The Gift

The first time Anna realized she could taste color ,she was watching the sunset, with its subtle warm tones of pinks and golds, a sweet taste formed on the tip of her tongue. She thought abut what she had eaten that may have left a lingering taste. Nothing.

“Honey”, Anna thought, licking her lips. For a few brief moments both the vision of the sunset and the taste on her lips were one and the same. Anna did not want this to end it was almost addicting.

When the sun had set beyond the horizon, the sweet taste of honey faded from her lips.

Anna looked around to see if the taste would come back . No.

Several days had passed and Anna did not have any more unexpected taste experiences. Was it just coincidental? Her imagination?

Anna continued her normal routine, which included running a design company, from her home. She was engulfed with colors from mood boards, samples of fabric swatches, paint colors, and design pictures.

Anna would not only pay attention to colors and how they related to each other . She would sense how they made the space feel. What would the color feel like if she could touch it?

Anna was siting at her favor coffee shop.She looked around at the people almost robotically ordering their coffee sitting at tables with eyes glued to phones and tablets. There seemed to be so much browns. dark colors from the settings to the business suits men were wearing to the leather hand bags women carried.

Anna felt her self being pulled into the riches of the colors of browns blacks. Warm colors she would use in modern farmhouse design with touches of rustic elements. The colors had left a taste on the tip of her tongue. Subtle like the honey she tasted at the sunset. This wasn’t honey. “It must be my imagination,” Anna thought.” I am just smelling coffee, this is a coffee house.”

But it wasn’t coffee she was tasting “What is this?” She felt herself mentally being pulled not into a rich world of warm, sweet but yet not. Almost bitter at first but then a slightly lingering sweet velvety taste. “Cacao”, she whispered to herself.

Anna sighed held her warm cup in her hand,s the brim of the cup just touchy her lips she tool a sip, definitely the taste of espresso full rich but not the same the taste on her tongue which was now on her lips, two distinct tastes.

Anna noticed more and more times where she felt pulled into the colors of her surroundings or a scenes she was enthralled with, such as the sunset.

Sometime the tastes and colors would be so overwhelming that she could not always separate them. Anna’s usual ability to taste and coordinate colors with her surroundings was not always pleasant. The tastes were not always enjoyable.

Anna walked past a man, probably in his late 60’s nothing particularly stood pout about him, but as she waked pat him, all she could se was gray, gray in his hair, dark gray tones in his clothes in that brief passing Anna could sense a nothingness, a emptiness and then it hit, bitter taste biting, pungent. This was the taste you would be spitting out immediately.

Only she had nothing to spit out. She wanted desperately to have this taste gone, she tried to remain composed, she stepped into her favorite coffee shop and even with its rich velvety colors and smells she could not rid her taste of the bitter gray. The more she tried to focus on another color, the more the gray, bitter. pungent taste came back.

She left the shop with a strong cup of coffee but it was just as bitter as the taste in her mouth. She looked around everything seemed to be pulling her down deep int o this gray world of nothing of bitterness.

“Was there something going on with the gentleman? Why can’t this taste be gone?” She thought.

Anna realized that she had no control over what or when she would taste any color.

The bitterness faded after a time. Anna watched the sunset that evening in hopes that the taste of honey would return. It did not. Beautiful sunset but no honey taste. “Was this just my imagination? But why would I imagine something pungent and bitter as I did this afternoon?”

Anna noticed different tastes at different times. Different surroundings.

She tasted lemon and sugar cookies when she watched blonde her little girls playing at the park.

Anna tried reasoning with herself what was happening. She did not know anyone she could share with what was happening. If she told anyone she could taste color would they talk about her? would this hurt her career?

Anna busied herself with designs she would design rooms and places even if she did have a particular client. She was immersed with color and tasted none of it. The ability to taste color seemed to lay outside her home and personal space.

After about three months the different tastes seemed to just be a part of her life, much like designs that have layers of textures and shapes, and colors. The tastes would overlap. She would taste honey an mint while watching kids playing in a yard, the would taste strawberry when she saw a yung woman in a red dress walking hand in hand with a young man, Anna was not only was accustomed to different tastes she was starting to feel a connection between different flavors of colors and where the colors originated. Sunset, childs hair a woman’s dress, the rustic decor in the coffee shop.

Anna decided to start a color taste journal . She would write down what she was seeing, thinking, color, and taste the day. She also would write down on days she saw the same things and same colors but no taste.

Sunset golds, pinks soft, flowing golden honey, rustic decor coffee shop woods coffees leather velvety cacao, blond hair children bright cheery lemon and sugar, park leaves green grass mint, the gray man clothes bitter, pungent almost metal, Anna hated that taste, she didn’t wan to remember it but it did happen.

