Reading/Humor
Gorillas in the Mist and Strawberry Creme Frappuccino
June Six Word Photo Story — “Black and White — Freestyle”
Happiness is solitude — and a book.
I am at Starbucks waiting for my daughter, D, to give me a ride back home. I have half an hour to kill. I walk to the store counter and run my eye down the menu.
I scroll past cappuccinos, macchiatos, and chai tea lattes. I reach the frappuccinos. There, rising head and shoulders above the coffee and cocoa flavors (me no like) is a Strawberry Creme Frappuccino.
The beverage tempts with a silken mound of whipped cream. It looks fruity, pink, and milkshake-y. Ergo, I must have it. (Not to brag or anything, but my taste in beverages is nothing if not sophisticated.)
I pick up my order and find a place at a shady outdoor table. The temps are in the pleasant mid 70s. I snap a portrait of my strawberry-pink drink. I’m not sure why — since I hardly ever remember to take food photos.
I pull out Dian Fossey’s Gorillas in the Mist from my bag. The book is an account of the author’s study of mountain gorillas in Rwanda.
My phone pings. D is running 15 minutes late.
“Take your time,” I text back.
I am elated. Fifteen extra minutes of uninterrupted reading time.
I am away from home. Away from ringing doorbells and my never-ending list of “stuff I must get done.” I silence my phone. Then I pick up my book and inhale my cappuccino.
Laissez les bon temps roulez.
Let the good times roll — at least for the next (I check my watch) 35 minutes.
Thanks for publishing my story Mary Chang Story Writer. Love the prompt — as always. 🌷
