Chapter 7: Damage Control… Inspired by Lose this Life by Tait…
"Oh…hello, William!" A lady came by as soon as we went inside the restaurant. She wore the same clothes that a waiter would wear with black pants, a white polo shirt, black dress shoes, an apron, and a black vest.
"Hello, Mrs. Yang." William greeted, "This is my friend, Jude…"
"Hello…" I interrupted. The lady handed out two menus for me and William. We both went to the cash register. Then she asked:
"Ah…you both on date, ah?" The waitress said in her broken English. William nodded and I shook my head. "The usual, William?"
"Just one, Mrs. Yang…What do you want, Jude?" William asked politely. William just tries to be nice so I can forget about what happened. I looked through the menu and I try to play along:
"I'll have some Miso soup…"
"Wow…you not hungry, Jude?" The lady asked bluntly. I bobbed my head and she continued: "You got to eat a lot because you have skin and bones in your body, girl…" She puts the receipt in the order up window. William found a seat and he sat down, without even asking me. He is still bothered about something and I got to find out.
The food came unexpectedly quick and William picked up the food and went to our table. Boy there was a lot of food, like someone ordered a lot of food. I joked:
"This is the usual?" William nodded and he picked up his chopsticks and split open the wooden chopsticks in half.
"Yeah…the usual is everything on the menu…The miso soup here is superb…damn…" Then, the lady gave me William's usual…everything on the menu. William sighed embarrassingly as I look in wonder with all this tofu! "Jude…food's kind of small here and trust me…"
"William?" I interrupted, "Why long face back at your place? Is there something wrong?"
"Remember the whole 'you're going on your work on the second album thing?'" William asked.
"Yeah…and you said 'there's a drawback in the offer…'" I said.
"You get to work on your second album…but you won't ever see me again. That's the drawback, Jude…" William said hurriedly.
"Wait…say what?" I asked again.
"Jude…I won't see you again…ever…"
"William…why…why are you doing this?" I asked. William ate slowly and didn't answer. I ate some steamed tofu and for once I actually want to eat this stuff for life. But I cleared my happiness and back to William. Out of all my anger, I said: "William, can you take me home now?" William looked up and calls for the waitress again.
"Mrs. Yang…put these on take out, please…" Then the lady picks up all those dishes and she went through the kitchen. He looked at me and asks: "You were saying?"
"Can you take me home? It's almost five and my mom is worried sick by now…" I said with a bit of a temper. William just looks at me with a wounded look and said:
"Jude…I did this so you can at least have some time to finish your record, because you need this more than I do…I wanted to do this so you can have some alone time…" William pauses and looks at me with some relief.
"William…you'd do that for me?" I asked with a plausible look. William nodded and I started to cry. "You know you didn't have to do that…you'd risk seeing me for my album?"
"This is your time to shine, Jude…I am just a roadblock between you and your next album. This time, you will get triple platinum like U2…I hope…" William said honestly. By then, I thought about William as a nice person…but he's a risk taker…he will risk something to save someone else…He'd do anything to make my life not a living hell.
"Here's your food and your check…Good day, William…"
"Thank you Mrs. Yang…"
"Oh, by the way, the other usual is on the house…"She walked away and goes to the kitchen.
William left a 50 dollar bill on the check and we left with our doggie bag full of tofu. We went inside the car and we pretty much didn't talk until I got to my place. As the car stops in front of the house, William looks at me one more time, like he's going off to war or something. Then, William said something that I never forget in a long time:
"Jude…we had our laughs….we had our hardships…we had our arguments…we had our sorrows…But remember this…I won't ever forget you…even if I lose my life…I won't forget you…I promise…go on…go home…"
"William…" I rushed right next to him and hugged him. As I walked out of the car, I turned around and asked: "William…Will I see you again?"
"Jude…Only time will tell…Only time will tell…" I closed the car door and William opened his car door. William pushed me to the car's hood. I lied down and William looks at me with a taut look in his face. It rained out of nowhere and we kissed one last time. It's like we never want to let it go. This is the last time I see William, let's make it a moment to remember, I thought. We were soaking wet, but it's worth it.
William walks away and goes back inside his car. He turned his engine on and the car sped off the street through the wet road. I waved goodbye and went sat on the front steps of the house. I look through my pockets and found my house keys. I opened the door and walked inside the house wet as a puppy, a redheaded puppy. Mom walked by me and turns around to see the wet me.
"Jude…You're making a mess…"
"Sorry, mom…I'll change up right now…" I walked up the stairs and I hear singing…bad singing…It was Sadie. I walked inside my room, messy as it is. I opened the door and someone is in my room.
"What are you doing here?"