Mushu Pork

The third chapter of The Painter. Calvin and Max are lounging around the studio when someone rings the doorbell...

“Max, you’ve got some paint in your fur.”

Calvin reached out to stroke the soft white fur of his little companion; the kitten flopped over into his open palm, closing its eyes for a nap.

They were both sprawled out on the wooden floor of his studio, listening to the soft humming of the ceiling fan and the cars that darted busily in the streets below. He closed his eyes and listened to the gentle creaking of the floor above him, telling him that his neighbor had returned home from work.

Opening his eyes, he glanced to his left, admiring all the half-finished paintings he had leaning against the wall. Behind him sat his largest easel, propped up to face the biggest windows in the little studio room. Tilting his head back, he gazed up at the start of his latest painting--one of Max. He enjoyed painting pictures of living things, though it was something he rarely did. Landscapes were his specialty.

A long, satisfied sigh escaped his slightly parted lips. He savored the cool feeling of the old wood against his bare legs--when he painted, he typically only wore an old flannel and his boxers. It was simply a habit he’d grown into.

Max gave a small stretch before slowly making his way to an old recliner that sat forgotten in the far corner of the room. Calvin propped himself up on his elbow to watch his furry companion go, chuckling to himself at the way the animal seemed to slink away. He loved the way cat’s fur looked--how it seemed to move like pieces of armor and hold the deepest shadows, they way it bristled at the end, but most of all, how it was impossible to replicate with a paintbrush. Of course, he’d like the challenge of it--that was one of the reasons he started the painting of Max in the first place--but he knew he could never truly capture the complexity of the animal’s fur.

A low gurgling sound put his thoughts on hold. Placing a hand on his stomach, he gave it a small pat and sighed.

“Guess it’s meal time, buddy.”

Though his stomach growled again--this time more loudly--Calvin didn’t bother to get up. He knew there was no real food in his apartment, aside from some dill pickles and iced tea. He was also well aware that his wallet was painfully empty, having spent the last of his dollars on food for his feline friend.

Rolling onto his stomach, he propped himself up on his elbows and stared at Max.

“Mind sharing some of your food with me, pal?”

As if to answer, the kitten gave him a curious look before letting out a fierce sneeze.

“Fine, fine,” Calvin said, smiling, “I’ll just supplement my body with all the nutrients of a few dill pickles and tap water.”

With leisurely movements, he sat up, cross-legged. A quick glimpse at the wall clock told him he’d missed his usual supper window.

“What should we call a meal between supper and breakfast, Max?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder. “Suppfast? Breaker?”

As he was listing off his ideas, the flat-sounding doorbell went off. The two looked at each other for a moment.

“Alright, alright, I’ve got it,” Calvin said at last, getting to his feet. Max tucked his nose under his paws contentedly as his master left the room.

Stepping through his small apartment, Calvin quickly reached his front door. Being the trusting citizen he was, he swung the door open and smiled at his unknown guest--though he had a hunch as to who it was.

“Good evening, Gabi.”

Gabriella fumbled with her hair for a moment, speedily twirling a strand around her index finger. “Hey--” Glancing down at his legs, she quickly covered her eyes and stepped away. “Put some pants on, Calvin! What the hell!”

Calvin simply smiled and stepped out of the doorway, making room for his guest to enter. “What can I do for you?” he asked as he stepped into his bedroom.

“I came by to tell you I’m going out of town for a while,” he heard her reply from the other room.

“You couldn’t just call me?” he teased sweetly.

“Yeah, well, if you’d ever answer your phone before the eighth ring, then maybe I might!”

He could tell by her tone of voice that he’d made her embarrassed again.

“Where are you going?” he asked, slipping into his last pair of clean slim-cut jeans.

“I’m going to visit some friends in Arizona for a couple of days.”

“One or two?”

“More like five or six.”

“Wouldn’t that be several, then?” he said, returning to the living room where she stood.

Gabi glared at him for a moment, clutching her purse. “Excuse me, Mr. I-Can’t-Even-Wear-Pants-In-My-Own-House.”

Calvin smiled as he looked her over. He loved the way her hair took on the color of the lighting, even in the dim yellow lights of his apartment. He felt his lips curl up more so upon seeing she was wearing a dress.

“You look very nice tonight, Gabi,” he said plainly, sliding his hands into the depths of his pant pockets. “Is there something special going on?”

At this, Gabi’s face flushed a light shade of crimson as she began to twirl a strand of her hair again. “Well, I figured, since I’m going to be gone for a while, we could go out for dinner tonight.”

“That sounds great.”

“You might want to put some shoes on, then.”

Looking down at his feet, Calvin realized they were bare. He was so used to them being that way that he sometimes forgot to wear shoes at all.

