After the rain

Donut shop

  I was walking down the street in the middle of the night. At the junction I turned right then crossed the street. I continued walking straight until I found a Donut shop in the middle of nowhere.

  There was no one in the shop except for me. I was alone once again.

  The shopkeeper was preparing the ingredients for the donuts he would bake the following day. I looked at the remaining selection of donuts from the day before.

  There were 2 sugar donuts, 5 mini pizzas, 3 green tea buns and 4 Mochi buns. They were all placed on a tray at the counter as the shopkeeper was about to dispose of them.

  I took the two sugar donuts and a green tea bun.

  'Are you going to make a curry donut soon?'

  The shopkeeper remained silent.

  A moment later, he said, 'I don't usually start baking until six in the morning, but since you are the first customer, I will make an exception.'

  'Thank you,' I said.

  He began work immediately and I took a seat. There were only two tables and four chairs in this petite shop in the middle of a huge residential area with few suburban malls far away from the flats we stayed in.

  The baker was making an entire batch of freshly baked curry donuts, so I waited for an hour, quietly observing the silent heartbeat of this peaceful corner in the chaotic city. Savoring my sugar donut while humming to the sound of the radio playing in my mind.

  When the curry donut was finally done, my phone rang. I mouthed the words 'thank you' and picked up the curry donut before answering the call.

  'Len, have you bought my curry donut?'

  That was my father's voice.

  It dragged me out of the dream.

———————————————————————————————————————————

  For no apparent reason, my alarm clock rang at 4:30am. I tried to sleep but couldn't so I got changed and packed my bag for school.

  I walked out of my flat and down the road, past Daniel's empty house, then turned right at the junction, crossed the road and walked straight. Until I saw that same donut shop standing there.

  It was open and it surprised me. It was definitely identical to the one I saw in my dreams, but I hadn't the time to visit it since I was 12. But it was still there. It was thriving even in this desolate place with seemingly little business.

  But this time was different, I wasn't the only customer. My friend, Daniel, was there too.

  He saw me enter and he smiled, and beckoned me to sit with him.

  'What are you doing here?'

  'Couldn't sleep,' I was brief.

  'And you?'

  'I always come here, my brother is the shop owner.'

  There was a stack of mock papers next to him. He was sipping a cup of hot coffee, eating a sugar donut, and doing mock papers at 5am. It seemed crazy but it made sense because maybe that's what kept Daniel at the top of our cohort.

  The shopkeeper came out and greeted me. I ordered a sugar donut for myself and a green tea bun for my sister.

  After finishing my sugar donut, I bought a pizza bread for my lunch at school later on.