Spiderboy

forty one

I shivered as I trudged through the slushy snow on the streets of queens, towards the waffle house where Uncle Jack worked. I hugged my fuzzy green sweater and smiled as I saw the fifties-diner styled restaurant ahead of me. The windows were frosted and snow cleared in front by the tread of New York citizens. I checked my surroundings and ran across the road, anticipating the warmth and the smell of pancakes, chocolate, and coffee I knew I would find inside. I pushed open the heavy glass door and the bell rang, showing that I had entered the store. I dropped my bag on the floor next to the counter, sliding into a bar stool and smiling at Charlie. Uncle Jack had hired her about six months ago, the red second peircings and platinum blonde pixie cut misleading, the girl was a sweetheart. She slid a chocolate thick shake in front of me, proving my unsaid point. I smiled back.
"thanks. Can you tell Uncle Jack I'm here?" I asked and she nodded.
"sure thing. Just a second." she said, and walked into the backroom. Uncle Jack came out a minute later, beaming.
"Alexis, I thought you forgot about me!" he boomed and I grinned, unpacking my bags.
"nah, it just took a while to get here." I said, pulling out my binder to start studying, and sucking my drink through the straw.
"how was school?" he asked me, pouring batter into multiple waffle irons and a stove, and I placed my drink back on the black and white checkered bench.
"festive." I replied, and he chuckled.
"aye. I'm not surprised, it's almost Christmas." he said and I nodded.
"yeah, I know. Carrie keeps begging us to put up a tree." I said, and Uncle Jack nodded.
"little bugger loves Christmas. Just like her mother." he laughed, and I stilled, my pen hovering over my page. We rarely talked about my mother, mostly for dad's sake. He wasn't here though, so maybe we could.
"yeah, I remember." I said, and felt Uncle Jack looking at me.
"you know, I met her on Christmas." he said and I looked up.
"I don't think you've ever told me how you met." I said quietly, and he smiled.
"well then, maybe it's time I do." Uncle Jack said, and I nodded, sitting up and picking up my drink. He laughed and shook his head, flipping over the red waffle irons and fiddling with different parts of his kitchen.
"yeah, about twenty some years ago, your dad and I were at some markets, trying to buy presents, and I split off from him, this is when we first moved here, by the way, fresh out of college, after trying and failing to be a sailor. You know that story." he said to me, eyes twinkling and I laughed.
"yeah, dad never shuts up about it." he nodded and continued.
"aye. So I was lost, big city and lots of people, I was next to some stand full of candy canes, and so i went up to ask someone for some help. It was a pretty busy store, everyone lined up, except in front of one girl, because her candy canes were a bit wonky, so I walked up to ask for some help, and she looked pretty excited, I think I was the  first customer she had all day- anyway, so I she asked if I wanted some, and I told her I was lost, and just came for directions. So she told me where I was meant to be, and where I was, so I thanked her, and bought a few candy canes. But then she decided to come with me, so we were talking, and I told her I was Jack, and she said her name was Brooklyn, and I thought we would end up to be good friends, so I offered her a candy cane, and we both had one. They were a bit sweet though, and they looked like they had melted, but I thought they were alright. And then we found your dad, so I introduced them and they seemed to just fall in love right away, so I knew we would be good friends." he finished, leaning against the counter, and I felt a smile on my face.
"well, you were right." I said and he nodded, grinning.
"that I was. She dated Jay for two years, he proposed, and then they got married. I moved in with them a few months after the wedding. Other than your dad, she was my closest friend." he finished, unloading steaming waffles onto a plate, and handing them so Charlie to hand out to the customer. He prepared another plate of pancakes and drowned them in syrup, placing them in front of me and I grinned.
"thanks." I said and he ruffled my hair, making me scrunch my nose and move away.
"for the story of the food?" he asked and I shrugged, diving into the warm fluffy pancakes, to which he shook his head, laughing.
"both." my voice was muffled from food and he chuckled, turning back to his work. I opened a text book and started reading, listening to the conversations of customers around me, and the soft music coming from the vintage jukebox in the corner. The doors dinged every now and again, joined by a small gust of cold wind, and the honking of New York's iconic yellow taxis,and a new customer, served by a smiling Charlie, and seated. I only lost focus when a familiar voice joined in with the cafe's quiet din, after another gust of cold wind. I hopped off my seat and smiled, seeing wavy hair that I knew so well.
"hi Peter."