Summary

Chapter One opens in a café called Coffee House at which a waiter works named Vincent. The establishment has existed for a long time, without changing names, though the business itself has evolved with the addition of a bar and restaurant. The interior of the space feels airy, and old photographs dot the walls, showing the city from a hundred years ago. The narrator describes Vincent who wears a turban and seems to understand his customers with ease, able to “take us all in with a single glance” (2). During one past visit to the Coffee House, Vincent observed that the narrator was upset and advised him to just “Let it go” (2). Soon after this interaction, the narrator abandoned his relationship with a woman named Chitra.

On this particular day, the narrator yearns to speak with Vincent. He observes a woman sitting nearby and recognizes...