The Beauty of Solace

Chapter Eleven

When I left the apartment I just got in mom's car and drove. I didn't know where I was going but I was so angry. I was angry because Nessa was partly right but I was mad because she was so horrible about it. It frustrated me, not being able to tell her but she was so adamant in getting her answer, she didn't care if she had to hurt me to get it out of me. That was Nessa for you. Once she wanted to get something, she just had to get it, no matter how.

So here I was, at 'The Pearl'. It was the only place I could think of where I could probably spend some time alone and not have any memories of my family. And it was too late to go to the cafe, that would look really sad if I go to a coffee shop on a Friday night alone. So I'm going to sit at the bar at probably look lonelier than in a coffee shop but I didn't care.

I walked into the restaurant and I went to the bar, which was almost not visible from sitting at the restaurant because it was to the left in an enclosed, more lounge area separated from the restaurant. Vivian was there and she noticed me at once. She said something in Italian while I made my way to the bar.

"Good evening Vivian." I told her.

"Funny seeing you here at this hour," she said with her accent most vibrant in her speech. "What can I get you?"

"Uhmm lemme see... Maybe some sort of fruit drink with a lot of rum in it,"

"Drinking away your worries are you? I hope I don't have to talk to Sam about anything" she chuckled,

"Oh no Sam has nothing to do with how I'm feeling right now. And I'm drinking to relax," I tried to convince her. She gave me my drink then.

"Marcel makes it so much better. I'll tell him to make you one when he gets back." I knew a guy named Marcel once. I took a sip of it and I realized that I paid no attention to the ingredients she was using in front of me. I tasted a variety of fruits, strawberry cherry, lime and well rum, it was divine.

"Thank you, it's delicious," I told her.

"You look like her you know. Your mother." She told me.

"You knew her?"

"Yea. I met her through Sam actually only a few times. Seemed like such a nice lady. Sad to see her go so soon," well didn't that dampen the mood.

"That's nice. She was. How did you meet Sam?" I asked and she smiled, probably grateful I changed the direction of our discussion.

"He came into the restaurant one evening, a Saturday evening about three years ago now. He came with Lucas of course, he would've been just a baby then. Sam, of course had all the attention of the women who was in the restaurant, without knowing..."

"He tends to do that doesn't he," and she shook her head when I told her that, agreeing with me.

"So there he was with this little boy, not knowing what to order from my menu for him so he orders some kind of pasta," she laughed, "I didn't give him what he ordered and he was so upset and then I came out with mashed potatoes. And he looked so confused but then I had to explain why I thought the mashed potatoes would've been a better option. He was upset and thought I was questioning him as a father. It was all such a big misunderstanding." She stopped and laughed softly then continued. "I met him in the hospital not too long after that. My husband was ill and I would see Sam all the time in the hospital before he passed. He's been coming here ever since. Just him and Lucas."

"I didn't know you lost your husband' I'm sorry," I told her.

"Yea I did, about two years ago actually, and thank you," she said sadly. And then someone came from behind her and touched her, she looked at him and then turned to me, "Oh Marcel is here, he'll make you the drink the proper way," she turned back to him, "take care of her, only give her your best." And then she said something in Italian and I swore I heard my mother's name, and then left. My drink was done now and then the man she was referring to as Marcel was now completely facing me.