Coffee Spills

I was walking along the street with full of people. I pulled my coat tighter into my
body and still felt cold despite of the warm bodies around me. There’s no one who could
give warmth to me than him. Of course, it was him again.
I have a deep breath and entered the coffee shop where I would meet my best
friend, Drake. The aroma of the coffee and pastries welcomed me and I instantly smiled. I
looked around and spotted him at our favourite corner where we could see the streets. I
plopped down the couch as soon as I approached him.
“You look better than yesterday” he smiled at me and I scoffed. He just grinned at
me in response. I grabbed the coffee he ordered for me and took a sip. Caffeine terrorized
my taste buds and I beamed.
“I want to apologize to him, Drake” I said after a moment of silence. It was odd that
Drake was being quiet. He was a massive ball of laughter, smiles, confidence and boosted
ego but tonight, it was different.
He just stared at me and I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. He was too guarded.
He was too closed off. A minute had passed and I couldn’t stand the eerie silence between
us. I was about to say something when he asked quietly, “Why?”
There was something different in his voice. He was lonely. But why? He got an
awesome, supportive and complete family. He got a decent and stable job. He is such an
ideal guy of a girl.
“Do you have a problem, Drake? You don’t seem okay,” I asked worriedly as I gazed
at him. He didn’t meet my eyes. Instead, he choose to look outside. Something was off.
“Come on, Drake. Spill it. We’re best of friends,” I pushed it. I didn’t want to see him
like this. He sighed and turned his gaze at me.
“Just let it go, okay? I’m fine,” he said with a smile. I knew he was faking it so I chose
to push it further. I’m just so concerned. I was too caught up with my own misery that I
didn’t ask anything about his life.
“Drake, please?” I asked again but he shook his head and said, “It’s nothing, Fray. I’m
fine.”
“You know I’m here right? I am busy thinking about Von and all but I’m still your best
friend,” I said with all my heart and at one moment, his lips formed a frown but he smiled
right away and nodded.
 “To answer your question, I want him back,” I said surely. I was the one who broke
up with Von. I wasn’t sure for my feelings for him after two years of being together. But I
realized that I really loved him. I couldn’t even think why I doubted what I felt for him. He
had been a good, understanding and patient boyfriend.
“Why?” he asked with a strained voice. It bothered me. I was staring at him, trying to
get to him. But I couldn’t. So I answered his question, “I love him, Drake.”
“But you know he has a new girlfriend,” he stated a little bit harshly. I wanted to
snap on his behaviour. But I knew better, he was just concerned for me.
“I will fight for him, I want him, Drake” I convinced him but why was I doubting as I
spilled each word?
“Do it your way,” Drake said before he stood up and walked away. I was stunned at
his reaction. Did he just walked out on me? He did. I tried to catch up with him. I saw him
walking fast. I ran to him. He should explain himself. What the hell is wrong with him?
“Drake!” I shouted as we reached an empty street. Damn it! Why couldn’t he stop?
My wish was answered and he stopped to turn at me. He’s angry. He’s frustrated. What’s
happening to Drake?
“Go Fray. If you love him then go ahead and win him back.” He sounded tired. Was
he tired?
“What’s wrong Drake?” I pleaded for answers. I wanted to hear the answers. I was
scared but I wanted to hear them.
He sighed before looking straight at my eyes. And I saw pain. I saw sadness. I
couldn’t help it. My heart ached as I noticed them. Instantly, I knew I was the reason why.
“I love you,” he said but his voice was broken. I took a step forward but he just
stepped back. My tears were forming in my eyes. I could feel the intensity of his eyes and
the heaviness of his voice. Did I know all along? Was I just trying to pretend that I didn’t
notice his feelings for me? If I did, I was being selfish.
“Drake…..” I choke back a sob. Damn these tears. I could see his struggle to fight for
his own tears. It was all because of me.
He turned and walked away from me. As I looked at his back, I couldn’t do anything
but cry. It was painful. I didn’t know why.
 Struggles of our Life

Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her life was
miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it. She was tired of
fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved,
another one soon followed. Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three
pots with water and placed each on a high fire.

Once the three pots begun to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the
second pot and ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil,
without saying a word to his daughter. The daughter moaned and impatiently waited,
wondering what he was doing. After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He
took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out
and placed them in a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup.

Turning to her, he asked. “Daughter, what do you see?” “Potatoes, eggs and
coffee,” she hastily replied.

“Look closer”, he said, “And touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they
were soft.

He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she
observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her
face.

“Father, what does this mean?” she asked.

 He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each
faced the same adversity-the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently.
The potato went in strong, hard and unrelenting but in boiling water, it became soft
and weak. The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior
until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard.
However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the
boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.

“Which one are you?” he asked his daughter. “When adversity knocks on your
door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?”

Moral: In life, things happen around us, things happen to us, but the only thing
that truly matters is how you choose to react to it and what you make out of it.
Life is all about leaning, adopting and converting all the struggles that we
experience into something positive.
 Story

Submitted
to: Mr. Ivanfed
Barsana

Submitted
by: Elierose Apple M.
Desoloc