Forgetting Mellaine

A Friendly Conversation

“Me, can you take care of the café for a while? I just need to deliver this cake to Jezelia. Her twins will be having their birthday today at 10 A.M.” France said, packing the two layered chocolate moist cake she made, inside the box. Happy birthday Louis and Loey! was designingly put on top of it with sweet sprinkles and some almonds nuts. That looks so yummy as ever. Staring over she’s making, I gently wiped the dust over the table using my hand.

France looked at me with a curious face. She was done with the package. She gently placed her two hands at the top of the table, enough for me to turn my attention on them – they were well polished.

“Are you okay, Me?” She worriedly asked and stood beside me.

I looked at her and answered. “Is there a chance that a dead person will come back to life?

“Of course not!” She laughed hysterically, holding her stomach. “Are you watching too much zombie movies last weekend, Me?” She added.

“No. It’s just…the vision of him keeps appearing in front of me. As if, he’s totally there, willing to touch me with his bare hands.” I slouched, leaning my chin over my hands on the table.

“Maybe you should try to have a session with Howard, Mellaine.” France suggested.

I hoped I would be ushered from all this happenings. I tried to come up with a clever way to answer her suggestion about having a psychiatrist. “I’ll try to talk to him this afternoon.”

France pondered this. “That means you only have to try to talk to him, and if any case, it will turn out well, then continue. I assure you, you’ll feel better somehow. Won’t that be great?” She patted me on the back. “Let’s have a talk when I come back here, okay? I just need to deliver this to Jezelia and maybe stop for a while at Mind This and buy some ingredients here in the café.” She added and gently grabbed the box of cake. She walked towards the door, opening it. “Take care, Me. Call me, if you need something.”

She left the café with a smile and a sense of concern. Looking at the clock, it’s 10 am in the morning, but only few had visited the café. The adolescent Asian girl clothed with a knitted blue jacket and black jogging pants, her bag hanged over her left shoulder, just went inside the café, bringing with her a Chihuahua. Her deep copper brown eyes twinkled with her gracious smile as she said, “Hi. Can I take a dozen of brownies?”

I smiled at her and opened the jar with the pastries inside it, just beside me. I looked at the dog that she was holding, enjoying the air conditioner and the smell of pastries. He wags his tail and snuggled around her arms, like a newly born baby, aching for his mother’s touch. She patted it and slowly brushed her fingers through its white thinned fur.

“I love your pastries.” She said.

I kept my voice calm and free from my frustrations. “Thank you. I would be happy if you visit us more often.”

“Sure. I’ll bring some of my friends here sometime.”

“Here’s your order.” I uttered, giving her a box of brownies with a silk red ribbon wrapped around it.

“Thank you. Great job.” Smiling, she handed me the payment and directly took herself out of the café, taking a cab.

A small buzz just vibrated inside my bag, I took my phone out and recognized France’s face with her number. I directly answered the call.

“Hi, Me. There’s something urgent that came up. Can you deliver that mocha and red velvet cake we have there at Central School right at this moment? Christie just ordered them for her student’s birthday.” France said on the other line.

“Sure, but how about the café?”

“Just close it for a while and go back directly after you deliver her orders. I’ll give you the school’s address. You can take a cab.” She uttered. “And oh, before I forgot, please put Happy Birthday, Amber on both of them.”

“Okay. I’ll go there.”

France immediately hanged up the phone, leaving me in designing and arranging the cakes inside the boxes. I went outside, having a glance over the street sweeper. As usual, she gives me those cold stares and abrupt behaviour. I put the closed signage and grabbed a cab.

“Central School, please.” I said.

The vehicle directly went straight ahead. The town seems to be lively than before. Trees were freely flowing their green and brown leaves together with the cold breeze, people being hurled around the main streets, buildings are getting higher and broad that before, are just the things coming into scenery. After a couple of minutes, I arrived at the main gate of the one of the famous elementary school campuses, Central School. The place is about to deal with silence – none of the students’ appearance snatched my gaze. Maybe they’re having their respective lessons at this moment. The guard greeted me with his warm smile, standing steadfast beside the main gate.

“Good morning. Uhm, can I ask where’s the room of Christie Coben?” I asked him with my soft voice.

“Good morning, Ma’am. Just go at that redbrick building, second floor, and fifth room on the right side.” He replied.

“Thank you.” I entered the campus with such dignity as I could rally, desperately erasing all the madness inside me. The campus is occupying a quite massive area of the town. Perhaps, it would be lovely to walk around the school if you’re having a lot of time for enjoyment. Walking over its seeming lonesome pathway, the faintly greening trees are offering their tremulous and decrepit shades upon me, avoiding the direct heat of the sun. The huge modern cafeteria that can at least cater about a hundred of students, caught my attention. It suddenly crossed my mind that hot pancakes with maple syrup, ham and cheese sandwich, and a fresh bottled milk which are good for breakfast, but I had not yet lost my dignity and decided to ignore the beseech from my stomach.

