Describe what you see
Here I see a diligent father who harvested coffee beans in a basket. Despite the hard toil he has to undergo every day, he still smiles, thinking that the fruit of his labor will benefit his family.
Describe what you feel
Seeing the coffee beans made me smell the aroma of freshly brewed espresso inside my favorite mug. It made me feel the warmth of happiness while imagining the smiling faces of my parents and siblings.
FRIENDS (a short story)
I didn’t like the idea of making friends. They were a boisterous bunch of annoying creatures, so I preferred to be with my company.
I ate alone at restaurants and got to enjoy the food without someone stealing a bite from me. But one day, I had lost that peace of mind when I went home and found a pair of sneakers at my doorstep. I hesitated to twist the doorknob, knowing someone might be seated on my couch… patiently waiting for my arrival.
I took a step back to walk out of the gate, but I halted midway, worried because I had nowhere else to go. Sighing, I filled my lungs with the air coming from the smoky and dusty street in front of my house before breathing out the suffocating, pungent smell.
I readied my always flat-affect facial expression and slowly opened the door, making sure it wouldn’t make any creaking sound. Alas! It didn’t.
I left my sandals at the doorstep outside, not glancing at the owner of the strawberry head slouching on the couch while watching our favorite anime: Naruto. I tiptoed, passing the living room. My heartbeat erratically at every step, afraid I’d make a wrong move.
“Hey,” came a familiar voice from behind.
I froze and almost dropped the soda can in my hand; my heart drummed in my ears.
“Why are you late?”
I didn’t look at her. I kept my pace towards my room.
“Hey!”
This time, her voice boomed and echoed. The sweetness had been replaced with an angry tone. The voice was deep, as if it was coming from beneath the grounds.
‘How did she even know I was in?’
The door didn’t creak open. The wood tiles didn’t produce any tapping sound either.
‘How did she know?’
Someone walked behind me, although I didn’t hear any shuffling noise. I knew because I had eyes behind my back. Just kidding. It was because of the caramel scent that blended with the smell of the lavender air freshener in the house. And only one person wore that sweet-candy scent.
“I knew because I smelled cucumber and melon,” she said as if she had heard my thoughts. “Why are you out so late?”
“Don’t you get it?” I said, still not facing her. “You’re annoying!”
Then there was silence. She left. The front door slammed shut. Good riddance.
Instead of walking to my room, I went to the kitchen—towards my chest freezer. My insatiable cravings for cheese dogs kicked in, so I preheated a pan and added some chunks of butter in it while rummaging through the freezer.
Melting butter, nearly burnt, filled the kitchen, but I didn’t see any cheese dogs. I almost threw a fit when somebody turn off the stove for me.
“Planning on burning the house down?”
It was JA0952. She was back with a food bag in her left hand and a paper cup of coffee in the other.
“I figured you’re having a bad day because I didn’t smell any caffeine from your system, so I bought you a cup. And of course, I didn’t forget your cheese dog.”
She smiled, stretching her metal face. I smiled too. Despite being born in my laboratory, she knew what could really make me happy and what could trigger my bad mood.
Who would need a human companion when I could invent a robot to be my best friend whom I could rely on?
