Sunday is Family Day in 142 Café
“Dad, if coffee can bring us here as a family, do you think it can do something with the world too?” Charlie, my 5-year-old son asked me.
Forgot to brush my teeth last night.
Yikes.
That’s not something new. Despite my wife, Lin who consistently reminds us to brush our teeth as a family- together my two kids, Belle and Charlie. They all enjoy the ritual of “brush before bedtime”, those two kids dance as Lin sings “Hay-dee-hoo-haa”, God knows what the lyrics are but who cares? It’s good to watch them enjoying a daily task.
Lin and I are both locked up in a 9 to 5. I’m quite okay with it but we all know the tales of women, they have this secret power (Lin calls it that), and in a man’s world, it is just sixth sense. They would always have a gut feeling towards something about to happen, an accident, a child who’ll get sick, a person or a family member that will suddenly pay a visit, a sudden huge amount of money needed for an unknown cause (sometimes they also have a list of things in their mind why you probably need it), a warning towards an offer from a stranger that seems to be accusing but turns out they are right and you’ll be thanking them big time. Goes from big things to small things. Little as knowing the exact date when a light bulb will go dead.
Yes, I have a lovely nagging wife but I have to admit they are quite a bit magical in some sense like that.
We consider ourselves lucky too to have Lin’s Mother with us. She loves the kids more than we do. We see that.
We are okay but we both see the need for TIME. Time to spend what we are here for. The closest thing we could live is through Belle and Charlie. We have to figure out a way to unchain ourselves and still earn. We can see it coming for us. And we have to figure out a way for the kids too. We will not always be by their side. And the least we can do is to try to find a better path for us so the kids can have a better life than we did. Perhaps live more than we did. To be more alive than just survive.
And then we have “Coffee” as we figure it all out.
Sunday, 9:00 am. Like a breeze, Belle and Charlie went to wake us up in bed. They both hug and kiss us saying, “Good Morning Daddy! Good Morning Mommy!”
Charlie won’t stop brushing his nose with mine until I finally give in and stand up to prepare for the day.
Belle told me last night that her favorite day is Sunday. Asked her why and she answered;
“You and Mom are at home every Sunday. Charlie and I both have you to ourselves. No office. No calls. No anything Dad. Plus I love Ayo yo in 142 Café. Charlie wants the Pesto.” Belle went down the bed and tried to pull me up to stand with all her little strength.
Lin loves coffee. Who doesn’t? Belle and Charlie grew up loving them too. I’m lucky to have a family who is already happy. It’s easier to live with happy people than with people who chase for it.
Arrived at 12:08 pm at 142 Café. The two kids ran to our favorite spot. A 6-seat table at the left-most corner.
Charlie cupped my cheeks with his small hands, staring, and goofily smiling like a fool.
“Coffee. Coffee. Coffee. Yay.” He raised his hands as he danced around.
“Charlie, why do you like coffee so much?”
“Hmmm. Because You, Mom, and Belle love coffee. Coffee every morning, every night, and every Sunday. We are together like this every time. That’s why.”
Children are bringers of hope.
Thank you for reading. 🌷
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