Caffeine Chronicles

Grocery shopping was the worst chore. My mother purposely assigned me the responsibility. According to her, it was an opportunity for me to explore new food options. I hated it. Planning meals wasn't my thing; I preferred snacking on junk food and eating healthy when I felt like dragging myself to the kitchen. All this I practiced while at school. Everytime I returned home, my mother insisted on making me do the groceries. She made me cook, not for myself, but for my entire family.

I dragged my feet along the tiled floor, lazily placing items into the cart, always adhering to a grocery list my mother ensured was prepared since I tended to overlook what was needed at home. I knew society expected differently from a girl my age, but breaking traditional expectations and societal norms was a mandate to me.

Hunched over, wearing a hoodie, I rolled my cart from aisle to aisle, minding my own business. "Have you heard the news yet?" Miriam, my fifth-grade bestie inquired. She looked like she was in a hurry and I was too because I wanted to get out of the mall real fast, back to my bed.

"Anything new?" I returned, my attention divided between the goods I scanned and Miriam's words. "It's everywhere on the news Gabs. Some drug related shit," she whispered the last word. "Mm, really?" I didn't seem too interested as news about crimes was unfortunately common.

My head was wrapped around the little gossip Miriam shared as I drove home. I pondered on how it related to me because the Miriam I knew only told me things when it was related to things I loved.

Reaching the door, I found a package that had been left on my doorstep. It was likely the coffee I had previously ordered from the new online store. I picked it up, pushed the door and walked inside only to be met with the piercing eyes of my parents.

"Err, what have I done this time?" There was no verbal response. Dad turned on the TV, the volume at its highest, making me wince. I guessed he wanted me to not only hear but also consider what was being said on the news.

"This is hilarious dad," I chuckled. "How do you think these people can send out drugs disguised as coffee? It is just another way to mislead and stop people from buying coffee. Why should they threaten to deal with anyone who is found buying coffee at this time? Should we stop enjoying coffee until they're able to put an end to this?"

"I don't want to see anything that looks like coffee for now in this house" he barked and stomped out of the living room. I was relieved I had hidden my package, otherwise he'd have thrown it out the window before I could defend it.

Mom peered at me; she knew I never went grocery shopping without getting coffee packs. I shrugged and hurried to my room. I mimicked Dad's reaction, laughing at the absurdity. I couldn't wait to go back to college, home was a mix of fun and boredom, but I wanted "fun" to dominate.

Night fell and it seemed my parents had gone to bed. I sneaked into the kitchen to make coffee. With me was the package from earlier. As I tore the package, instead of brown powder, there was white fine, crystalline…"drugs?" The irony of my laughter at the news quickly morphed into a knot of worry.

I stared at the incriminating content for a while and my lips curved into a wry smile. It was the first time I held drugs in my hands. It was soft and smooth when I touched it and I congratulated the perpetrators for it. I loved a successful criminal story. As much as I wanted to have my coffee at that moment, I loved the unexpected turn out but I was scared that my parents might catch me.

Double checking that no one was watching so I could hide the drugs and explore them, or probably sell them to the highest bidder in school, I was taken aback when I caught sight of the horrifying looks on my parent's face. They were annoyingly always together.

"Drop that thing, wash your hands and go back to bed. I'm calling the police," Dad threatened. "Po what?" My dad's strictness sometimes infuriated me. He took two steps toward me, and I quickly poured the content into my palms.

"One more step and I'm going to sniff it all up" I warned. He thought I was joking but before he got to me, I inhaled a good amount and dropped to the floor after some minutes of having blurry visions.

I woke up in the hospital, and the first person I saw was my dad. I shut my eyes back immediately, but my ears were wide open, receiving his scolding, wishing I could shut them too.

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