My ride, I love you

Mork

Chapter 6: Mork

"Oh uncle and younger uncle, you guys still up?"

I am surprised to see my uncle and younger uncle sitting at the dining table on the first floor when I arrive home, which is already midnight. Usually, they go to bed around 11 p.m. and every night I would be hearing them snore, through the flooring of my third floor bedroom, in a competition within ten minutes. I wonder why they're still sitting wide awake at the table tonight.

"Waiting for a football match. You wanna watch with us?"

Oh... That's why.

I also notice that each of them is holding a can of beer, the drink that confirms his answer. That's right. They're obsessed with watching the European Football Championship. During a football tournament season, sometimes they pull an all-nighter and watch the broadcast until late in the morning and even open the shop late once in a while.

"Nah, thanks. But I'm hungry. You got anything I can eat?"

On the contrary, I don't like watching football. I don't know why. When those older guys at the motorcycle taxi station invite me to watch a match with them or talk about football and I just stare like dumb, they often ask why I don't watch football.

Well, how am I to answer that question? I just don't like it. If I knew why I don't like it, then it will be easy to get rid of the reason and start liking it. Sometimes people ask silly thing. Why can't they just freaking nod and accept my answer?

"Nothing. Just beer. You want some?" The younger uncle hands me a can of beer.

I shake my head. "How can this fill my stomach, uncle. It's just a beer."

"I dunno, it's the only thing we got. The fridge is also empty."

"We got nothing else? Not even instant noodles?"

I stalk towards the food cabinet and check the dried food shelf along the top. Oh, that's right. Now I recall, yesterday I grabbed the last of our instant noodles and ate it dried after mashing it from outside of the package. Younger uncle even mumbled that I shouldn't because it could cause a stomachache. I close the food cabinet that's as empty as my stomach.

"Then, I'll go out for something to eat. Do you guys want anything?"

"No, thanks. Just drive safely. It's late at night."

"Yes, sirrrrrr."

I'm just turning away, not even reaching my motorcycle yet, and my uncle yells after me.

"Hey, hey, wait. I forgot! Buy some instant noodles, just in case."

I turn and nod. "Okay, uncle. Anything else?"

"Canned sardines. And fresh eggs, so we don't have to eat plain noodles. Get some munchies, too. Whatchamacallit brand, the one with green smiley face, kinda."

"It's Snack Jack. Wow, the way you described it almost completely threw me off." Green and smiley face, my guess should be correct.

"Yeah, that, Nackjack. Get two. It goes great with beer."

"Anything else? At first you said no thanks, now the list is almost as long as the Chinnabanchon mantra."

"Yeah, that's all, kiddo. Come back quickly, okay?"

Okay, I can finally start leaving.

Normally, I don't eat during late hours. Not because I'm watching my weight or because it's unhealthy. But I'm afraid my stomach will feel sick. If I eat outside of my usual mealtime, I get a stomachache. But I didn't eat enough this evening, so I am feeling hungry again late at night. And instead, now I'm afraid I'll get a stomachache if I don't eat.