Chapter 3: Thai to go.
May 15, 2019. Cindy Maxwell pushed through the back entrance of St James Middle School as the chorus of the bell marked the start of recess. Cindy strutted her way towards her friend group's bench, to the welcome of Sasha and Marcy; surprisingly however, Anne was absent.
"Yo, where's Anne at?" Cindy asked whilst she sat down.
"Beats me." Sasha shrugged.
"No clue." Marcy replied.
"Well, other than that, how was the last lesson?" Cindy asked, trying to lighten the mood. "Language was actually pretty good. I got to watch a movie, though we did have to take some notes."
"Geography is such a bore!" Sasha groaned whilst she rolled her eyes. "I do not care what the HDI is and I definitely do not care about how hurricanes are formed."
"We talked about ions, including that negative ions have more electrons than protons." Marcy recalled whilst showing her notes.
"Smarty pants I tell ya!" Cindy chuckled. Adorably smart, she thought to herself.
Suddenly, the trio heard familiar huffing and puffing as Anne ran towards the bench.
"Where have you been Anna-banana?" Cindy asked.
"Stupid teacher kept me back because I didn't write some dumb paragraph." Anne scoffed. "She made such a huge deal about it too, like girl, it's just a paragraph, it's not like I'll save the world by finishing it."
"You can say that again." Sasha rolled her eyes. "Almost had to stay back because I was talking a lot. Can he blame me for putting on such a boring movie?"
"Don't even remind me!" Cindy groaned. "Who in their right mind would unironically enjoy that!?"
"Tell me about it." Sasha replied.
"In terms of good news, the new Cynthia's coven book is dropping soon." Marcy said, trying to lighten up the mood.
"Wait really?!" Anne's ears perked up."They gave a release date?"
"Yup, it's dropping on August 9."
"Ayyyyy!" Anne exclaimed.
"Dopeee!" Cindy pumped her first.
"Eh, not exactly my thing." Sasha wasn't as hyped as Anne, Marcy and Cindy. "But good for y'all I guess."
"C'mon Sasha, Cynthia's coven is dope." Cindy tried to entice Sasha.
"I said that it's not my thing." Sasha reaffirmed. "I read like the first book and I lost interest in like five seconds."
"Fair enough" Cindy resigned. "By the way, my mom said that we're eating out today and that I can choose where. Let's just say, I chose a certain Thai restaurant." She looked smugly at Anne.
Anne smirked and winked at Cindy, pointing finger guns at her. "Though I remind you, just because I know ya, doesn't mean any discounts." She chuckled.
"So, have you decided what restaurant you want to eat out at?" Cindy's father asked whilst he was driving his daughter home.
"Yep, it's called "Thai Go"." Cindy said. "It's family run too, so it's bound to be great, specifically it's run by the parents of my friend Anne."
"That sounds great." Cindy's father replied. "How much does the food there cost?"
"Pretty good based on what Anne told me." Cindy recounted. "Cheapest option is nine bucks, most expensive is 28 bucks"
"Not bad." Cindy's father pulled into the garage. "Ask your mother if she wants to come with us."
"Oki doki." Cindy swung open the truck door and leaped out and towards the front door before darting into her living room. "Mom, wanna come with us to Thai Go?"
"Sure why not." Cindy's mother agreed. "Haven't really tried Thai food before so this might be good."
Cindy pumped her fist before she dashed to the garage to tell her dad the good news.
"Sweet, we'll be there at five." Her father said as he stepped out of the car.
4:30PM. The cherry red family truck pulled over in front of the restaurant, the rattle of its engine echoing into silence. The restaurant was a small, quaint building constructed out of red bricks with a vibrant red door, and a red and white striped cover. The neon sign reading "THAI GO" beckoned with its flashing red and yellow letters.
