Who Is My Trouble?

Negative Halo

"I really like your apartment," I said as I was preparing coffee and watching Marceline brush her hair in her sleeping dress, after having her morning shower. "It's still 9 in the morning, and you're drinking coffee?" she joked and squeezed my shoulder as she walked to her vanity. "Oh, sorry, I forgot to get you fish and chips," I sarcastically joked.

"We don't have fish and chips early in the morning, but the good thing is that you were planning to get me."

"Okay, then what's your problem with coffee? Oh, wait, I get it, excuse me, sir, could you serve us a cup-a-tey? That's it right."

"Hey! Don't be rude, we don't speak this way!" she said as she laughed and hit me with her pillow. "My problem is not whether it's coffee or tea, though I'm a tea person, obviously. It's just that I don't think it gives you that energy that you think it does. If you want to tolerate your boss, you don't drink coffee to tolerate him, you think of the possibility of you not wanting to quit your job so that you don't lose your monthly income, and this, my friend, is how you tolerate your boss. It's not the cup of coffee," she concluded as she took off the cup from my hands and pushed me out of the kitchen. "I'll serve you a great cup of tea."

"Cup-a-tey," I said as a twirled my hands in the air to make her laugh, which worked perfectly and got me a great slap from her over my chest.

"Is that your phone ringing?" I asked as I sat down on the blue couch.

"Oh, I think yes. It's alright I'll pick it-"

"Hello?- Who's this?- You're the one who's calling I guess, who're you?- Yes, she's here, hold a second."

"I told you I'll pick it up!" she whispered as she ran to take the phone, and then left to the bathroom.

"Yes- that's Henry- I'll tell you- No it's not that- okay listen I'll see you- No don't come over, you've got work- lunch, is lunch good?- okay- I'll get back to you, goodbye."

"Who's the lady with the attitude?"

"Why did you pick up the phone, Henry? I told you don't."

"Well, by the time you reached your point, I was already on the phone with her."

"Seriously?" she gave me the lamest look ever as if she knew I'm fooling around, but she doesn't want to get pissed at it because she somehow liked it.

"Okay, okay, you win. Can I have my drink, please?"

"You're taking us out for lunch."

"Us, who?" I asked as she sat beside me, bringing the two cups of tea and sandwiches that she quickly wrapped.

"Sasha and I," she replied while turning on the television.

"Who's Sasha?" I asked as I noticed that my curiosity equaled her desire to not answer the question.

"You'll meet her today, she's a very close person to me. By the way, there is this series which is finally coming out on Netflix. Let's keep your questions on hold until lunch, or you can leave for a walk around the town," she demanded as her show started. At the same time, I couldn't do anything, but oblige to what she has requested.

--

"We could've gone to a restaurant which looks better from the outside," I said as we were walking towards the restaurant.

"It is a nice restaurant, just stop nagging, Henry, and keep in mind that you have to be very kind to Sasha. The girl probably has a bad first impression on you."

"Well, I'm glad that I'm not the only one," I laughed as I got another slap on my shoulder.

"Shut it. Hey! Sasha! This is Henry, Henry from the States, he's Kate's husband's cousin. Henry, this is Sasha-"

"Her girlfriend," Sasha said with a solid tone. Puzzled Marceline trying to keep a smile on her face without turning into a red tomato, turned into a plate of ketchup. "Yes, my girlfriend, Sasha. She works here in the bookshop that I used to stay at. Let's have a seat, shall we?" Marceline continued as if nothing happened, or maybe that she wanted me to digest it easily by pretending that nothing happened in the first place.

"You're not white," I boldly said.

"Stop being a goof," Marceline kicked my leg and whispered.

"I can say you don't need any optics," Sasha savagely replied back while Marceline was not sure who to calm down first.

"Can we order our lunch?" Marceline said to distract the flow of the conversation, "fish and chips?"

"Whatever you like, babe," Sasha smiled to her, and I couldn't stop myself from hitting her with an eye roll.

"Well, you aren't white enough to be eating fish and chips, though."

"Oh, really?" Sasha said as she held the menu upside down. "I can't really see where exactly does it say that I AM SUPPOSED TO BE white to order from this menu. Maybe you don't need optics to the extent that you see things that do not exist!"

"Can we just-" Marceline tried to stop me from replying back.

"Well, I don't have anything against blacks. Don't get me wrong, but I do have a problem with people who do not commit to their own roles."

"Roles?" Sasha mocked.

"Roles?" Marceline wondered where this conversation was going.

"Who assigned you to the racist role, sir?" Sasha threw her question calmly into my face.

"I'm not being racist, I am following the rules."

"Rules that are not mentioned by anyone so far but you? That I should be white enough to eat fish and chips? Well, you don't seem white enough for me. Though you sound like one!"

"But I'm white," whispered Marceline.

"No offense Marcy," replied Sasha.

"None taken, I guess." continued Marceline.

"It's not about the fish and chips, it's about submitting to your own role as a person, as a woman."

"You never told me that your Henry was not only racist but also sexist," Sasha eyed Marceline.

"Wow, calm down girl your conversation is with me, not her," I replied.

"Henry, please - Sasha just don't-" Marceline intervened with a tone of despair.

"I'll do for you, MarCY," I replied, stressing on the last syllable of her name, holding myself back from being ultimately rude to her so-called 'babe.'

For the rest of our lunch, no one spoke a word. Marceline enjoyed her food as much as I enjoyed looking at her eating. Aside from all of the silence, I knew it was that one that comes before the storm.