The morning sun bathed the dining room in mesmerizing radiance as I came down the stairs.
Its golden beams poured through the tall windows that lined the walls, creating a kaleidoscope of dancing lights.
But the delightful display could not wipe away the whisper of melancholy that shadowed my heart, for the weight of time pressed upon me, and I could not help but let out a sigh.
"I feel old." I blurted aloud as I slumped my tiny frame down for breakfast.
Surprised by my sudden outburst, my husband looked up at me with a half-amused, bewildered smile.
"Why, good morning, my beautiful sunshine!" He greeted me with a playful grin.
" Pa!" I pouted, jutting out my lower lip.
From the time when our son was born, Pa—a simple word that held so much love and meaning—was my term of endearment for him. Using it now meant I needed his full attention.
"Why, Hun, what's wrong?" He asked, concerned, and fixed his gaze on my face as he took a seat.
"I have white hair!" I confessed, deeply alarmed. "Last night, I pulled them out! Is it true that if you pull out one white hair, more will grow in its place?"
"Oh, my gud knees!" he exclaimed with a mock-Filipino accent, dismissing my idiocy and attempting to make me laugh by standing up like a wobbly old man. "I thought it was something serious!"
"Wait! Hun, this is serious!" I refused to yield.
"And where did you learn it from?" he asked as he busied himself across the kitchen counter, flipping over the French toasts he was frying while making my coffee.
"Online! I looked it up on the internet. Do you believe it?"
"Ahhhh!" As he handed me my coffee, he sat down once again across from me at the table.
I stared down at my chai coffee, frothy with coconut cream and sprinkled with cinnamon. "This is delicious..." I smiled wanly, and he grinned back.
"It will make you feel better," he assured me as I took my first sip.
"I'm still waiting for you to say something to disprove me and make it better." I replied.
I saw him purse his lips and tap his nose with his fingertip. He took a while before asking again.
"How many have you pulled?"
"Maybe three, or four?" I replied.
He nodded his head, squinted his eyes, and one of his eyebrows arched, resembling a question mark, like he was attempting to figure out something deeply.
I watched him as I was sipping my coffee, waiting for him. I could not tell what he was thinking, but noticing the troubled expression briefly cross his face made me tense up.
"What? Jun!" I asked alarmed, "What is it?"
He did not reply. Instead, His face cracked into a grimace before hurriedly turning around.
"Hey, what was that about? Did you just smile?"
"Nooo, NO, of course not! I wouldn't," he denied.
"Why'd you turn your back on me? Jun!"
"Your shoulders are shaking, Jun."
" Wa...wait, I'm ch...check.. in the toast," he replied with an inaudible snort as he tried to escape our conversation.
Then I noticed his belly jiggle. Then he squealed, giggling like a ticklish pickle.
"You're laughing at me!" I yelled accusingly.
YOU ARE READING
Tales Of The Wisp ~AYU INDAH
פנטזיה"Yes! I was in two places at once, it was ... staggering... an experience that left me stunned for days! It changed me." Enchantment, mysticism, and wonder all come together. Step into a world where the boundaries of the real and the imagined blur a...
