Feel This Moment
Crazy Chinatown
Chinatown was sort of busy. Ellie was quietly having a minor panic attack in the cab but Matt didn’t seem to notice; he was fishing for change for the driver, something she would have done if her hands were clutching each other. Once they reached Kensington Market, they hopped out and slowly made their way towards the centre. Kensington Market was a big block, and Ellie could remember a time when she and Nate would walk the whole thing, and come home with bags and bags of easy and cheap Chinese delicacies, especially hand-made ramen noodles. “Ellie?” Matt had already gotten out and paid; he waited for her to get up and out of the cab.
“Coming!” Ellie squeaked, scrambling from the cab in a flurry of awkward movements. Matt smiled gently at her as she rubbed her knee; she banged it getting out. Then, he looked around, in awe of what Toronto was hiding. He had always been a sucker for big places and this was a big place. “Where do we wanna go?” He asked, turning around to face Ellie. She didn’t seem quite so comfortable. Furrowing his brows, he made a move to reach out to her, then remembered what Collin had told him. ‘Don’t touch.’ “Ellie?” “Ah! Uhm,” blushing, she wrapped her arms around herself and began walking in an easterly direction. “This way.”
The two of them walked in a slow walk down the line of vendor’s selling clothes, toys, handbags and shoes. Matt picked up a purse he thought Cass would have liked, setting it down with a sad smile. Ellie didn’t touch anything, walking as far as she could from Matt but close enough that she wouldn’t accidentally touch or brush against someone. The streets weren’t crowded, but there was enough of a crowd to make the small girl wary of her surroundings. She took Matt through the streets, finally stopping at a small café that sold some of the best bubble tea around.
“What’s this place?” Matt asked, as he followed Ellie up the stairs. “It’s a bubble tea café.” She explained, as she held the door open for him. “It’s a café but it specializes in tea, especially bubble tea!” “What’s bubble tea?” Matt asked. He had heard of it in California but never gotten any. Ellie seemed almost flabbergasted by his question. In the summer she lived off the stuff! “It’s amazing! It’s like fizzy flavored tea with jello or yogurt balls at the bottom, which makes it even better. I drink the stuff all the time in the summer ‘cos it’s just that amazing!” Ellie’s little outburst had the few patrons inside looking at her, so she ducked her head and blushed, while Matt smiled.
He went to the front and gazed at the massive 50+ bubble tea item menu, lost for what to do. Cass would know. “Ellie? What do you want?” He asked her, spying her at a table for them to sit at. “Green tea with jello balls!” She replied with a smie. Matt got her a large bubble tea [which by the way – from personal experience – is massive!] and got a simple black bubble tea for himself, heading for the table Ellie had picked for them. He was excited to see how much more she’d be willing to open up, and maybe this would coax her from her shell a bit more. “Matt! You didn’t have to, I can – ” Ellie was cut off by his hand shaking. “No, no. My treat. You can buy lunch.” He told her with a grin.
Ellie blushed for what felt like the millionth time.
“So, Ellie. How’d you find this place?” Matt asked her after a few moments of silence. Ellie bit her lip, took a sip of her tea, then shrugged. “Everyone who was born here knows about Chinatown. Didn’t California have one?” Matt shrugged. “That was my sister’s thing, exploring the city, finding friends, couch surfing.” Ellie tilted her head. He had a sister? “Oh, what’s her name?” Ellie asked. “Cassidy. But when she got older, her name got shorter.” Matt chuckled, remembering the day she declared her name – from that day on – was officially ‘Cass’.
Ellie smiled. He seemed so happy talking about his sister, and it sparked a small flame within her; he seemed like he really loved her, and that sparked hope in Ellie’s soul. “Does she live with you?” She asked kindly, genuinely curious as to know all about his sister. Matt’s smile faltered a little at the questions, not sure how to tell her that she was dead. “Uhm. No. She … uh… she passed away about a month ago.” A month. Was that all it was? A month? Ellie’s smile faded too, sensing Matt’s pain. “Oh. That’s awful, Matt I’m so sorry.” Ellie whispered, wanting to reach out to touch Matt. She couldn’t; and the man simply nodded.
