Love, Smile, and Coffee

Innledning
As I sit across the coffee table from her, I notice tears welling up in her eyes, yet she remains composed and doesn't shed a tear.

In an attempt to hold back my own emotions, I start to twirl the pin in my cup, trying to distract myself from the situation.

Despite the sadness hanging in the air, she manages to muster up a subtle smile. Wanting to keep the conversation going, I ask her another question.

Utdrag
As I glance down at my wrist, I realize that my Daniel Wellington watch is displaying the time as 9:55 AM, and I'm supposed to meet her at Waynes Coffee in just five minutes.

I kick it into high gear and hasten my steps, hoping to cover the three blocks to the cafe in record time. One minute late, I finally arrive and scan the interior, spotting her immediately with her striking coal-black hair and crisp white shirt.

The cafe is small, with room for only ten people, but it feels like an epic journey to reach her table. My heart beats faster with every step I take, although I'm not sure why I'm so nervous. I do this every day and never feel this way.

With a polite smile, I extend my hand and introduce myself. She responds with a warm, firm handshake and introduces herself as Kathleen. I'm impressed by her ease around strangers despite having been through so much.

After hanging up my jacket, I order a coffee and take a seat, pulling out my notebook. "So, I know you're from Brazil. When did you arrive in New York?" I ask.

She takes a deep breath, staring off into the distance with a vacant expression in her eyes. "I came to New York eight years ago when I was 16, in 2002. It was a huge change from what I was used to."

"What were you used to?" I inquire.

"I grew up on a rubber ranch where my father worked when I was very young. We couldn't afford to live in a house, so we lived in small sheds with four or five families at a time.

The sheds were no more than ten square meters, so every night we slept uncomfortably close to other families we didn't even know.

My younger brother had trouble sleeping, so he would cry all night, keeping everyone awake, even those in nearby sheds could hear him," she pauses, taking a deep breath.