Three long shipping containers were stacked one atop the other, their sides beautifully cut and fitted with glass windows. Blended into the surrounding thickets of Chinese bamboo, the building seemed to have grown right out of the trees.
A whisper-thin neon sign above the door glowed a deep blue, its lettering sharp and elegant: "Shh… It's a Library Café!"
The color was like Mia's beautiful eyes.
She clutched a warm coffee cup with both hands, sipping slowly as a mischievous smile played on her lips. At fourteen, she had a quiet confidence that was hard to miss.
"Something on your mind, young lady?" Dr. Ravi asked, his brows furrowed in amusement from the opposite seat. Her smile seemed to reflect in the lines of his forehead.
Mia didn't answer. Instead, she subtly gestured with her eyes toward the far end of the cafe.
There sat a young man, perhaps fifteen years old. He, too, held a coffee cup, and a smile much like her own was on his face.
"Aha, very clever," her father said, narrowing his eyes. "Plotting right in front of your old man, are we?"
Just then, Dr. Lakshmi Nair, Mia's mother, walked back from the restroom. She moved slowly, a hand pressed to her forehead, the other lightly touching tables as if to steady herself.
"Mamma's really out of it," Mia whispered, leaning forward to murmur conspiratorially in her father's ear.
"Hmm," Dr. Ravi nodded.
"And to think they're both doctors. But when it comes to their own bodies—"
"That's enough," her father cut her off.
"What are you two conspiring about?" Dr. Lakshmi asked, joining them and gently pinching Mia's nose.
"You're dizzy again, aren't you, Mamma?" Mia's tone had become serious.
Her mother's only reply was a long, tired sigh.
"This is how a stroke starts, Mamma."
"Mia!"
"A cerebellar infarction. I heard the doctor, too. I know what it means. I have ChatGPT on my side."
"That's enough, sweetheart," her mother said, raising a hand to touch Mia's lips.
An uncomfortable silence fell over their table.
"Let's put this to rest today. This topic is off-limits now," her father said, wiping his face and sitting up straight. "Yes, your mother has a clot in her cerebellum. That's what's causing the dizziness. But that's not the only problem."
Mia's face fell.
"Her body won't accept any of the medicines to dissolve the clot. The only way forward is surgery. Brain surgery."
Mia gasped, her eyes wide with shock.
"In any case, we're not planning to do that right now. At her age, we've decided the quality of her life is what matters most. We don't want her spending the next few years on a hospital bed with a hole in her skull." Dr. Ravi finished, his voice heavy.
Within moments, Mia's blue eyes filled with tears.
Outside, the bamboo rustled, rubbing against the windows as a fine drizzle began to fall. Her father noticed the change in her expression, and Mia quickly wiped her eyes.
After a few quiet seconds, she looked up again. Her eyes, almost without her control, found the young man across the room. He was still watching her, a question in his gaze.
"A silent romance is budding here, you know," her father whispered to her mother, who was also watching the boy.
"Who is he?"
"I have no idea. This is the first time I've seen him."
Both of their gazes returned to Mia. She shook her head with a deep sigh.
"Don't try to change the subject."
"My dear," her mother said, gently lifting Mia's chin. "Dr. Ashwin said I only had six months left. That was last Christmas. It's been a year already... that's all modern medicine's predictions are worth. Aside from a little dizziness, I'm fine, darling. I won't leave you. Trust me."
Mia didn't say a word.
At that moment, something odd caught her attention.
Her new friend had opened a notebook and was holding it up. On the page, in large letters, were two words:
Hi!
She responded with a beautiful smile.
"What's this? Is this going to be a problem?" Her mother frowned slightly.
"Mamma… I'm going to go talk to him."
"Oh, no, no, no!" Her father leaned forward quickly and touched her arm.
"He doesn't seem like a troublemaker, Pappa. He seems really friendly."
"No, sweetheart, don't," her mother said, a hint of panic in her voice.
Suddenly, the kitchen door swung open.
Mia turned around, and her eyes widened.
All of the cafe staff were there, her friends among them. Standing at the front was Elsa, holding a beautiful butterscotch cake. On top were two candles shaped like the number 14, their small blue flames dancing.
