Tea and Serendipity

Ker-chak… ke-chak!

The printer whirred to life, spitting out Isla's meticulously organised notes. Relief washed over her, she was out of time, she will be late for the shuttle bus at town to her college this morning.

But that relief was short-lived.

A prickling sensation crawled up her spine.

She turned.

There stood Harry, her sixteen-year-old brother with the mind of a much younger child. A mischievous glint in his innocent eyes and a glass of water held high.

His eyes sparkled with a hint of malice, or maybe it was just the gleeful delight of a child who didn’t understand the consequences of his actions.

"Harry, no!" Isla's voice came out sharper than she intended.

But Harry, in his eternal innocence, didn’t heed her warning. With a playful giggle, he tilted the glass. Water cascaded down, soaking the freshly printed sheets, turning her hours of labour into a soggy mess.