Scene. Three lonely women are having coffee, talking and supporting each other. |
Morning Coffee It was morning. The living room was cold and the old woman pulled on her cover. She heard the noise coming from the kitchen. There, a petite woman, probably in her fifties, was working around the stove. She was putting up the fire. “What time is it?”the old woman asked the younger one. “It is way past eight,”said the younger woman. “It’s cold. My nose is freezing.” “The room will be warm soon. How did you sleep?” “I was awake most of the night. I could not get my nose and eyes warm at all.” Both women went silent for the moment. Only the fire was cracking. The warmth was spreading around the room making it warm and cozy. The younger woman kept quiet while working in the kitchen. She was making coffee while the old woman was wrapping herself up with the covers pulling them over her head. “Your daughter will be here soon,”the younger woman started again. No answer came. Instead, the old woman took off her covers and sat up on the couch. She was fully dressed, her head covered with a shawl. Her little eyes were half closed as if the light was bothering them. Her eyelids were red. Then, they heard the door opening and a heavy steps. A short heavy woman came in. “Here I am. How is everybody?”she asked. “We are good. And you?”said the other woman. “Cold. This winter is going to be really cold. I don’t know if we are going to have enough wood until spring. We might need to buy some more in the middle of the winter” “Is everyone still sleeping in your house?” “Yes, they are still sleeping.” The old woman kept quiet while the other two were talking. She took the corner of her shawl and covered her nose. “Mom, are your eyes hurting today?”her daughter asked worriedly. “Ah, they always do,”she said. “It feels as if someone threw a handful of sand in my eyes.” “Does it help when you put a warm cloth on your face?” “It only keeps them warm. My forehead, eyes and nose are always cold. It hurts more when it’s cold.” “Can you see anything?” “Yes, a little. Sometimes I can’t recognize people around me.” “Can you see now?” “Yeah. I see a beautiful flowers.” “Flowers? Are you sure, mom?” “Yes,”her face lightened up. “They are beautiful.” Her daughter stared at her, with mixed expressions on her face. Then she turned to the other woman. Unable to speak they just looked at each other. Then, the old woman started getting up, supporting herself with her hands. “I have to go to the bathroom,”she said. “Can you get there by yourself?”both women asked at the same time. “Of course I can,” the old woman answered curtly. “I can see enough” When she was gone from the room, her daughter broke into tears. “Maybe she is going to die,”she said weeping. “She is probably already seeing her place. “Well,”the other woman said, “it should not be surprising you. This is something you should be expecting and prepared for. You have to be strong, we both do. She is 85 years old and she has been sick most of her life. Ever since I got married and came to the family she has not been feeling good. I am surprised she has lived this long. But, you know when I loose her I am going to be all alone, and you will still have your family. She is all I’ve got, and when she dies...”her voice started trembling and she covered her face with her hands. Another morning that ended up with tears. There has been many and this was probably not the last one. |