Teenyweeny Series: Over Coffee!

The alarm went off in it's soothing, tinkling tone. It rose in volume over the moments it was left to ring, until he finally gave in.

He opened his eyes to the bright blue morning and turned to his side. Either side. He now slept right at the middle of the bed, and enjoyed the space on either side. The barrenness, the freedom.

He patted the pillow cover straight, and then stretched his hands to tuck the corners of the bed-sheet towards his head. This was a regular affair before he left his bed everyday.

On his way to the washroom, he picked up his toothbrush from its stand, laid a thick layer of toothpaste atop it and carried it along.

Fifteen minutes later he came out, leaving behind the gushing sound of water that filled the cistern back. 

He now moved towards the kitchen. Collected the saucepan, poured some water in it, reached out to the upper row of the kitchen rack for his mug and the row below that for a spoon to mix things with. He got the milk from the fridge. The other ingredients were laid neatly in bottles, clearly marked by their contents, one beside another, on the base of the window right next to the oven.

He made himself a cup of coffee. He carried the mug to the living space and laid himself on the easy-chair, legs stretched, slowly sipping in it. Like every day.

....

The care he took, the attention he gave, the touch that warmed these left behinds - the pillow cover, the bed sheet, the toothbrush holder, the fridge, the kettle, the oven, and even the chair that he sat upon - if only he could spare some of it on the one who actually left them behind, they wouldn't have been left behinds at all.

...

Over coffee... wasn't that how they had met, exactly a decade back? - She sighed a smile, musing over this, a coffee cup in her hand, his picture printed all over it.

....

Tooth fairy - Episode 1

Myra was newest of the lot, and youngest. It was her first assignment. A little girl of nine had lost her one of her teeth last night, as said the record-book. She was fend to fetch it against a surprise token of 10$ for gift.


She was also nine years old herself , but she had never known what losing teeth could be like. Fairies do not lose tooth, her Mom had said when she asked.

It was a stormy night, and soon as she got going down the clouds, the clouds changed their colours to grey and then to black. They roared in thunderstorm and burned in  lightening, and little Myra lost her way. But then, she was a brave, little girl, and she never wanted to return home unsuccessful on her very first assignment. So, she held out her little wand to show her the path, and kept climbing down her way. The clouds she stepped on were quickly melting and forcefully dripping down their way to the earth in loud, deafening splatters. She kept moving, careful from the electric of the lightening and the turmoil of the water waves as the clouds hit against each other with roaring vengeance.

She finally found her way to the earth.

She landed on the rooftop of the house and then crawled down from the sun shade. She quietly slipped her way through the window pane. It was an easy task for a fairy, though her Mom told her that humans cannot do the same. They cannot pass through the opaque and have doors to houses to let them get in and out of them. Funny, she thought to herself.

She tip-toed to the inside of the house. From the little she could make out, it looked like an old house with many rooms. The record-book said it's a red brick-house, double-storeyed, with pictures of sun and rainbow on the walls of the room where the girl sleeps. There, that way seemed the bed-room; though it was all dark and she couldn't really be sure. She could neither make out the colour of the wall or the paintings, if any, on them.

But then, she could not return empty hands, could she? - she told herself yet again. And so, she stepped further into the house.

Clink! Sounded something metallic, as she stepped on it. Oh, she go to be more careful! She took a few more cautious steps, slower this time.

She finally entered the room. In the flash of a lightening she could make out a large bed positioned at about the center of the room, and a small bed-side table just beside it. She could also vaguely make out a short human figure cuddled on the bed, tucked in a blanket, deep asleep.

She slowly stepped towards the table. Maybe this's where she should start from. There, a glass jar filled with water, and through it shines what she has been looking for. Oh, it's such an easy job! -  she eagerly steps forward and grins to herself.

She quickly wears her hand gloves, brings out her silk pouch, puts the shining white enamel into it and zips her purse. Before she tiptoes back and steps out of the window, she doesn't forget to leave the precious 10$ note in a pink envelope atop the pillow on which the girl is fast asleep. There, her job is done! She gallops her way up the clouds, smiling ear to ear at her first success.


xxxx


Sneak-peek into Episode 2...

It isn't until the next morning that she realises it!..........................................