Chapter 3: My taste buds were literally singing

I open my eyes to a white ceiling.

Where am I??

My eyes slowly scan my surroundings. The walls of this strange place were brown. I don't know if just brown was the right word to describe the wall.

It was like the brown of soil that has been drenched by the blue droplets that come out of the sky. I turned to look at the chair in the middle of the room the only other piece of furniture other than the bed.

The chair was blue. The kind of blue like a midwinter night an hour before pitch dark; that colour you see as velvet no matter what the texture it was on the top was a violet cushion that was worn and tatty.

I looked at the window

The warm rays of sunlight were streaming in the room.

Thud, Thud, Thud, somebody was coming. I shut my eyes and pretend to still be in a deep slumber.

I heard the door open, its creaking noise brought a chill to my spine. It sounded like some dying animal, crying out its pain and sorrow with its last breath.

I hear the thud of footsteps creep closer and closer to the bed I was sleeping on. My heart was pounding so fast that it seemed like it was about to fall out of my body.

The person reached the bed. I could feel their piercing gaze on me. Suddenly I feel a hand on my shoulder blades. "Wake up its time to eat", said the stranger in a small and soft voice.

After fighting with myself whether to lie there while pretending to sleep and wait until the person left or sit up and face this person who saved my life.

I decided to go with the latter. I opened my eyes and was surprised to see a small woman that looked like she was in her 70s. She had black curly hair that framed around her black skin. The wrinkles on her face showed that she has lived life and went through the unfairness of it.

" Hello there "

" Hello "

" Would you like to have some food "

I looked down at her hands and stared at the tray she was holding. On the tray was a bowl full of some brown substance that I think is porridge and on the right of the bowl was a glass of milk.

I took the tray from her

" Thank you, mam, for the food and the shelter how can I ever repay you "

" Oh no need to repay me, it's fine "

With that, she headed out the door.

Before she crossed the door she turned around and said,

" Call me Rosie mam makes me feel old"

And with that, she left. I stared down at the food that was given to me. The aroma of the food reminded me that I had not eaten since I left my house. I lifted the spoonful of the porridge and slowly but wearily put it in my mouth.

This was heaven. My tastebuds were literally singing. I quickly devoured the food and washed it down with the glass of milk.

I put the tray down on the floor and lay down on the bed.

With a full stomach but a satisfied appetite, I closed my eyes and smiled as I drifted into the land of dreams.