Jay smiled but didn't say anything more and kept looking at her.
"Jay, there above your head, take out the barley cereal out of that cabinet."
"Here…", she handed her box
"Also get me the jam from the box next to this one…"
"Here…"
"do you know how to make milk shake?"
"Yeah…"
"Come down then, help me…here I have already washed these strawberries, use them, milk is in the fridge." She instructed. "Open your mouth… hmmm… how does it taste?" She continued.
Jay's eyes widened. "This is so tasty! I have never tasted such tasty strawberries before!"
"I know right! I grew them!" Venelope said with proud …
"You did! ?"
"Ahmmm… yeah… I have a little farm … I go there every weekend to grow and collect fruits of the season."
"Hmm I see…Where's the grinder machine? "
"There in that box down there."
"Got it…"
Venelope placed stew, ginger bread, vegetable omelet, jam, choco butter, and utensils on the table and sat down.
Jay poured the shake in 2 glasses, leaving enough for refill and brought it to the table.
"Yeah!!! Lets eat", venelope exclaimed and jay smiled back.
Jay was about to pick up bread when suddenly she saw venelope holding her hands together in front of her and smiling. Embarrassingly jay pulled her own hand back and holded her hand just like venelope.
"Dear lord, we thank you for this meal… thank you lord, for everything you have given us…" she stopped.
Jay opened her one eyes to see if she had finished, but she continued instead, with her eyes till close…
"thank you lord, for allowing us to eat this healthy food, with best of health and spirit and ease of mind… thank you lord, for letting us sit together…" a pause again
Jay again opened her eyes but shut them again. She was feeling more hungry by the time.
"thank you lord, for giving us best of people around us… it is all your favor that we are able to sit together like this, and eat without any difficulty or effort. Thank you lord… keep us under your greatest blessings… again a pause…
this time jay didn't open her eyes…
"Ameen"
Jay exclaimed, "that's it? Done?"
"Why? you want to say more?" Venelope laughed.
"Nah nah … you have said everything" jay replied.
"Lets eat now", venelope said with a solemn expression.
As she took the first bite, she felt her throat tighten and tears coming to her eyes. It had been so long since she had a meal like this. Without any commotion, without any fights, without any issues… without any stress… and this moment right now it felt really short lived…
"Aww…. Why are crying?! you don't like the food?"
"Food is good". She said in between sobs… she couldn't control her tears any more. Bread still in one hand; a piece of it in another and arm covering her eyes.
Venelope didn't say anything more… she knew what was going on and she knew this wave needed to come and pass for her to feel calm. And she was right. In a few minutes jay was smiling again and eating with great valor like a hungry child.
"So what did you mean by rosy life?" venelope took jay by surprise who thought she hadn't heard her earlier.
"Rosy life?"
"Yeah … it was really ambiguous ... didn't you say what a rosy life when I was in the kitchen and when I asked you … you said its nothing."
"Ah… I just felt you have a really luxurious life."
"Oh really?" she laughed as she heard jay's unexpected answer.
"I am not one of those elite classes jay, who are not even happy after having everything in life. I have seen and suffered too much… I have faced too many restrictions, too much incidences, and have lost so much that now I just don't have it in me to be bothered about them or be jealous about them or even worry about them. I am content with what I have, with those who chose to stay with me… If you think that's a rosy life well then yes I have a damned rosy luxurious life…" she laughed as she ended her fantastical statement with a low tone.
Jay was just looking at her. Then sipping the milkshake she said, "if you trust me… I want to know about your life V"
"Haha… my life is not worth mentioning… there are just so many icks that I better don't get started"
"Hahaha… icks… my whole existence is an ick in itself… well its your choice… but yeah… I do want to know if you ever want to open up…" she said with a wink.
"Why do you want to know about me?"
"Curiosity…"
"I must hold it upon myself to alert you that curiosity kills the cat ms. Miller." Venelope said with an eccentric british accent.
Jay was feeling amused, "I must take it upon myself to let you know that I will have no regrets dying in this path to enlightenment Ms Smith"
"Isn't it I must hold upon myself?" She asked
"I think its I must take it upon myself?" She replied
Both laughed their hearts out. Raising their milkshake glasses to clink cheers to each other. And drinking to their fill.
In between laughs, phone rang.
"I think its your phone…" jay said
"My? I don't think so… Its been ages since I got one!" Venelope rushed to the room to get her phone.
"here…Its yours," she said with a rather disappointed tone and handed the phone to jay. It was her father's call.
She looked up at venelope who nodded her to pick it up. Jay cleared her throat and finally picked it up on the third ring.
"Hey dad… yeah… I will be home today…"
"Yeah… we are going to the university will be back to home at the usual time."
She looked up at venelope while on the phone who was playing with the bits of bread crumbs on her plate silently.
"Dad, can I stay with venelope for 1 more day."
"Yeah… I want to…"
"Yeah…"
"Yeah …"
"Okay…?"
"Okay… will see you tomorrow then…"
"Hmm… will let you know… goodbye…"
Venelope was looking up at jay.
"Well… I don't think you will mind me staying for one more day here will you?"
Venelope teased, " I will mind very much…"
"Then how about you come over to stay at my house today?"
WHAT?
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