CHAPTER TWO
I walked through the door and saw that it is a small and quaint restaurant. Lidia flipped on the lights and started to head to the back of the restaurant. "The restaurant doesn't officially open until noon but I like to get here a little early to set things up" She said from somewhere in the back. I looked around the dining area as I headed to the back to see if Lidia needed any help getting things ready.
"Who are the other workers that work here?" I asked as I stepped into the back part of the restaurant and looked for where Lidia went.
"There are three others excluding myself, two waitresses Abriana and Beatrix, and one cook Dante," Lidia said from somewhere to my right, which seemed to be a very crowded store room. There were old antiques, book cases in front of book cases, old clothes, and miscellaneous things. The room was so full I couldn't be sure how big the room really was.
"I see so how busy does it get here?" I asked uncertainly into the room looking for a sign that there was in fact a human being inside, I couldn't even see how she got past all the stuff in the first place without moving anything.
"Oh it doesn't get to be any busier than my workers can handle," She replied her face coming into view over the sea of stuff.
"Do you need any help getting what you need out of this room?" I asked finally seeing a small path through the stuff. I set my violin down in a safe spot then squeezed into the path.
"I have found what I was looking for but it's heavier than I remember" Lidia admitted pointing to a metal stool that was in need of a good cleaning. "Could you move it for me?"
"Sure where do you want me to take it to?" I asked before daring to pick up the stool it looked like it could be really heavy.
"We will need to clean it up so bring it to kitchen I will show you the way, but first let me out of here so you can get to the stool," She said motioning for me to turn and go back the way we came. I turned with some difficulty in the tight quarters then headed back to the front of the room. The path wound back and forth a couple of times before it got to the door.
"You wait here while I get the stool, I will be right back," I said to Lidia then turned to re enter the store room. It took me a second to locate the stool again because it almost blended into the pile of clothes that was behind it. I grabbed to the stool which looks like any other just dirty and about 4 or 5 times as heavy. It took some doing to get the stool out of the store room because the legs kept getting snagged on things and I would have to untangle them. I finally got the stool out to where Lidia was waiting and put it down with a thud. "Whew I didn't think a stool could be this heavy" I said taking a break and stretching my arms out to get ready to take the stool to the kitchen.
"Yeah it is a little heavy my husband made it when we first opened this place so that he had a place to sit and play the piano that we had" Lidia remembered placing a hand on the seat of the old stool. Judging from the fact that she is here and came here alone… he probably is not here anymore. I didn't give any more thoughts to it because there was the sound of the front door of the restaurant opening with a bang.
"Lidia we are here where are you at?" A male voice came from the front room.
"That must be Dante who's making all that racket out there" Lidia chuckled softly as she made her way to where Daunte was. I followed her out feeling a little awkward feeling that they seemed to have a close friendship. I saw that the guy Daunte who I assumed was the cook was with a pretty young lady who seemed to be one of the waitresses.
"Lidia there you are what were you doing? Who is that?" Daunte asked her pointing at me. Lidia turned and waved for me to come closer.
"These two are Andre and Beatrix, you two this is Auto Tsukuyomi he is going to play his violin as some entertainment for the customers," Lidia introduced us I just nodded politely when she told them what my name was.
"Lidia that's great it will be nice to have some music played here again" Beatrix said walking forward and hugged Lidia. "Especially since Walter…"
"I know I miss him too" She whispered a tear escaping her eyes. I felt awkward standing there not feeling anything but a little confusion while watching those two hug in the middle of the tables. I inched closer to Andre wondering if he could answer any of the questions I have about who Walter was.
"Andre right? I was wonder who this Walter person was to them?" I asked him. He smiled sadly before replying.
"Walter was Lidia's husband of 30 years before he died about 10 years ago from a brain tumor" He whispered to me.
"Did you and Beatrix know Walter and Lidia when he was alive?" I whispered back thinking if they did they would have been no more than ten at the most.
"Yeah they are close family friends we called them our grandpa and grandma, though we don't look it Beatrix and I are siblings" Andre explained that made everything so much clearer to me. Andre was right that he and Beatrix did not look alike. Andre was tall and lanky with hazel eyes and black hair while Beatrix was short and kind of chubby with light brown hair and the most piercing green eyes. This just made me feel that I didn't know much about the people that I would be working with for the time being at least, but then again they don't know that much about me either. "Oh and one more thing, though I admit you are really handsome Beatrix and Abriana were both married last year and will not stand for any romantic advances, even if you are just joking around. The will slap you harder and faster than you think possible," Andre added just as the door opened behind us.