My feet eventually led me into the fourth levelled redbrick building. Its rooms’ luminous windows are racing up above, almost making me have an unexpected nauseous, just by staring at them. I entered the long narrow hall. Different low voices can be heard in each of the rooms. Looking over the doors’ window, some’re in their middle of cheering, teachers discussing and writing their lessons over the boards, some are acting to be listening attentively but fighting with their sleepiness. Everything seems fun inside their classrooms. Only a few students are visible in the hallway, which is filled with different bulletins regarding each of the current organizations, the school’s achievements which are clearly shown by their respective certifications and trophies being displayed. I walked at the stairs which lead to the second floor. The atmosphere seems to be quite off and bares with the silence. I walked gracefully and located the room, where Mrs. Christie seems to be taking her class right now. Standing over the door, I composed myself and gave some several soft knocks. After some seconds, a woman wearing her blue school uniform with her thick lensed glasses and a ponytail hair opened the door for me. It was Christie Coben. I smiled at her.

“Oh, It’s you, Mellaine. I guess, France wasn’t able to get my orders here, and have you in delivering them.” She chuckled softly. “By the way, kids. This is Ms. Mellaine West.” She introduced me over the students, clearly surprised of how cute they are. They greeted me with their sweet smiles and a hearty, sincere welcome. I waved a hand to them.

“Yes. France just went to Jezielia, also delivering some birthday cakes for the twins.” I pondered, slightly rubbing my head with my hand.

“Oh yes. It’s been quite long since the last time we talk.” She added.

I laughed. “Yes. By the way, here are the cakes you ordered.” I handed her the two boxes.

“Thank you. Here’s my payment.”

“Thanks. I’ll be going now. I still need to take care of the café. Maybe, we can talk in another time. You should continue your lecture, too.” I muttered and waved my goodbye.

“Thank you, Mellaine. Please tell France, thank you for these lovely, delicious cakes of hers.” Christie said and slowly closed the door, continuing her discussion. Her students also waved their goodbyes at me.

Somehow, seeing them enjoying their classes and their childhood lives is good. With a cheerful smile, I headed straight to the exit gate. Taking the same route, I took a cab and went back to the café, seeing France already at the counter patiently, with lively attention, serving the customers. I opened the door and saw France gave me a smile.

“How did it go?”

“That school is totally huge and wonderful to visit. Well, I was able to meet Christie there and gave her the cakes. She also said thank you to you.” I said, taking off my bag and placed it over at the back shelf. “Here’s her payment, by the way.” Handing her the bills Christie gave me.

France took it and decided to continue in making some cheesy loaves. Footsteps echoed over the door and a lean fortyish woman just entered the café with her toned skin, her body filled with different dazzling, intricate and originally handmade jewelleries. Her brand-new, orange-red dress suited her as well, together with a pair of black coloured stilettos. She obligingly stopped over the moment and looked back at me, assessing the fact that I could be France’s new assistant. “Can you please tell me where Francine is?”

“Hi. I-I’m gonna call her. Please wait for a while and make yourself comfortable.” I utterly said, intimidated by the woman’s way of showing authority. She gracefully went to one of the tables and patiently waited. I directed her concern to France who’s currently mixing the dried ingredients.

“Someone is looking for you.” I whispered.

She attentively left the room and went outside and followed me to the woman. France’s body told me that she wasn’t even expecting to see the old fancy lady, or maybe have a small conversation with her. I wiggled freely and escaped the awkward situation, taking myself back to the counter and assisted the other costumers’ orders. France and the frail, grey-haired woman took their seats, facing each other. I couldn’t understand and hear clearly their conversation, but far from unknown, I was sure France is having her self-panic. That woman is really acting like a royal. After a couple of minutes, the woman stood up and gently headed to the door. France stayed from her seat and I decided to have my nosy behaviour on the lead. I sat towards her, seeing her worn out reaction.

“What’s with that face?” I curiously asked. I looked at the coffee that I gave the woman a while ago. She didn’t even made herself taste a bit of it. What kind of goddess or even a royal is she?

“And who’s that lady?” I added.

France sighed. “She’s Mrs. Nathalie Fartherwood. Obviously from her name, she’s Natalia’s grandmother. She wanted us to cater the upcoming birthday of Natalia which will be held at the Grand Hotel. They are planning to give her a surprise celebration, which means, we can’t let her know about this plan.”

“So…did you accept her offer?”

“Of course! We’ll be making money out of it.” France made a loud laughter, catching again the customers’ attention. I laughed a long with her and didn’t mind how the people will react on how dumb we are.

The day went so fast and it was already 5 pm in the afternoon. France is busy with her phone, talking and entertaining her clients through her online page, where she puts the available pastries and drinks she’s making. On the other hand, I wiped all the tables and arranged the chairs. Stretching my arms wide on the air, I was able to get it all clean. “Are you done there, Me?” France asked.

