english,
Hers
Thursday
To sleep is to dream. To dream is to dwell in a world full of fantasies, fake joys and illusions.
I was dreaming about him. It was always about him. He was holding my hand. He was looking into my eyes, and he was telling me that I was the most beautiful woman in the world.
The sound of the rain, followed by a clap of thunder, told me to throw off my covers and wake up. ‘I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and forced them open.
“Oh, it was just a dream. It’s always just a dream,” I muttered.
6:28 AM. It was a bit too early for me to prepare for my 8:30 class, but I decided to wash up and head outside. I grabbed my lesson plan and locked the door of my apartment. I walked towards the new café that my friend recommended. It was already open. It was quite rare for a café to be open at this hour. As I entered, dim lights and wooden pieces of furniture greeted me. The smell of cinnamon wafted to my nose.
“Good morning!” Behind the counter, a petite lady with huge black eyes smiled at me as I walked towards her.
I looked at the menu written on the wall. Only three items were on it. Each item had a peculiar description. It read:
“You can ask for a different sweetness level.” whispered the lady.
I was so confused. Was I supposed to believe the descriptions? Were they jokes? It was like the café wrote all the descriptions specifically for me. Was I hallucinating? I sighed and started deciding on what to get.
I ordered my drink.
“Um, how much is it?”
“You can pay later, Ma’am, after you drink it,” said the lady.
“I can pay later? Is it that expensive?” I gulped.
“No, Ma’am,” she chuckled, “I’ll just put it on your tab.”
I carefully sipped my drink, and then it started raining outside.
The descriptions were true.
---
The next morning, I came back to the café to pay off my tab.
“Good morning, Ma’am,” the lady greeted.
“How much was my drink?” I managed to smile.
“About a bottle’s worth of tears.”
It was easy for me to pay.
---
His
Friday
To eat is to indulge. To indulge is to enjoy and let your taste buds dance, but be wary of what you eat.
The bright sky illuminated the city. I’m not a morning person and I hate getting up early, but I had an 8:00 meeting at the university. She’ll probably be there.
It was already 7:00. I only had an hour to wash up and eat. I headed out, leaving my cat purring and staring at me with his beady eyes.
I needed to eat but I had to do it fast. I decided to just pick the nearest place. A new food stall was right beside the apartment.
“Hello, Sir,” a guy with rose tattoos greeted me.
They only sold burgers. That was it. I couldn’t complain. I was in a hurry.
They put intriguing descriptions under the choices. Well, it made me laugh, but only in the inside. I didn’t want to be a rude customer.
As if.
That’s more like it.
I sighed. What do I get now?
I ordered a burger.
It was cheap. I ate as fast as I could. It was already 7:40. I ran.
“Sir! You can do it!” someone shouted from behind as I head for the bus stop.
She was already there when I arrived. She looked shaken up by something. The meeting didn’t last very long. It was already 8:45.
“Hey,” I greeted her.
She stared at me. Then, I noticed her swollen red eyes. Was she crying? I took this chance.
“Let’s go to the rooftop to get some fresh air.”
“I don’t want to,” she shook her head.
“Let’s just go. It will clear up your head,” I grabbed her arm and led the way upstairs.
The cityscape glittered as sunlight touched the glass windows of each building. The air was cold and fresh.
“Feeling better?” I asked.
“I wish,” she muttered.
“You wish? Then how about this. You wish for something and I’ll try to grant it,” I raised my eyebrows. This might be my chance.
“I wish that all the pain would go away,” she said bitterly.
Before I could say anything, she looked at me with a cold stare.
“Do-don’t give me hope! Stay away from me,” she shouted.
“What?”
“I’ll never drink coffee from there again. No, I won’t drink coffee anymore,” she murmured.
“What are you saying?” I was so confused. Those words carefully made its way to my mind and heart. I was speechless.
“Us, together, it will never happen!” she screamed and ran.
I quickly chased her and held her hand. I hugged her tight. I poured out my feelings, the words from my heart made its way to her head. She cried and apologized. She told me about a café. She drank coffee with weird descriptions.
“I’ll find a way,” I assured her.
It was already night. I found myself right in front of the café she told me.
I clenched my fist and opened the door. There are no customers except for me. A petite lady with huge eyes and greeted me.
“How can you remove the curse of your coffee?” I indignantly said.
“Change her dreams,” she answered.
“How can I?” I was puzzled.
“Be a man and confess, stop making her hope. Make her dreams come true.”
I ran to her apartment.
“I can do this. I should do this,” I said under my breath.
I knocked, she opened the door.
“Hi, may I come in? We need to talk,” I smiled.
“What is it about? The coffee, the tears, my dreams, my feelings—”
“My feelings about you,” I said.
“Wh-What did you eat that made you act like that?”
“A tofu burger. I love you.”
*Inspired by Gabriela Lee’s short story “Bargains” from the book Instructions on How to Disappear
Literary: Healthy Options
Hers
Thursday
To sleep is to dream. To dream is to dwell in a world full of fantasies, fake joys and illusions.
I was dreaming about him. It was always about him. He was holding my hand. He was looking into my eyes, and he was telling me that I was the most beautiful woman in the world.
