The Umbrella

Abel, a boy too embittered for his age, is sitting in a coffee shop while a yearly festival is held in his town, Agueda, Portugal. A peculiar spectacle helps him regain a taste for life.

Floating Umbrellas in Agueda, Portugal

The Umbrella

Summer has come. Sunlight dances on his closed lids. The rays and the summer air feel typical for July, yet something feels out of the ordinary. He unbars his eyes, and blue and yellow and red umbrellas floating high up in the air greet him; they seem to be reaching for the gods of the past.  For a moment, he fantasizes that if he were to hold onto one of the umbrella’s handles, he too would fly upwards and sail away from the dreary hubbub of his rather inconsequential life; but he shrugs the thought away, as though such thoughts are toxic or poisonous. Meanwhile, the café in which he is seated within is cheery with chitchat and enthusiasm as tourists flock towards the streets of Agueda to view the handsome array of hovering umbrellas. Except, he is unlike them"fervor has left him; his demeanor is too aged and in contrast to his childlike exterior. 

 

He watches the spectators with an impassive gaze while he sips on his bitter morning coffee; he takes his coffee straight, preferring the unadulterated taste of coffee beans to milk and sugar. Unpleasant to most, the bitter aftertaste refreshes his senses. His notice then changes to the morning newspaper set before him, held by his small, tan hand. He nods his head as he reads, pretending to understand the text before him. However, truthfully he enjoys looking at the pictures within the newspaper like any boy his age.

 

The owner of the café has become accustomed to the boy’s morning routine. His coffee is ready before he arrives, and his newspaper is set neatly on the table positioned in the corner of the café. He finds comfort in the regularity of his mornings. From where he sits, he can witness almost all that occurs on the main street of his town. His mother always chides him for not playing outside like other boys his age, but he is not like them. He prefers to watch. And so he does.

 

It is when he settles the newspaper onto the table and nods at the owner of the café shop for his bill that he suddenly notices something out of the ordinary. One of the umbrellas, a brilliant blue, has begun to float higher than the others. It rises and rises, above the oranges and the reds, and begins to reach the blue of the sky. His brows lift as he marvels over the scene. “Tio!” he suddenly yells at the owner of the store. “Do you see that?” The startled owner of the café, Tio Edwardo, shrugs. “No my child.”

 

The umbrella rises and rises and starts to ascent into the clouds. He watches with eyes inflamed with delight. When no hint of the peculiar umbrella remains, the boy takes in a shaky breath and gradually turns to Tio Edwardo. “I would like another coffee… this time with sugar,” he orders.

 

Tio Edwardo smiles. “As you wish, Abel.”

 

Author's Note

A short story written for a promp

Reviews

[zainul]

This is a splendid write.
It captivated me for a while.

[Aisha Mnd]

Thank you! :)

[zainul]

You are most welcome,dear writer!:)