Mia quickly wiped her eyes once more and sat up straight.
"What's wrong? Looks like you've been crying, Mia-kutty?" Elsa asked, stroking her hair.
"No, I'm fine," she replied, shaking her head with a smile.
The cake was placed on the table, and as Mia picked up the knife, another playful smile appeared on her face.
"Come!" she said, standing up and motioning for the young man to join them.
"Oh, my goodness, this girl!" Her mother gasped.
"Oh, that's just our Jokuttan. Let him come. What's the harm?" Elsa seemed to know him well.
The boy finished his coffee and slowly rose to his feet.
"Just so you know, he's mute," Elsa whispered to them.
Mia bit her lip. For some reason, she had already suspected he couldn't speak, but she couldn't understand how she knew.
After she blew out the candles, everyone began to sing "Happy Birthday." Elsa finished by pulling Mia into a hug and kissing her on the forehead.
A few strands of blue hair fell across Mia's forehead. Her father's expression changed, and he quickly gestured with his eyes. In an instant, Mia ran her fingers across her forehead to hide the strands. No one else seemed to notice the strange hair, but Joe's eyes remained fixed on the spot where she had so expertly concealed it.
As everyone took a piece of cake and left, Mia turned to the young man.
"Hi! I'm Mia!" she said, offering a handshake.
In response, he opened his notebook.
"Joe. Johny Abraham," his lips moved silently with the writing. He then signed to her, wishing her a "Happy Birthday, Mia!" even though he knew she wouldn't understand.
Mia's eyes widened. She was stunned.
"What is it, dear?" Her mother asked, confused.
"I'm…" Mia was breathing heavily, unable to articulate what she was feeling.
"Joe," Dr. Ravi said, trying to divert the attention. He put a hand on the boy's shoulder and turned him toward him. "Where are you from, Joe?"
In response, he flipped to a page in his notebook with his address written on it.
"Did you just move here?"
He nodded.
"Okay. I've met your father. He's working on the dam, right? A structural engineer or something?"
He nodded again.
"Okay. Do you come here often?"
"Sometimes," he signed.
Mia watched his every movement with intense focus. The look of astonishment hadn't left her face. Her eyes clearly revealed she saw something special about him.
Even after Joe returned to his seat, Mia remained standing, lost in thought.
"Sweetheart," Dr. Ravi said, gently nudging her.
She looked at him, startled, her lips trembling.
"What is it, child? Why are you so shaken?"
After a long silence, Mia finally spoke.
"Pappa, you always said you would tell me everything one day?" she said, her breath still coming in short gasps. "I think today is that day."
"What is it, dear? Don't scare me," her mother said, gently helping her sit back down.
"I can understand what Joe is thinking, Mamma… When he wished me, the words appeared in my mind the very second they came into his!"
Dr. Ravi wiped his face with a sigh and looked at his wife.
"Wait here and talk. I'll go sit with him. I'll be right back." Mia jumped up suddenly.
But this time, neither of her parents tried to stop her. Instead, her father gave her a tired smile, as if to say, Go ahead.
She didn't waste a moment. She rushed to Joe's table and sat down across from him.
He looked at her with a compassionate expression, understanding that this beautiful girl was in the middle of some sort of trouble.
"Did I tell you my name?" she asked.
"M...i...a," his lips mouthed silently.
"Could you think of something to say? For me?" She leaned a little closer.
After a moment of thought, he opened his notebook.
"Don't do that," she said, quickly grabbing the notebook. "Just think it."
Joe's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"I can read your mind…"
In response, he rolled his eyes.
"It's true, man! Ask me something." She was completely serious.
His eyes again drifted to her forehead, to the strands of hair peeking out from under the wig.
Slowly, Mia's eyes widened. She understood what he wanted to know.
"It's a wig," she said, touching her hair and gently pulling it back to show him. "My real hair is blue."
"Naturally?" His eyes widened in shock.
She nodded.
"How?"
"Shh… shh…" Mia put a finger to her lips. "I'll tell you later. We're not supposed to talk about it."
"Weird," his lips moved.
"Yeah… everything about me is weird." She smiled, a silent, knowing grin.
(To be continued...)