The kindest word I could have to describe this restaurant would be pretentious. I think I am just spoiled from eating every day the past week at the Sunrise Diner. This is I suppose, a nice enough place, but the tables are a little too close together, the music, a mix of recent pop and eighties nostalgia, just a little bit overbearing and the clientele is made up of the staunchly middle class brunch crowd, all underdressed in T shirts, shorts and flip flops, several trailing their small entitled offspring. It is evident how much I love children, and I can't say I care for them much, but someone has to do it. This is more like breakfast number two. I am enjoying a cheese and spinach frittata, Carl is digging into hotcakes, bacon and eggs, and Francois is working on an order of French toast with sausages. We have been pretty quiet since we all sat down. And clearly the meaning and momentum of our trip is starting to weigh on us. Or, should I say, I imagine we are all asking ourselves the one and same question: What the hell am I doing here?
Carl breaks the silence, shouting just a little bit over the music and tiresome loud patrons' din.
"Aren't you still moving back to Montreal?" he asks Francois.
"That's an ace I'm keeping in my back pocket for now."
"Meaning."
"I'm not sure how to express this in a way that doesn't sound trite or insincere, but I actually really l feel connected to both of you right now, and first, before anything else, I want to see where that goes.We are away from the familiar environment of your mansion, Carl, so I think especially for you these two weeks together in Vancouver could make it or break it."
Carl continues to thoughtfully shovel more hotcakes into his mouth, then after masticating with an almost exaggerated solemn air he says, "Dibs that being away from that nuthouse makes all of us."
"It could still be an adjustment", say I. "We have also been used to all the space and the other people, not to mention the rustic isolation of the place. We are going from there to the confines of a modest size three to four bedroom eighty-five year old house in a residential neighbourhood. It is a nice area, and quiet, but we are also going to be all together in my house."
"And your word will be law?" says Francois, winking and clearly restored to his characteristic good humour.
"Until it is really clear to us what we are doing there, you will both be there as my guests..."
No comments:
Post a Comment