“I’ll be there around 7“ – Said the message

Tuurlijk¹.
She is like those mind-blowing birthday parties – If the host says it starts at 6, people will arrive after 8.
So I had at least an extra hour to play with.

Our plan was to drink wine and chill on the beach, but that’s too dull for two rebel younglings, dus² I figured it’s time to bring those legendary cooking skills to the table and spice up the night by making some Glühwein.

“It’s the easiest thing in the kitchen” – Said the article
How is it that they put this on top of every single recipe?

The list of ingredients was simple indeed: Wine + flavouring
In this case orange, cinnamon, cloves – and some honey to put the cherry on the cake.
Sounds simple, isn’t it?
As always, there was a twist: Do NOT boil it, because the alcohol will evaporate.
Keep it on simmer and the blood of Jesus will bring you to heaven the moment it touches your lips.

While the wine was in the making, I picked up a book and started to wait until She announces that She is going to be a bit late.
In less than 5 minutes, my phone lit up to the following:
“Still haven’t left, will be a little late…“
I would’ve been in big trouble if She didn’t show up late – especially that I haven’t finished cooking, and a good cook never passes on tasting, so I had the chance to consume a decent amount of that divine liquid – solely for research, obviously.

The smell of grape juice filled the house, while the remaining pages of my book grew smaller with every passing minute.
“Almost there” – came the message
I took the wine off the stove and poured it into a thermo thing.
Smells good, tastes good – ready to become the crown jewel of the evening.
Or so it seemed.

When She arrived and finished pouring her entire closet in my room as if She was about to move in, I put her on my shoulder and started to discover the unknown parts of the closest beach, until my spine couldn’t take it anymore and we went from the walking tower of Pisa to two smurfs thirsty for trouble making.

Everything seemed to click. Nature was silent and we couldn’t find anything to argue about or start a fight with.
After all, souls need but a little polishing to smoothly blend in.
No more harm was done by our rough edges or imperfect shapes.

While the Sun began parting, we were walking in a hurry to find a place where we can chill.
At one point we stumbled upon a bench, perfectly placed to witness the Sun sink below the landscape, so we pulled out the wine along with her home-made sushi and started to enjoy the privileges of being amongts the living.
15 minutes into the tasting my blunder showed face – the wine didn’t hit. Regardless of the careful planning and cooking, apparently the alcohol still slipped into the air without letting me know about it.

This alleviated our sense of responsibility, considering that the consequences couldn’t be severe – the soft sipping turned into ferocious drinking.
In the midst of all this a touch of it was spilled, and knowing the power of a wine stain She drew a tiny smile face on the bench, just to leave her mark on it.
Luckily we weren’t unprepared, there was another fine bottle waiting in the fridge, thrilled to be turned into pee.

As the Sun was crawling under the surface, it painted the sky red while She was holding me like DiCaprio held Rose on the Titanic, except that we were sitting.
When it left the horizon, we packed our things and walked back to my cozy pink residence to spend some time in.
Even though my room was fully furbished to appeal to a 6 year old girl in her barbie phase, we had many ideas to improve the conditions and make it a little more comfy.

Dim candle lights, soft music and a bottle of Spanish wine created a kind of harmony we couldn’t possibly buy for money.

If there is something that people value more than anything, it’s the undivided attention of another human being.
We had it, until the clumsiness started to take over us with each sip.

Since the temperature was similar to what they have in Hell (~6000 degrees), She borrowed one of my shirts to avoid melting in her own things. Luckily it was white, so when She spilled the deep red liquor on it, it certainly did not leave a stain.

When the bottle became empty, so did our ziel³.
There were many things we wanted to say, but we didn’t have the liquid permission for their release.
The depth of our understanding caused by the confessions brought us clarity, while we grew closer and closer to each other with every minute – not just physically, though an Olympic spooner would’ve envied the bond we made.
Scrolling through our very first messages She pointed out a sweet sentence paired with graceful giggling:
“I sent this from a toilet“
It couldn’t have been more intimate.
Soon the giggling stopped and turned into whispering, the caressing turned into cuddling, and just as the sunflower finds comfort by bending in the evening, both of us fell asleep.

“Life for each of us is a mere moment”

– Marcus Aurelius

Take care,
Erik

22.06.2019 – Day 152

[Dutch Dictionary]
Tuurlijk ¹ – Of course
Dus ² – Thus/So
Ziel ³ – Soul/Mind/Heart/Psyche