“It’s fine. That’s sort of why I moved out here.” Matt didn’t realize he was explaining his life story to Ellie over bubble tea. Ellie didn’t seem to mind. “When she died it was like… something – someone took my heart and sliced it into little pieces. Everyone got a piece and Cass took the biggest part.” He rubbed his face, tattoos straining against his skin. “She took it with her to the grave and I… I just needed a fresh start.” Ellie nodded. That was why she moved back to Toronto as well; a fresh clean start away from Nate. Matt finished his bubble tea and leaned back, realizing he had ruined the mood. “I’m sorry, Ellie. I shouldn’t have – ” “No, it’s fine Matt. I was the one asking.” Ellie replied softly.
Matt smiled kindly. They finished their drinks and left the café, heading for the small markets along the streets. Ellie watched his arms and how his tattoos seemed to fit like puzzle pieces along his arms. She was in love with the art, but did she dare ask about the story behind them? They picked up some groceries [Matt bought them all, he refused to let Ellie pay] as well as some Chinatown specialties [mainly fried dumplings, green onion buns and Chinese cornbread] before they went on to grab lunch. As Matt grabbed a table, Ellie picked up some simple ramen noodles and headed over to him.
“Here we go, Chinatown’s famous ramen!” She said, setting the steaming bowl in front of Matt, before sitting down with her own. For just a few moments it felt like they were the only ones in the quiet café, a feeling Ellie loved. She lifted some of the noodles with her chopsticks; it was shrimp flavored, and she had left Matt’s with chicken, not sure if he would like shrimp or not. They ate in silence, Matt commenting once that it was really good. Ellie beamed, proud that she had gotten him something he enjoyed. Once lunch was over, Matt and Ellie headed for a cab stop. “Today was great, Ellie.” Matt said with a smile. “I had a fun time too,” Ellie replied, and with a slight tense movement, brushed her hand over his arm.
Matt glanced at her hand, then smiled again and hailed the cab. Letting her climb in first, he told the cabbie where to go. The drive home was quiet, but it was a comfortable silence. They reached the apartment complex and climbed out, with Ellie sneaking the cabbie the money before Matt could dig his wallet out. “Coming?” Ellie called to the tattooed California born man, racing towards the lobby. Matt grinned, and chased after her.
“Coming!” Ellie squeaked, scrambling from the cab in a flurry of awkward movements. Matt smiled gently at her as she rubbed her knee; she banged it getting out. Then, he looked around, in awe of what Toronto was hiding. He had always been a sucker for big places and this was a big place. “Where do we wanna go?” He asked, turning around to face Ellie. She didn’t seem quite so comfortable. Furrowing his brows, he made a move to reach out to her, then remembered what Collin had told him. ‘Don’t touch.’ “Ellie?” “Ah! Uhm,” blushing, she wrapped her arms around herself and began walking in an easterly direction. “This way.”
The two of them walked in a slow walk down the line of vendor’s selling clothes, toys, handbags and shoes. Matt picked up a purse he thought Cass would have liked, setting it down with a sad smile. Ellie didn’t touch anything, walking as far as she could from Matt but close enough that she wouldn’t accidentally touch or brush against someone. The streets weren’t crowded, but there was enough of a crowd to make the small girl wary of her surroundings. She took Matt through the streets, finally stopping at a small café that sold some of the best bubble tea around.
“What’s this place?” Matt asked, as he followed Ellie up the stairs. “It’s a bubble tea café.” She explained, as she held the door open for him. “It’s a café but it specializes in tea, especially bubble tea!” “What’s bubble tea?” Matt asked. He had heard of it in California but never gotten any. Ellie seemed almost flabbergasted by his question. In the summer she lived off the stuff! “It’s amazing! It’s like fizzy flavored tea with jello or yogurt balls at the bottom, which makes it even better. I drink the stuff all the time in the summer ‘cos it’s just that amazing!” Ellie’s little outburst had the few patrons inside looking at her, so she ducked her head and blushed, while Matt smiled.
