She was still in the kitchen making coffee. I'd just finished sending a couple of emails and realized I hadn't said a word to her since fifteen minutes. As I tried to get a peek into the kitchen my attention was drawn to the view from the balcony.
The air outside was cool and breezy. The road looked clean and washed. Some kids were splashing about in the shallow puddles. The trees were glowing bright green and the
hill in the background was looking up at the dark clouds. At some distance along the side of the
hill, a shepherd was carrying his lamb hurriedly to a nearby shed.
"Such a laidback and tranquil
place away from the bustling city", I thought to myself, "...atleast
for now...", as I looked over at the two construction sites down the road. Soon the city would engulf this neighbourhood
too. Soon that hill would disappear.
The weather was perfect for some
hot tea and biscuits. But not today. This time I said yes to coffee
'cause I didn't want her spending longer making tea. And I'm very particular
about tea. She knew that. She could do without my tea tantrums just this once.
I heard the familiar sound of the
steel strainer tapping thrice over a cup. I got off my chair and walked into
the kitchen to help her bring the cups into the living room. She gave me that
familiar smile like when she always would after coffee was ready!
I was the first one to sit. I
quickly downed one biscuit and sipped some coffee. She was still settling into
her chair, looking for her pair of glasses. Soon, we would be ready to discuss
the events of the last few months.
