The Late Night Coffee Drinkers

I und U

Olivia and Millie had lunch, a perfect Saturday. "Thank you for taking me here" as she is still relatively new to the city.

"Good value for money, and good food. The ambiance isn't amiss. I hate pretentious places with extortionist prices only for the cod and halibut to be camouflaged with spice, seasoning and sauce because it is really Pangasius fish... says a lot about their culture". Olivia agreed.

They took some selfies, as friendship was blooming. "I cannot believe I had gained weight" Millie sighed, but Olivia had already gone through that phase. "It's normal you've only just turned thirty - the estrogen level increases" trying to calm her. Millie isn't the kind of person who accepts defeat easily without fair and just fight.

Meanwhile, John is in his apartment decided to stay-in avoiding unnecessary rude encounters and possibly awaiting for an invite for a good company. He enjoyed that he had finally found someone he can be himself with, which he finds rather difficult to do in Canada worried about family and friends in the basis of his own assumption.

Turning on his music, listening to the music of his youth.

Olivia looked at the surroundings, it's truly an over the edge kind of place. In the perimeter of a seemingly conservative village but in the middle are outsiders. It wasn't a big deal for either of them. She looked around, and noticed many new buildings erected "it is only just a matter of time that China will acquire many of these properties, even this restaurant site and turn them into buildings" acknowledging the change of times, and the shift of economic power... even when these changes worries her.

"What's it like to live under communism" Millie enquired, hiding beneath the veil of fear of a change.

"Russian was in the curriculum. In Poland, coca cola was too expensive. But Russian made colas are cheaply available" Olivia answered.

"That would mean, if Russia took the global power then we would be flying Antonov and not Boeing." Millie knew the answer, but just wanted reassurance of her own reasoning. "Oh dear and we would be studying the thickest books ever written... Russian literature. Now I know why the Russians always sound and look annoyed because they have a thick book to read so don't disturb. No wonder the Americans are always enthusiastic, 'The Great Gatsby' is just the table of contents of 'War and Peace'". Olivia found her new friend's comments humorous, laughing together.

There was supposed to be a cheer of laughter, but so it seemed Millie's humour is too learnt, too creative and too educated for Olivia... no matter how hard she tried to accommodate her by adjusting her humour.

"They write lengthy books because the winters are lengthy too, and they have nothing much to do" Olivia remarked, "I wonder why the Scots haven't written anything that thick. Maybe they're thick just like that" Olivia frowned failing to understand her joke. Millie missed the company of someone familiar.

Olivia's phone beeped and took a glance "my annoying colleague, we spoke about him the German gay under my department. He kept sending me and other teachers... pictures of him with locals and pictures of him with sight-seeings through the group chat. We don't need to know what he's up to. He always have pictures of group of locals... he's already one of them, even learning their language and he only arrived three months ago. I have colleagues who had been here for years and still cannot say a local word" Millie wanted to laugh as she ate her lunch. "I don't have the slightest humility to even lower my standards on learning their language" she admitted and her honesty makes Olivia laugh. "Me too" she also admitted and they laughed it off.

"It's hard to be white these days" Millie said, "our fellowmen will never be able to understand this statement... as they've never lived in Asian, Latin and African majority. They complain about us, it's freedom of speech. Us complaining about them is racism" she sighed. Olivia agreed fully, as she too lives the reality of the hardship.

"You know, this is so much better than being on a date, you don't get to eat because men pretend they listen so you keep on talking and the next thing you know your food is already cold to eat". Millie thought aloud, as Olivia listened along. "Wow this burrito is delicious with every bite, no wonder I gained weight. Female friends are the best. Fuck! In the company of a man you will be thinking fifty calories in, and another. But this... goodness I don't give a shit if this has five hundred calories". It is these food conversation that made Olivia laughed.

"By the way, if he is with the company of his local friends then why is he sending you texts" Millie also sounded annoyed or she really just empathises with her friend. She saw his photo and immediately she's repulsed, "his T shirts though, are very loud emotional statement of frustration and power hunger" Millie offered her visual art critique. "I hate every t shirt he wears in the school" Olivia said, taking a big bite of that burrito as a form of annoyance release.

"I met some Russians in our neighbourhood" Millie rolled her eyes and Olivia laughed at her reaction. "One is a retired ballerina and has an asshole attitude". Olivia laughed at her honesty but wasn't surprised, "because she's a ballerina". Millie took a sip of water "can't hide the fact how much I want her body... maybe we should do ballet lessons". At late thirties, Olivia is realistic "at our age, the only exercise we need is to combat ageing".

"The other one is her friend, an overly friendly independent midwife" Millie said. "It's totally weird, she's too friendly to be Russian. To be fair, I wouldn't want an unfriendly midwife... imagine that" her eyes grew wide with the vivid imagery of a not friendly midwife dictating her to push. Olivia laughed. "Oh Millie you keep making me laugh".

Millie though still cannot understand why Olivia hated the Russians. She had met some at school, and one time it was even a Russian classmate who told off one of her bullies. And the recent year had passed, it was another Russian classmate who taught her how to write for fashion. Olivia's critical personality, and ego... is making Millie feel like this is a drag of a chore but two is still a company.

"I'm so full, I don't think I'm able to eat dinner" Millie declared, they've asked for the bill. "Let's do coffee after this big meal, it calls for it" Olivia invited.

Millie is a believer of the old saying 'birds of the same feather flock together'; birds who don't have the same feather are often badly influenced.

They started walking, not surprisingly they ended up at their usual cafe... their local cafe. With their usual brew, friendship goes on.

"I met a Canadian in this cafe, he's fun and I think you'd enjoy his company too... let's meet him tomorrow if you're free" Millie suggested, and Olivia is intrigued "oh sure why not".

"I am keen on new experiences" Olivia confessed, even when she only has half the heart to do so. Millie on the other hand is more careful being much aware of corporate responsibilities. Even when she eight years younger she had traveled to more places, ate new flavours and met more new faces.

Up in his apartment, John was in his cotton lace trimmed bikini cut panty. He was moved, that at least one person out there is willing to accept him the way he is. Though still coming in to terms that in less than twelve months, he would be forty. Thankfully he still has a lot of brown hair lingering on his scalp, something to celebrate for. While trying to accept the reality of mid life, he spent the Afternoon listening to old school music to keep him feeling young. 'Reminiscing' by Little River Band remastered plays along as he watches 'Die Hard 2' on mute on HD.

For the readers, are you able to distinguish the metaphor? :-)