Count Down

(( NINE ))

“Joseph?” she echoed the guy.

 “Yes. I’m Joseph and that is Mary.” He affirmed and pointed at a girl behind the counter.

 "Mary?” she repeated, glancing at the girl.

 “Yes.” Joseph drawled, nodding slowly. “Mary!” he called the girl.

 Mary, the person behind the counter, looked up and when she realized who called her, she smiles and took her apron off of her body.

 “Who is Mary?” she asked Joseph.

 He waited for Mary to reach beside him before he answered, wrapping his arm around Mary’s waist and said with a lovely smile, “Mary is my wife.” He waved his free hand around, “We own this place.”

She narrowed her eyes as she stared at Joseph’s wife, still baffled with what’s going on. When Mary smiled at her brightly, she couldn’t help but return the gesture and a soft giggle ended it before she uttered a “Hi Mary!”

“Hello Daff!” Mary greeted her sweetly. She didn’t notice Mary saying her name. She didn’t even bother knowing it.

“So you guys own this place.” She said with an amused tone in her voice as she stands up and wandered all over the place. She returned at the table where she left the couple with wide and gleeful smile. “I love it! What is this place?”

Mary and Joseph gazed at each other, then both looked at her. Joseph gave his wife the honor to answer the question. “This place is called HOME. This is your favorite place.” Joseph looked at Mary which she responded with a nod. He stood up after and went to the table next to them, getting the huge cup with the brown liquid in and the saucer with the fluffy thing on before going to the counter.

Both ladies just followed his every move with their eyes without saying a word to each other. After acouple while, Mary made the first move and tapped her shoulder casually. She glanced at Mary’s hand before looking up, “Yes?” She asked.

“Open the book and turn to the next page.” Mary replied with a smile and hand still rested on her shoulder. She obliged instantly with what Mary had said. And there she read what’s written on the third page softly out loud.

Time will never stop for you. Tick tock. Tick tock. But remember this, there are times when you have to take your time and pause for a while. Not very necessary yet it’s convenient for you on the long run. It’s worthwhile if you try.

171185152120

  

“It’s worthwhile if you try.” She repeated the last sentence as she looked up again, closing the book. She gave Mary a questioning look and Mary just smiled at her before Joseph came back holding a tray wherein three huge cups were placed and three saucers with those fluffy thing on. He put them on the table one by one with a grateful smile.

She on the other hand was still preoccupied with what she had read. She repeated in a whisper, “It’s worthwhile if you try…”

 And again.

 “It’s worthwhile if you try…”

 And again.

 “It’s worthwhile if you try…”

 And —

“Try this.” Joseph beckoned, a huge cup with brown-ish steaming liquid in. She gave him a shuddered with a mixture of quizzical look. “Tick tock. Tick tock” he added.With that added, it made her get the huge cup. The aroma of the liquid filled her nostrils, and as the clock ticked, she figured it out.

“Coffee!” she exclaimed, feeling giddy, she looked at the table and swiftly stood up, “ooh chiffon cake!” and got a saucer with a slice of cake on. She held them up high, “PERFECT!”