Angel Love

Chapter 6 - Chinese Food

“How did you get home?” Kaya asks as soon as she enters the bedroom. “I got to the alley and you weren’t there.”

Kaya was in the Assembly of Angels headquarters when she heard Lucas call for help. She stood in the middle of the meeting, interrupting Mana from his appeal to put a stricter rule in sending angels on earth back to heaven. It is such an important matter because history is repeating itself where angels come to earth to exploit humanity’s weakness.

But Lucas is important than any other discussion, at least for Kaya.

She rarely uses her wings to get to places, she enjoys the human way of transportation, especially flying first class. But Lucas was in dire situation or he wouldn’t have called out. She tried to reach him while up in the air, but he didn’t answer.

When she got to the alley, Lucas wasn’t there, but she could smell his scent and another being. Her next guess was his house.

Kaya is right, he’s in his bed resting. The angel glow surrounds him, which means he has taken the blood of the lamb.

“What happened?” She examines Lucas with her eyes frantically, looking for injuries. She finds none, and it gives her relief. She’s not sure what she’s going to do if she loses Lucas. “Did you go out on your own again to find demons?”

It’s a question she doesn’t need to ask because she knows Lucas and how his mind operates. He wants evil out of this world and he’s willing to sacrifice anything for that cause.

“I’m fine now,” Lucas assures her. He’s still not regained his full strength, but he is almost there.

“Who took you out of the alley?”

“No one,” he lies. The strong stab on his chest almost makes him cough. But he swallow it down or Kaya will now he lied. Angels are not allowed to lie, but he needs to thread easy on information about Maree.

He’s not certain who she is yet, but he has a feeling she’s someone he needs to look into closely.

Kaya looks at him suspiciously, but Lucas doesn’t lie. She lets it go and sits by his bedside.

“What happened in the Assembly?”

“I left as soon as I heard you,” she answers. “But when I left Mana almost ready to send us angels home.”

“About time,” Lucas scoffs.

Kaya admires Lucas’ honor and loyalty to the Kingdom they both serve. At some points she strongly agrees with him, like angels shouldn’t commune with man. But angels have jobs to do on earth, they can’t just vanish and leave. What will happen to those they are taking care of?

“Come on, Lucas,” she protests. “Earth needs us here.”

“Yes, but not those who break the rules.”

“Some rules are worth breaking.” Kaya surprises herself for saying out loud something she’s been think for hundreds of years.

“Kaya!” Lucas exclaims.

Kaya leaves his side and stands by the window. It’s almost night time and the lights are starting to decorate the horizon like shiny jewels. She loves Christmas time on earth because it makes people kinder and forgiving. She watches over her humans on Christmas morning when the children open their gifts. Evil has nothing on goodness and love during this time of the year.

“How can you say such a thing?” Lucas gets up from the bed and approaches his friend. He wraps his strong fingers around her arms and turns her to face him.

“We are angels and we’re made for one reason alone.”

“How about our own desires?” Kaya’s voice is full of sadness and defeat. Hearing Lucas his piece makes her lose any tiny bit of hope she has to them.

“What other desires should we have than to serve and honor our King?”

Kaya frees herself from Lucas and walk out of the bedroom, to the kitchen. She spreads her palms on the marble counter island and wait for Lucas to follow her. She tries to weigh her options on whether to him how she feels about him, or just keep it unspoken.

“Kaya, what’s happening with you?” Lucas asks coming out of the bedroom. He cares for Kaya genuinely, and he feels her suffering.

“I love you!” She cries out to him. “I always have, Lucas.” Tears fall down her cheeks as she waits for him to say something.

But Lucas is just staring at her, his face unreadable. Then he starts to shake his head as if he’s confused.

“No! No! No!” he mutters. “Kaya, we’re not meant to mate.”

Lucas’s disappointment is painted all over his face, and that hurts her the most. More than the fact that he didn’t say the words back. That one she expects.

Angels don’t have a physical beating heart, but their whole being is a heart. And right now, Kaya’s heart is breaking into small pieces.

She runs to the veranda without another word and let her wings carry her to the air.

All Lucas can do is follow her with his eyes, wishing none of this just happened.

Maree feasts on her Chinese food she bought from downstairs. The owner was also her landlady. It’s no surprise that they are open Christmas day. Mr. Ho always tell her “Every day is a good for business, Malee”.

Mr. Ho was surprised to see her in the restaurant when rent is not even due. Maree can’t even afford to eat in a cheap Chinese place except for tonight.

“Hi Mr. Ho,” she greets happily as she stands in front of the counter to order some food.

“Malee! Why you here?” she ask in her sing-song voice.

Maree is lucky to have the old Chinese lady as her landlady because she gives her a lot leniency. There were more than one occasion she was late with rent and he and his wife let her slide. They also always offer food when she comes home at night, but Maree always refuse. She doesn’t want them giving her something they can earn from.

“I’m here to buy food, Mr. Ho,” she answers proudly, happy that she can finally taste their food after living above the restaurant for seven months.

“Good! Good!” Mr. Ho says. “Wait, I call Mrs. Ho.” He goes inside the kitchen and after a couple of minutes, he comes back out with Mrs. Ho.

“Malee,” Mrs. Ho greets.

“Hi Mrs. Ho, Merry Christmas.”

“What you want to eat?”

“I don’t know, can you recommend something?” Maree does not know what to order from the vast menu at top of the corner.

“No ploblem. I know what Malee wants to eat,” she assures her and starts pressing keys on the register. “You want to eat here or upstairs?”

“I’ll take it upstairs.”

After about ten minutes of waiting, Mr. Ho calls her to let her know her food is ready.

“How much?” she asks as she takes out her wallet. There are two bags of food in front of her which might be almost a hundred dollars. But it’s okay, Maree tells herself. It’s Christmas.

“Five dollars,” Mr. and Mrs. Ho answer in unison with mischievous smiles on their faces.

“No way,” Maree protests. “This is too much food and I have money to pay."

"Yes, you pay five dollars," Mr. Ho responds, extending his right palm to her.

Maree knows she has lost this battle and the couple will not budge. She hands them a twenty-dollar bill and smiles at them gratefully.

"Keep the change."

And now, after a long shower, she bundled herself in her faded pajama and a pair of sock. Even her temperamental television is nice to her tonight, and let her watch Gilmore Girls without flickering every ten minutes. The smell of the food fills her tiny apartment.

Her older place was a little bigger, and she had an actual bedroom. But the homeowner was horrible. After missing her due date to pay rent for the first time, They asked to move out the next day. The best thing about having very little is moving out is fast.

With luggage at her tail and a backpack on her back, she walked around China town looking for a motel to stay for the day while she looked for a new apartment. The first person she asked was Mr. Ho who was fixing the light outside the restaurant. He asked some questions and told her they have a small room with a bathroom and a kitchen. It has been home for Maree since then.

Walls are bare, since is too small with a half bath big enough to accommodate a petite built. She has a single cot on the other side of the room and a red couch she picked up from a garage. It lacks a lot, and yet it feels like home to her.

Maree is afraid she will finish all the food in front of her. She has noodles, stir-fry beef, salted pork, friend chicken, shrimp, fried rice and some sesame balls. Everything is delicious, and she moans almost every time she takes a bite.

And then a know comes from the door. Maree stops eating and stand up from her couch. She doesn't have any visitors except for the occasional drop-bys from Mr. and Mrs, Ho. But she doesn't think they will see her again.

She opens the door and her jaw drops to the floor.