Caffe Italiano- Chapter 1

It was typical for Malika to wake up each morning to the sounds of the city: horns honking, sirens blaring, people chatting. It all made her smile. The mood was ruined by her alarm clock going off a minute earlier than scheduled. “Okay, here we go,” She mutters getting out of her plush cocoon and walking to the bathroom.

After completing her business, Malika grabbed two separate towels; one for her body, and another for her hair. Looking in the mirror she tugged on a few strands of her coarse mane. “My hair is so big.” Malika chuckles, as she applied small amounts of makeup. Many people in Staten Island, a conservative place of New York, were curious about her hairstyle. Everywhere Malika went-the grocery store, the shopping mall, even the park–people wanted to touch her hair, or learn the place she was once from.

Not that she had no longer enjoyed attention from strangers, but as time went on, Malika felt annoyed. Malika hurried and dressed in heat layers once she saw the time was diminishing. Malika uses her coconut oil moisturizer to her hair while preparing for her morning shift at“Vinny’s Cafe”. Vinny’s had long gone through renovations, yet, the oldest coffee shops in Staten Island, even after renovations. It was once famous and busy and Malika wanted to represent well by being punctual. Malika made it on time but had to alter her name tag on her uniform while wrapping her apron around waist as she entered the café, which was busy in the morning.

Rumors had it that the cafe's owned by mob bosses who used it as a cover-up for their "businesses". There had been no mobsters striking around, as far as she ought to tell. It used to be a satisfactory area to work because one of her coworkers was Malika's childhood friend, Laeya. Laeya was once a petite woman with jet black hair that stopped at the center of her again and dark brown eyes.

“Good Morning, Kitty Girl,” she said, pretty excited. “Morning to you too, Laeya.” Malika chuckled with her.

Laeya lived in Staten Island all her life. So after meeting Malika and her mother, she helped them with the ins and outs of New York as well as befriending Malika.

“Better get started soon, Mali. You comprehend how Evilena can get,” she said, rolling her eyes. Our manager, Vilena D’ranzo, or as Laeya calls her Evilena, was strict and temperamental. And she tried their nerves.

Malika grabbed a notepad and pen and went to her first table by the front window. It occupied by a man wearing shades, which she found peculiar because there wasn’t any sun. “Good morning sir, Welcome to Vinny’s. May I please take your order?” The man smirked raising his eyebrows. “I'll have a vanilla cappuccino and a blueberry muffin,” he said.

Taken aback, Malika wrote down his order. She could hear the rough Italian accent roll off his tongue. “W-will that be all sir?” She asked as tapping the pen on the notepad. “Yes,” he stated with a smirk.

Malika nodded and walked over to the front desk to supply the order to Laeya. “Mali, you look drained,” Laeya said studying my face. “It’s nothing, I’m fine,” She spoke back with a smile. After a few minutes, she exceeded me the order, Malika thanked her and made her way to the male customer. “Here you go, sir,” Malika said placing his food on the table. Unable to see his eyes, Malika could sense them on her as she set his tray down.

“That will be $5.52,” Malika stated shifting random strands of hair that blanketed her eyes. The man took out $20.00 from his wallet and handed it to her. “Thank you. Have a nice day,” Malika said. As she began to walk back to Laeya, her wrist received a gentle touch, and the man stopped Malika. “Where are you from?” He asked. “ Kingston, Jamaica, sir,” she said, biting the inside of her lip. Malika didn’t understand why she was nervous. He nodded his head and Malika went back to work. “I am so ready to go home,” she heard Laeya mutter, and Malika felt the same way.

Later, Laeya pointed out: “Mali, that guy has sat there for a while now.”She wondered why he hadn’t gone. There was some thrill around him that fascinated her . . . from afar.

Malika looks at her watch and noticed it was almost closing time. Malika chatted with other coworkers until it was time to clock out. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Laeya,” Malika started smiling and waving while taking walks out of the café. Later, Malika was once satisfied went back in the coziness of her home, where she could relax.

Once in her apartment, Malika saw a small stack of medical invoice statements on her coffee table. Malika moved to Staten Island with her beloved mother, Iman Renalwe. Iman discovered that she had lung cancer two years ago. While living in Jamaica, discovering the best chemotherapy was difficult. With determination, Malika moved them both to the States to get the proper treatment.

While looking through the payments and drinking warm lemon and ginger tea, she couldn’t help but think about that man at work. His clothes, his voice; Will he show up at Vinny’s tomorrow? Malika wondered before falling into a slumber wondering about that man.