The Chain (A Catherine Diary) - Stamfield. Complete

Chapter 69

69

The journey to a small Mexican restaurant was uncomfortable. The initial silence was unbearable, eventually dad put on the radio and I closed my eyes. With my eyes closed I sniffed the air, recognizing that familiar smell of almonds mixed with tobacco, I seemed to recall he used some sort of almond shampoo, the smell brought forth a sense of comfort and safety. He had told me it would take half an hour to get there, however the journey was over far too quickly and I was beginning to really relax. I looked outside the window, I didn't recognize the area and wondered if this was close to where dad was living.

'We're here', dad said, taking off his seatbelt, whilst stating the obvious.

I got out of the car, the apprehension and awkwardness building up inside me once again.

La Casa was the Mexican restaurant. We stepped inside and the interior reminded me more of a public house, than a restaurant. The walls were painted bright to provide a Mexican feel and there were various items to represent the theme strewn around, to ensure you were reminded of the Mexican environment. I scanned around, looking at them, sombreros, what was probably Aztec artifacts, or replicas of them, prints of painting that looked obviously Latin American. The one that stood out for me was a print of a woman with one eye brow. After dad lead me to a table and then went off to chat to a lady behind the bar, whom he obviously knew, I took my opportunity to have a closer look at this odd looking lady in the picture.

'Her name is Frida Kahlo', a tender female accented voice said behind me. I turned to see a young lady, in her twenties, extremely beautiful, in a foreign way. I recalled seeing an old film with one of my mums favorite actresses, a Sophia Loren, this lady looked not that similar, but somehow reminded me of her. 'My name's Maria, have you been to a Mexican restaurant before?'

I looked behind her for dad, but couldn't see him. I shook my head.

'That's fine I'll help you choose what to eat', she must have noticed me looking for dad, because she added, 'he's just gone to the rest room'

I thought for a second, trying to remember where I had heard that phrase before, 'oh, you mean the toilet'

Maria laughed, 'yes the toilet'

I wasn't sure if I should be proud that I had made her laugh, or be embarrassed that she considered me a total imbecile.

'Come take a seat', she lead me back to the table dad had picked out, the restaurant wasn't busy, in fact there was only a couple with two young girls seated near the corner. 'It gets busy over the weekend'

'Do you own this?', I asked, thinking as I said it, what a stupid question it was, she was far too young to own it.

'Sort of, my dad left it for my brother and I, however my brother chose to travel the world instead. So I guess for the time being it's mine'.

'Wow......', I stated in awe, 'are you Mexican?'

She chuckled, 'no, I'm Spanish, but Spanish food doesn't have the same effect Mexican does, in this country.'

'I'm Catherine', I said, holding my hand out to shake hers.

She took my hand in both of hers, 'I know, Ian.....your dad told me'

I looked at her suspiciously, she knew my dad by name, even I had to think before I could recall what his name was. She didn't retreat from our eye contact, maybe she was trying to send me some subliminal message.