I'm crying inside.

I’m crying inside. That’s the title of the story and that’s how I’ve felt for a long time. I’m a waiter at this dead beat restaurant in this bustling city. Ironic that we have barely anyone who enter our restaurant; but I don’t blame them because I wouldn’t too. My uncle is in charge of this restaurant and there was a day when he told me to stand at the opening doors with some flyers.

I told him “Do I really have to? Barely anyone wants to enter our restaurant. It’s so old and kinda musty here. Besides, everybody’s going to the mall up the street. There’s like burger, fries. A freaking triple beef burger with onion rings…”

Instead he said “Your parents entrusted you to me and whatever I say, you do. Now go and pass flyers.”

I made a face at him. My uncle was a chubby dude with a round stomach and a goatee. Maybe, he had consumed the left-over food in the fridge because of stress. I grunted and sighed so heavily that I was sure that the stained yellow floor  felt it.

So, there I was. I extended my hand out and tried to pass flyers. Of course, no one wanted to take my flyers. You know that moment whenever you see someone trying to hand out flyers and you spot the flyer guy at the corner of your eye and you take a detour? I wished that there was a kind soul who would free my from this flyers. But, the world was cruel. My chest tightened up. The temptation to crumple these flyers and run for the hills caressed me. My nose started to hurt, the sinuses building up. Why did my parents have to send me here? I mean I know that I might have spent too much money there and there but what was there to life than spending on things that made you happy? Spending on entertainment. Maybe, I was spoiled but still. I didn’t want to end like my parents. A couple of law abiding, boring, straight citizens who followed each and every instruction from their parents. My uncle wasn’t that great either. He decided to follow his passion of cooking but from what I’ve seen, the dude is poor and probably has no girls lusting over him. I just wanted to have all that money so that I don’t have to worry about anything.

As I had an inner monologue being broadcast on an imaginary screen in my big juicy brain, a girl suddenly took a flyer from my stack. She was surrounded by a bunch of girls. This was surprising. Not in a million days would I’ve thought that there would be someone who took the flyers.

She then said “Wow, this looks interesting. So delicious. Oh my god, that chicken looks so ughhh”

“Oh wow, that soup looks so amazing. Aaah I’m so hungry that I could eat someone but of course, I wouldn’t because that’s just cannibalism. Hey June, let’s eat here”, said one of the girls to the girl who had picked up the flyer.

Her name was June. Cool. Name of months. I found it a bit strange but I could care less as I lead them through  the restaurant. Maybe, things would get more interesting now that we had customers. My uncle beamed up and smiled with gaps and all in his teeth but the girls didn’t mind and smiled back while they told me their orders. I quickly scribbled all of their orders down and ran towards to my uncle. For the first time in my time here, I saw the fire blazing and soaring high as my uncle cleaned the pan and then started the most satisfying sizzling I heard as the meat met against the steamy exterior of the pan. My mouth was wide open agape, water streaming down from my teeth.

“Yano, you’re drooling”, said my uncle. I swallowed my saliva back. As he was cooking,  I stood there waiting in anticipation. Suddenly, the doors opened but there was no one there. The wind was sure strong today.

Then, a purple spirit appeared before us, mouth slobbering with yellow liquid and eyes of nighmares. He roared with fury, scaring the girls off as they tried to run towards the entrance. But, the spirit was like a huge sea that covered the sunlight from coming through the windows.

“Yano, take my other wok!”

“Huh?” I said. “What do you want me to do with a freaking wok?”

“Just hold on to the grip and turn it. Take it now, Yano before my shop gets destroyed!”

I took a wok from the kitchen table and as I turned the handle in my hands, it transformed into a golden MK 14 rifle. There was no time to think as I hit the trigger and shot through the spirit. The bullets pierced through the spirit who then roared towards me.

“Turn the barrel of the gun, Yano.” said my uncle as he started stirring the tom yam soup, the fragrance and the spiciness flowing into my nostrils.

I turned the barrel of the rifle and suddenly, a golden katana appeared in my hands. I took the katana and then slashed against the body of the spirit. He took hold of my blade but I ripped out of his floaty hands, jumped up and then slashed at the spirits head. The spirit stood there as still as the ground then dissipated into nothingness. It was at that moment when my uncle lay the different dishes which included tom yam soup, roasted chicken, rice and my uncle welcomed the girls who then came forward to consume the dishes. The fear that had permeated the air just moments ago had evaporated as the girls drank the soup and ate heartedly. As they ate, we could heard excited discussions regarding the food and sounds of pleasure from eating. I felt a strange sense of satisfaction as they then paid and left in happiness. Perhaps, this job was not bad and although my uncle was poor, it seemed that he was happy doing what he wanted to do.

“ Why did a spirit come to our restaurant just now, Uncle?” I asked my uncle a few moments afterward.

“Because my cooking is too good”, he chuckled.

“So why are our ratings so low?”

“Because of the spirits. But, now that I have you, perhaps things might be better especially now that I don’t have to divide my time between fighting and cooking. I’m sure your parents are proud of you after I tell them of today. “

“Can I work here for the rest of my life, Uncle?”

“Sure thing. Welcome. Perhaps, I’ll teach you how to cook at the same time” my uncle chuckled as he patted me on my shoulders.

And that was the end of the day where I began my new life in my uncle's restaurant.