Chapter 76
The meal that Atlanta purchased for me in the noisy, grease-smelling eatery is… greasy, in a not-so-good way. It does not settle well in my mouth, in my throat, and in my stomach, either.
For the first time in my sojourn in this realm, I struggle to finish a meal, keep my composure, and keep the meal contained in my stomach.
The only good part in this experience is the bitter-but-fragrant aroma that vaguely wafts out of Atlanta’s paper cup; “coffee”… which she refuses to share with me.
“I will get you a better one after this,” she writes. “Sorry you dislike McDonald’s. I will not bring you to a junkfood restaurant again.”
And she keeps her promise.
After the meal, we go to a “coffee shop” a few buildings away from the “junkfood restaurant,” to buy the bitter-but-fragrant drink for me.
I can smell the “coffee” long before that, this time. Just as we escape the stench of the “junkfood restaurant,” in fact.
She refuses to select the most fragrant “coffee” for me, instead choosing one that is both lighter in colour and more savoury, but it still serves to coat my digestion system.
Bitter-savoury-sweet. Better than old grease.