Food Stall

“I have no need for love in my life.”

That is what she said to me when I first met her. I was in a night market, looking for a food stall to eat at, when I found a good one I sat down at a seat. My arm was 2cm from hers and the next day, I had fallen for her. I ordered braised beef noodles while she had truffle fried rice, the smell of cheap truffle oil used was perfumed throughout the food stall. The braised beef noodles smelt like her truffle fried rice and when I looked at her with annoyance curling up on my upper lip while she looked at me from the corner of her eye with those piercing cold blue eyes.

I gave a smile and said in a faked cheerful tone,

“Hey miss! You have very beautiful eyes, I see you have ordered the truffle fried rice from this stall, the chef here is very skilful, isn’t he?”

I get no reply for a while as she just stared at her fried rice, then she turned her head towards me and looked at me with those blue eyes of her, I felt I am looking down at the barrel of a double-barreled shotgun, her eyes startled me and I had taken a back from her eyes.

“I’m only here to eat my food, I have no need for love in my life.”

Is what she said to me, I was confused on what she meant by that as I have no interest in her despite her eyes being so attractive,

“Oh… I see, okay then! I’ll leave you to it then.” With a smile on my face, I blurted that line out.

I slurp down my noodles to warm myself up on this cold day and it warms my stomach up, The lady with the blue eyes looked at me and starts eating her fried rice. Not after the third bite she asks the chef to have her fried rice to go and the chef does what she says and she leaves with her food. I looked at her as she walked away from the food stall then one of the regulars chimed in,

“May sure is beautiful with those eyes of hers, you might have a chance with her. I heard she just dumped that scumbag boyfriend of hers, heard he was two-timing her. May is probably heartbroken, how about you swoop in and be her knight in shining armour?”

“I don’t know, she said that she doesn’t need love in her life, maybe she’s right.”

“You are still unsure, are you? Listen to this. When she dumped her ex-boyfriend, she cried out “I want a man, not a boy” Does that sound better to you?”

I sat and thought about it, I shook my head and said,

“Ah… Maybe it’s worth a try I guess.”

I continued to eat my noodles and soon left. The walk back to my apartment was the same as usual,

“A man huh…”

I thought to myself, the sun is already setting and yet I find myself unable to stop thinking about May, as the sun shines brighter when setting, I found myself more interested in May.

Once I reached my apartment, I showered and get ready for bed though being unable to sleep, I open up my window to look at the moon and the stars dotted throughout the night sky.

“The moon sure is beautiful tonight yet the stars are not alight with it.”

I woke up the next day and I start getting ready for work. While waiting at the train station, I saw May again. May was standing at the platform while another man is talking to her, even I can see that she was ignoring him. The train has arrived and she was about to board it yet the man kept pestering her so I decided to cut in,

“Excuse me, do you mind? She was waiting for me, let’s board the train, alright?”

I entered the train while holding her hand. May removed her hand and took off her sunglasses, she quietly thanked me and we stood in silence while waiting for our stop.

Once her stop came, she nodded at me and exited the train and I shouted at her,

“See you at the food stall tonight?!”

She turned around and gave a smile, the first time I’ve seen her smile. It was a smile that was heartwarming, a smile that was as warm and bright as the sun. I felt my heart moved as she smiled at me, the doors of the train start closing and slowly, the train moved off.

After work, I went to the same food stall and this time, I ordered the truffle fried rice. Once the order came, I started eating the fried rice and suddenly, May sat next to me and this time, our elbows touch.

She orders the braised beef noodles and once it came, she starts slurping the noodles down, not even caring that it was piping hot. The sunset gently creased her skin and shined behind her as she kept on slurping her noodles.

“Sunsets sure are beautiful.”

I said to her.