A Table of Smiles
The dining hall was bathed in the radiance of morning sun. Golden rays poured through the tall arched windows, mellowing the lines of the long polished table where plates, bowls, and platters shone like a painter's palette of abundance.
Steam rose from hot, golden, crusted bread, its aroma mixing with the heady perfume of ripened fruit—grapes, strawberries, cut pears and apples in jewel-bowled dishes. A large platter of roasted meats—crunchy bacon, bite-sized ham, and crackling sausages—filled the air with a robust scent, and buttered rice bowls, herb-filled eggs, and rich porridge kept things in balance. Honey slowly dripped from a diminutive clay jar, ready to be spooned onto warm bread.
Each moment seemed calculated, as if a meal not only to feed but to hold hearts together.
The women set the table one at a time, their conversation bearing the gentle cadence of laughter and good-natured teasing. The room held no tension now—only heat.
