In this memory, I’m four years old. Every day, around midday, I sit for a snack-and-tea time with my mother. She prepares milk tea and takes out McVitie’s chocolate biscuits, two for each of us.
I always look forward to this one-and-only snack time of the day and want it to last as long as possible. And because the chocolate biscuits are the most exciting part, I make sure to delay eating them. The best way to do this is to take a long sip of tea first.
As I bring the teacup to my mouth, the reflection of my face on the smooth tea surface grows bigger and the heated steam moisturizes my cheeks. I can get lost in this sensation, forgetting about the biscuits for a second.
“Mmm…”
Taking a long sip of the hot milk tea, I remove the teacup from my mouth. That’s when I discover something most unusual on the tea surface.
“What is this?”
Where the smooth tea surface used to be, there is now a strange mark. A mark that looks like human lips.
I take another sip from the tea, and a new mark appears on the tea surface where my lips have touched. The lips on the tea surface tremble as I place the cup on the table, then spread out, slowly fading until no trace remains.
The new discovery fascinates me, and I produce many lip marks on the tea surface until finally, my attention is drawn back to the two chocolate biscuits and I’m ready to eat them.