“Yes. Mind if we talk for a while?” I humbly replied. She looked at me. “Sure.”

I managed to pick up my cell phone and sat beside her, patiently waiting for her to finish her transactions.

“All done and settled.” She exclaimed and set aside the ever-present spiral notebook and a fine-point black pen beside her.

After closing all the windows and the front door of the café, we went to the second floor and headed to her small but nicely furnished living room. Slacking over with the overly brocaded greenish pillows, both France and I sat on her lofty and fabulously padded couch. Feels like home.

“So yeah, about what I asked you a while ago during the morning, I’ve seen him, France. It’s like he’s totally there, not even an inch of him looks like dead. I wouldn’t be mistaken to see if it’s really my husband.” I told her, holding my hands.

“If that’s the case, we should have you being monitored by the police.” She suggested, but I thought it would have been a better chance not to take the attention from them as of the moment.

“I guess, I’ll take your suggestion a while ago of having me a session with Howard first. In that case, he can help me surely and we can tell if it’s just my hallucinations that keeps me in pain and in play or if it’s really him.”

“Me…what if it’s really your husband, Robert?” The name itself bears a demon that gives me the chills.

“If it’s really Robert, then…I will do whatever it takes for me to stop him in taking this life I have right now.” I said haltingly.

“Did you ever love your husband?” She asked.

“I did…I really did. There’s no fakery on how I cherish him as my partner before. Back then, to me, he’s a good husband not until he was able to shed some skin and appear his true form. He was just so…possessive and arrogant towards me. Sometimes, he doesn’t treated me like I was his wife, more like I was just a mere sense of pleasure to him.” I pityingly smiled.

“So yeah. After we went straight home from Amy and Howard’s special celebration regarding of them having a baby, I recognized a man standing beside the lamppost just so where I could see him and recognized his presence. I thought, it was the same man I saw when Amy and I were having our lunch at C & C. Both men were wearing the usual black hooded jacket. The way they walk, their broad complex bodies, their features, most of them coincide and somehow resemble my husband.” I added.

“It was not the only time I saw the hooded man. When I and Brandon went out for lunch at C & C last Saturday, I saw him again. He was sitting at the other table, facing me.

“You’re getting a lot of stalkers nowadays, Me.” She said with a short, rueful laugh. France stood and went to the kitchen to make some drinks for us. I eventually followed her, embracing one of the pillows with me. “Guess, I just took my feet off of being an all of a sudden celebrity who just caught an attention of a man who’s good in stalking and prying someone’s life.” I sarcastically pondered.

“Hah! I bet your secret admirer is currently thinking of you.” She poked me with her finger by the shoulder. “You’re giving me creeps.” I said and helped her out in cutting the cold, refreshing lemonades.

“It would be better if you can stay close with us for a while.” She suggested.

“That’s what I was planning also.” I gave her my impertinent but attractive pout and puppy eyes.

“Hahaha! Okay, okay. You can stay here for tonight. Now, we can make dinner together.” She smiled.

“Well, let’s kind of change this creepy topic of ours. I am a bit curious on how your weekend went off except for the parts of having you a stalker. How’re you and Brandon going? You just mentioned you went to C & C too.” France suddenly asked as she cut some potatoes. She wanted to make some tater tots, chicken fried steak and cioppino, all of a sudden.

My heart suddenly jumped. “O-oh, that. Well, uhm. He asked me on a date…”

France looked at me and unexpectedly slapped me by the shoulder, having her high pitch voice surrounds the entire living room – she was giggling and screaming. To think, she could be the leader if I am to be shipped and have a ship name together with Brandon.

“Oh gosh, Me! My girl is really wiggling her butt off to the man she likes! But, you still didn’t do the ‘it’ thing right?”

“O-of course not! We still haven’t…”

“The word ‘still’ let me have a hint that you’re going to do it eventually.” She gave me a loud and fiendish laugh.

“W-were not planning for it. And basically, we’re still in the process of knowing each other.”

She patted me by the shoulder and smiled. “Anything that will make you happy, I will support you, Me. And if that good looking man will make fun of you, I’ll make sure he will get a batter from me.”

I smiled. “Silly. But, thank you, France. By the way…what do you think of Brandon?” I hesitantly asked.

She paused and thought for a while. “From what I see him, I think he’s a well-mannered person. He tends to go to the café a few days just before you appeared and came as my assistant. Knowing that he also lived just a few blocks away from you in Amy’s other apartment, I guess destiny is having a quite favouritism between the two of you.” She giggled with pleasure.

“The moment when I knew that you are starting to get in touch with each other, I was happy that Brandon decided to pursue you.” She added and smiled.

I gave her a soft giggle. “I see him like that too…”