Careless Whispers

Careless Whispers

Bob, James, and I have been closest companions from our birth. We live in the same house; always have gone to the same school, and had lost our families in the same earthquake.

Well, today we were going to our drawing classes by cycling. It was raining cats and dogs and we were all drenched to our skin.

There it stood with all the glory a dilapidated house on a quiet corner on the street glowing softly in the moonlight. We had been on this route a large number of times, but never had we ever seen this house.

The roof was broken at some places and thatched with hay. The windows had rusted. We pushed the door and stumbled inside. Strange! The house was so…….vast!

At the east wall there was a portrait of a man who looked pretty much four score. On the other of the west wall, there stood a hearth where there were glowing wood splinters!

I was so shocked that I stammered when I spoke to the other boys,” Bob, I don’t think we should be here.”

But as soon as Bob turned towards me, we heard a cracked shrilly voice of an old woman.

She was withered and tittered old lady…she was a slight hunchback…..holding a lighted candle in her hands. She slowly came down the stairs and gazed into our stupefied faces and said kindly,” Care for some tea?”

Before anyone could say anything Bob answered “Of course.. why not aunty? Anyways we are drenched to our skin and….if we have a warm drink we’ll freshen up fast and gather energy to go home.”

The old lady seemed thrilled to hear this,” I’ll just get it...”

I watched the rain beat against the window pane and it was the first time I had seen it rain so heavily and also visualize a full moon. I was so lost in thoughts……who was this woman, from where did this house come……I had never seen it before….neither had Bob nor had James. I jerked up at the crackling sound of the old lady,” Tea dear!”

I murmured a quiet ‘thanks’ and sipped the tea. My lips and my tongue burned; it was so hot! And then a strange thing happened……. As soon as I gulped the tea my insides shivered. The tea, though, tasted good, and different. It had a pleasant fruity smell, a sweet sugary taste and a dark brown rich coffee. Bob asked the old woman that who is the man on the portrait.

The old lady took a mysterious tone and answered,” He is my husband. We used to live in New Hampshire before we shifted here six years ago and the