He went to the front and gazed at the massive 50+ bubble tea item menu, lost for what to do. Cass would know. “Ellie? What do you want?” He asked her, spying her at a table for them to sit at. “Green tea with jello balls!” She replied with a smie. Matt got her a large bubble tea [which by the way – from personal experience – is massive!] and got a simple black bubble tea for himself, heading for the table Ellie had picked for them. He was excited to see how much more she’d be willing to open up, and maybe this would coax her from her shell a bit more. “Matt! You didn’t have to, I can – ” Ellie was cut off by his hand shaking. “No, no. My treat. You can buy lunch.” He told her with a grin.
Ellie blushed for what felt like the millionth time.
“So, Ellie. How’d you find this place?” Matt asked her after a few moments of silence. Ellie bit her lip, took a sip of her tea, then shrugged. “Everyone who was born here knows about Chinatown. Didn’t California have one?” Matt shrugged. “That was my sister’s thing, exploring the city, finding friends, couch surfing.” Ellie tilted her head. He had a sister? “Oh, what’s her name?” Ellie asked. “Cassidy. But when she got older, her name got shorter.” Matt chuckled, remembering the day she declared her name – from that day on – was officially ‘Cass’.
Ellie smiled. He seemed so happy talking about his sister, and it sparked a small flame within her; he seemed like he really loved her, and that sparked hope in Ellie’s soul. “Does she live with you?” She asked kindly, genuinely curious as to know all about his sister. Matt’s smile faltered a little at the questions, not sure how to tell her that she was dead. “Uhm. No. She … uh… she passed away about a month ago.” A month. Was that all it was? A month? Ellie’s smile faded too, sensing Matt’s pain. “Oh. That’s awful, Matt I’m so sorry.” Ellie whispered, wanting to reach out to touch Matt. She couldn’t; and the man simply nodded.
“It’s fine. That’s sort of why I moved out here.” Matt didn’t realize he was explaining his life story to Ellie over bubble tea. Ellie didn’t seem to mind. “When she died it was like… something – someone took my heart and sliced it into little pieces. Everyone got a piece and Cass took the biggest part.” He rubbed his face, tattoos straining against his skin. “She took it with her to the grave and I… I just needed a fresh start.” Ellie nodded. That was why she moved back to Toronto as well; a fresh clean start away from Nate. Matt finished his bubble tea and leaned back, realizing he had ruined the mood. “I’m sorry, Ellie. I shouldn’t have – ” “No, it’s fine Matt. I was the one asking.” Ellie replied softly.
Matt smiled kindly. They finished their drinks and left the café, heading for the small markets along the streets. Ellie watched his arms and how his tattoos seemed to fit like puzzle pieces along his arms. She was in love with the art, but did she dare ask about the story behind them? They picked up some groceries [Matt bought them all, he refused to let Ellie pay] as well as some Chinatown specialties [mainly fried dumplings, green onion buns and Chinese cornbread] before they went on to grab lunch. As Matt grabbed a table, Ellie picked up some simple ramen noodles and headed over to him.
“Here we go, Chinatown’s famous ramen!” She said, setting the steaming bowl in front of Matt, before sitting down with her own. For just a few moments it felt like they were the only ones in the quiet café, a feeling Ellie loved. She lifted some of the noodles with her chopsticks; it was shrimp flavored, and she had left Matt’s with chicken, not sure if he would like shrimp or not. They ate in silence, Matt commenting once that it was really good. Ellie beamed, proud that she had gotten him something he enjoyed. Once lunch was over, Matt and Ellie headed for a cab stop. “Today was great, Ellie.” Matt said with a smile. “I had a fun time too,” Ellie replied, and with a slight tense movement, brushed her hand over his arm.
Matt glanced at her hand, then smiled again and hailed the cab. Letting her climb in first, he told the cabbie where to go. The drive home was quiet, but it was a comfortable silence. They reached the apartment complex and climbed out, with Ellie sneaking the cabbie the money before Matt could dig his wallet out. “Coming?” Ellie called to the tattooed California born man, racing towards the lobby. Matt grinned, and chased after her.
♠ ♠ ♠
aah, bubble tea. i need some of dat in mah life rite nao!+squishes all 104 of you+ ilu guys! <3
also i wrote this listening to Harlem Shake.
Yolo right?