Birthday

“Hard day, eh? Hope you’re feeling better now” Vicky smiled. His arms rested on a teak-brown plastic table. And before him was a large glass bowl, ceramic crockeries, and shining cutleries.

“Healthy food, you know? I don’t wanna ruin my health no more” he smiled. The wrinkled lines on his face cast a shadow on his brown skin. The room was lit yellow by a burst of sunshine through a lone window.

The table was blooming with fragrances and colors of all kinds; the aroma of steaming fresh ground coffee, boiled peas, fresh broccoli, chunks of golden-orange carrots, a scented candle, and a baked tuna garnished with olive oil and garlic.

He kept smiling and staring at the Tuna’s bubbly eyes.

“It’s my birthday tomorrow” Vicky picked up his silver fork and punched through a chunk of carrot. An uninvited Pea rolled out of the brimming bowl and fell off the table.

“I don’t know why kids celebrate birthdays with cakes. Who are we obliging? Those colonialists? I don’t know” He swung his hand around the bowl as he spoke and took a bite of the carrot from the fork.

“Happy birthday to myself”

He began laughing. A lone crow outside the window flew in shock. He laughed and laughed until happiness turned to tears and tears to sobs.

“Happy Birthday to myself!” He spoke in teary whispers.

Before him, in front of the table, was a large mirror.