TRISTAN & HANNAH : THE PLEASURE

THE FIRST MAN

THE FIRST MAN
In the midst of early August, God's good given way of blowing away the heaviness of the world, New York City definitely claimed most rights of it. With the streets that never slept and the buildings that seemed to touch the heavens,there was no room to lie about the situation and state of the area. It was simply magical.
" Ok Ms Edmond,I'll see you tomorrow " a young lady said as she got out of a pie crust and pizza shop. Desperate to end her shift as she did on so many occasions since she had started to work there,she quickened her pace , walking away from the shop and into the streets.
"Oh thank God" she breathed,her long curly black hair floating from the wrath of the windy city. She thought she'd never get out , especially that early. But with her birthday coming up,the woman knew that she had to pull some strings.
With a bounce to her step and a smile on her face, she braved the crowded

city of probably billions of people in that same night.
"Bbbbbzzzzz bbbbbzzzzz" her phone buzzed , alerting her of the time she was scheduled to reach the apartment that she shared with her dad. She smirked as she looked upwards at the building itself. She was right on time.
"It'll be my birthday, I'll be twenty thirr-rrrd. It'll be my birthday.." she sang all the way up the stairs till the door when she let her hand touch and turn the door nob, opening the entrance.
The sweet warm fragrance of spaghetti and meatballs was the first to hit her nose.

"Daddy I'm home" she called ,still breathing in the deliciousness in the air.

She walked further into the small space which was the living room that been adorned with a few pictures of her small nuclear family for all her life.
"Dad?" She called her father for the second time as she approached the kitchen, listening to his singing. She smiled at the sight of him when finally entering the room. Her old man sure did enjoy singing. Especially when he cooked. It was this characteristic specifically that drew her closer to him and she loved it all the more because she also loved to sing.
" Wise men say...only fools rash in" he sang on even louder after noticing the presence of his daughter.
"But I can't help, falling inlove with you" she finished with him , handing him some spices .
"It was your mother's favorite song" he said to her ,while sprinkling the content in the mixture.
"And she would..." He began when she joined him mid sentence.
"Sing it to me everyday before going to bed and immediately after waking up..I know dad" she said.
"You've told me that about a hundred times" she finished. She stood high on her tippy toes and brought out two plates , setting them on the counter near the cooking pasta. Her father smiled ,she had always liked her spaghetti straight from the heat. It reminded him of his wife. Infact,a lot about his daughter reminded him of his late wife. Her mixed skin,her big chocolate blackish brown

eyes and her all over the place African afro curly black hair. She was a spitting image of her mother.
"Oh that's right..." He gazed in amazement just for a while.
"What?" She shrugged.
"Nothing, you're just becoming so much like her..." He told her then wiped the Conor of his eye.
"Oh come on dad,let's eat.. you know I get mad hungry just thinking about my birthday" she commented and started dishing out the pasta.
"Which reminds me...what am I.. getting for my birthday" she added batting her eyes.
"Hur Hur..nice try Hannah..but you're not tricking me into ruining this suprise like last time" he reminded her and she mentally shrank at the memory.
"Come on dad..not even a clue" she arched and he shook his head , turning off the stove.
"Now eat up..I have work and you know I don't like to be late" he said and placed the two plates on the kitchen dining table.
Hannah did not argue. Since she could remember,her father had always preferred sharing her favorite meal before leaving for work. It was a well known tradition and it was because of this that she ate light snacks in the late nights of hours when he was still at work. Mr Mussette,

who was her father would leave for work during the evenings and Come home during the day.
"Mmmmmmhhh.. still got it pops" Hannah moaned as she rolled one fork of spaghetti and ate it up. Mr Mussette scraffled her hair roughly. It was always a joy to see that he could mantain the same kind of happiness she had when her mother was still alive.
"Ofcourse I still got it,why wouldn't I still have it...you know making my little muffin happy is God given talent that can't be taken away" he bragged, sitting down parallel to her.
"I know dad..." She smiled and took another bite of the pasta.
"Which is why I wish you could stop saving up for college,...I'll take care of it" he told her and she sighed deeply. This conversation,on top of every other conversation that had to do with money was always never ending.
"I know dad... but you know we can't afford my first year's tuition and other Bills on a single paying job" Hannah restated very calmly.
"No now that's bull shit... If I could just fix this deal at work..."he Trailed off.
"Daddy, it's ok...I promise I'm not complaining " she told him, holding his hand. The young girl knew just how hard her father worked to keep her smiling everyday. This fact she traced. Mr Mussette could do anything and had done everything he could to give her the best life in a way that only he knew how.
"I'll just keep saving up and..." She continued but was cut off.
"For how long ,muffin.." He asked,the hurt very vivid in his tone.
"Dad" was all she could say.
"It's been two years since you graduated highschool" Mr Mussette said.
"I know " she responded under her breath.
"Two years ...This one been your third. What will your mother think of me" he said.
"She'd be very proud of you for everything you've done for me...as I am, daddy..I promise " Hannah told him ,her tears threatening to leave her big right eye.
Mr Mussette was about to speak when his watch

started to tick and they both knew what that meant.
"This conversation is not over" he said before getting up to clear his side of the table. He placed his now empty plate into the sink and walked behind the sit that Hannah was still sitted on.
" Later muffin...love you" he breathed on top of her curls and planted a kiss as he always did every day before leaving for work .
"I know...love you too" she replied before watching him disappear out of the kitchen and then finally out of the building.