Through the windows, Cindy and her family can already spot over a dozen patrons enjoying their meals and fully immersed in the welcoming environment, the walls were lined with rows of traditional Thai antiques and artwork whilst the tables were a vibrant red and white. Stepping inside, the aroma of Thai cooking gushed into their noses and their brains.
"สวัสดีตอนเย็น (Good evening)" One of the owners greeted in Thai, she resembled Anne but with some light wrinkles near her eyes and wore gold earrings. Her attire consisted of a purple sweater, light blue coloured trousers and white shoes; she also had a wedding ring on her left hand. "How can we help you?"
"Table for three please." Cindy's mother replied.
"Great, now just wait here. แอนน์ คุณช่วยพาพวกเขาไปที่โต๊ะได้ไหม ฉันต้องช่วยแฟรงค์ในครัว" She called out to Anne, who is her daughter, who was behind the counter; she opened the half-door and walked towards the Maxwells, likewise her mother walked behind the counter.
"Sup Anna-banana." Cindy greeted.
"Sup Cindy." Anne walked Cindy and her family towards their table. "How did y'all find the place?" Anne asked Cindy's dad.
"Pretty easily actually." Cindy's dad replied. "Though mainly because Cindy showed me on google maps."
Anne laughed. "Fair enough. Anyway, take your time and order what you'd like."
"Will do." Cindy picked up the menu and began scanning it, searching for her favourite Thai dish. "I'll have the chicken satay."
"Knew you'd say that" Anne giggled cheekily. "And what about you two?"
"I'll take the Tom Yum Goong." Cindy's father pointed at the dish on the menu?
"Hot or sour?" Anne asked
"Hot, I can handle the heat." Cindy's father assured.
"If ya say so." Anne chuckled. "What about you m'am?" She turned to Cindy's mother.
"I'll take the Massaman curry." She pointed at the dish's photo.
"Good choice, I really like that one by the way." Anne chuckled before she finished taking their orders but not before asking them. "Do you want any drinks?"
"Yea just a cola." Cindy's mother said with her husband and daughter nodding.
"Awesome, your food will be here in no time." Anne finished taking their order before walking towards the counter.
"How long has your friend been working as a waiter here?" Cindy's mother asked.
"Around when she was like 10 from what she told me." Cindy replied, paying more attention to her phone than to her surroundings.
"Does she like working there?" Cindy's father added.
"She says it's pretty good if not a little exhausting." Cindy answered.
"What about your other friends?" Cindy's father asked. "Do they have part time jobs?"
"They are thirteen so no." Cindy raised an eyebrow and lowered her lips.
"Ah right." Cindy's father realized.
Fifteen minutes later, Anne reappeared from behind the counter; this time carrying the Maxwell family's orders. She placed the three dishes onto the table before backing away.
"ทานให้อร่อย (Enjoy your meal)" Anne smiled at them.
"Thanks Anne." Cindy pointed finger guns at Anne.
"Hehe, don't mention it." Anne chuckled at Cindy before she walked away.
As Cindy stabbed her chicken thigh with her fork, she knew her tastebuds were in for a treat, and as soon as she took the first. Hell yea, she thought. The tenderness guarding her teeth through the protein, the juices coated her tongue, and the flavour flooded her mouth and the sauce provided extra reinforcements to the floodwaters of flavour in her mouth.
"Beautiful." Cindy swallowed the first mouthful and went for a second bite.
"The menu said this is really spicy but it can't be that spicy right?" Cindy's father went in without a moment's hesitation. And he wished he did. In just a matter of seconds, his face began to burn red, his eyes began to leak and his face was pouring with sweat.
"Hot, hot, HOTTTT!" Cindy's father yelled before he downed the glass of cola in an instant.
"So much for "I can handle the heat."" Cindy laughed alongside her mother, much to her father's chagrin.
"I didn't mean that heat." Cindy's father defended himself. "It tasted good though." Meanwhile, Cindy's mother took a spoonful of her Tom Yum Goong and her facial expression was all that one needed to know how she felt; her growing smile, her closed eyes and ok-hand gesture told everybody that this dish was good, no, amazing.
