Chapter 7 Shrimp Porridge

• Eve
• I went through same routine every morning. Got up around 7 am, wash up, leave for my run. The distance between my house and the store is about 3 miles, the perfect distance for my morning run actually.
• So, I would stop at the store to get ingredient for breakfast. Today is shrimp porridge, it helps with hang over since I’m trying to look out for my mother.
• I exit through the front door, while stretching, getting ready for my run. I walk pass Chris house, but he was nowhere to be found, guess he not a morning person. I starts by jogging, then increase my speed into a run.
• I’ve been running for about 10 minutes, when I feel a tap on my shoulder. I stop and turn around to see the devil himself. Christopher Stuart. I sigh. I swear this guy shows up everywhere.
• “Good morning.” he greet me with a smile that beginning to do thing to me. Something is seriously wrong with me. Why do I have to react this way around him?
• “Good morning.” I greet back, trying to contain 100 mph heartbeat. I slow my pace to a walk.
• “Where are you going?” He asks as he did the same.
• “To the store, get some ingredient for shrimp porridge. What are you doing so, early in the morning?” I ask him, while walking toward the store.
• “I’m out for a run.” He answers.
• “Ok, well, it best to be on your way then.” I urge, trying to shoo him off lightly.
• “No, I will be accompanying you to the store.” Chris said in an optimistic tone. Either he didn't get my message, or he pretend not to get it. I bet it’s the latter. Thick-Skinned.
• “Why?”
• “Because I want to.” I should’ve known. He could just invite himself into my run and my trips to the store. Again, Thick-Skinned. He stops as he gets few feet from me, when notice I wasn't behind him.
• “Come slow poke, if you keep standing there the store might be close before we get there?” He shouts, bring me out of my dumbfounded state. I join him and we starts jogging in the direction of the store.
• We reach the store after 40 minutes of jogging. I went straight for my ingredient, while Chris perused the aisle. We were at the checkout when notice what Chris had bought. Juice and chips, interesting breakfast choice.
• “What up with the juice and chip?”
• “Breakfast. Oh, let me help you with the bags.” He raised his hand for the bags, I thought to protest but, reject the thought because I didn’t want to carry it.
• I handed him the bags and open my mouth to ramble about how unhealthy his breakfast choice was. Not that I care about him, but I can't help it when people make poor choices like that. I continue to ramble and didn’t realize that we were getting close to my house.
• “My god, you sound like my mother and we’re here.” He said cutting me off.
• "Oh ah, ok. Do you want to come inside for breakfast?” I invited for breakfast. He looks at me perplex. “Don’t worried there is no hidden intention, consider this repayment for helping me with the bags. Plus, chips and juice don't fill you, does it?” I clarify.
• “Ok!” He agree and join me for breakfast. “I can help, just tell me what to do.” He offered.
• “You could wash the vegetable; do you know how to?” I instruct to which he nods.
• Breakfast was done in 40 minutes. Since mom was still in bed, I decide to assemble her bowl and brought it up to her while Chris went to use the bathroom.
• “Mom, have some breakfast. I will come back for the dishes after you finished.” She groans before sitting up.
• “Who is here? I heard you guys talking in the kitchen.” she asks.
• “The neighbor, his name is Christopher Stuart. He goes to the same school as me.”
• “Stuart… that sound familiar, but I can’t remember where I heard it before.” She said deep in thought.
• “Ok, well, you can contemplate while eating your food.” I left her to do her thing and went back to the kitchen.
• “Where have you been?” He was already seat, ready to dig but he waits for me. Kind of cute…wait what?
• “I went to give food to my mom; she is inside her room. Well, dig in. What are you waiting for?” I answer, shaking the thought out of my head.
• “Was waiting for you, do you know that its bad manner for the guest to eat before the host.”
• “Wow, I would never take you for one with table manner.” He crosses his arm and give me an angry look as I reach the table and sit down. “My bad, sorry. Well, go ahead before your breakfast is get cold.” I urge him to eat.
• He took a bite, his eye widens, then chew slowly to savor the flavor and then took another bite.
• “How was it?” I ask genuinely curious about how he think of my cooking. I’m always curious when it comes to these thing.
• “This is the best thing I’ve eaten in a long time.” He commented, as he starts eating. I smile at this while staring at him. I was glad that he like it.
• It feels like such a long time since I had breakfast with another human being. I mind went back to all the sad memory of my childhood as tear threaten to fall from my eyes. Chris starts talking again bring me back from my trance state.
• “Hello earth to Eve? What are you thinking about?” he asks while waving his hand in front of my face. I shook my head and look in his direction, to see those blue eye looks straight at me.
• “Nothing. I was just reminiscing about thing of the past. Something I’m not too fond of.” I reply faking a smile, trying to be strong.
• “If you want to, you can talk to me about anything.” He offer but I refuse. Why would I confine in him for personal matter.
• “I’m fine, eat your food it is getting cold.” I change the subject.
• “You’re one to talk and you sound like my mother.” He said with displeasure.
• “Yeah right, I wouldn’t want to have son like you. You’re such a handful; not to mention narcistic and the way you used women for sex and throw them away after. I'm willing bet all the mom of the girl you had a one nightstand with, hate you.” I said accusingly and continue to eat my food.
• “Hey, all those sessions are consensual. To each their own. They give, I take. That all there is to it. Plus, there nothing wrong with releasing the tension every once in a while, am I right?” He said nonchalantly.
• “Well, its different story for you. You did it too often. I bet you would be rich if you run an escort service. All them cougar, be drooling over you.” I joked with him.
• We started laughing at this. Damn, I couldn’t remember the last time I had laugh with someone. We wrap up breakfast just in time for my mom to finish her breakfast. Chris had left claiming he had date today and I was left to do the dishes.
• I'm going to finish the chore, rest for a bit and then go shopping in the evening. It almost my mom birthday and I want to give her a gift. I did this every year and I’m not going to miss it this year.
• Later in the day
• All chores had been done; I check the time: 1 pm. I had made lunch for my mom and plan to grab lunch for myself at the mall. As always, lunch was sat on the table along with a note stating where I was going, then I left.
• I was waiting at the bus stop, when I recognize Chris’s car flying by with the silhouette of a female occupying the passenger seat. He did say he had a date earlier, so that must be her. I sigh audibly, I don’t know why either. The bus come, and I was on my way toward the mall as well.
• I got to the mall look around the whole place but found nothing interesting. I continue to shop around but could not find anything worthy as a gift for my mother. I sigh for the second time today. But I won’t give up and continue to peruse through the different store, trying to find the perfect gift.
• “I would never find anything suitable at this rate.” I whisper in frustration. I'm getting agitated and hungry.
• It had been two hours and I still got nothing. After complaining to myself, I walk past a jewelry shop. I stop in and tell the sale person that I’m looking for something for my mother birthday.
• She mentions that they have a promotion for such occasion, which include designing your own jewelry piece and they can have it done in two days. I would pay regular price for it.
• It works out perfectly because my mom birthday is in four days. I went ahead and made the design. It a bracelet, with 6 pieces of small diamond, 3 on each side.
• The center piece was small bead that spell out “***L.O.V.E .U. M.O.M***” with smaller diamond in between each letter. Silver ring made up the rest of the way around the wrist. After the design was submitted, I went for dinner before going home.