Breakfast

Chapter Five

       Jason placed the breakfast brought by Karen on the kitchen counter before resuming his work. He was preparing breakfast before she came in, so he just had to continue with that. Karen watched him and she was confused.

       “What are you doing?” she asked and the latter looked at her.

       “Preparing breakfast,” he replied.

       “What happened to the one I brought you?” 

       “Well, I was already preparing one before you came. Didn’t expect me to go to work with an empty stomach, did you?” Jason asked but Karen scoffed.

       “So you’re not going to eat it?” she questioned, her voice colder than normal and her eyes squinted.

       “Of course not. I don’t want a certain tigress yelling how useless I am.” Jason chortled before pouring the eggs into the frying pan. 

       “What do you mean? Have I ever screamed about how useless you are before?” Karen asked and Jason looked at her with raised brows. He didn’t speak as he expected her to figure it out. ‘Silly girl. You do that almost all the time.’ he said to himself but didn’t say after sparing her a glance. 

        “Anyways, how’s grandmother?” He asked but Karen simply tucked her hair on her ears.

        “Go and ask her yourself. She said and she didn’t bother. The room was silent, except for the sound of frying eggs.

        “You haven’t told me what you’re going to do with the breakfast I brought you,” Karen asked again but Jason smiled instead the food he was cooking was ready and he served it on a plate.

        “I’ll eat it of course…” he claimed before smiling at her, “…and you’ll be eating my home-cooked food.” upon hearing this, Karen’s heart skipped a beat and a vein popped from her head.

       “Over my dead body. I won’t be eating that food that has probably been poisoned.” She spat but Jason couldn’t be bothered with her dramatic behavior. If there was something he found joy in, it was in teasing Karen. To him, she looked cute when she was angry and fuming.

       “Come on. Why would I poison my wife,” he claimed. When Karen heard this, she was a bit stunned. Yes, she was married to him but she didn’t like him. But being reminded of that sometimes filled her with both happiness and displeasure. Why didn’t she like him, even though she couldn’t point that out? She just found him annoying. 

     Jason took a spoon of his newly prepared food and inched closer to Karen. “Now open wide…” he said but Karen shot him an even colder look, even though red hues appeared on her cheeks and neck. It was evident that she was embarrassed. Even with this, Jason didn’t stop.

       Suddenly, the unexpected happened. Karen slapped the spoonful of food away from Jason’s hand before getting up abruptly. 

      “And what do you think you’re doing, Jason? Do you think these foolish acts of yours can let you get closer to me? It seems like you don’t know your boundaries at all. I was only here because my grandmother asked me to. I don’t care what happens to your useless ass. You could go die for all I care. I don’t give a fuck what you do with that breakfast.” she yelled before bursting out of the room.

     Jason was so completely stunned by her behavior that he didn’t even know what to do anymore. After a few seconds of shock, he looked at his food and took a spoon before putting it in his mouth. 

     “This is delicious. I’m glad she didn’t eat it. I would’ve missed out on my cooking.” he uttered before gobbling up the food. While he looked oblivious to what had just gone on, he was burning with anger inside him.

     ‘Why did she have to waste that spoon of food? That one spoon could go a long way in some people’s lives.’ he thought to himself.

     After finishing his food, he prepared himself and went to work. He carried the food Karen brought along with him and gave it to an old man on the streets begging for alms. Even though it was Mrs. Jamie who prepared it, Karen’s attitude had already vexed him completely.

                                                                     **********

      Jason worked in a Bakery restaurant in the city. His good cooking skills mostly came from one of his fellow employees. After what he learned from Mrs. Jamie, Eddie taught him a few more ways to cook and how to bake too. 

      As of now, he was working as hard as he could and was using his earnings to keep himself alive and under a good roof. However, rather than see it as a source of living, he found his job as a way to not get bored staying at home. He wasn’t the type to live a rich and extravagant life. He loved simplicity, simplicity with spice.

      He had the choice of staying in the Marco mansion and an amount was given to him by Mr. Marco before he died, but he barely touched it. Even when he did, he would return the amount like he was loaning the money and paying it back.

      Jason wiped the sweat beads off his forehead before looking at a tall lady by his side. She was wearing an apron just like him, but unlike him, her body and hands weren’t covered in flour.

     “Boss… mind if I take a break?” he requested and the man turned to him.

     “Sure. Just don’t take too long.” The Boss exclaimed and Jason excitedly left the kitchen. He ordered a milkshake, as that would help him cool off the heat in his body. 

     “As a worker here, should you still be buying your shakes?” Mary, the receptionist at the counter said. Her long black hair was tied to a ponytail and her sharp blue eyes were quite alluring. She gave off a cheerful demeanor, quite contrary to Karen.

      “Well, if that was the case, wouldn’t the restaurant lose money a bit?” Jason smiled and the girl rolled her eyes. 

      “Always the good and abiding one.” she complimented before giving Jason his milkshake. The latter was just about to take a sip through the straw but his eyes met with the eyes of somebody. Someone familiar, yet distant. Someone he knew all too well, but at the same time, no longer knew. 

      The person too saw him. It was a man in a white suit and putting on a pair of black shades. He took off his shades before giving Jason an arrogant smirk. The latter could not help but frown.

      “What’s he doing here?” he muttered to himself while he clenched his fist tightly. Old memories began to flow into his head again, making him even angrier than he already was. Of all people, this was the last person he’d ever wish to see.