บท 53: Hills Like the White Elephants

The tiny cafe huddled despondent among the huge city buildings. Washed out under the overcast sky, it hunched in itself, fighting against the drizzle. Hundreds of people rushed by it, outside on the crowded street.

As the tears of the clouds started dropping on them, they both realized that they didn't have their umbrella.

Being a gentleman that he is, Arlo awkwardly tried his best to cover Angeal's head with his arm to cover her. The human girl noticed, making her look at him.

Arlo chuckled nervously as he spoke.

"Let's go. Quickly."

The two of them ran towards the Cafe Library. Arlo opened the glass door for their entry, making half a dozen customers glance up as the door swung open, heralded by a blast of cold wind.

Unlike the outside, the interior of the cafe was warm and cheery, with bright lights and colourful walls. The customers returned to their conversations as the door swung closed behind the new entrants and the cold breeze was forgotten.

Square tables, glass tops, menu under glass tops, slow turning ceiling fans above, light classical music, waiters smartly dressed in black and white, terracotta rustic tiled floor, large windows, small vases of yellow carnation flowers on each table, daily specials on a chalk board at entrance... as the two observed the cafe, they found the atmosphere calming and relaxing at the same time.

The two of them found an empty table at the far corner of the cafe. It was beside a bookshelf as well, that was filled with different kinds of books.

Arlo and Angeal walked their way to the table, sat down, then made themselves comfortable. The moment the waitress gave them the menu, the rain started to pour, making the two look outside.

"Hmm... I hope those two are okay. I think they don't have their umbrellas, too," Arlo commented as he looked at the menu he was holding.

Feeling nervous as her heartbeat started beating erratically, she bit her lip and stole a glance of the boy sitting in front of her as she put the menu up to hide her face.

'I'm alone with Arlo...'

She had never been alone with a guy before. The girl looked at her high school crush seated in front of her.

His light brown hair had small droplets of rain on top of it, making some parts of his hair look damp. His brown eyes looked serious as he read the cafe's menu, choosing his order.

Unknowingly, Angeal found herself reaching to him as she wiped the droplets of rain on his hair with her hand, surprising the boy in front of her.

Arlo's eyes slightly widened, staring at the girl slightly standing from where she sat as she wiped his hair with her gentle hands.

"Umm..."

When Angeal heard his voice, she was startled then she quickly sat down on her seat. With her shaking hands, she got her phone from her pocket then typed and showed him her text.

"I'm sorry... your hair had raindrops."

When Arlo read this, he smiled at Angeal, appreciating the small gesture that she did.

"It is okay."

The girl shyly looked at him as she nodded then gave him a small smile. Afterwards she typed in her phone again and showed her a text.

"I have never been here before... is it good here," she asked and Arlo chuckled a bit before answering her.

"The thing is... I suggested this place because I heard it was good but I haven't tried it yet," he answered as he scratched his cheek, feeling slightly embarrassed.

The girl's smile widened as she found Arlo funny for suggesting a place which he hadn't tried it himself yet. She typed on her phone, giving Arlo a suggestion.

"Then this would be our first together. Why not order their best seller for our lunch?"

When Arlo read this, he agreed then he called for the waitress to place their orders. Knowing that it was their first time in the restaurant, the waitress suggested them of their delicious best selling pasta which was pesto, paired with their in demand best selling milk tea, Red Velvet.

As the two were waiting, Arlo got his notes from his bag then laid it on the table for him and Angeal.

"Should we proceed with the homework? Actually while I was waiting for you, I searched about the story. I did some light reading, but I didn't understand the dialogues. Maybe that's why our professor asked us to focus on it."

When Arlo said this, Angeal's eyes lit up as she typed on her phone.

"Wow! I didn't expect you to do a skim on it," she commented, slightly attempting to tease Arlo. The boy laughed a bit as he squinted his eyes at her.

"Are you doubting me, Angeal?"

The girl showed her perfect white teeth as she grinned at the boy in front of her. She typed on her phone again then showed her text to him.

