AINO
Two pairs of eyes, both warm, both soft with understanding, watched the youth as he sat up. The embarrassment was overlooked, unimportant if endearing, and his gratitude was met with almost identical wry smiles.
Standing up when the kettle began to rattle, Aino ruffled his hair as she passed and busied herself with mugs and tea leaves, bread loaves and toppings. When she returned, it was with a tray of steaming mugs, heaping sandwiches and a bowl of little round honey-colored sweets.
Popping one of them into a mug, she handed it over to Sah, and otherwise rearranged chairs and tables so they could all sit together and eat.
"Try this," she encouraged. "It's bitter at first, but the longer you let it steep, the sweeter it will become."
Whether she meant the tea or his feelings towards family - lost and found - was hard to tell. Ilma nodded sagely; "That's what I always say." She gave her daughter a slightly salty look for stealing the phrase - but as usual Aino ignored it. She seemed to be very practiced at that.
Standing up when the kettle began to rattle, Aino ruffled his hair as she passed and busied herself with mugs and tea leaves, bread loaves and toppings. When she returned, it was with a tray of steaming mugs, heaping sandwiches and a bowl of little round honey-colored sweets.
Popping one of them into a mug, she handed it over to Sah, and otherwise rearranged chairs and tables so they could all sit together and eat.
"Try this," she encouraged. "It's bitter at first, but the longer you let it steep, the sweeter it will become."
Whether she meant the tea or his feelings towards family - lost and found - was hard to tell. Ilma nodded sagely; "That's what I always say." She gave her daughter a slightly salty look for stealing the phrase - but as usual Aino ignored it. She seemed to be very practiced at that.
For the good times that we share,
and the bad times that we'll have
and the bad times that we'll have
