Clocks

1- A Valentine's Day

"Mum!" my eighteen year old shouted at top of her lungs from upstairs and waited for me to respond.

I didn't though, as I knew she would be telling me what she has to say, no matter what.

"Mum! Do you hear me? I can't find my emerald dress, the one I picked up last week!" She shouted in frenzy and I shook my head.

Teenagers are really impatient I thought.

I set my cup of coffee aside, folded the daily newspaper and looked up to only see her bouncing downstairs in a rush as she came to stand in front of me.

"Mum, I really can't find that dress, do you know where that might be?" she asked and flipped her auburn curls only to look at me with her ocean blue eyes which were furrowed deeply to form a small v in between her eyebrows.

"It's on the top right hand side, first shelf of your closet, Elmira. I saw it myself the other day," I replied gently and folded my legs to sit Indian style and picked up my newspaper to go through the daily news again. I couldn't read even a word though, as my eighteen year old spoke once more,

"I searched for it everywhere mum, but it's not there! Owen will be here soon and I haven't even gotten ready yet!" she replied in the same panicky voice which teenagers these days were accustomed to.

"Honey, I kept that dress myself there the other day. Take a deep breathe and look for it, I am sure you will find it in no time," I stated as gently I could, but my calm tone made her panic even more and she trudged upstairs in her room muttering "What if I don't find it in there, mum?" and her voice faded as I heard her room's door close shut.

I shook my head and picked up my newspaper for the third time, perched my glasses on my nose and started reading the daily news, finally.

As always, it was filled with news of how the tourism had increased in my city in this past week to celebrate this day; 14th Feb - Valentine's Day.

And why wouldn't they be? Paris was after all called city of love, where many came to find their true love, many to cherish it and many for locking it shut with those cute love locks. Although, it was banned these days by the government, this very idea had attracted many people over the years.

Today was no different, many people, including my own daughter was getting ready to go out with her love and celebrate it to the fullest.

My daughter's voice made me come out of my thoughts on tourism when she said "tu es mon sauveur maman!" You are my saviour mum, "Thank you very much! I found it, finally!" which made me smile big, and I looked out the window.

Views of Eiffel tower came to settle in front of my hazel eyes and I smiled. It was indeed looking beautiful. The fact that today was the day when love was in the air made me admire it even more.

It stood tall, just like many years and was the witness of those many first kisses, those many first proposals, those many first I love you's and those many we need to talk.

It had seen those two strangers meet at some coffee shop, become friends and then lovers. It had seen those people get married, have children. It had seen them getting their first grey strand and it had seen them getting old and finally, it had seen those vanish in the soil, where they lay peacefully.

Today was just another day, where it will be seeing those same things happen to different faces, and be immersed in the world's beautiful feeling of all - Love.

"How do I look?" Elmira asked as she presented herself in front of me in her knee length Emerald dress. Her auburn hair was pulled into a fancy bun and some strands were falling on her face casually, making her look prettier than usual.