The Porsche, The Beetle And How I Got Here

Chapter 12

When I say “spill”, you probably imagine that I somehow dropped a cup of coffee and that some of it hit me. Well let me tell you, that isn’t the case.

When I say “spill” I mean that I somehow knocked into the machine and spilled about a litre of burning hot coffee onto my hand/forearm.

I made a pathetic whine-like outburst, as I jumped back and grabbed the burned hand with the heathy one, causing me to scream in pain.

“Karen what are you doing?!” Rachel yelled, and froze mid movement.

David smacked a coffee mug onto the counter before he ran out into the back of the shop. There was voices everywhere, people asking me if I was ok. Costumers yelling for their coffee, and one particular voice saying “Sorry.. Just coming through.”  I looked up and saw Hammond move through the sea of people at the counter, and when he came to his final and greatest obstacle (i.e. the counter) he didn’t as much as look around to figure out how to get to the other side, he simply jumped and got over the counter, and before I could wink, he stood right in front of me.

“What happened?” he said and reached out for my burned arm, so I pulled it further away and mumbled something. He gave me a stern but caring look, as he gently grabbed my elbow and dragged my hand towards him so he could have a look.

On the other side of the counter, people started recognising Richard and called out for his attention.

“It doesn’t look so bad, you just need some ice.” He told me with a small smile. I nodded, said “come” in a very low voice and dragged him with me out into the back.

“David, do we have any of those fancy first-aid icepacks?” I yelled as we exited the café room.

“No.” he said and came out from the office. “I’ve looked everywhere. Is it bad? Should I drive you to the ER?”

“I’m fine, just go back to work, I’ve got this.” I said, with a small smile, he nodded and then went back to work, so I proceeded into the office.

“Where are we going?” Richard asked as I opened the door following up to Rachel’s staircase.

“Rachel’s flat, she must have something icy in her freezer.” I said, and looked back at the man behind me and my thoughts were suddenly back at last night.

“You want me to come with you?”

“Yeah if you want too, I think I could use a hand.” I replied, laughing at my own stupid pun, as I climbed the stairs

I unlocked the door and we stepped into the flat, Richard a few meters behind me. I headed for the kitchen, to try my luck in Rachel’s freezer, Richard were somewhere checking out the flat I suppose. I sat down on the floor and opened the freezer with my good hand, which of course happened to be my left, seeing as I’d been stupid enough to burn my right hand. I could hear Richards footsteps on the wooden floor in the living room, and the sound somehow made me more calm, and made me smile faintly, as I went through the content of the freezer.

“How old is your friend?” He asked somewhere behind me.

“Who? Rachel?” I answered and turned my head, so I was facing him. He rested up against the doorframe and nodded, before proceeding into the kitchen.

“Twenty-four. Why?” I asked and looked at him as he sat down on the floor beside me, and started going through the frozen food.

“How can a Twenty-four year old afford all of this? How’d she manage to get her hands on the café and such a huge flat?” he asked and gave me a puzzled look, as a wide smile sprung onto my face.