Hushed chattering filled the kitchen as the young women hurdled together. A group of teenagers exchanged harsh whispers among themselves, oblivious to the man in sky-blue dress shirt and charcoal black slacks standing by the corner.
"I heard that she has powers and that she has lived for a hundred and fifty years!"
Gasps rung out among the ladies before one picked up again,
"It's true. My mother keeps telling me how the lady has been alive way more longer than her husbands. In fact, she has married three times. And her previous spouses are all dead!" Another round of gasps sprung out.
"It's a wonder how she's still childless. I -"
"I don't think I pay you all to gossip about my family." The man made himself known, hands in pockets. The women, shocked, stumbled to get away from each other. They quickly apologized while remaining in their position.
The man's cold blue eyes assessed all of them with a hard stare, his lips set in a grim line.
"You should be grateful that my wife enjoys your foul presence. Next time, you won't be so lucky. Out of my sight."
Like headless chickens, the girls hurried out of the kitchen leaving the man alone. His taut muscles relaxed a notch as he inhaled and exhaled deeply. A moment later, he left and went up the stairs into a bedroom.
Lake stood by the floor to ceiling windows in her nightgown. Bright auburn hair in a braid swept her lower back with her slight movements. The doors' creak alerted her and pulled her away from the magnificent sunlight. Langston made his way towards her with his usual airy smile, but she didn't miss the tick in his jaw.
"What happened?" She inquired when his arms came around her dainty form. Langston shrugged, still smiling.
"Nothing important. How are you feeling?"
Lake smiled at him reassuringly, "A lot better. I have a feeling you had a little tangle with my girls."
Langston's mood dropped by several degrees, "I wonder why you keep those gossips around. They do nothing but tattle. I should stop listening to you and kick them out."
Lake shook her head, planting a soft kiss on his scruffy chin.
"They make me feel less lonely. I know what they say about me but what part is untrue?"
"You're not a witch. Neither do you have powers. You just happened to be an experiment gone wrong."
Lake nodded, detatching herself from him to sit on the bed. He joined her.
"I don't know what great-grandfather was thinking. Immortality cannot be achieved without dire consequences. Now I have to suffer this stupid fate of living forever."
"Not alone," he cleared his throat.
"Yeah. They've succeeded in modifying the formula. Now everyone wants to be immortal. If they only knew the pain they'd be going through should they stop..." she trailed, her gaze faraway.
"Are you sure you want to go on with this?" He took her hand in his and placed them on his lap. Lake looked him dead in the eye, her onyx eyes glinting a bit.
"Yes. Set up the meeting. These men have no idea the havoc they'd wreak should they sell that formula."
After a beat of silence, she spoke,
"You didn't bring me tea?"
Langston groaned, "I was gonna but it skipped my mind after that stupidity I heard from those girls. I'll go make it now."
Langston walked back to the kitchen and then abruptly stopped when he saw the whistling kettle. A young woman was moving around with a mug. Probably one of the many young ladies in the house. She had not caught sight of him and moved freely in the kitchen. She put off the stove and picked up the kettle pouring the clear liquid into her mug. Langston stood and watched not really understanding why he hadn't made himself known yet. However, that trance broke when the dark content of the cup surfaced. Almost immediately, a shriek came from Lake's room. The young girl dropped the cup and the kettle, the water scalding her skin. She cried.
Langston stood struck as coffee spilled over the mahogany floor. His face contorted and his eyes turned hard when he looked at the young woman on the floor.
"You Stupid girl!" He hollered, shocking the girl and bringing attention in the house. Ladies ran in and collectively gasped when they saw the spilled coffee.
Langston ran up the stairs leaving them. A woman in her mid forties ran to the injured girl and asked, "why would you bring coffee into the house? Do you not know the rules?"
The girl shook her head, "I'm new and no one told me anything about coffee." Tears spilled from her eyes.
The young women tried to help the girl up as her bare feet turned a disgusting shade of red.
Langston fell to his knees and tried to help a convulsing Lake. They had come so far and now...
He was her third husband. She had been married three times. But she was tired of this life and wanted death. He agreed to help her. He is the great-grandson of her great-grandfather's student who helped to find the stupid formula that enhanced the genes from the aroma of coffee which gives immortality but kills procreation. The only way to fight back was to abstain which was no easy feat.
Langston held her as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. He is reminded of countless nights of purging when she'd have bone shriveling pains just abstaining from the aroma of coffee. After so long, there were signs of aging but now...
Langston's heart bled as her skin became youthful again. The dark circles and slight wrinkles disappearing. Her few gray strands turning over. She'd stopped and settled down but when she opened her eyes, a cry ripped from her throat.
"Please no. I don't want this..."