"I didn't expect you to read, honestly."

Arlo shook his head as he started smiling goofily at their simple exchange of conversation.

They just talked now but he found her interesting to talk to already. Somehow, the boy found it exciting and he seems to enjoy that the both of them were left alone together to do the homework.

"Well, I am partnered with a girl whose course is creative writing. I have to make a good impression, you know?"

When Angeal heard this, she beamed once more, making her eyes smaller. She instinctively put her finger in front of her lips as her shoulders shook up and down.

She seemed to be "giggling" at Arlo and if she were to have a voice... it would indeed be a beautiful sight and a joyful sound to behold.

"Well now... let's start," Arlo said as he took his phone from his pocket then opened his browser to search for Hills Like the White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway.

In just a second, they already saw the excerpt on the net, making Arlo click it for them to read. Angeal then got her notebook from her bag then opened it. She poked Arlo to get his attention then she quickly wrote one word on her notebook, as if instructing Arlo to look for it.

"Dialogues."

"Oh, right..."

Arlo scrolled the selection down with his index finger and when he found the dialogues where he got confused, he stopped and showed his phone to Angeal.

"This part."

Arlo and Angeal leaned in closer for them to read the selection on his phone together. When their heads slightly bumped, they smiled at each other then proceeded to read the dialogues in the story.

'I think it's the best thing to do. But I don't want you to do it if you don't really want to.'

'And if I'll do it you'll be happy and the things will be like they were and you'll love me?'

'I love you now. You know I love you.'

'I know. But if I do it, then it will be nice again if I say things are like white elephants, and you'll like it?'

'I'll love it. I love it now but I just can't think about it. You know how I get when I worry.'

'If I do it, you won't ever worry?'

'I won't worry about that because it's perfectly simple.'

'Then I'll do it. Because I don't care about me.'

'What do you mean?'

'I don't care about me.'

'Well, I care about you.'

'Oh, yes. But I don't care about me. And I'll do it and everything will be fine.'

'I don't want you to do it if you feel that way.'

Angeal's eyebrows furrowed after she read the exchange of dialogues. When Arlo saw her expression, he nodded enthusiastically, seeing the wonder in the girl's eyes.

"I looked like that when I read it as I waited for you! The author didn't specify who was talking... but I know they were arguing about something! It gets you thinking, huh?"

Angeal nodded in agreement then she bit the pen in her hand as she wondered.

She didn't expect this selection to be complicated and confusing. Usually authors would specify who was talking but this certain style of writing would definitely make the readers interpret differently and would make them guess what they were talking about.

Angeal got her phone from the table then typed quickly then showed it to Arlo.

"More dialogues?"

"Oh, here."

Arlo scrolled the selection down more to reveal another set of dialogues between the two characters of the story.

'Doesn't it mean anything to you? We could get along.'

'Of course it does. But I don't want anybody but you. I don't want anyone else. And I know it's perfectly simple.'

'Yes, you know it's perfectly simple.'

'It's all right for you to say that, but I do know it.'

'Would you do something for me now?'

'I'd do anything for you.'

'Would you please please please please please please please stop talking?'

Angeal puffed her cheeks as she read the next exchange of dialogues between the two characters of the story.

Still, Ernest Hemingway didn't specify who was talking in the story, leaving the selection open to various interpretations.

As Angeal read the dialogues, she had a few assumptions of sex being involved but as it went on, with the characters specifying that something is "perfectly simple", the girl had another thought of something serious being involved, other than sex.

But what is it?

Arlo laughed at the girl whose eyebrows were connected and cheeks puffy. He playfully poked her cheek, getting her attention.

"Professor Leon already messing our brains up for the first homework, huh," he commented and Angeal nodded furiously but at the same time, she liked the challenge of their homework.

Soon after, their order came, making the two of them put their things aside for the waitress to put their food down on the table.

"Let's brainstorm later after we eat," Arlo suggested and the girl smiled as she nodded, feeling happy that their food had arrived.

Only then that she realized how hungry she was!