Tea with the long lost one...

This post is in response to Preeti Shenoy's Tuesday creative prompts! This two best-seller books' author has come up with her third book, "Tea for two and a piece of cake", which seems as promising as the first two! 

The table is set perfectly, for 'tea for two'. (and the piece of cake is ready too). I am really looking forward to this. There is still a good half an hour left for my guest to arrive as per the text I just got. Jeez. Funny how a simple text by my once-best-friend-in-school-whom-I'm-gonna-meet-now can make my little heart flutter happily. Even if it says I'll have to wait for the next whole 1800 seconds before I finally see her after a gap of nine whole years! I bring my wrist to my face and see the tiny colorful bead strings dangling from a purple thread bracelet; the memory of her I had saved over the years. I hoped she would remember.

Suddenly the door bell rings and I jumped in my chair. I HATE sudden noises. Or any noise for that matter. The only thing that makes me happy to see myself growing up is that I will finally be able to move to a countryside house, probably in Iceland. Totally quiet.

I stand up and straighten my skirt. Dragging myself beyond the living room I reach for the door handle and pull it open, forgetting Mom's strict instructions to first check and then open doors, just in case it's a hairy madman who would kidnap me and hold me for ransom. Which would be such a waste of the new peephole Mom got installed into the door. I peeped out from behind the door anyway and saw....................... nothing. Really, all I saw was the front garden with my tiny Bonsais finally beginning to sprout. 

Ignoring the uneasiness rising in me, I drew back and started closing the door when it was pushed open with immense force and a big human body came flying straight at me, shrieking with a loud "Booooo". My terrified scream got lost in the big human's 'Boooo' and I felt myself being crushed into an amazingly big bear hug. I was lost for words. I felt like an idiot. HOW could I have forgotten her trademark characteristic? She loved tricking me. It was her favorite passtime! 

Kanika continued to crush me with her super hug and only slightly let go when I gasped to her to let me breathe! She pulled away and looked at me with those almond shaped eyes. Brown, totally. It made me remember the day many years ago when we both stood in front of the mirror, eyes an inch away from it, figuring out how our pupils actually dilated and contracted. And discussing the color of our eyes. She wanted to believe hers was black too, just like mine. I had a hard time making her believe she had brown eyes and that it isn't necessary that best friends are always similarly structured! 

I felt my mouth shaping into a wide smile (complete with showing teeth), matching hers. I was pleasantly surprised to see that she looked exactly as I remembered her. The perfect nose, the smooth clear skin. The haircut was different though. I opened my mouth to ask where she had got it done from, when she spoke in a "ehmygawd" way, "You look EXACTLY like you always did!" I couldn't help the smile. We seemed to have a weird ability to think the same thoughts at the same time. How I missed it and how I was enjoying it then! "Because maybe I'm the same person?", I teased. She hit me playfully on the arm and dragged me into the living room, looking all around her, chattering away. 

We stopped when we reached the table. I glanced at her to see her mouth open and an expression of awe on her face. "You prepared a cake for me? All by yourself? That too when you don't enjoy cooking? And this tea looks awesome!" She sat down and grabbed a piece of cake, biting it to the core. "Did you learn baking? I can't believe it, you know. You only ever liked eating! What's up with you?". I dragged my chair near hers and sat down, ready to plunge into my story and eagerly waiting to listen to her own. It was when I realized my full-with-teeth-smile was still in place. It wouldn't go, I was sure; at least till I'm with her. She wasn't just a guest then. It was as if the tea had been prepared especially for two long lost best friends.