The Nundo's

    10 years later

“Phew”

Colette sighed to herself. The had a lot less than its normal population on the day – two days to new year, as families were at their homes preparing for the new year’s activities. 

Her family had moved from Clentford city two years ago when her father, Argus, left his office work there to open a restaurant in the more accessible San Antonio city, together with her mother, Mia. 

It was run by the family and Colette had also been helping out with work whenever she finished from school for the day, although, given it was a holiday, she was usually helping out for more hours.

The restaurant was named ‘Nundo’s Restaurant', from their surname, and was a bungalow building with some space for parking in-front before it joined the main road.

“Why don’t you go home and relax Col, you’ve been working unnecessarily harder than you should you know, and Clement’s the only one at home, so you could invite Chloe over,” her mother said, standing beside her daughter behind the counter.

Her mother had crimson-coloured eyes, just like her daughter, and had a slender build with medium height, and a black pixie-cut hairstyle, with the top spikes dyed blonde.

 The two were wearing their white aprons, which had ‘Nundo’s’ printed on its front in red, worn over their blouses, and both wearing blue jeans – her mother’s was a boot-cut.

“Yea, mother, the restaurant’s rather full today,” Colette replied to her mother sarcastically.

“He-he, don’t make me laugh, looks like it’s only our family that hasn’t got any plans eh, although your father’s taken off from the restaurant to go watch football. Haaa, hope his team looses.”

They both giggled, as Colette untied the bow of the apron at the back and removed it. She then went into the changing room and placed it folded on the cupboard.

“Hope you’ll manage mum, won’t be back here until tomorrow,” she said as she came out of the changing room and closed its door.

“You betcha,” replied her mum.

“There’s food wrapped in cellophane in the refrigerator, should be enough for you and your younger brother, just microwave it and eat up”.

“Got it, bye,” “yea bye”. Mia sighed as she looked at the customers in the restaurant, then at the clock behind her. It was just 2:15pm, and that was usually the peak time when people came in to have their lunch. A customer approached her on the counter to make a order and she snapped back into action as she then began to serve her customer.

Colette made her way back home by foot, as it was just a ten minutes walk from the restaurant. The streets were still decorated, with Christmas lights wound doing trees and all sorts of decorations lining the edges of houses and their doors.

Winter snow also covered roofs and the edges of streets, and some were hanging on the deciduous tree branches whose leaves had fallen. But the snow’s covering wasn’t as thick as usual, as the winter’s temperature wasn’t as low as in previous years, even the summer was unusually hot.

The road wasn’t very busy, as Colette had her hands in the pocket of her black coat, given she didn’t have any gloves on. She wore a brown muffler around her neck that matched her brown boots. She had black natural hair, but dyed it silver a long time ago, so the natural root colour of her are visible.

“Col!”

Colette heard a familiar voice call her name as she approached her house from the one beside it.

“Oh...howdy Patience?”

“Good, you coming from the restaurant? You’re quite the hard worker you know.”

Colette smiled as she continued talking and walking towards her house.

“Ha, says the one who just got a break from the florist’s shop eh, don’t tease me Pat,” Colette replied, laughing, as she mounted the stairs to her doorstep and stopped.

“Yea, atleast I got a holiday break, and since Christmas eve by the way,” said Patience, in a rather cheeky mood. Patience was Colette’s neighbor next door who worked part-time at a florist’s shop in their neighborhood.

“Hmm, lucky you, well I’m starving, see you in a bit Pat,” said Colette.

“Could have eaten in the restaurant you know…and she shuts the door, tsk,” remarked Patience.

“Hey Chris!”

Her junior brother was playing video games when she entered the house.

“Not now sis, gotta clear this damn level first, been on it since.”

“And since is how long, bet you ain’t hungry then eh,” Colette said as she made her way to the refrigerator.

Clement suddenly realized how hungry he was and paused the game, held his tummy with his left hand and his black hair with his right.

“Alright sis, I’m hungry, argh, how long have I been on the damn console?”

“Don’t ask me that Chris, and come join me here,” Colette said as she headed to the kitchen.

“Hmm, it’s rice, and soy sauce,” said Clement.

“Bring a pan, lemme warm the sauce, you put the rice in the oven. Hope there’s still some orange juice.”

After they had warmed their food, they set the table and sat to eat.

“The crossover at the city square’s gonna be quite the event won’t it?”

“It always is, Chris, and if you’re gonna ask me if I’m coming, then yes. Although I suspect mum and dad will go there first,” Colette replied.

“Ha, only wish grandpa came to celebrate Christmas with us, what’s the point coming the day after new year, the geezer’s starting to become the killjoy you know,” said Clement.

“Wish pa would hear you say that, he’d give youba good ol’ story,” Colette replied, with food in her mouth.

“And I’ll simply throw the tantrums of ‘the spoilt last born,' show some couple cute faces, and scram he-he,” he giggled.

“Ha, that shows how far you’ve grown, perhaps why I keep getting the most goodies whenever he comes around,” she said, “especially in the restaurant,” she whispered to Clement, who was eating opposite her.

“No fair you know, could have sworn I was getting more”

“Well sorry bro, beat you on that one,” she said, with a smirk on her face.

They finished their food and cleaned up their dishes, and then proceeded to watching a movie.

Words from the TV speakers filled the living room. Clement had fallen asleep on Colette’s left arm. She turned her head up to check what the time was and realized time had passed without her knowing.

“Ha,” she sighed. “This holiday’s boring.”

Just then, the door opened and in came both her parents, her mother looked tired and her father’s face looked like he had just won a lottery.

“Well, looks like the new year will be good for me ha-ha,” he bellowed.

“Mum, they won?” Asked Colette.

“Hmm, the blues just don’t know when to lose, your dad was all hyper in the restaurant after the game, atleast got the men talking. I – am going to sleep, already had dinner back at the restaurant.”

“Come on boo, its just past ten,” said Argus.

“Ha, and I’ll have you know, that you left me all alone watching football and making small talks all day, while I worked my ass off in the kitchen, so, it’s all on you boo, tsk,” she snapped at him.

“Well I’m gonna continue binge watching the series, so….”

Just then, Clement started to wake up, and after sleepily standing up, he rubbed his eyes and greeted his parents “goodnight,” and off to bed he went.

“Well, there he goes, looks like you kids had enough to eat. Yaawwwnn, goo nai gais,” she said while yawning.

“Say, where dyu want to go on new year’s day?” Asked Argus.

“Hmm, just gimme the cash, will make do,” Colette replied nodding.

“Thought you’d say so naughty girl, should have asked your brother.”

“Chris’ reply would be no different you know, you tend to take us to the most boring of places, like when we went camping at a place with no service.”

“Having network would have defeated the purpose girl, and besides, I asked this time. Looks like you passed up a good opportunity.”

“Doubt it pops, doubt it.”

“Hmm,” Argus replied, rubbing his daughter’s hair.

“Stop it pops, I ain’t a kid anymore you know, and more over my hair costs a lot on maintenance,” she said as she brushed off her father’s hand from her hair.

“Ok Col, have it your way, just remember your brother’s name is Clement for goodness' sakes”

“And I’ve told you, it’s just a pet name pops, go sleep, mum’s gonna make you work your ass off tomorrow. In fact, guess I’ll go sleep now,” she said as she got to her feet and put off the TV.

“Night pops” she said, as she went ahead of her father.

“Night baby girl,” he her father replied, as he proceeded to turn off the lights in the house and lock the windows and doors, before heading off to sleep.