StagePlay

2 - Morning and Damien

Inside the small forest of the small island was a cabin. A father and a daughter lived their whole lives in that well cared cabin. It was a peaceful morning, the birds were already singing at the treetops and sun has already risen it's rays peeking through the branches and leaves of the trees. The father finished doing his morning chores and it was time to wake his daughter up or she will be late for her school.

Knock.

Knock.

The father knocked at her daughter's room. He waited for a response but heard nothing. He knocked once more still his daughter did not respond. "Elaine, wake up or you'll be late for school." He informed.

Thud.

A few seconds later he heard a thud from the inside. He became worried after hearing his daughter grunt. He was about to open the door when his daughter shouted, "I'm awake! I'll be out in a minute!" he smiled at his daughter's tone because she seems to suppress the pain from mixing with her voice.

"Alright, you need to hurry if you still want to have breakfast in Da---" he couldn't finish his sentence because the door of his daughter's room slammed open.

"I'm all done. Are you going to eat with me?" A young woman in her late years of being a teenager wore a pleated brown skirt and a white blouse top and a brown bow. "Good morning, father." She smiled at him and gave him a hug and he returned it.

"Enough with the greetings. Go and eat at Twilight Bistro." He pushed her gently towards the door. She willingly walked to the door while looking back at her father.

"You're not going to join me?" She asked, pouting her lips in attempt to temp her father on joining her, but he just shook his head and his expression suddenly went grim. Her mood took a hundred and eighty turn after seeing her father's expression.

"I have to check something." He said.

"Did one appear somewhere near here?" She asked, wearing a solemn face.

"It's still not confirmed. Don't worry about it and just go to school. I'll tell you once I have confirmed it." He assured her and patted her shoulder. She nodded though she hesitated on opening the door. Her father noticed her hesitation and was the one to open the front door for her. She went outside and started marching along the path that will take her to the main road.

After a short five minute walk, she reached the end of the path and came out in the main road and across the street was the Twilight Bistro that was owned by her father's friend. She immediately forgot her conversation with her father the moment she caught sight of the man who owns the Twilight. She ran across the street and opened the door of the bistro. The bell on the door rang and the man glanced at her.

"Good morning, Elaine. You're late today." The man said while putting dishes at the counter. She happily skipped towards the counter and sat in front of the dishes he prepared.

"Good morning, Damien. It's unusual that you don't have any customers in the morning." She greeted him. Damien smiled at her and put his big hand on her head and slowly brushed it.

"You didn't tie your hair today." He touched the ends of her hair.

"I woke up late and my hair was still wet when I left home." She grabbed the spoon and fork and started digging in. He let her hair go so she could eat comfortably.

"Is that why you didn't see the sign outside? Because you're in a hurry?" He asked brewing a tea. Elaine glanced at the glass doors of the bistro and saw the sign stated open from the inside indicating that it says close from the other side.

"Oh, why aren't you opening the shop?"

"I don't want other people to interrupt our short time." He joked, but still made her cheeks red.

"Don't joke like that. I might take it seriously." She complained.

"It's true though. I know that you hate people staring at you while eating," He chuckled, he placed the tea in front of her, "your favorite milky macha tea." he added.

"You know me too much. Thank you." She finished her food and sipped at the tea. Plain macha may be her favorite tea, but Damien's milky macha was the best tea she has ever drank.

"What's Milo doing?" He asked.

"Father's... he has work, but he might come down here once he finish his job. How are you even friends with father? He's turning fifty in a few years while you are still twenty-nine." She asked out of curiosity gulping down the last drop of her tea.

"Are you curious?" He smiled. She nodded her head as an answer. "He was my senior at school. Milo enrolled at school in his later years than other kids do. It was a coincidence that he happened to go to the same school as mine, then we became schoolmates and friends as well." He explained as he took the dishes from the counter and put it in the sink. She glanced at the wall clock and saw that her class was going to start in a few minutes. She abruptly stood and pulled out her wallet from her bag, but before she could get some cash from it Damien stopped her hand.

"How many times do I have to tell you that you don't need to pay the meals I serve you?" His big hand gripped her small hands gently. She glanced at their hands. Damien noticed her gaze and quickly pulled his hand away from hers.

"Okay," she said in a quiet voice, "then I'll be off." She ran out of the bistro without looking back. After running an ample distance away from the shop she stopped and stared at the hand Damien held before running again to her school.