by Jeremy Finn
At first, the man just looked at him through the rearview mirror, and then finally said, "What do you mean by odd?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe like some kind of big amphibian or something," Antonio explained, already sorry he even brought up the topic. He knew the guy was going to think he was nuts. It was supposed to be the other way around. Cabbies were usually the nutty ones talking about conspiracies and crazy rumors.
"Oh, you mean chupacabras," the man answered.
"Chupa what?" Antonio asked. The cabby just chuckled in response. "Hey, do you know some special way to the airport? I just saw us pass that sign back there and you better not be trying to get a better fare out of me by taking me the long way," he warned. The cabby remained silent for some time and Antonio grew annoyed. "I told you I'm not going to stand for tricks. If you don't take me directly to the airport, I'm not paying for this ride," he threatened. Still there was silence. "You better answer me!" he shouted. "What's your problem?"
Finally, the cabby mumbled something.
"I didn't hear that," Antonio said with audible frustration. "What did you say?"
The cabby turned his head to face him with bloodshot eyes, "I said, it's rude to leave before breakfast is finished."
Insight
The location of this story is straight out of a real restaurant I went to in San Antonio called Mi Tierra. It is the child of a union between a Mexican restaurant and a Christmas store combined with a creative bakery. Of course, the characters and mythical portions are created, but while I was on the trip that involved dining at the restaurant, I joked with some members of a younger generation about how everything in their generational culture centered around vampires, pirates and zombies. As a bow to this generation, I offer this story of the blood sucking undead rifled with little "factual" tidbits I learned when my brother and I used to read up on myths, legends and UFOs as kids. There is always something fascinating about the unknown, even if it would be horrifying in reality. Anyways, Mi Tierra offered just the right ambiance for such a tale. Check it out yourself sometime at 0430 in the morning. Oh, and try the cow tongue tacos - they're great!
LOVE IS BUT A MEMORY
Lily struggled to emerge from the darkness. She did not know where she was or even who she was, really, but she did feel a strong urge to pull herself toward the hazy patterns of light and muted sounds just beyond her reach. With a dizzying suddenness, they snapped into focus and overwhelmed her unpracticed senses. Understanding was still beyond reach, but it came quickly. I am in bed. This is a hospital. I think I am in Hawai'i. Is my name Lily? Yes, it is. The door opened and a young man in scrubs stepped in with his eyes glued to a clip board. She could tell even without seeing his face he was beautiful. As he neared her bed, she noticed a pin he wore on his blouse - a small fox head.
"Oh, you're awake!" he exclaimed with an odd sort of surprised look on his face. He took a step back, then stopped himself and slowly approached her. "How do you feel?"
"I..." Lily began hesitantly. "I guess I feel fine. What is wrong with me? Why am I here?"
"Uh, oh, you don't remember?" The handsome man asked and he gave her a winning smile. "Do you remember me?"
"No," Lily replied as she searched her mind. "Should I remember you? I assume you are a nurse who has been taking care of me."
"Yes," the nurse confirmed and inched over to recline on the edge of her bed. "But I am not surprised you don't remember me. You had quite a traumatic seizure that left you in a comma for some time. Some memory may come back, but you may have lost some for good. What is the most recent thing you can remember?"
"Um," Lily thought hard. "Well, UH played a football game against West Point. I'm not sure why I remember that specifically, but everything after seems a blur."
"Oh wow," the nurse chuckled. "That was like two and a half years ago. I mean, I'm sorry to laugh," he apologized and attempted a more somber expression. "I'm sorry about the memory loss, but at least you seem to be out of the comma. Let me get the doctor. He should run a few tests on you. By the way, my name is Randal." He whipped his cascading hair back with a snap of his head and shot her one more winning look as he strode to the door. Lily felt as if Prince Charming had just woken her from an apple-induced slumber, which brought anticipatory thoughts about future possibilities.
