Everyone is at their place at table, with two extra chairs and two extra guests, being our two hosts. Everyone is already tucking into the early fare, and my chair remains conspicuously empty, as though I am today the invisible guest. I will be seated next to Carl, and just across from Melissa. Carol is comparing with Melissa recipes for croissant.
"You must try to use extra butter, Melissa, but this is still just delicious, and so flakey and delicate," she rhapsodizes.
No one seems to notice my arrival, except for Jesús, on my other side, at the end of the table, and he smiles tenderly, and simply asks "How are you Cosme?"
"Fine, but you may all, from now on, refer to me as Christopher. I have finally remembered."
"Yes, Christopher", announces Carl cheerily, now that he has swallowed his mouthful of melon. "How did you sleep last night?"
"Not bad at all." I am reaching for a croissant and what appears to be blackcurrant jam.
"To me you look like a Cosme", Jesús says, flirtatiously.
"Then you must call me Cosme." I can barely disguise the warmth that the Colombian guest has just stirred in me.
Carol, with subtle drama, lets her piece of croissant drop onto her elegant breakfast dish. And I notice the plates are all exceptionally beautiful this morning, delicately rendered hummingbirds of green, yellow and red with crimson hibiscus flowers. "Then what, pray tell, would you like us to call you", she says huffily.
"First", I say, drawing a quick breath, "Please let me apologize to all of you for my dreadful spectacle last night at dinner."
Carol suddenly drops her pretense of indignation, becoming all maternal warmth and concern, "Oh dear, you have nothing to be at all sorry about, darling. We were all so very worried about you. And please forgive me for not even asking. How are you, darling?" And I can tell that this is not an act, and I am embarrassed and flustered about how cared for I am. Yes, they are all directing on me that same look of tender and anxious concern.
"I'm okay now", I murmur. "Thanks all of you for caring. I am so sorry."
Melissa says, "I want all of you to please not worry when this sort of thing happens,. There seems to be in this house some kind of mystical power that brings out in people very strong emotion. This has happened to all of us here, and it is going to happen to the rest of you who are visiting. We can't escape it."
After a moment's silence, Carol picks up her piece of croissant, and spoons on a little extra marmalade, and says, "Now, about your name..."
No comments:
Post a Comment