Anna was sitting at the breakfast nook looking at the mood board for a client before her, blues, greens country style, blonde woods jute, rattan touches of boho.

Anna took a sip o her coffee and looked outside e window, it is a beautiful day. Bright blue sunny skies. She looked at the manure green yard with bright colors of flowers trim the perimeter, Anna close her eyes just echoing the moment the smell of lilac s the fresh air

. And then, it hit out of no where that bitter pungent taste, Anna jumped frothier tableland ran to the sink, grabbing a glass of water she tried to wash he tase out the mouth but it only became stronger.”Why am I tasting this? I am not seeing anything gray.”

“Where is tis coming from?” Anna thinks She looks around the room, trying to find where the taste was coming from. She was about to turn off the television, when a man’s picture caught her eye. She recognized the him as the one she passed as she tasted the bitter pungent flavor.

The words homicide and suicide echoed from the reporter on the tv. The man she passed was identified as a suspect victim n the homicide suicide.

Anna fell back in her chair, the day of the crime was the day she passed him and tasted the pungent bitterness of gray

The taste of color was not just limited to the visual color itself but the color of the mood around her.

Anna sat slumped in the chair thinking,”Did I see him before the heinous crimes committed. Was he the murderer who then turned on him self after realizing what he had done or was he a victim? Could I have changed anything?”

She thought again to why colors left tastes in her mouth. “Who could I even share this with?” She thought. “Who would believe me?”

“Lord,” Anna whispered, “If this is from you, then show me how to use this to help others.”

Anna looked over her journal of color tasting and even though most colors produced pretty much the same tastes there was not necessarily a correlation between the times she tasted and the time she didn’t.

Tasting colors seemed completely random. She tried to force or anticipate tasting colors. She went to watch sunset thinking “I will taste honey.” She did not. She could not predict when, what or even if taste would happen.

Six months later, Anna was sitting in the coffee shop.Fall pumpkin spice fill the air. Anna sat sipping her latte. She started to lick her lips as if tasting “What is that?” She thought. “It is not the cacao I tasted before, it’s not the pumpkin spice I smell or taste in my latte.”

She felt a presence , looking up she noticed a young woman, dressed in beige, blonde hair staring at her. “Toasted coconut” Anna thought. “Excuse me,” the woman said quietly. At first Anna thought she may have spoken the flavor she tasted out loud. The young woman continued, “I don’t mean to intrude, but do you taste something different? Anna looked at her. “I mean,” the woman continues, “Do you taste something other than what you are drinking or even smelling?” Anna abruptly put down her cup and looked at the woman perplexed. “What?” “I am sorry,” the woman said, “I didn’t mean to intrude. Please forgive me. Just forget I said anything.” As she started to leave. Anna bumped the table getting up, catching the young woman’s attention “No please,” Anna apologetically spoke. “Won’t you please sit and join me?” Anna gestures to the chair a cross from her.

The woman smiled and sat down. Anna looked lat the woman, “What is your name?” “Mindy.” “Nice to meet you , Mindy, my name is Anna.” Ana said as she took Mindy’s hand and shook it.

Tell me Mindy, “How long have you experienced different tastes?” Leaning across the table and glancing around the room, Mindy quietly asks, “You mean how long have I been able to taste colors?” Ana nodded. Two years” Mindy answered. Anna quickly leaned back in her seat. “Two years?” “ Yes, and you are the first person I have encountered that has had similar experiences.”

“How did you even know?” Anna asked. “You had the same look I did.” Mindy replied, “ I saw you several months ago , here in this coffee shop, you were looking around, liking your lips, looking at your drink as if trying to place something. I had the same experience almost two years ago.”

Anna shook her head, “so for two years you have been tasting color and have kept this to yourself?” Mindy nodded.

Mindy asked “and you?” “Only about six months.” Anna answered. “ I think we have lots to share. I actually started keeping a taste and color journal,” Anna said pulling the corner of a journal from her design bag.

“That’s a great idea,” Mindy said “I did not start keeping any notes for a year.” Anna got up, looking at her phone, “I am sorry, I have an appointment to get to. But I am so glad you stopped by my table and we could chat. I would love to visit more with you, if you would like?” Mindy held Anna’s hand briefly ,”yes, that would be great. Thank you.”

Anna took out a business card and wrote on the back handing it to Mindy. “My personal number is on the back, Call me anytime.”

As they were leaving, Mindy stopped and turned to Anna, “Why do you suppose we have this unique ability to taste colors?” “I am not sure as to why us. I think more people are capable of such sensitivity if they would think less of themselves and maybe more of those around them. But for whatever reason we know we have that sense, the question is how are we going to use this gift?”