Melody of death | English Version | Charles Leclerc FF

twenty-four ఌ

Yawning, I closed my car door and then locked it. I had a hard time getting out of bed this morning, but I still managed to get here 20 minutes earlier to go for a walk with Elmo.
I put the key for the restaurant in the lock and turned until it clicked. When I opened the door, a torrent of warmth came towards me. The air was stuffy. Has Elmo's owner not opened the windows yet?

I stepped into the staff area and saw the big black ball of fur lying on his place. He wag his tail when he saw me, but was too lazy to get up. That's why I knelt down to him and stroked his stomach. He put his head in his neck and his lips hung down, so that his teeth could be seen behind it. After a few moments, I clapped my hands and jumped up. Elmo looked at me in a mess. But when I reached for a leash and got a few treats out of a box, he also jumped up and ran after me. We left the restaurant behind and I gave him permission to run off. He didn't let himself be told twice and pushed towards the sea, where a few seagulls picked up the remains of some shells. But they flew away as my wild beast chased out of it. I had to laugh, it just looked priceless funny.

I called Elmo back and practiced a few tricks that I had once taught him. What he likes to do is tunnel. He comes through from behind under my legs and then stops under them. After that, he usually gets a treat, or I throw it at him and he has to go look for it. Maybe he even loves that searching game a little more than tunnel.

The twenty minutes were over and Elmo had settled down on the terrace in the sun while I vented the windows and cleared the chairs from the tables.

Then I wiped all the tables, put flowers and sugar on them and then looked for the right on the terrace. I led Elmo outside to a tow line so that he could stay in the sun, but not walk too close to the guests. Then I set up two water bowls outside, one for Elmo and one for other animal visitors. After the menu cards were also ready, my work was firstly done. From now on, I was just waiting for my colleagues and of course the guests.

I took a curious look at the reservation book. There were only two reservations for this morning. Most people come in the morning without a reservation because it is not as crowded as in the evening. In the evening, however, you can hardly get a place here without one. I closed the book again when I heard that the door opened. It was Julien, one of the bakery who delivers the fresh baked goods in the morning. He only announced himself briefly and then brought the food through the back door into the kitchen. Shortly afterwards, Layla, our confectioner, came, who always bakes cakes at home in her own pastry shop and which we then sell here. I greeted her with a handshake and helped her with the boxes that contained the cakes. We cut them into pieces one after the other and put them behind the glass pane at the bakery department of the restaurant. Layla stood behind the counter and drove up her cash register. She will use the cash register and sell the baked goods until 12a.m. , that means until the end of the café-time. Clodine and me should care about the customers and bring them their orders, but how I expected Clodine  wasn't on time again.

An old lady with gray hair and walking stick was the first to enter the café. Very leisurely, she approached the counter and then waved joyfully when she saw Layla and me. I smiled warmly at her and asked her what she wanted. She let her gaze wander over the various goods and got stuck on one thing. It was the cherry cake, Layla's oldest and most popular recipe. While Layla took the order of the elderly woman, I asked her if she wanted to sit down. She nodded and I gave her a place outside in the sun. While she sat down, I went to get her piece of cake. I also brought her a desired glass of water and wished her a nice stay. However, before I could leave, she stopped me. „Wait, darling," her rough voice now had something tender about it. I stopped and turned to her again.„Do you need anything else?" I asked the lady, but she just shook her head quietly. A little confused, I waited for her to say anything. But she was silent for a while and only stared towards the sea. The waves beat tamely to the beach today and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. „Please sit down.", the woman suddenly offered with a beam on her face. Her wrinkles on her face made her look tired. Tired of life. And yet you could see how satisfied she was right now. I sat down on the chair opposite her and put my hand on the table. Just a second later, I felt her putting her fingers on it and pressing my hand a little. It seemed to me that she needed this hold, so I held her tightly.

„You know, I think we humans are stressing far too much that we are not enough for that what is expected from us," she spoke calmly and kept taking a little break. „We want to look good, perform well and be successful. But at the end of life, it doesn't help you to look back and see how much stress you've made yourself. I am now old and wrinkled, but I have always taken care of my appearance. And yet I'm not as pretty as I used to be. My little child, please don't stress yourself too much. I wish someone had ever pressed the brakes for me. Everything will be fine, but things take their time. Wounds need time to heal." , She stopped talking and I thought I saw a few tears glittering in her eyes. Her speech had triggered something in me. I never saw the life like this. I never thought about looking back in the end on a life which was beautiful and loved.

I squeezed the elderly woman's hand more firmly and smiled at her, cheeringly. She pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and dabbed her eyes. „We only live once.", she added and sounded pitiful. As if she were begging me to enjoy my life. She probably realized that too late. I felt sorry for her. Seeing her that sad broke my heart. Do I want to end that way? With nothing in my hands? With the knowledge that I have wasted my valuable life?

„That is true.", now I was the one who had to hold back the tears. Her words made so much sense and were so true and I was happy about seeing the things one time through other eyes, from another perspective. It made a big difference.

„Have a nice life. You can still make something out of it. Helping people like me." , Now I gave her some comfort and squeezed her hand one last time and then got back to work. For the rest of the working day, her words didn't get out of my head.

We only live once.

Yes, we only live once. And time is precious. And at some point another life will come to earth for ours. Even if someone else has to leave his for it...