SUMMER STORMS [h.s.]

fifteen

I woke up at my usual time, got dressed and went downstairs to have the awaited breakfast.
"Buenos días, mom" I said greeting my mom in her mother language, technically mine too. We could say my family is trilingual.
"Hi sweetheart" Said she turning the page of a fashion magazine she was reading, she loved reading house decoration articles. I found it so boring...

My mom and I were the only ones having breakfast at that moment. I served myself a glass of orange juice and prepared a toast, you have no idea how much I liked those toasts. 

"At what time are you leaving, mom?" I asked her. The weeks had flown doing daily activities with Harry and my parents were leaving today just the day before the village festivities were going to start. Yes, the same festivities I had spent alone all these years, but that knowing Harry would be interested in going and having fun, maybe this year was going to be different. 

"After lunch" Said my mom still looking at her magazine.
"Okay. Do you need any help to tide things up or pack up your stuff?" I offered. I knew that if I was nice and tried to be helpful, she would say no just because I had been kind. I was an obedient girl, but I also had my tricks.

"Ask dad if he wants something, I have everything packed" Concluded she, not cold or anything. Just focused on her magazine. The same type of distraction as if she was talking through the phone. In those cases, you could even hand her a peeled banana with ketchup and a stabbed fork that she would still take it. Parents take anything you give them when they're in a phone call, is they're weakest point. 

"I will. Do you know if Harry is in the bakery?" I asked. She closed the magazine and started moving her coffee with a little spoon, anti-clockwise. Just a fixation of hers. 

"I think he is yes" My mother said drinking from her coffee.

Some days, Harry had to go with Trini to other villages. The both of them drove there just to buy ingredients for the bakery and doing needed shopping. Harry for no reason loved to go to the other villages with his grandma. He had learnt a lot of Spanish too, and it was so funny how he pronounced some words. He would usually get tangled up when he tried to speak fast or be rude in my second language, it was hilarious... I had taught him a lot as well, thing I was proud of.

"Okay, I guess I'll go later" I commented finishing my toast, trying to look I wasn't dying to see those curls. Then, I heard the front door close and some seconds later, my grandma was sat with us eating some grapes that had been abandoned in the table since my grandpa had had breakfast. 

"Oof! I've been cleaning the walls and I can't be more tired. Jesús!" Said my abuela María quite exhausted. I admired her so much, she was tireless, optimistic, immensely generous and the best grandmother I could ask for. Although she had some terrible, chauvinist and violent experience, she managed to live happily, have a family and focus on herself and her priorities. I don't think I could ask for any better role model. Side note, always listen to your grandmothers even if they can be difficult sometimes. 

"Maia was asking if Harry was in the bakery, mamá" Told my mother to her mother. 

"Yeah he is, Trini told me he is the cashier for today and I need bread so please go later" Said my grandma cleaning her sweat and catching her breath, but with a quirky smile on.  

"What is that face supposed to mean?" I asked.  

I checked on my mom with the corner of my eye who was smirking as well but looking at the magazine papers.  

"How many times have you and Harry kissed?" Asked my grandma out of the blue literally feeling my heart skip a beat. 

"What? No! We haven't kissed" I lied.  

"Look, wanna know how your parents met?" Asked María and I nodded, but my mother began speaking instead. 

"Your father came here as an exchange student to learn Spanish, and he was hosted by Tío Manolo's family. We started to hang out and I taught him almost all the spanish he knows. Then, we realized we liked each other and what it started as a summer love, finished with a marriage" Summed up my mother with a comedian tone and a lot of love in her eyes.

I had never listened to the story of my parents, which surprised me. I think it's a classic one to know how your parents met. 

"Well, that's of course not going to happen to me" I said looking at them with an obvious face. 

"So you like him?" My grandmother was trying to corner me like she knew. I cannot lie, I'm terrible at hiding things and the two women in front of me would end up knowing the truth sooner or later.  

"I don't" I denied crossing my arms over my chest and leaning back on the chair. 

"Okay, okay. Don't get angry. But we good know that's not true" Added my mom. 

"I just want you to know something Maia. Don't stop yourself from being this free, you will never find such an awesome years as the ones your living right now. Act with good and self love, that's the key to happiness. Time flies princesa, just have fun at the festivities with Harry and don't be ashamed to show it" Told me my grandma taking one of my hands in hers and winking at me when she finished her speech. 

I nodded not really knowing what to say, but with a big smile on.  

"Well, I think I'll go and prepare lunch" Said the old lady getting up from the breakfast table as my mother just observed the situation.

My mother had always been very wise, and I'm sure she learnt all this from María. My grandmother is just the essence of experience mixed with kindness, with makes the perfect receipt. Very difficult to cook, but very worth the taste.

I finished breakfast and completely forgot about offering my father help to do the packing, whoops! I grabbed some money and finished smarting myself up.
I waved at some people on the way to the bakery and when I reached it, I entered in making a little bell ring hanged from the ceiling.

"Hello!" I say with joy as I watched a busy Harry behind the counter giving the change to an old lady of the village. 

He spotted me soon because I was the next one in the queue.
"Oh what would the señorita like?" Said he all charming and with a big smile, posing his elbow on the counter.  

"Give me two bars of bread, a torta de aceite and this boy in front of me so we can go to the swimming pool together" I said highly motivated with the recent carpe diem advice my granny had given me.

"Oh wow, strong breakfast?" Said him putting my orders in a bag. Not used to this braveness of myself. 

"Have no idea" I said giving him the money enough to pay for the freshly baked bread. 

"Un euro veinte, por favor" Said Harry telling me the price in Spanish, which I already knew because I had bought the exact same thing a lot of times before.
I loved his accent in Spanish, let me say it sounded very sexy.
He gave me the bag with the bread and I said,

"Gracias" 

"I'll be out in five, let me get this costumer" Said he winking at me. 

"Okay" I smiled and got out of the famous and only bakery in the whole village.