"Oh it looks like you two beat me here again," The voice of a woman said behind me. I turned around and for a second I thought I was looking at my wife. She had the long blonde hair fair pale skin, but the eyes were different Souko has violet colored eyes and this woman has deep green eyes. She was also a little taller than my wife as well.
"Oh there is a new face here. Hello my name is Abriana what's yours?" Abriana asked me holding out her hand for me to shake it. I got over my initial shock to see that all eyes were on me. Beatrix and Lidia had stopped hugging and were watching to see what I would do.
"It's nice to meet you Abriana my name is Aruto Tsukuyomi," I introduced myself taking Abriana's hand and shaking it firmly.
"That's a nice name, did Lidia hire you to work here?" She asked after letting go of my hand.
Yeah I am going to play my violin for the customers," I told her feeling a little self-conscious that everyone was still watching us.
"That's great but we still need to set up for the day right Lidia?" Abriana asked Lidia turning to face her.
"Yes that's right and we had better hurry we need to open in ten minutes. Aruto you can come with me and help clean off that stool. The rest of you know what you need to do," Lidia ordered seeming to become more like to owner of a restaurant.
"Yes mam!" They yelled then set to work. Beatrix and Abriana started to wipe down the tables and Andre headed into the back. Lidia and I followed him into the kitchen.
"Aruto I will grab a couple of rags and let's get this done," Lidia said opening a closet and grabbed a couple of rags. She wet them at the sink then threw one to me. Andre kept looking over at us with curiosity. After a few minutes his curiosity got the better of him.
"Lidia is that Walter's…" He started to ask and Lidia nodded. "Oh ok" Then he went back to prepping some vegetables and didn't say anything more. There was so much dust on the stool that it took a bit to clean it up. When that last of the dust was off Lidia stood back and looked at it.
"Looks almost like it did when we first opened this place, of course it's rusted a little now but other than that…" She whispered. "Alright Aruto take it out now if you would please."
"Alright Lidia and thank you for giving me a job here," I thanked her as I gripped the stool and prepared to haul it out to the dining room area.
"You're welcome dear everyone deserves a chance," She whispered as she started to sweep up the dust that had fallen to the floor. We finished getting in time to open on time. Unfortunately no customers came in for the first hour we were open.
"Looks like it's going to be a slow day today," Beatrix said coming in from outside where she had been sweeping some leaves away from the front step. Lidia who was sipping some tea at the counter got up and came over to me.
"Aruto I think you should play your violin," She whispered to me.
"Do you really think it will work?" I asked her as she went to the door and propped it open.
"I'm sure it will work just play please," She assured me opening a couple of windows. I was still skeptical as I lifted my violin to my chin and put the bow to the strings. There was no need for me to have a microphone or anything to make me louder because the way the part of the restaurant that I was sitting in was like a funnel and projected my music out to the dining area. With the front door and windows open as well it could probably be heard outside. I wasn't even finished with my first song and we had five tables taken with Lidia greeting another couple at the door. I finished up the song and prepared my violin a bit for the next one. This song is very special to me because I played it for my wife on our first date it is also Ikuto's and Utau's favorite song, it made me feel like I was back in Japan playing it for them in our little house. For the rest of the day there was a steady stream of customers coming in and out. At closing time Lidia called us all together. "Great work today everyone. Aruto if you would please stay behind and sign some papers so you can be an official employee that would be great. See you all tomorrow everyone," Lidia said excusing the others I lingered behind a minute before approaching her.
"Lidia where are the papers?" I asked her as she closed the door behind the others.
"They are in the back wait here while I get them." She replied heading to the back leaving me to wait for her in the twilight that was streaming in through the windows. She came back with a small pack of papers. "If you could please fill these out and bring them back tomorrow I am assuming that you can read Italian as well as you can speak it," She said as she handed me the papers. I looked at them and could read enough to get by hopefully but writing it was another matter.
"I can read enough to understand what is written here buy I cannot write in Italian," I informed her. She thought for a moment.
"Can you answer the questions if I ask them?" She asked taking the papers back.
"Yes I could but you would need documentation of me actually filling out the papers," I pointed out to her.
"What we can do is come here early tomorrow I will ask you the questions, you answer them and I write them down for you," Lidia told me putting the papers down on a nearby table.
"It's too late now so go home and get some sleep be here tomorrow at eleven o' clock," Lidia informed me walking to the door. I didn't want to leave without saying anything it just felt rude.
"Lidia thank you for all the trouble that you are going through for me," I thanked her bowing though she didn't see it.
"Your very welcome dear like I said before everyone deserves a second chance," She responded opening the door. Feeling better I slung my violin higher up my shoulder feeling I could make it here and hurried through the after Lidia.