What is that, ephemeral?

"Hey Miss! Do you think I am beautiful?" A little girl tugged eagerly on the skirt of one of the many flight attendants of The Philippine Airlines. She wore a pair of black converse shoes and a finding nemo t-shirt. She was breathless and clinging on the flight attendant's skirt for her dear life. She had her glasses perched up her nose as she looks up at the flight attendant, smiling.

"Of course you are sweetie, I think you are very beautiful" the flight attendant said as she crouched down the same level as the girl.

"Why?" The little girl asked, obviously curious.

The flight attendant, desperate to keep her record clean from complaints, smiled at the little girl condescendingly. She said.

"You have a very pretty face, your hair is very shiny and---"

But before she could finish her sentence, the little girl cut her off with a disapproving look on her face.

"But your kind of beauty is ephemeral" the little girl said to the flight attendant.

"What is that, ephemeral?" The flight attendant urged for the girl to continue, so the little girl spoke again.

"It is something that is short-lived. It doesn't last forever. It is a side effect, a victim of time. Just like how you associate the definition of beauty as to what is plastered in the magazines, Miss."

The flight attendant's interest in the little girl's arguments grew. It was no secret that the little girl spoke eloquently for her age. So she asked her..

"Okay, if so.. would you enlighten me? What is beauty exactly?"

The little girl bit her lip whilst tapping her finger in the left side of her forehead. It's as if she was looking for a hidden button that would suddenly trigger her brain to function. After a few minutes of silence, she spoke again.

"Coffee."

"Coffee?" The flight attendant asked clearly confused.

"Yes Miss, coffee. Coffee is beautiful. Coffee is simply beautiful because I find it very pleasing. Because coffee helps me relax, coffee helps me think. Are you shocked? Maybe you expected me to say something extravagant, but beauty is not that extravagant. Beauty is the simple things we encounter everyday that brings color to our lives." She said confidently

"Wow... you are very smart for a little girl." She complimented the little girl.

"You." The little girl replied.

"Me?" The flight attendant asked, confusion written on her face.

"Yes you.. you are beautiful. Other people will see your beauty as an ephemeral thing, but me? I think you are beautiful like coffee. You made me smile and gave me company while I waited for my mom. That makes you kind hearted. And kind hearted people like you are forever lasting. Your beauty will live on with me Miss.. as long as I live." She explained whole-heartedly and even did a small gesture that signifies the little girl's pledge.

The flight attendant was touched by the little girl's remarks. Just as she was about to hug the little girl, a voice called out for their attention.

"Nina, let's go..."

"I need to go now Miss.. thank you for keeping me company" she waved goodbye to the flight attendant.

"Thank you for watching over my daughter. I am Czarina by the way." The mother introduced herself and reached out to shake the flight attendant's hand.

"Uuhh.. no..no.. I know who you are. A pleasure to meet you Ms. Eastwood, I've actually bought your book"

"Oh that's nice.. anyways I have to get going, thank you again."

The little girl named Nina and her mother finally left the airport leaving the flight attendant still stunned.

"Wow.. I just talked to the author of my favorite book. And I just had a conversation with her daughter. Wow, like mother like daughter indeed." She told herself still in shock.

-this is me daydreaming i have a daughter and I am a famous author 😂 a girl can dream right hahaha.

-Ms. Pendragon