Imperfect Truth(39)
Reaching into my bag, I grab the keys and make my way to her door, letting myself in. As I step inside the confines of the foyer, the most ghastly smell hits my nose. I’m not sure why Jules keeps trying to cook, but I sense an intervention is in order.
“Oh my God Jules, what is that smell?” I gag.
“When I need to think, I cook.”
“My God, Jules, what do you need to think about that warrants this?”
“You are so mean to me,” she quips back with a pout on her face.
“Jules that shit’s GOD awful. It smells like a decaying fish. I might lose my lunch.”
“Shut it, you haven’t even had breakfast yet.”
I place my hand over my mouth and pretend to gag and throw up.
“Make it stop!” I throw my hands in the air for emphasis. “I mean really Jules, what the fuck is that?”
Jules scrunches her nose at me, shakes her head, and with the most ridiculous annoyed voice she can conjure, tells me what monstrosity she has prepared. “It’s gluten free, sugar free, soy milk cheese cake.”
“What the fuck?” My eyes go wide. “That just sounds awful.”
“I'm a diabetic in training,” she says in jest.
I shake my head. “I mean honestly, couldn’t you just create something normal like everyone else?”
“Hello,” she says in the most ridiculously fake British accent I’ve ever heard. I think it’s British, at least. She starts to frantically wave her hands around. I’ve no clue what she is trying to imply. She looks crazy. I mean full-on crazy. She makes the deranged look sane. All she is missing is the white straightjacket.
“No carbs over here, I’m one tortilla chip away from a button pop,” she spits out. Oh wow.
“Jules.”
“Yea?”
“Yea, so, I’m not sure how to tell you this. Hmm, yea, so soymilk? Yea, that has carbs.”
“What?” Her face drops, mouth-hanging open. “Fuck. Let’s get froyo” She looks at the disgusting pie dish that she just slaved over.
“I don’t think they sell frozen yogurt this early in the morning dear.”
“Okay let’s go get waffles. Oh, I know.” She bounces on her feet like a five-year-old kid in a candy store. “Let’s go to the diner, and get, wait for it, waffles with whip cream, and chocolate chips.”
“Okay, so you do know that is a far cry from gluten free, sugar free, soy milk right?’” I laugh at her and shake my head.
“Oh suck it.” She scowls at me then breaks out laughing.
Her smile is so bright it doesn’t just touch her eyes but her soul, too. Sometimes I think she puts on these shenanigans just for my benefit, as if she can sense my mood and just tries to be as silly as possible to counteract me. It works; it always works.
Waffles turn into shopping, which turns into lunch, which turns into Tasti D Fro Yo, which turns into a classic day with Jules. My stomach hurts from laughing so hard. Sometimes I wish I could put her in my pocket and just pop her out when I’m feeling down. She is more than my best friend. She is the sister I never had.
As I say goodbye, she leans in and gives me a giant hug. She places a soft motherly kiss on my forehead. “Be careful okay? Don’t do anything rash.”
I smile and nod my head ever so slightly. I step to the curb. My phone starts to vibrate in my hand.
Ryder: On my way, I’ll grab a table.
Me: Wait, you never did tell me the location.
Ryder: Who needs details like that lol
Me: *waits patiently*
Ryder: It’s off Lafayette btw Canal and Walker.
Me: Ok great, see you in a few!
A cab pulls up in front of me after a few minutes of waiting. The man driving is older, probably in his early seventies. His white hair is short and perfectly in place.
“Where to, miss?”
“Lafayette. Between Walker and Canal.”
“Ah, going for dumplings?”
“Yeah, The Excellent Dumpling, ever been?”
“Of course, that is a New York staple, well at least if you enjoy seedy restaurants in China Town, where you might be eating cat,” he chuckles, “seriously though it has been around since before you were born, best dumplings in town.” He smiles at me in the rear mirror. His smile is warm and welcoming. “What route would like me to go? Straight down Park?”
“Whatever you want, you’re the expert.”
He laughs at my assessment. “Yep, been doing this for almost thirty years.”
For the next fifteen minutes we drive down Park Avenue as it merges to become Broadway. As we get closer to our destination, he points out a building. “I worked in that building. I was a mail clerk. First real job, actually. God…feels like just yesterday. Had just gotten married…new baby. The stress was unbearable, having to make ends meet. I started working more and more. Crazy time it was. My wife was so wrapped up in the baby, and I was so wrapped up in work."