Little Tessa stared at the coffee mix warily. She wasn’t surprised that she’d discovered where her Mum had stashed it. She chuckled maliciously to herself. Mum should have known better than to try to hide things from her. She knew she had the gift of seeking out things no matter where it was hidden. Mum should know since she got the gift from her.
So as she grinned delightedly, she took four heaped spoons of coffee into her Mum’s favourite mug, poured in the hot water and took an eager sip. Her face turned into a bitter grimace. Yuck! Why would Mum bother hiding such a terrible-tasting liquid? Maybe it was better that way. She could be sued for having such a distasteful liquid in her possession anyway.
But as little Tessa stared at the yucky brown liquid, she knew she couldn’t afford to throw it away. Waste of any form was prohibited. Smiling with a sudden idea, she went to the milk jar and heaped four spoons of milk and in addition, three spoons of granulated sugar. She took a bigger sip and did a pirouette. An absolute genius she was without a doubt.
She gulped it down with glee and before she knew it, she was fast asleep. She woke up to a big spank on the head.
“Why would you touch my coffee, Tess?” Mum screamed at her.
“Mum, what’s the big fuss? It’s terribly bitter anyways.” Mum proceeded to grin at her.
“That serves you right. In the meantime, I’ll change the hiding position.”
As Mum walked away with the coffee mix tucked in her arm, Tessa smiled to herself. Mum didn’t know that her beloved daughter found a way to wipe away that yucky bitter taste into something more consumable that wouldn’t lead to the loss of her taste buds with such an ugly taste.
And so, the game of Hide and Seek with mother and daughter began. Mum had to up her hiding skills and Tessa had to up her finding skills. Mum knew when Tessa had found her coffee for the umpteenth time. Her superior smirk was a dead giveaway. Mum would mutter with a mixture of admiration and exasperation. “What would I ever do with you, Tess?”
But then, little Tessa grew and Mum grew older. Mum had resigned herself to the knowledge that their little hide-and-seek game that had transcended into a battle of wits over the years was more or less over. So, one morning, she called Tessa into the dining room and Tessa was surprised to see two coffee mugs on the table.
“Have you decided to give up yet?” Tessa said, fighting the urge to cry. It was a new beginning. This was Mum’s subtle way of letting her know that she now acknowledged her as a woman and she tried to keep her emotions at bay.
“No, I haven’t,” Mum replied. “I’m just taking the higher road as an adult.” Tess snorted, not fooled for a minute.
“I want to see how you make your coffee,” Mum said. Tessa proceeded to heap her spoon with the coffee mix and then the equal heaps of milk and sugar. She looked up to see Mum’s disgusted glare.
“No wonder my coffee kept running out so quickly, you’re such a terrible waster.” She facepalmed.
She got another mug and ladled a bit of the coffee, with a teaspoon of milk and a teaspoon of sugar.
“Taste.” And as Tessa took a sip of the coffee, she smiled with surprised glee. For it was better than anything she’d ever done.
Mother and daughter laughed at all their antics while they drank from their mugs of coffee. It was a beautiful moment for them.
This post is dedicated to my mum. Our hide-and-seek antics with coffee will never be forgotten. To be fair to you, you have raised a daughter that would give Sherlock Holmes a run for his money by finding out things. Happy Mother’s Day to you Ma. Love you today and always.❤️
All images are mine.