“Guess you’re right,” he said apathetically. Returning his gaze to his company, he gave a warm smile. “Where do you want to go?”

Gabi shrugged, finally having stopped her hair twirling. “I don’t really care. I thought I’d let you decide, though I might live to regret it.”

Calvin gave no immediate answer, instead returning to his bedroom in search of a pair of shoes and socks. He rummaged around in the dark for a while without any success, having only found fingerless gloves and a few beanies. After a while he heard the light switch flick on, allowing him to see better.

“You really should clean up more,” Gabi said, leaning against the doorframe to the bedroom. “How do you even know what’s clean and what’s not?”

“Left side of the room is clean, right side is dirty,” he replied.

“You do realize you’re looking on the right side?”

Standing up straight, for he had been hunched over during his search, Calvin surveyed his room. “Well, that explains it.”

“There’s a clean pair over here,” Gabi said, pointing with her foot. “Put them on and let’s go--I’m starving.”

 

* * *

 

“I can’t believe you dragged me to a Chinese restaurant,” Gabi grumbled.

Calvin smiled. “Just take in all the sounds and smells. It’s wonderful here.”

Upon Calvin’s request, the two had gone to Cheng Hwa’s for dinner. The restaurant was small and quaint, decorated in ancient Chinese items. It was the smell, though, that always brought Calvin back.

Spices far too exquisite and exotic for him to know the names of graced his senses as he inhaled deeply--soy sauce was the only smell he really recognized. Then came the sweeter smells of fresh egg rolls and hot dumplings, all of which made his mouth water. The smell of rice--which he could never quite explain to anyone--was one of his favorites; fresh, clean, and authentic. The various scents of cooked meat were nice, though they weren’t particularly his favorite.

“What are you going to get?” he said at last, having heard her fingers drumming impatiently on the tabletop.

“I don’t know,” Gabi snapped. “I don’t know what any of this stuff is on the menu.”

“Just get some egg rolls and rice,” Calvin suggested. “They’re delicious.”

“What’re you getting?”

“Mushu pork.”

“What? Mushu pork?” she said, looking rather confused. “Isn’t that the dragon thing from Mulan? What is it, dragon pork?”

Calvin laughed quietly at her comment. “No, it’s not dragon pork. I don’t really know what it is, but it tastes good.”

Gabi stared at him. “You don’t even know what it is you’re eating?”

He shook his head. “Nope.”

Before she could reply, a waiter came to get their orders. The two gave their requests and the waiter was on his way again. Gabi preoccupied herself with reading the placemat while Calvin shifted his gaze toward the window on his right.

It was a beautiful, cloudy evening. The sun was already well into the process of setting, casting long, exaggerated shadows over the city. The flow of people outside thinned to a slow trickle, though the amount of cars seemed to double. He watched the daring pedestrians dart out before fast moving cars, chuckling every now and then when an angry driver would lay on their horn.  He wanted to paint a picture of the setting--it was picturesque and calming to him. Maybe while Gabi was gone he’d come back with his easel . . .

“Your orders,” the waiter said, carrying a large red tray. “Spring rolls and rice for the lady, and Mushu pork for the gentleman.”

“Xie xie,” Calvin said, giving the man a small bow.

The waiter smiled, clearly pleased by the notion. “Búkèqi,” he replied as he bowed.

“What, suddenly you’re fluent in Mandarin?” Gabi asked, picking up one of her spring rolls.

Calvin smiled peacefully. “Of course not. I only know English and a little German.”

Gabi raised an unconvinced eyebrow. “Really? Then say something in German.”

“Hm . . . du suchst schön dieser Abend. Something like that.”

“What did you just say?”

He grinned, taking a bite of his Mushu pork. “How’re your spring rolls?”

“What did you say, Calvin?” Gabi asked again, no longer sounding impressed.

“I said you look beautiful tonight,” he replied; his grin subdued into an affectionate smile.

Gabriella blushed and looked down at her spring rolls, suddenly very preoccupied with them. “O-oh, well, um . . . thank you.” Looking back up, she made a face. “What are you doing?”

“Hm?” Calvin said. He was picking off small pieces of pork and placing them on his napkin.

“What’re you doing with that pork?”

“Oh, I’m taking some home for Max,” he replied plainly, seeing nothing wrong with it.

Gabi scoffed. “You think he’ll like that spicy Chinese food?”

“I think he will. He’s a lot like me,” Calvin replied with a smile.

She rolled her eyes and took a bite of another spring roll. “I think I’m almost going to miss your crazy antics when I leave . . . almost.”

Author's Note

Please let me know if you find any notable errors, and thanks for reading! =]