The sound of the rain, followed by a clap of thunder, told me to throw off my covers and wake up. ‘I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and forced them open.
“Oh, it was just a dream. It’s always just a dream,” I muttered.
6:28 AM. It was a bit too early for me to prepare for my 8:30 class, but I decided to wash up and head outside. I grabbed my lesson plan and locked the door of my apartment. I walked towards the new café that my friend recommended. It was already open. It was quite rare for a café to be open at this hour. As I entered, dim lights and wooden pieces of furniture greeted me. The smell of cinnamon wafted to my nose.
“Good morning!” Behind the counter, a petite lady with huge black eyes smiled at me as I walked towards her.
I looked at the menu written on the wall. Only three items were on it. Each item had a peculiar description. It read:
“Coffee:
Wake up and stop dreaming
Go back to reality
Care for some whipped cream?”
“Tea:
Wake up then dream again
See him go, see him stay
Hot or cold?”
“Milk:
Dream on
Enjoy his company
Enjoy with a hint of cocoa.”
I was so confused. Was I supposed to believe the descriptions? Were they jokes? It was like the café wrote all the descriptions specifically for me. Was I hallucinating? I sighed and started deciding on what to get.
I ordered my drink.
“Um, how much is it?”
“You can pay later, Ma’am, after you drink it,” said the lady.
“I can pay later? Is it that expensive?” I gulped.
“No, Ma’am,” she chuckled, “I’ll just put it on your tab.”
I carefully sipped my drink, and then it started raining outside.
The descriptions were true.
---
The next morning, I came back to the café to pay off my tab.
“Good morning, Ma’am,” the lady greeted.
“How much was my drink?” I managed to smile.
“About a bottle’s worth of tears.”
It was easy for me to pay.
---
His
Friday
To eat is to indulge. To indulge is to enjoy and let your taste buds dance, but be wary of what you eat.
The bright sky illuminated the city. I’m not a morning person and I hate getting up early, but I had an 8:00 meeting at the university. She’ll probably be there.
It was already 7:00. I only had an hour to wash up and eat. I headed out, leaving my cat purring and staring at me with his beady eyes.
I needed to eat but I had to do it fast. I decided to just pick the nearest place. A new food stall was right beside the apartment.
“Hello, Sir,” a guy with rose tattoos greeted me.
They only sold burgers. That was it. I couldn’t complain. I was in a hurry.
They put intriguing descriptions under the choices. Well, it made me laugh, but only in the inside. I didn’t want to be a rude customer.
All Meat (Bacon, Beef, Pepperoni, and more):
Man up, bro! Confess to her right now!
TLC (Tomato, Lettuce, Cheese):
Slowly make your way to her heart with Tender Loving Care.
That’s more like it.
Tofu Burger (For Vegans):
You’re too shy. You still have a chance.
I sighed. What do I get now?
I ordered a burger.
It was cheap. I ate as fast as I could. It was already 7:40. I ran.
“Sir! You can do it!” someone shouted from behind as I head for the bus stop.
She was already there when I arrived. She looked shaken up by something. The meeting didn’t last very long. It was already 8:45.
“Hey,” I greeted her.
She stared at me. Then, I noticed her swollen red eyes. Was she crying? I took this chance.
“Let’s go to the rooftop to get some fresh air.”
“I don’t want to,” she shook her head.
“Let’s just go. It will clear up your head,” I grabbed her arm and led the way upstairs.
The cityscape glittered as sunlight touched the glass windows of each building. The air was cold and fresh.
“Feeling better?” I asked.
“I wish,” she muttered.
“You wish? Then how about this. You wish for something and I’ll try to grant it,” I raised my eyebrows. This might be my chance.
“I wish that all the pain would go away,” she said bitterly.
Before I could say anything, she looked at me with a cold stare.
“Do-don’t give me hope! Stay away from me,” she shouted.
“What?”
“I’ll never drink coffee from there again. No, I won’t drink coffee anymore,” she murmured.
“What are you saying?” I was so confused. Those words carefully made its way to my mind and heart. I was speechless.
“Us, together, it will never happen!” she screamed and ran.
I quickly chased her and held her hand. I hugged her tight. I poured out my feelings, the words from my heart made its way to her head. She cried and apologized. She told me about a café. She drank coffee with weird descriptions.
“I’ll find a way,” I assured her.
It was already night. I found myself right in front of the café she told me.
I clenched my fist and opened the door. There are no customers except for me. A petite lady with huge eyes and greeted me.
“How can you remove the curse of your coffee?” I indignantly said.
“Change her dreams,” she answered.
“How can I?” I was puzzled.
“Be a man and confess, stop making her hope. Make her dreams come true.”
I ran to her apartment.
“I can do this. I should do this,” I said under my breath.
I knocked, she opened the door.
“Hi, may I come in? We need to talk,” I smiled.
“What is it about? The coffee, the tears, my dreams, my feelings—”
“My feelings about you,” I said.
“Wh-What did you eat that made you act like that?”
“A tofu burger. I love you.”
*Inspired by Gabriela Lee’s short story “Bargains” from the book Instructions on How to Disappear
0 comments: