I told my dad I didn’t want to work anymore at the coffee shop, at least not during my last two weeks of vacation. He handed me my apron and shook his head. It’s nice to negotiate with my dad, always such a fair man.
‘My name is Ying, welcome to Hao Chi. What can I get you’, I said carelessly to the person sitting on the table I had to wait at. ‘That’s nice to know’, I heard him say. I lifted my head. It was the umbrella guy. What was his name? oh, man. I forgot.
- What can I get you?－ I repeated
- An espresso – He said – Just don’t prepare it yourself.
I lifted an eyebrow. ‘I’m serious’, he said. ‘Fine, sir’, I smiled forcefully. I took his order and handed it to Shen. ‘Ah, that costumer is here again’, he said, wiggling his eyebrows. ‘What are you trying to say?’, I asked, while my cousin began to prepare the espresso, ‘He has been coming as usual, but last time he was here he asked about you. Or at least I’m pretty sure he did’. I looked at him with a puzzled expression.
- He asked about the umbrella girl – He shrugged
- The umbrella girl – I repeated, as he placed the cup of coffee on my tray
- You lent him an umbrella, right?
- Yes, but I have a name
- Which he doesn’t know
I grabbed the tray, ‘You got a point. Care to tell me why?’, I asked. He shrugged again, ‘He’s not very good with words, so he just asked about you and left’. Great. Awkward. I don’t remember his name, and now that I know he’s been asking for me I don’t know how to face it, he’s got this intense stare that I don’t know how to react when I’m in front of him.
- Here’s your coffee – I said, placing the cup over the table – I didn’t prepare it so I’m pretty sure it’s good.
- It is – He agreed, as he tasted the drink
- If you need anything – I began, according to what we have to say when waitressing
- You know Nara, right? – He asked
‘I do’, I nodded ‘Fine’, he said. ‘I’ve been looing for you because I need you to do me a favor’, he continued, ‘I helped you that day you were crying after seeing some guy so I think I can ask you to do something for me’.
- How did you know about that? – I asked immediately
- I saw you talking to him, and I saw your face when we met.
I looked at him, and his eyes were on me. I felt as if he was able to read my mind. ‘That’s a personal matter’, I told him. ‘Then don’t solve it by the Han river’, he shrugged, ‘Listen I want you to give this to Nara’, he said, handing me a small jewelry box, ‘Clearly, I was about to give it to her the day we broke up but I will not be able to. I want you to give it to her, since it has her name and I don’t want anything to remind me of her’.
- I’m sorry – I began – But if you want me to help you get her back –
- I don’t want you to do that – He interrupted me – I want you to give that to her and that’s it. I don’t care about her, it was a fixed relationship.
- Was it?
- For all