[ilikeoldchangke]

Kate.

She said her name is Kate.




I had to force myself to pull my hand away from hers as my mum started chiding me for disturbing them at work.





Mum : You come down for what…. We very busy ok…. No time to entertain you….



I could see Kate looking at us and i was not too pleased at my mum’s attempt to make me appear as if i was still a kid.





There’s a pretty girl right in front of me.



Someone hot and sexy.


Someone i wanted to impress the moment i laid eyes on her.


I’m sure you understand the feeling.




The last thing you need when trying to impress a girl is your nagging mum.




Jake : i don;t need you to entertain me la…. Go… go… go… go and do your stuff…. I’ll go buy something to eat…



Mum : Later then i talk to you…



As soon as my mum walked away, Kate looked back down on her documents and her attention went to her noodles.





I don’t want to be left standing there like a block of wood so i walked away into the coffee shop.


I ordered a cup of coffee and found a table which gave me a good view of Kate.





It’s weird, i don’t know why but i’m mesmerised by her. It’s not just her looks, there’s something about her that just seemed to draw me close.




Was it the way she held her chopsticks ?



Maybe the way she sucked onto the ends for a few seconds before plunging it into the tangled bunch of springy noodles ?



Maybe it was the way she crossed her legs and how one of her shoe had it’s laces undone.





She had a pen on one hand and she used it to tick off something on a piece of paper.


A few seconds went by and by the time I snapped myself out of my daze, Kate had adjusted her position. She uncrossed her legs and brought up her shoe with the laces undone.



Without taking her eyes off the documents, she quickly did an evenly spaced butterfly lace on her shoe.




Kate wore a pair of short grey shorts, with her legs lifted up, my eyes widened as I stared at her crotch area. The fabric of her shorts being tightly squeezed together as her well toned legs hovered in mid air for that few seconds sent blood rushing to my groin.




Her left hand went for her pen again, her other free hand had a spoonful of noodles suspended in the air between her plate and her petite mouth. Her lips had this sheen, of oil perhaps from the noodles. I felt my groin tingle as her lips parted slightly, opening just enough to deliver the spoonful of noodles into her mouth.




I looked away and blinked twice as I sipped my coffee.


Something must be wrong with me. The way I’m staring at her, anyone who happens to look my way would think I’m some fucking desperate virgin.



I directed my attention away from Kate and onto the plate of noodles.



Yes.


That was my purpose of coming down to the coffee shop that day.



I came with the intention to learn the trade.




Kate made that plate of noodles looked so good that i could not resist ordering one from my parents even though I was not really hungry. I went to my parent’s stall and placed an order for a plate of noodles.




Jake : Ma. 1 noodle.



Mum : What noodle ?? 1 strand or noodle? soup or dry, chilli or no chilli….. What kind of noodles you want ??





She barked at me without even looking up.




My eyes widened a little as I looked at her talk to a auntie while she packed her order for her.




Jake : Wah you so rude to your customers one ah.



Mum : Quick la… order and stand aside… don’t block me…




Jake : I want the same as what Kate is having…





My mum did not even bother to acknowledge me and asked me for $3.



Jake : Need to pay ah ?


Mum : You think what ? Your father’s stall no need to pay ah…



Jake : but it is my father’s stall…… and my mother’s stall too..



Mum : Money come… money come…




She immediately took the order of the person behind me as i dug out a fifty dollar bill.



Mum : No small change la…. Give me smaller notes…



Jake : I don’t have… go back then pay you…



She waved me aside as if i’m a pest and started to attend to other customers.


Somehow I felt I wasn’t exactly on the priority list.



After a 10 minutes wait, my mum barked from across the coffee shop, asking me to pick up the noodles on my own as she pointed to the ‘self service’ sign on their stall.




What the hell man, how come she delivers it to Kate while i need to carry it on my own. I walked over the same time Kate was returning her tray and utensils.




It was a good opportunity to strike up a conversation.




I racked my brains to think of some smart ass lines and was secretly pleased with myself as i half grumbled out my complaint to my mum.


Jake : How come you bring the food to Kate while i need to collect it myself ah ? Your self service sign don’t apply to her ah ?





My mum shot me an irritated look as I took the tray of noodles from her.




Kate looked a little bewildered but never said a thing as she thanked my mum and return her tray.




I took the opportunity to talk to her and made a joke of having to collect my own food despite it being my mum’s stall.




Jake : You’re so lucky…. My dad owns the stall and yet I have to collect my own noodles. … at least she brings you your food… haha… haha..




The laugh came off a little awkward and I immediately regretted my statement.




Kate’s eyes widened a little and she turned to my mum who raised her hand and smacked me on my shoulder.





Mum : Haiyah !!... go away la !!.... don’’t block here block there talk nonsense can or not….




Then she immediately turned to Kate.



Mum : He something wrong today…. Sorry ah… ignore him…



Now hearing my mum say something was wrong with me really riled me up.

There is nothing wrong with me.




I meant what is the problem ?


I was about to retort when my mum shot me a really angry look that made me turn and scurried away with my noodles.




Jake : You are the one with something wrong…chey…



I sat down and dug into my parent’s noodles. The moment I bit onto the springy noodles and tasted the fragrant chilli that my dad cooked, I was hit with a sense of nostalgia .




I could not remember the last time I ate what they cooked everyday.



It has been a while.




Years in fact.


I scooped up and drank all the gravy and sank my teeth into the wanton filled with savoury meat. The char siew though was just passable as they ordered from a supplier.



Overall it was a decent plate of noodles. For the portion and the quality, $3 is really a steal.



I nodded my head as I thought about my decision to try and learn the trade.



This could work.



I mean, I could learn the trade. Get the recipe. Pay off some bloggers to write good things about it and viola.


It would set things in motion.




Before I know it, queues would form then the TV stations would come. Within a year a big F&B organisation would make an offer and pay me a million to buy my recipe.


Smack !




I slapped my thigh and snapped my fingers in the air as I finalised the plans in my head.




Jake : Easy peasy….



Piece of cake.


10.45am


I had more coffee and loitered around the coffee shop for a few hours much to my mother’s annoyance.



Kate had gone behind the drinks stall and I could see her busy collecting money and helping to serve drinks to the other customers.




It’s weird, she definitely looked well educated and all. Why would she work at a drinks stall.


I was within earshot of the drinks stall, as such, I could clearly hear what everyone was saying.




Man : Kopi siu dai suar ( 2 coffee with milk less sugar ) , kopi O gao, ( Thick black coffee ) , Milo Si Kosong ( Milo with carnation milk, no sugar ) , diao heur ( Chinese Tea ) , Loti nerng dei, Kaya guyu ( 2 slices of bread, kaya and butter spread )