CAFE AU LAIT

"Give us a minute", Sheena chirped, as Goldtooth gave a cursory nod and went off with her other chores. "What the hell is a Tagine...how do you pronounce it, TAG AIN? Why can't they stick to simple English", muttered Jings as she perused the menu. "Oh my Lord, eighteen frigging bucks for an organic soya lassi? What's the bloody world coming to!" echoed Sheena.

As they continued their idle chatter, all of a sudden, Sheena exclaimed, "Acks, don't turn around, but guess who just walked in?", and Jings peered through her reading glasses the way a professor stares at wayward students who had made some smart arsed remark. "Who", she asked, resisting all the urge to suddenly turn her neck with the obvious risk of whiplash. Patience and the ability to be kept in suspense was not one of her fortes. "It's that bitch, Datin Mina", Sheena said, placing her forefinger at her lips mimicking the silence signal, lest Jings leapt out of her chair and clawed the woman. "Haha, don't worry Sheens, I'm not about to create a scene here, she's simply not worth it", Jings said reassuringly. Fortunately the new arrival was ushered to a different corner of the cafe, behind the pianist and was no longer in the line of sight of either one of them.

"So, how is Moondog and his grand plans for you know what?", asked Sheena, when they were interrupted again by Goldtooth, who mechanically but yet pleasantly chirped, "Ready to order ladies?". After taking their order of a non fat latte and a chamomile tea, plus some biscotti on the side, Goldtooth tottered off with her business, as the two resumed their conversation. "What did you just say?" Jings said absentmindedly. The mobile phone at the next table suddenly rang with the most annoying ring tone, of a cockerel crowing, which nearly made Jings jump out of her chair. "Now that's a ring tone for the deaf", Sheena laughed. The phone belonged to an equally obnoxious gentleman, who had no qualms shouting out his entire life history for all the cafe to hear. In that few seconds, the girls discovered their neighbour had a 10pm appointment for a massage at Siu Siu Massage Parlor, was going for drinks at Luna Bar after that, and was flying off to Hanoi the next day for a meeting with his contractors. "They really should monitor who they allow into these establishments", Jings said with a quasi snooty sneer.

"You were asking about Moondog", said Jings. Sheena nodded as she continued reading the menu.