, I would sink.
I ran into the last building of color, as if I was running away.

When I opened the door, a bright bell rang repeatedly.
I looked up and watched the golden-brown bell ringing for a while.
Soft coffee smell then covered me.
Suddenly, I felt warm.
Red silk was loosely hung on a side of the wall, swinging little with small current of winds.
Some plants were there by the counter.
Yellow lights shone on the brown wooden counter.
One young female shop keeper greeted me with bright smile.
Her cheek had a color of faint pink.
I have never been to a coffeehouse, and never known that there was one.
I ordered a cup of Coffee
I had heard of it, but never had chance to enjoy it.
The shopkeeper answered with bright voice and left.
I looked around the room.
Navy blue colored tables were empty, but they were neatly arranged as if they were waiting for somebody.
Quiet sky-blue colored piano music flowed, but I could not tell exactly where it was coming from.
I turned my face to the big window, where I saw brown atmosphere from outside.
I saw a girl with simple green one-piece dress. I couldn't spot her from outside.
No... Was she a grown-up? She looked more matured than a girl.
But somehow, I thought she was younger...
She was looking out side of the window...
I thought there was nothing to look outside, other than gray buildings.

I, without saying a word, sat near a table and stared at her.
She seemed she didn’t even notice my presence, or if she knew, she didn't care.
Her dark and black eyes were endlessly staring at outside.
As if she was looking at the Milky Way in the mid-night sky.
I had once seen a milky way, when I have gone to my grandmother's house, when I was young. I remembered the time.
I was so excited to see such thing; it is really hard now, to see the Milky Way.
That was the last time I ever saw a Milky Way.
Her dark and black eyes... reminded me of the Milky Way...
Dark Brown and Rich hair...
It was not windy inside, but her hair always moved slightly.
No, it did not move, but waved...
Waved like the great sea...
I remembered my last time seeing the ocean.
It was my senior year of college, when I suddenly wanted to see the great ocean in middle of winter days.
I drove and drove, just to see the ocean waving.
Her dark brown hair... reminded me of the ocean.
Her lips...
Red...
Red like a blood, red like the sun rise...
When I was in high school, I could not sleep one day.
I saw the rising sun...
It was like a big red ball hanging as if it was peering at me.'
Her lips... reminded me of the rising sun...

I stared at her just like that.
Listening to the faint sound of breathing over the smooth piano music...
Taking notice of slight motion of her fingers...
When I was staring like that... when I couldn't even tell how long the time has passed...
She got up.
She passed me by as if I am nothing to her.
I stared at her still, as if my mind was dead.
The shopkeeper caught sight of me and giggled.
I wondered about the age of the shopkeeper. I thought she was early 20s or late teen.

'She' left the room with bright bell sounds.
She passed by the window, not hesitating, not looking back.
When I was looking outside, a sound of moving chair waved.
Turning my face to the origin of the sound, I saw the shopkeeper seating at my table.
Her shirt had black plastic name tag on, written "Jamie".
She had thin smile around her lips.
"Hi!"
Jamie said to me... with her bright smile, hanging at her lips.
I stared at her for a while, until I got myself back.
"Ah..."
Why couldn't I say something, instead of just opening my jaws?
I wondered again how long it has been since somebody just came up to me and talk like that
Jamie seemed like she didn't care that I didn’t say ‘Hi?to her.
"I should not leave the counter, actually, but as long as there is only one customer, I guess this can be excused." she said it with little laughter. "My name is Jamie. And you are..."
Her voice was really bright...
Should I say, fresh?
It was bright, and cheerful...
I remembered the question she asked. I should have told her my name, instead of thinking about her voice.
I got myself back again.
"Ah... My name is Joe", I said.
"Joe? Nice to meet you, Joe", she replied.
Bright laughter... the music was then hardly audible.
I thought something I have lost was in her laughter.
I, without much thing to say, stared at her.
Jamie stared into my eyes with face filled with smiles.
I looked into her eyes too.
Orange, fresh emotion shook me.
Her color was orange! I have never had experience to understand person with color.
Her lips moved.
"Joe, I think you might like the color blue, do you?"
"Huh? Yes... Yes, I do." I answered...
I didn’t know what color I liked. But I thought blue is fine color.
I smiled at her.
I thought that I have not thrown the colors away, but hid them in my eyes. I was happy all of sudden.
"Jamie" I called her. "You might like the color orange, am I right?"
"Orange?" She laughed brightly. "Yes, I do!"
I was little excited then.
I felt proud that I made her laugh.
The laughter, started to rule my heart.
The desire to hear her laughter even one more time filled me.
I wanted to dive into the laughter.
I wanted to fill my lung with her laughter.
I grew bold, and I could hear her laughter more.

I and she had talked continually.
She filled me with her laughter and I was soaked with joy whenever I heard her laughter.
I look out the window which was darkened with time passing.
We two silently stared at each other.
Suddenly I realized that I should be in my office.
I have never forgotten my work. But I felt good. I was not worried.
"Is anything wrong?" she asked.
"Oh... I... I forgot to go back to my work place... What time is it now?"
Jamie suddenly expressed her laughter again.
She pointed at two words near the counter, "Dying Time".
I looked around the place, but found no clock on any wall.
I assumed the meaning and smiled at her.
She also smiled and said "Do you need to go now?"
"Yes, unfortunately" I responded. "Well then..." she said.

She walked to the counter, and I followed her.
I paid for my drink, and left.
When I looked back, she was waving at me.
I waved back, and walked to my office again.
My footstep was light, darkness was gone.

It was another weekend.
'Shall I go shopping today?' I thought.
I stopped by a mall, and bought a neck-tie, with a city printed in blue ink.
It was a city from the blue sky. Seemed like old New York.
I left the mall with the tie. It was very cheap, by the way. They sold only gray, white, and black ties now.

I tried it on in my car.
I looked at my reflection through the mirror...
I made serious face, and laughed alone, and then I moved the car.

Brown... I reached the coffeehouse.
I got off the car, and entered it.
The door's movement rang the bell.
I carefully look for the woman I saw, but I could not find her.
Jamie greets me as before.
Her smile started to fill me again.
She looked surprised at something.

"I love that tie."

She stretched out her hand and touches the tie softly.
I saw her lips, orange colored.
It moved slowly toward me. Then I felt fresh.
Jamie smiled.

"Wait at the table. I think one more customer is coming..."

I smiled and turned around.
The chair where 'She' used to seat was little unarranged.
'Did she leave before me?' I questioned.
I quietly walked toward it, and sat.
I stared out the window as 'she' did.
I felt the wind.
I felt the light.
I felt the colors.
The bright sound of bell rang again.
One woman ran into the room as if she was running away from something.
She stared at the bell for a while.
She had black shoes, black skirt, black top, and black jacket...
Jamie smiled at me.
I turned my face and started to look out side again, with a cup of coffee in my hand.