Amelia's Children

Chapter 5

Life went on as usual for the next two weeks. Long tedious days waiting tables, uncomfortable evenings trying to avoid arguing with my parents, and constant curiosity about the mysterious stranger who had invaded our little town.

For those two weeks I did not see David at all. I was beginning to think he had gone back home, but my father said at dinner one evening that he had seen him going into the library. I waited patiently. I knew that if he was still in town he'd have to come into the restaurant eventually. Or maybe I'd see him while I was out and about one day. I could only hope.

That hope was the only thing that kept me going. The only thing that made my new life in my childhood home bearable. It was ridiculous and I knew it, but I couldn't help the way I felt. There was something that drew me to David in a way that I could not put into words. The way he made me feel when he looked at me, the way my heart raced whenever he was around, though I somehow felt relaxed and happy at the same time. I felt as though I could actually be myself around him and he would understand, which was also ridiculous. I had spent, what, half an hour with him? In that half hour he had told me virtually nothing about himself, and I had not opened up to him very much either. And then there was the mystery—the riddle that I tried day and night to figure out in my head. What in the hell was he doing here? What did he want? And why was he not telling anyone about it?

And then one morning Dad casually mentioned that he was meeting David again for lunch. My heart leapt, but I said nothing, embarrassed about how I felt, how obsessive I was becoming. I was just glad I was going to be working the lunch shift. Maybe I could finally find some answers.

All morning I watched the clock, waiting for David. My friend Gina didn't know what to make of me. Several times she had to nudge me out of her way as she tried to do her job, and she was constantly reminding me that I needed to clean up this table or bring food to that table. She was generally a pleasant person and did not seem annoyed with me, but I know she was darn curious.

"So what is it...you got like a hot date you're waiting for?" she asked when she caught me staring at the clock for about the hundredth time.

I blushed. Date? In my dreams. "I'm just preoccupied today, that's all."

"Well, I'm just glad your dad took the morning off. He doesn't tolerate slow service around here, and I wouldn't want to be around when he got going on you today. I mean, I like fireworks and all but I don't like being that close to them."

"It's okay, Gina. And I'll get back to work now. I'm off in a couple of hours anyway, so I think I can tough it out until then."

"Just make sure you do and..." her voice trailed off as she glanced out the window. "Oh shit...your dad just drove up. I gotta get back to work. Hurry and look busy."

"Sure thing," I called after her as she disappeared into the kitchen. But it was hard to keep my word, knowing that the only reason my dad was there was to meet with David.

Seeing my father coming up the walk I quickly made myself busy tidying up a recently vacated table near the door. I watched him out of the corner of my eye, trying to see where he was going to sit.

What he did was odd. He walked all the way to the back of the room and sat down at a table with Big Mack and his son Benny. What in the world? Ignoring the voice that was screaming inside of me to go over and ask what was going on, I went about my work. What made matters worse was that Gina was already waiting on Mack and Benny, so there was no good reason for me to be near their table at all.

David came in a few minutes later, briefly nodded a greeting in my direction, and then scanned the room. Big Mack saw him first and waved him over. He took his seat next to my father, and Gina handed him a menu. A threw myself into my work, hoping that one time as I passed their table I would catch a little bit of what they were saying, but with the lunchtime rush the restaurant was too noisy. I would just have to ask my dad again after David left.