Koon Chai Cafe

Chapter Twenty-Eight - Facing Facts

Nok

This was the second time in this journey alone that we'd almost been hit by a car. 

I waved my apologies to the furious taxi-cab driver behind the wheel and rushed to the other side of the street where Hwa was standing impatiently. "You're going to get us both killed at this rate!" 

She was non-plussed as ever. "This is a casual Tuesday in Bangkok, you've been in New York so long you've gone soft." I stared at her in disbelief while she casually checked her watch. How could anyone could think living in New York made you soft?! 

"We're going to be late," she grabbed my arm and began pulling me down the street at speed. "Come on!" 

I let her drag me across of what felt like half of Manhattan before we finally arrived. She'd picked a neutral spot, I'll give her that. The place was an old '50s diner that had been given a facelift as had many of the restaurants and people of New York. Inside, bright red booths and shining silver counter-tops lined each wall with overhead lamps filling the place with a warm, almost orange glow. Hwa led us swiftly to a booth in the farthest corner and finally relaxed her iron grip.

"You've left a mark!" I complained bitterly as I lowered my shirt collar to see four bright red finger marks. "It'll disappear in a minute," She replied absentmindedly as she scanned the diner. "He's not here yet." 

I slumped back in my seat and checked my watch at which I felt a sharp sting as my hand was smacked by Hwa's. She glowered at me, "Sit up! We have to look presentable when he comes." 

Grumbling I sat back up, massaging my hand. Had I missed my older sister? Absolutely. Had I missed her strangely violent ways? Not in the slightest, and lord have mercy that I actually make it out of her visit alive. 

We sat in silence for what felt like hours. After ordering our initial drinks, which were now finished and empty, the servers had come up to us multiple times for a follow up order, only to leave irritated by Hwa's insistence that someone would be joining us. 

When my watch read three o'clock, I decided enough was enough. "Hwa, he's not coming. He's not interested in meeting us and it was an overly optimistic idea to think that he would" I stated bluntly. She gave me a disapproving look so identical to our mother's that I physically shivered.

"Look," I continued hopefully, "We can still make the most of the afternoon. Dominic doesn't live too far from here, we could go drop in on him and then go get dinner or something but I don't think-" My words trailed off as I became aware of the thin, greying man standing at the entrance to our booth. 

"Are you Mrs.Sittawat?" He asked in a croaky voice. Hwa nodded and stood up as he edged his way onto the booth seat opposite. They shook hands, sat down and looked at each other in an eery silence. Park and his father had some similarities facially but not many. Park's face was round, almost heart shaped with thin black eyes and shallow dimples that popped up when he smiled. He was adorable really, if a little closed off at first, I could see what had gotten my nephew so smitten. Mr.Park on the other hand had a thinner look, almost gaunt but with the same beetle black eyes. 

Hwa cleared her throat. "So I gather that Sunny delivered my letter to you safely. Such a lovely, trustworthy girl." Hwa smiled nervously and was relieved to see him smile weakly at her compliment.

"Yes, she is very well-behaved at least thirty percent of the time." 

After some polite, if not a little awkward, laughter,  Hwa pressed on. "As my letter explained, I wanted to meet with you to discuss the future of Kopter and Park's relationship."