VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 11: May 20, 2024

👋🏽 Hello There

Notice anything different? 👀 A mewd. by mikala logo comes with a new look for the newsletter. I guess, you can say I’m officially official now. For the logo, I wanted something that was fun, cool and chic (like me, haha). It’s also inspired by the neutral state of a mood ring, as mewd is a play on the word mood. The period in the logo is used to reflect that.

A big THANK YOU to Scott M. for working with me on this!!! If you’re interested in working with him, send me a reply or message me on social media. Also, thank you to my family and PR angels RP and BM for helping me while I finalized everything.

Check out Instagram for a better look at the logo and other variations of it. If you aren’t following me on there or TikTok, you should. I think of instagram as my mood board/photos of things I’ve enjoyed a la Tumblr. With TikTok, it’s mini vlogs of places I’ve gone to or what I’ve been up to.

I’m back from my first international work trip, and I had an amazing meal my last night in Barcelona (hi CA and MM!) to end the trip. I’ll tell you all about my favorite places there in two weeks as May wraps AAPI month; so with that I have some more selections for businesses for you to check out. Also, there is a guest column by my friend Helen. It’s a short story based on a dream she had. I hope you enjoy it!

Last but not least, I’m officially launching a referral program (scroll to bottom and you’ll see your personal referral link) AND a contest simultaneously. FYI - currently in the design stage for the various referral gifts so there will be a delay in receiving them. Don’t worry they will be universal for both men and women. There will be one grand prize for the person who refers the most people by the one year anniversary of mewd. by mikala (Nov. 2024).

I won’t say what the prize will be just yet as the winner could be male or female. Also, it’s me so you know it’s going to be something quite wonderful as I’ll curate it to reflect whoever the winner is.

See you in two weeks!

BIRDS OF A FEATHER by Helen Tootsi

I’ll return someday. Someday in the future. Some unknown time. Some unknown moment. Someday when you know. Until then, take good care. They are yours as much as they are mine, yet they belong to no one! Love, auntie M.

“Miss? Excuse me? Will you please take this?” he is clearly uncomfortable by this point. I’ve been quiet for a long while staring at the note that arrived with the package. 

“Miss? Please! I ain’t got all day!”

“Oh, yes, of course, I’m sorry,” I reach for the intricate aviary. The FedEx guy shoves the chirping parcel in my arms and turns to leave. 

“Just one more thing! Did she say anything when she gave you the cage?”

“Who?” Delivery guy is annoyed, I can see. I have been keeping him for a while now.

“The woman who sent this. Marjorie. Did she leave any other directions with you?” I sound desperate. 

“There was nobody there. I had to collect the item from the porch as per directions on the order. Listen, I don’t know what this is, but I need to go. You can call the office, maybe they know. Ok… bye!” 

He basically darts away from me in fear of getting bombarded with questions again. I sigh. Why would Aunt Madge send me her birds? I know absolutely nothing about keeping a living being alive, let alone know what to do with hummingbirds. What am I supposed to do with these little fluttering creatures? For God’s sake! This is not funny. 

I try Aunt Madge’s cell again. Straight to voicemail. Shit! I’ll return someday. That’s not overly helpful.  It’s not the first time she has done something odd. She’s always been a little different. Vivacious, colorful, unapologetically loud in the quietest ways. An enigma of our family. “Definitely the Harper that banged her head one too many times!” as my dad likes to remind me. I grab my phone and type up ‘how to look after hummingbirds’ into Google search. Right, food first and then we’ll take on the rest.

**

I struggle to fall asleep. The pillows are too warm, the duvet is too heavy, and my under arms are damp despite the shower I just took. After the hummers got their sugar water and the light outside dimmed, they settled into a silent slumber. It was a beautiful sight to see, to witness the ritual. I can still see their little shadows perched around in the aviary that now lives on top of my dresser. Is this how it will be from now on? Madge just leaving her earthly responsibilities to the rest of the family to take care of? Dad will not like it. Perhaps I should keep it from him all together. He has always had a weird relationship with his younger sister. According to him, Auntie Madge was pampered, sheltered from the real world because of her artistic soul. He clearly thinks its pile of horse crap and his parents just babied her too much for no good reason. I guess that’s what older brothers do. I should ask mine tomorrow. I peek at the birds and feel the heaviness of the darkness finally take over. My mind is racing as my body is slowly drowning into the quiet of the abyss. 

Carla. Carla. Caar-lahhh….Carla…

A gentle whisper is taking over the silence. I open my eyes in confusion. Who is calling my name? I squint in the darkness to make sense of my surroundings and click the bedside lamp on. 

“JESUS!!!” I scream and jolt back in my bed. “What…?!”

A gigantic hummingbird is sitting on the edge of bed reaching to close my gaping mouth gently with a tip of its wing. I blink faster. What kind of messed up thing is this? 

“Carla…” it says softly. That voice! It’s the same one echoing through my sleep. Same soft call. “It’s so nice to finally meet you properly. Marjorie has told us some amazing things about you!”

“My aunt talks to gigantic birds?” I snort out a laughter. Of course she does! Why wouldn’t she! The Harper that hit her head and all that.

“She always has. As much as she is you, you are her! Don’t you see it?” the voice is soft and singsongy.

“Someday you will learn the whole truth. Someday she will tell you, but not until you are truly ready to accept it.” There’s a second voice coming from the doorway. There’s a big, beautiful hummingbird standing there, nodding at me when I look at it. It’s majestic and regal looking. 

“I don’t understand! Someday…what does that even mean? What does any of this mean? Where is Madge? If you can talk, you clearly know where she is!” I decide to reason with the two. 

“That’s not ours to share. Someday she’ll return. Someday you’ll understand. For now, this is enough.” The bird on my bed leans in and whispers soothing song into my ear. I feel the heaviness take over.

“She’ll know soon enough,” says the bird in the doorway to its companion who gives a nod of approval. And then it goes dark.

**

I wake at the blaring sound of my alarm. Sun is peeking through the curtains, drawing lines of shadows on my wall. I yawn and rise to sit. 

Carla….

I hear the whisper and see a tiny hummingbird take flight from my bed. 

Carla….

The whisper echoes from all around me. I’m surrounded by tens of tiny hummingbirds. They circle me. Auntie Madge, I really need you right now!

IN THE ‘MEWD’ FOR..

Song Inspiration for Volume II - Issue 11: beabadoobee - Take A Bite

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