Gently into the good night

Chapter 23- For the first time in Forever

I look at the clock which strikes 3PM. I have been waiting for Chris for hours and there is no sigh of existence from his side. I begin to get mad and frustrated. The waiter pours more water into my glass. He flashes me a sympathetic smile. His audacity to ignore me and cancel on me is not going to end well for any of us. I wonder if running late runs in every scouters blood or is it just me?

"Mam our lunch hour closes by three thirty" the waiter says and I give him a sharp look of anger and immediate surrender fills his eyes "sometimes even till four" he says and slowly walks away. Another hour passes by as I wait for Chris. Now I am the only customer in the restaurant and I have had lunch on my own. I pay the bill and leave with hot tears in my eyes.

As I walk to the taxi stand I bump into another person and without looking at them, I apologise meekly and begin to walk away. I feel hurt and betrayed, like nobody cares anymore and my yearning to go back home multiplies by thousands. I want mom, I want Paul, I want my friends back. I want my life back.

"Amelia" a familiar voice calls, at first I hope for it to be Chris but it's not. I turn back hoping to see him standing there but I see Curt from 'Parker's Kitchen'. Hope fills my heart and I want him to offer me the job, tell me that he needs me. Right now I want anything to keep me busy away from longing Chris, away from longing home and away from longing happiness.

"Hello Mr Curt, I didn't see you there" I say.

"Well looks like our paths crosses again. You bumped into me and maybe for the good" Curt says with a smile.

"I am sorry about that, I was not looking really. I am sorry ...but the good for what?" I ask.

"let's talk about it over a cup of tea, shall we?" he says and guides me to a tea and coffee shop. It's on the corner of a silent road. I refuse to drink tea as I have filled myself enough with food while I was waiting for him. Curt however doesn't hesitate and orders his part. Curt tells me he wants me to join the kitchen and he's been calling me all afternoon. He tells me that I can join from tomorrow and work in the lunch shift. Every word he says makes me happier and fills me with more reason to  have hope. I agree at once showing no sign of vanity. We discuss my salary and all the details.

"So how is you boyfriend doing?"

"Well he is working in a David Walter production; he got past the final audition."

"I heard. That is great do congratulate him from my side"  Curt says with a smile

"I will " I say retuning his smile.

After the conversation and confirmation, I return home with a job and self-satisfaction. As I walk home I realise I have been grinning the whole time which makes me feel better about myself. When I open the door to the house I see someone sitting on the arm chair, his back faced to me. I let out a little nervous squeal and when he turns back I see Chris. I let out a sign and my tense body relaxes. He doesn't look very happy to see me, for some reason it doesn't bother me and I feel like I have been beaming him the same look of contempt. He beckons me to sit down and as I sit he sits beside me. He is looking at the floor and I gaze at his pale face. Chris looks up my thoughts dissipates into thin air.

"I saw you today in the coffee shop with another man. Why didn't you come?" Chris says in a broken voice, making me feel like the bad guy. The person who is wrong in the relationship, the person who is cheating, the person how is unfaithful.

"Are you being serious? I was waiting for you for three hours in the restaurant and I had lunch alone. Chris and you are blaming me?" I am yelling and I know I shouldn't but I am.

"Are you out of your mind? I was waiting at the 'Pearl Harbour' restaurant for two hours and you didn't show up"

"You told me to wait for you at nature's garden Chris" I say and he completely freezes.