The next few days passed quickly as Lily enjoyed catching up on all the world events she had missed. She had only been in coma about six months, but despite the passing of time, she still could not recall anything more recent than two years ago. The doctor gave her a clean bill of health. He was amazed at her recovery and could not explain why she was suddenly better or, unfortunately, why her memory was not returning. He explained she first came to the hospital because she was in a car accident. She was in the hospital for about a week, recovering from a punctured lung and mild head trauma when she suddenly suffered an unexpected seizure that sent her into the coma. He asked her to stay a few more days for observation, and then he would discharge her from the hospital. She also received word her parents would visit soon. They had been traveling for a business conference her father had to attend and made immediate arrangements to return to the islands after they received news of their daughter's recovery.
The next few days were also intriguing as she became more familiar with Randal. He really seemed to grow on her. He was a great nurse and such a wonderful gentlemen. One night he brought her the usual hospital dinner tray, but embellished the mundane presentation with a small vase of fresh flowers including, of course, a large white lily. Between his rounds, he would take the time to sit on the edge of her bed and regale her with humorous tales of his experiences with nursing. He was witty, charming and, she had to admit, quite cute.
The evening before she was due to be discharged, her parents came to visit. When they entered the room, she jumped out of bed and rushed over to embrace them. It seemed to her like only days since she had last seen them, but the look of joy in their eyes and the slight signs of aging she noticed in their faces stirred her emotions deeply. They spoke at length about the last six months and she asked many questions about the gap of knowledge she still had. She learned the university had accepted her and she was doing well as a freshmen before the accident.
"Oh, I almost forgot to mention," her mother added, "I called Jonathan and he said he would be here tonight."
"How could I miss the opportunity?" a voice asked from the doorway. A young man about her age stood hesitantly with his hands in his pockets. He was an average-looking guy with a nice smile and reserved temperament. Not someone who would catch her eye in a crowd, but still, she felt some kind of connection with him.
"I'm sorry, are you a friend?" she asked, and the youth suddenly looked crestfallen.
"You don't remember?" her mother asked with surprise. "Oh, right. It is almost two years to the day that you met. Oh my..."
"I'm sorry, my memory..." Lily mumbled, apologetic for the sudden change in mood she created and struggling for a way to soothe the uncomfortable situation.
"It's ok," Jonathan assured and stepped inside the room. "I'm sure time will bring memories back to you."
Lily nodded absently. "Yes, but who...I'm sorry."
"Jonathan is your fiancé," her mother explained. "You were engaged shortly before the you fell into your coma."
"I proposed to you here in the hospital, actually," Jonathan said. "I'm afraid it wasn't the most romantic event, but I have treasured the memory all these months since you suddenly lost consciousness."
"Well," Lily began, trying to think about something appropriate to say, "I guess you must be a pretty good guy if I said yes."
Everyone chuckled, including Jonathan, but his eyes showed a latent sorrow still clinging.
"Hey, I missed the joke," Randal said as he came into the room behind Jonathan. "Oh, you're here," he remarked and cast a disapproving glance at the newcomer. "Does she remember you?"
"Not yet," Jonathan replied. He looked a bit intimidated by the
nurse. "But I'm sure she will soon."
Randal eyed him another moment before speaking. "Of course, we will all hope for the best. Ah, Lily's parents! Good to see you both again."
Her parents rose to greet Randal as an old friend. They must have spent quite a bit of time with him as they visited her bedside during her coma. The group remained together the rest of the evening, Randal interrupting often to check Lily's blood pressure or conduct some other test. As she lay alone that night trying to fall into her final sleep at the hospital, her mind refused to be at ease. She had a hard time believing she was engaged to be married. What if her memory did not come back? Should she just trust herself that this Jonathan was the man she really wanted to marry? And she could not shake thoughts of Randal. He seemed so great; so friendly, warm and personable. Jonathan certainly seemed ok too, but was somewhat of a wet sock compared to the nurse. He must be the kind of guy that takes time to appreciate. Or, maybe she just never met anyone like Randal. Oh! It was such a difficult situation! When she finally slept, only images of Randal haunted her dreams - perhaps a premonition?
