The Saxophonist

Chapter 3

Amanda and I paid our bill and left the restaurant just as the sky was starting to turn orange and the night shops were starting to open up one by one. I took her hand and led her to the bike. "I'll take you home, Mands. I don't want you taking the bus this late. It's dangerous." Amanda smiles. "Ok, baby. You can take me home tonight. Thanks for taking care of me so well." I smile and pass her the helmet. She gets on behind me and puts her arms around my waist, resting her head on my shoulder. "Do you feel better?" she asks tenderly. "Yes, yes I do. I really needed to get that off my chest. Thanks for being there for me." Amanda smiles. "Let's go, before it gets too cold out." I nod and start up the bike. "You're right. Let's go home."

We arrive outside Amanda's parents' house just as the last shred of sunlight disappears over the horizon. I take Amanda up and give her a peck goodnight. "Night, baby. Get a good nights sleep. I love you, to the moon and back." Amanda grins. "Nope." She says. "Jupiter and back." I laugh. It's the first time she's used our little joke in a while. We started it right at the beginning of our relationship. We always said "I love you to Jupiter and back" instead of the moon. It made it special, it made it ours. I bent my face down towards hers and gave her another tender kiss. She slides her arms up around my neck and I'm about to lose myself in the kiss when her father clears his throat loudly behind us. We jump apart and I awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck. "Uh, hi, Mr Saetang" I clear my throat nervously. "I was just bringing Amanda home" Mr Saetang looks at me sternly. I cringe under his harsh gaze and wait for the lecture. "What is it you young people say in situations like this? Isn't it," he pauses and grins slyly, "get a room?" He bursts out laughing and smacks me playfully in the shoulder. "I'm just joking. Thank you for bringing my daughter home safely, Daniella." I smile. Mr Saetang is like a dad to me. Amanda's parents have become family since the day she introduced me to them. They are the most supportive, sweet parents I've ever imagined. Of course, I don't have much to go on, but they seem like really nice people and Amanda has a great relationship with her parents. Amanda snorts. "You think you're so funny, don't you, chāy chrā? Stop scaring my girlfriend like that." He gives her an indignant look. "Who are you calling old man? I'm only fifty-two! I'm practically a teenager!" Amanda laughs. "Yeah, Khuṇ pū̀, sure." He pokes her playfully. "hey, if you start calling me grandfather I'll start calling you Mandy Mands again. You better watch yourself, s̄āw n̂xy." Amanda's mother appears over his shoulder. "Hey, you two, stop mixing your language. Speak English in the presence of the English girl!" she says sternly. Her expression changes as soon as she turns to me "Hello Dani! Please ignore these two rude people. They have no manners. Come give me a hug, girl." I smile and walk over to give her a squeeze. Ms Saetang is easily the nicest woman I've ever met, even though she seems a bit fierce at first. "Well, Mr and Ms Saetang, thanks for letting me steal Mands for the afternoon. I'll get going now." Ms Saetang stops me quickly. "Ah, ah, ah. What's the rush? Don't you want to have dinner with us? Chakrii made lasagna!" I smile. Ms Saetang knows I can't resist her husband's cooking. "Come on, come on, I know that you want to!" I give in. "All right, I'll stay for dinner." Mr Saetang ushers us all inside and I walk down the familiar hall of Amanda's family home. After dinner, as I'm putting on my shoes at the front door and preparing to leave, the conversation at the restaurant comes back to mind. Amanda comes to greet me and sees the distant look in my eyes. "Babe, I see you still feel troubled. Do you want to sleep over tonight? We can start brainstorming our plan of action." I kiss her gratefully on the cheek. "That would be great, Mands. Thanks a lot." Amanda nods. "No problem honey. Let me just ask my mom." She turn and strolls down the hallway to her mom. "Mom, can Daniella stay over tonight? She's not feeling great and she needs some emotional support." Ms Saetang gives her usual answer. "Of course, you know Daniella is always welcome." She pokes her head out the kitchen door. "Dani, dear, put down those trainers. You can sleep here tonight." I'm about to thank her before Mr Saetang interrupts me. "Wait a minute. After what I caught these two doing outside earlier, I don't know if it's such a good idea if Daniella stays the night" he says mischievously. Ms Saetang smacks him on the arm and sternly sends him to his room. "That man, honestly." She shakes her head. "You two go up to Amanda's bedroom now and get ready for bed. I'll bring you both a cup of hot chocolate before bed." Amanda cringes, embarrassed. "Mom! We're not kids! Stop babying us!" Ms Saetang just laughs and waves us up the stairs. I smile as I put my backpack down in the corner of Amanda's room. Amanda's room isn't big, but she has even less space because off her gigantic bed. Amanda has a king size bed squeezed in between her desk and a chest of drawers that holds her clothes. Above her desk is a window with wooden blinds. The wall above her bed is decorated in a collage of pictures pasted around a poster of the kpop artist Holland. Amanda has tried many times to get me into the music, but I've never had a taste for any kind of pop, preferring the beauty of jazz and blues and occasionally a bit of classic rock. I collapse on her bed and stretch my 5'6 body out on her pastel purple comforter. Mands, reaching only 5'3, is a dwarf compared to me. She likes to call herself petite, I like to call her shorty. She pokes me playfully. "Hey, you gigantic giraffe, stop showing off. Let's go brush our teeth." I stay over at Amanda's house so often that I already have my own toothbrush in her bathroom. After we finish washing up, Amanda pulls me over to her bed and makes me sit down on the corner. She sits down next to me and crosses her legs. "So, let's start thinking. What's our plan of action?"