"Guess you like that?" Cindy asked
"Of course." Cindy's mother replied. "I'll even say this is one of the best dishes I've had in years." She took another mouthful.
A little while later, Anne returned to the table in which the Maxwell family were eating.
"How are you guys doing? Are you enjoying your meal?" She asked.
"Hell to the yea!" Cindy nodded.
"Certainly." Cindy's mother added.
"Definitely am. On a side note can I have a refill?" Cindy's father asked, beads of sweat were scattered across his face which was as red as a cherry.
After finishing their meal, Cindy's father and mother decided to split the bill, and as they were doing so, this gave Cindy and Anne time to hang out.
"Again, thanks for you and your family stopping by to eat here. Means a lot" Anne smiled at Cindy.
"Don't mention it. Like I said, I am a big fan of Thai food." Cindy leaned against the wall outside. "Reckon me and Marcy could come here sometime. And Sasha too." Cindy stumbled over her words towards the end, hoping that Anne didn't catch on. "Brain went bleh hehe." She laughed it off.
"If they want to, then sure!" Anne replied. "Though I gotta hope my mom doesn't embarrass me." She scoffed.
"Can relate, one time when I had my aunt around, my mom kept showing baby pictures to her even when I begged her to stop." Cindy shuddered.
"Yikes." Anne recoiled. "Sorta like how my mum called me downstairs that one time to show me old baby photos of me."
"Guess you can say we're buddies in despair." Cindy chuckled.
"I guess so. I don't get why parents get all gushy about that kind of stuff y'know." Anne pondered.
"Maybe for nostalgia?" Cindy suggested.
"True." Anne nodded. "Though there are better ways of going about it than embarrassing us."
"You can say that again. Quick question though." Cindy asked. "Do you ever get recurring dreams that get weirder the more it happens?"
"Sorta, why?" Anne replied.
"I've been having these ones where I'm in space and there's these people with sparks on their chest trying to reach out to me, but every time I try to do that, I immediately wake up. I heard dreams have meaning but damn, I don't know how anyone could decipher that." Cindy explained.
"Sheesh" Anne tilted her head. "Kinda like the dreams I've been having."
"Oh damn really?" Cindy was surprised.
"Yeah, but there was this weird cat looking thing instead of figures." Anne explained. "The sparks were there too."
"Damn, that is kinda weird." Cindy replied, unsure of what to think. "I guess it's not uncommon for people to have similar dreams."
"Guess so." Anne said.
"Alright Cindy, we're heading home now." Cindy's mother called out whilst she and her husband were boarding the truck.
"Ah, gotta go. I'll see ya tomorrow." Cindy waved goodbye to Anne as she boarded the truck.
"See ya later alligator!" Anne bode Cindy farewell as Cindy closed the truck door before she and her family drove off.
"By the way, I forgot to ask you." Cindy DMed Anne.
"Sure, go ahead." Anne messaged back.
"You know Marcy right?" Cindy began. "I may or may not have a small crush on her."
"You sure it's a small one?" Anne teased. "Everytime that Marcy isn't looking, you're all smitten and stuff lmao. Ya think I can't see your face turn a little red?"
"Alright ya got me lol." Cindy admitted. "And I may need your help."
"Well Cindy, you're talking to one of the worlds best matchmakers." Anne proclaimed. "Before you know it, you and Marcy will spending time in cute cafes, taking long romantic walks in the park and smoochin' like there's no tomorrow."
Cindy blushed at the thought of that, she could see it now; Marcy and her on cute dates, Marcy and her spending hours in video game stores and arcades and having their first kiss in the park.
"Thanks Anna-banana." Cindy expressed her gratitude.
"No problemo Cindy-tindy." Anne replied. "Holla' at me if you need anything."
"Will do." Cindy smiled.