The next day, Jonathan arrived to pick her up and bring her home. Her parents were at work and they planned to have a welcome home party for her in the evening. As her fiancé wheeled her luggage out the door and down the hall, Randal slipped in the room and caught her by the wrist. An electric jolt shot up her arm causing both delight and guilt.
"Lily, I really enjoyed getting to know you," he said with a shy smile. I hope our relationship can continue, you know." He slipped a folded piece of paper into her palm and gave her a peck on the cheek.
"Everything ok?" Jonathan asked after she caught up to him waiting at the elevator.
"Oh, yeah," Lily replied. They did not talk much on the way to the car and engaged mostly in small talk on the way home. Jonathan seemed to be waiting for her memory to suddenly come crashing back into her head, and then everything would be back to normal.
"Jonathan," she said as he pulled the car up into the driveway, "can I have a serious talk with you?"
"Um, sure, Lily," he replied as he put the car in park and turned to face her. He did have such understanding eyes, but she knew she must do this.
"I am sure we were, I mean are, really in love," she began, "but I am so disoriented now and I honestly feel like you are a stranger." His expression dropped and he suddenly looked like a beaten man. "Please, don't take this the wrong way. It's not you, it's me. I mean, I don't want to stop seeing you or anything. I really want to get to know you again, but I also think it would probably be best if we did not say we are engaged."
Jonathan swallowed hard and stared at the garage door, tears beginning to gather at the bottom of his eyes. "You mean break off the engagement?"
"Yes, I'm sorry," Lily replied, surprised how easily she was able to do this.
"It's not because of that nurse, is it?" Jonathan shot back as he glared at her with moist eyes. A single tear rolled down his cheek and he wiped it quickly away as if trying to hide it.
"No, no!" Lily protested, again with a pang of subtle guilt. "What ever makes you think that? He was just my nurse."
"Well, I just thought before that..." Jonathan backtracked, clearly remembering his trust and love for her. "...I don't know he just, well...never mind. But you have to promise to keep dating me until your memory returns, huh? It has been so hard living without you even though I can visit and see you any time. Please don't make me suffer your absence any longer."
"Yes, yes, of course," Lily comforted. "We'll keep dating for sure. I just need some time, ok?"
Jonathan nodded briskly, the tears seeping back into their wells.
"So, come over tonight for the party, right? There may be other friends I don't remember who you might need to introduce to me."
Jonathan managed a smile. "Sure, you can count on me. You can always count on me."
Lily watched him drive away from the living room window. So curious - why had she fallen for a guy like him? He was nice enough, but seemed so...normal. Not strong and confident like - but no, she was not going to make comparisons. They were both people she, for now at least, had just recently met. She felt she needed to approach them both as such and judge as time and experience continued. What would she feel if her memory suddenly came back? Would she consider herself a fool and run back into Jonathan's thin arms, or would her eyes be opened? Would she see a path she had not known before? At any rate, it would probably be a good idea to give Randal a call and invite him to the party. He did deserve thanks after all the attention he had shown her, and it would give the boys a chance to get to know each other and realize they could probably be good friends.
Lily's parents threw a grand backyard party for all her friends and family, most of whom she did recall. They spent hours telling her stories about funny or embarrassing moments she missed over the last two years. Both Randal and Jonathan showed up, but they seemed reluctant to speak to each other and Jonathan kept eyeing the kind nurse. They both seemed eager to dominate the conversation with her, but competition was fierce as many of her aunts and cousins and other extended family had not seen her in a while and lined up to tug her ear for some time. She noticed as she caught glimpses of them between family that Randal was doing fine on his own. He made friends easily and spent his time patiently chatting up some of her girlfriends. Jonathan, on the other hand, seemed less comfortable with her friends and actually spent most of his time following her parents around talking to them. It was probably good that they shared a good relationship, but it did make him seem to be a bit of a wall flower.
