The girl asks a feasting woman in a fluffy, white polka-dot dress and a flower crown on her head. She drinks sparkling water from a glass filled with crushed ice, while the girl eats a popsicle. A floral scent from a woman’s body floats around in the bar.
“Well, imagine you go to school just like normal kids. You don’t have a final project partner, but you can still complete the job. That is sort of the feeling of being single, I guess.”
The woman replies as she chews crunchy ice.
She was regarded as one of the top five influential women among her college peers. Having worked in multiple media publications, and managing to create an outstanding work behind the curtain successfully.
Her 10 years of marriage forced her to stay out of the public eye until a divorce paper appeared on the television news. She swore never to fall in love or be controlled against her will again.
“I mean, being single after a 'commitment relationship' gave you a chance to redeem yourself, showing people that their disdain had no impact whatsoever. I flew out into the world, reunited with friends and family. It was the best feeling ever…”
The woman paused for a moment, recalling something.
“I bet they also had to leave, am I right?”
The bartender said, then refilled her glass with more drinks.
“Nah, they are just busy with their health and kids. It’s their top priority, and I understand. I can wait for them. At least, I have Mr. Fluffy and Mr. Chubby by my side 24 hours a day, hehe.”
She happily shows them a picture of her cats. The white Persian cat is shown lying happily on her bed, while the black British Shorthair cat stands up on two back legs, the other set of legs holding the bedsheets tightly.
“They look adorable. How old are they?”
The girl asks politely.
“Both of them are brothers. 8 years, I believe. The little mischievous orphans i found stealing food when I first moved into new villa around 7 years ago. I almost sent them away, but somehow by faith I supposed I took them in.”
She stares down at the image for a moment before putting it back into her purse.
“I don’t know how others are going to think about widows with no kids and no intention to remarry. I've felt calm and relaxed since I started appreciating the little things in life. It took me some time to realize how important life is when all that matters is your well-being.”
“But deep down you are still craving for the comfort, aren’t you?”
The girl struck a painful blow with a question that made the woman flinch.
“Right. 2 years of nightmare experience taught me that if you could not satisfy your husband's needs, then you expired. You see I could not come with a child due to my health condition and it got worsened ever since until the end of our marriage.”
She coughed up behind a napkin. A slight trace of blood peeks out behind the neatly folded napkin.
“As soon as the news got out, people treated me as an expired off-shelf product. It took me some time to rebuild myself, even if it did not make much of a public appearance, at least I held more possession compares to others my age.”
She giggled before starting to cough again. The little girl hands over another set of napkins to the woman so she can clean off the excess around her mouth.
“Can I ask you one question?”
“Please, child, what do you wish to know?”
The little girl gets herself into an upright position. Finishing her popsicle in one gigantic bite. She slowly turn to face the woman directly. Giving an intense look.
“Is food still edible after the expiration date?”
The woman was silent for a while.
Sipping a fizzy beverage from a glass.
Look up to the ceiling.
Visualize her thoughts on the questions.
Her answer has been found right in the middle of their conversation.
“Yes, it is edible. If you leave it out in the open, it will rot badly. The best we can do is preserve it through food processing to make it tasty or extend its shelf life slightly. Nothing will go to waste when it is treated properly.”
The woman smiles back at the little girl as she calls the bartender for the bill. The girl stops her from grabbing the bill from the bartender. The woman thanks the girl for her time. A dime coin is placed in the woman's hands by the little girl before she leaves by the back door.
“She surely knows how to cook. Even a smart independent woman who has everything at her fingertips can have a bit of disappointment in her heart.”
The bartender talks about the woman as he cleans the table.
“You can’t have a heart full of good stuff, but you can choose to weigh the importance of those things with the time you have left.”
The girl replies as she gets back to her chair. Peeling another package of Popsicles.
“Maybe I do have that forgotten part in my mind as well, who knows when it will surface again?”