Shi Lang rolled his eyes at his aunt and the lady took hold of Amelia’s hand gently and with a soft smile, she said, “I am Mila Mancini, younger sister of Shi Lang’s mother, Luna. I am just ten minutes younger than her. Welcome to the small shop.”
Amelia smiled and said, “Hello, Aunt, I am Amelia. Thank you for having me at your place.”
Mila shook her head gently and said, “Truly beautiful, come I have arranged the best seat in the house for you guys.”
Then she led the couple by their hands to a table placed outside in the balcony. The cafe had a small balcony for itself, it happened to overview the sunset view on the horizon. This seat was the most expensive table in the cafe and it was never free. When yesterday Shi Lang called her and told her that he will be bringing over his girlfriend she decided to not take any reservations for this spot.
A small round table with an exquisite candle stand. Although the candle had undergone tremendous change, from its wax ancestor to becoming a slender marker like a stencil with a light-emitting diode on the tip, giving off a warm light, the vibe was still there.
Mila said, “I will be getting you guys a drink and the food you can order slowly.” with that said, she patted her nephew on the back and left. Shi Lang pulled a chair for Amelia and doing a bowing gesture he said, “Please.”
Amelia chuckled and with a lofty stance sat down on the chair. Shi Lang helped her adjust the chair in a comfortable position before he came to take a chair for himself. A waiter came and asked, “What would you two will be having?”
Shi Lang said, “Amy what will you have?”
The girl said, “You can order, I have yet to taste spirits.” indicating that she wanted to try something new.
The boy smiled and said, “I would like to have a scotch on the rocks and a Mexicano(Mojito futuristic version) for the lady.”
The waiter nodded and left quickly. Amelia said, “How come everything in the world changed except for liquor? This thing is still the same as it used to be in our ancestor’s era.”
Shi Lang said, “Who knows. However, I think it might taste well if they did not change it. You know.” the two of them have never drank hard liquor. The boy might have tasted wine in his past life but that was too old of a memory.
The two chatted as they watched the sunset from the balcony and the waiter had already placed the drinks on the table, and knowing that the two people were having a good time he left after a light cough to indicate them.
The couple raised their glasses and clinked them together and said, “To you.” in unison.
This phrase was an oral acknowledgment that they like each other in their time. This phrase became popular when a big celebrity said this after raising a glass in front of the live broadcast and proposing to his girlfriend.
The two people smiled at this and they took a light sip of their drinks. The two winced slightly and when they noticed the look on each other they chuckled. They began chatting again. Suddenly the music in the background stopped.
The people all noticed the sudden quiet and they called over the waiters. Mila came out from behind her counter and clapped her hands loudly. She gathered everyone’s attention and said, “A few weeks ago, a customer suggested that it would be nice if they could sing and dance here too. Well, although I agree with the suggestion the space of our place is too small and we cannot have a dancing space. But, ladies and gentlemen, we decided that our place can still allow people to sing.
We have arranged some not so space-consuming instruments and you all can come forward to sing whatever song you want to express your mood.”
The crowd was surprised and after a few minutes, they all clapped their hands. Mila said, “If one can come over here and sing an original song, based on the response of the rest of the crowd, you will have a chance to win one free meal from your one and only, Mila. How about that? Sounds tempting? Then get on with it.”
Amelia and Shi Lang heard this and they two also clapped. Amelia said, “Aunt Mila sure can hold the crowd.”
The boy nodded and said, “So, do you want to sing?”
The girl shook her head and said, “I have always given my time to military education, where do I have the time to learn music.”
Shi Lang smiled at her and said, “Silly girl, music comes from inside the heart.”
Amelia chuckled and said, “Oh, says who? Great Musician Master Shi Lang?”
The boy smiled along with her but did not say anything. They saw a few customers standing up and singing songs from some idols. They did not use the instruments, because they probably did not know how to, but the crowd clapped along with them and sometimes even sang the chorus.
The couple called for food and they ate nicely. Just when they finished their meal a customer stood in the center, holding the mic said, “A lot of people have sung but the young couple on the best table is yet to sing. So, I would like to ask you, young man, do you dare to express what you feel in your heart?”
YAY!!!
The crowd cheered as they heard the challenge being sent out. The night was young and they all had something more than blood running through their veins, something that made them all a bit blunter.
Shi Lang was surprised, and then he heard Amelia speaking in a low voice, “Music comes from the heart, right Lang?”
Shi Lang squinted his eyes at her and said, “Okay, you will see.” he held the filled with his fourth drink for the night and chugged it down in one go. Then he stood up from his chair and walked over to the mic.
He and the challenger shook hands before he took the mic. He was slightly light-headed but other than that he was still fine. He said, “I have never sung in my life. However, I believe that music comes from the heart. Our hearts beat in a rhythm we call the music of life. We all find someone to be in love with, just like I found this beautiful girl sitting over there.”
He raised his finger and pointed at Amelia, making her blush. She was surprised as well when she saw this guy confessing to her in public. The next thing was even more surprising. Shi Lang said, “I have never sung but Mila, being my lovely godmother, did teach me how to dawdle with the guitar as a child. So, I will try and sing for you.”
His eyes were locked with Amelia and this statement was meant for her only. The girl was watching him with sparkling light in her eyes and the crowd was clapping as they watched this young man proclaiming his love.
Shi Lang walked to the wall near the place Mila sat on her high chair and took the guitar off the hook. Then he put the strap over his shoulder and walked back to stand in front of the mic. He tuned the guitar a bit and gave it a gentle strum.
The crowd fell quiet. Shi Lang stood there with his eyes closed as if thinking something. After five minutes, the crowd thought that he would not sing anymore. The boy started to strum the guitar and sang in his slightly heavy voice.
“There you are sitting under the sky,
Easing my pain with your dazzling smile.
When we first met I had no clue,
That my smiles will be meant for you.
Yeah, for you, they are meant for you…
My words may sound too good to be true,
I give up my heart and soul for you.
You are the sky and you are the stars,
Look past the cliche and hold my arms.
Yeah, for you, they are meant for you…
After all that I said, I still don’t know.
What is love,
And What is life,
All I know is that under the sky, I am made just for you…
Yeah, for you, I am meant just for you…”
The boy sang with all his heart and the hands strummed the strings of the guitar. The crowd was clapping along with him enjoying the crude verses he wrote for the girl he loved. Mila was recording the video of her nephew’s singing sneakily.
After the song came to an end, Amelia stood up from her chair and walked over to Shi Lang. She was one head smaller than him even after her heels. She tip-toed and kissed his lips without saying a single word. Shi Lang was not surprised, because he was still immersed in the mental imagery of the song. He instinctively kissed back.
This was not a passionate kiss, but a small gentle one, that defined the emotion contained in both their hearts perfectly. The crowd cheered and the two woke up. Amelia hugged him and buried her head his Shi Lang’s chest to hide her shyness, as her slender fingers moved on his back writing, “I am for you.”