The night came to a close faster than she expected and she was soon bidding farewell to both suitors. Jonathan thanked her politely for the party and expressed once again how grateful he was that she had recovered. He leaned in for a peck on the cheek, but Lily recoiled out of instinct since she still felt shy around the fiancé she barely knew. He seemed upset at first, but quickly composed himself.
"Can we do something tomorrow night?" he asked in an injured tone.
"Sure," Lily replied, happy to take the opportunity to assuage his embarrassment. "What were you thinking?"
"How about dinner in Chinatown?" he offered. "I'll take you to the dim sum place where we had our first date."
"That sounds wonderful," she agreed and was happy to see his face light up again.
About ten minutes after Jonathan left, Randal tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey, I have to get back to the hospital. My shift is going to start."
"Oh, I'm so sorry we didn't have more time to talk," Lily apologized.
"No, it's ok, I guess," he sighed. "I really would like to get to know you better, but I know you have a lot of friends and family you have to talk to. You'd probably never hear the end of it from your folks if you slighted them to spend time talking to some nurse you just met."
"No, no," Lily protested. "You're not just some nurse. You are a wonderful man who made me feel happy while I was struggling to recover from my loss of memory. Thank you."
"Hey, no problem," he said with a golden smile. "You are worth it. Besides, I have the night off tomorrow. How about we do something together?"
"Oh, well," Lily hesitated thinking of her plans with Jonathan.
"Oh come on," Randal pressed, "I don't get evenings off very often and you do kinda owe me," he teased with a fringe of seriousness.
"Ok, I guess so," Lily relented. "But I already have plans so it will have to be a group event, if you don't mind. I think you will like my friend anyways. We are going to meet at Legends in Chinatown," Lily explained as she reasoned with her conscience this would be a good chance to have the two men in her life realize they could be on good terms with each other.
"Oh, I see," Randal teased again. "It may get a bit dry with just boring old me around, huh?"
"Not at all," Lily said, slapping him playfully on the chest. "You are a very interesting, fun person. I just made a promise already. So don't worry about it, ok? We'll have fun."
>
"Ok, but one condition," Randal conceded. "Meet me half an hour early so we can stroll along the riverside and talk a bit."
"Very well, Randal," she said and pushed him playfully out the door. "Half hour early and you promise to be nice to my friend, ok?"
"Could you imagine me being anything but nice?" he joked as he strolled arrogantly down the driveway to his car. She watched him go. While she did, she found herself wondering what kind of job Jonathan had. The thought did not occur to her before, but it was suddenly tugging at her curiosity. She would have to ask him tomorrow night.
Lily spent most of the next day in therapy at an outpatient clinic. Everything was going very well, health wise, but she still could not remember a single detail from her last two years. She looked forward to dinner with Jonathan since he might be able to jog her memory and reveal more about the guy who she once thought great enough to marry. She had to admit, too, that she was excited about spending some time with Randal.
Lily arrived early in Chinatown and parked near the river. It was not really a river, but that is what all the locals called it. It was more or less a drainage canal that ran from one of the deep valleys inland down to the coast and through Chinatown just before emptying into the crystal cold waters of the Pacific. At random intervals, arched bridges crossed the waterway. They were clad with oriental tiles and stone lanterns. Restaurants, Asian groceries, herb shops, tea houses and of course souvenir stores ran uninterrupted along both sides of the canal.
It was a beautiful evening. The sun was dipping below the ridges on the west shore and the puffy tall clouds hung over the endless sky like billows of orange cotton candy suspended indefinitely. The jade green mountains to the north rose over the small but busy city and she could smell the fresh briny ocean just a few blocks to the south.
Lily only had to wait on a bench by the canal a few minutes before Randal surprised her.
"Remember me?" he kidded as he slipped a bouquet of flowers in front of her face from behind the bench. She turned to face him with a broad smile.
