The preamble of my morning didn't start on a good note.
I only wanted to enjoy my coffee unescorted by anyone's presence. But instead of having that, I had a trivial discord with my neighbor.
What's worse is that my coffee has now turned a little cold. And I could no longer have this cup with relish when it already lost its warmth.
Tumungo ako sa kusina at tinapon ang malamig na kape. Mabuti na lamang at may natira pa sa coffee maker kaya sinasaksak ko lamang ito para kumulo itong muli. Pagkatapos ay sinalin ko ang laman sa aking baso.
Umupo ako sa sofa at doon ko ininom ang aking kape habang nakahiga si Sav sa aking tabi. Tinanaw ko ang balcony at napabuntong hininga na lamang dahil sa panghihinayang. That area is my favorite morning spot, but my neighbor ruined it for me. All I could do now is rue in silence and hope that tomorrow, he'll have better things to do than annoy the heck out of me.
"Sav, don't go there," suway ko sa kaniya nang bumaba siya ng sofa at magpunta sa pintuan papunta sa balcony. Maging siya ay hindi sanay na nandito kami sa sala nang ganito kaaga. He started circling around his spot while whining.
I couldn't do anything about it because I don't want him to go out alone. But I also most definitely don't want to have a take two of my petty feud with that guy. Nanalo ang pagmamatigas ko dahil hindi kinalaunan ay lumapit na rin sa akin si Sav. I pet him using my right hand and he calmed down after a few minutes.
"Sorry about this. We'll go out tomorrow, okay?" I told him while caressing his fur. He didn't respond. Instead, he jumped out of the sofa and went to his food tray. He completely dismissed what I said and did what he pleases. We couldn't be more alike, could we? Distant, cold, and nonchalant.
When I finished my coffee, I went back to the kitchen. I cleaned my cup and the coffee maker's glass pot. Using the dishtowel, I dried and put them back to the cabinet. Before I left, I made sure the sink was clean as a whistle.
My wall clock now reads a quarter after seven in the morning. Time for me to start cleaning the whole house. It would take probably two hours for me to do so.
The floor area of my unit is around fifty square meters, but since I only have a few furniture, it's not that hard to clean. In my living room, I have a light gray sofa with two white throw pillows. Across that stands my white Scandinavian rack where my TV is placed. Beside it is where I set up the turntable which my grandmother gifted to me when I moved in here. She's a fan of vintage stuff and I inherited the same passion from her.
In the dining room, all I have is my four-seater table and the refrigerator. The kitchen isn't far from being minimalist, too. Since I live alone, I don't have many plates and utensils. I only have two of each. Two plates, two mugs, two cups, and two sets of utensils. I don't like it when I am surrounded by things that I don't need that's why I prefer to live like this. It also helps me tidy up faster because there's not much to sort out in the first place. Also, since I don't like living in a cluttered environment, I bought kitchen canisters and jars where I put different food items.
It gives me a different kind of peace when I see all my stuff organized and clean. I've always been like this, even when I was a little. Maybe it was because of the fact that I grew up in a house with parents who are very unforgiving of our mess—literally and metaphorically.
I ponytailed my shoulder-level ginger red hair to make sure it wouldn't get in the way later on. Before I started cleaning, I neared my turntable. Mine is a Sony PS-B80 with a Shure V15 Type V phono cartridge. I picked J.S Bach's Violin Concerto No. 1 and carefully maneuvered the cartridge until it finally touched the CD.
Sav fleetingly glanced at me after he heard the sound of the violin. His blue eyes widened and he meowed while looking at me. "Grandma's favorite," I muttered before completely leaving the turntable.
