Rose's Cafe: Writing Prompt due Nov 16.

940 words


I was sitting at Rose’s café on sixth, a railroad car café I liked to frequent, having coffee and pancakes when one of two guys at the booth in front of me punched the other one. The guy flew backward onto my table. He landed flat on his back in my pancakes as I sidled my way out of the booth with my coffee in hand, narrowly avoiding the syrup splatter. Having successfully saved my coffee and my outfit, I sat on one of the barstools at the counter to watch the proceedings. The guy picking himself up from my table was dressed in a blue pin-striped Armani suite with cowboy boots. He was about six foot tall with blue eyes and blonde hair. I hate blondes, so I immediately quit rooting for him.

The other guy, who was now coming over to grab Suit Guy by the hair, was a very tall dark brown haired guy with blue-white eyes. They were almost glowing with anger. I quickly dubbed him Tall Guy. He was at least 6’7”. Tall Guy slammed Suit Guy in the face with his knee. Suit Guy stumbled back just as Tall Guy did a flying kick. The kick hit him in the middle of the chest. He fell back and caught himself in a backward summersault. As he completed the summersault he clipped Tall Guy in the face with his boots. They were doing Kung-Fu moves I had only seen in movies. They were going at each other so quickly I couldn’t see individual hand movements. They were toe-to-toe pounding each other, stepping back kicking each other. Here, one hit the other a knee-breaking move to the back of his knee. There, the other caught the first in the ribs with a right.

By now, everyone in the café had backed into one corner and was frantically working their smartphones. They were calling friends and family, texting people, tweeting, taking pictures, and taking video. They seemed to be having almost as much fun as me.

As we watched them beat each other up, the cops came in and surrounded them. The cops ordered them to break it up. The guys ignored them. The cops tried breaking them up. The guys ignored them and sent a few flying. The cops got out their Tasers.

“Wait.” A calm voice spoke from the door. It was a fat, short, old, bald cop. He stood there sizing up the situation. He was wearing a suit, a badge, and carrying a Billy club. He calmly walked up to the fighting men and whacked each on the back of the head. As they fell, he ordered the cops to take them to his office.

The cop then looks over at me and says, “You find that funny?”

“Duh” I tell him.

The other cops handcuff the two guys and they put them into the back of two different police cars and took them to the station. The old cop grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to his car.

Later, sitting in his office, the two guys were handcuffed to the chair to avoid another beat down.

“What the hell were you two doing?” The old cop was annoyed.

Tall Guy and Suit Guy just glared at each other.

“Tell me what you saw.” The cop ordered as he glared at me.

“Dad, I didn’t see anything other than what you did.”

“Well, I figured you had to be involved. Was she?” Dad asked the Suit Guy.

The Suit Guy shook his head.

“Well, that’s a first. So, tell me, what happened?”

Tall Guy glared at the other guy.

“I used to be a professional kickboxer, but I went to jail for a year because of him. He used to be my best friend and sparring buddy. But two years ago I got arrested for kicking the shit out of some guy who attacked my mother. They said it wasn’t self-defense because I hunted him down after she was in the hospital. He (he said pointing at Suit Guy) is a lawyer; a particularly bad one. I served a year in jail.
When I got out, I went to my mother’s because I had no other place to go. I caught this bastard in bed with my mother. I tried to be good with it. I tried to deal. It’s forbidden for friends to date your Mom. But then he brought me to Rose’s this morning and told me he was marrying my Mom. Damn! He is a year younger than me! I lost it.”

“But I love her.” Suit Guy said. “I started seeing her during your trial and helped with her affairs. I protected her. I care for her.”

“Dumb ass. Just wait.” Tall Guy growled.

“No, you wait. I am the one who finally got that guy behind bars when he came back after her.”

“He came back?”

“Yes. I beat the shit out of him. He spent three days in ICU.”

“She didn’t tell me.”

“Are you two done?” Dad asked.

The two guys just looked at each other, then at Dad.

“Yes,” They said in unison.

“Good” Dad said. “Leave each other the hell alone and pay for the damage.”

“We will,” Tall Guy assured my Dad.

So, Dad un-cuffed them and they left after shaking our hands. They walked out talking about celebrating Suit Guy’s engagement.

“I’ll see you at dinner.” Dad told me.

I got up and walked out smiling. I opened my hand after leaving Dad’s office to look at the paper Tall Guy had slipped me. He had given me his number.