Lost & Hungry

A Story by ShinDeKuDaSai

Follow a guy as he gets lost and finds food.

Looking into the window, the ghostly reflection of a teenage boy with black hair and eyes stared back at him as the train flew past all the scenery of the city. He was lucky enough to get a seat but not enough to be free of the noise invading his ears. He was looking forward to dining in one of the most exquisite restaurants in the greater Sydney, Vue De Monde, and he continued to scroll through the menu with much enthusiasm.

Exhaling in irritation, he puts on his headphones. Allowing the muffled sound of drums and smooth sound of the saxophone to take over,, he slowly dozed off to sleep. The noise of the train was no more. Everything was peaceful.

“Excuse me, Sir…” A young woman said ,as she tapped the boy’s shoulder. His face was pressed flat against the window and had a healthy complexion with no freckles marring his face. She watched as his face twitched and contorted with discomfort.

Achieving no reaction, she tried once more; “Excuse me sir!” She exclaimed louder than before and watched as the boy’s eyelids fluttered open, his pupils adjusting to the light.

The light attacked his eyes and caused him to blink slowly. A silhouette of a person distorted the blurry white light. As his eyes focused, he realised he was looking into the eyes of a petite girl with brown hair and eyes looking staring back at him.

“Ugh!” he groaned. As he began wiping off the drool and removing his headphones, he noticed he was alone in the carriage with only the girl for company. She looked to be around his age.

“Oh sorry was I bothering you?” he asked in confusion.

Giggling in response, the girl replied, “Nope! It’s just that we’re at the final stop. And this train doesn’t go anywhere after this.”

His eyes widened in realisation. “OH CRAP!” he yelled. As he ran off the train he yelled a brief ‘thank you’ to the girl who he left behind on the train.

After exiting the station, he looked around to get an idea of his bearings. The sky above him was dark and littered with sparkling lights. Looking at his watch he saw the clock hand tick over 8 O’clock.

“D****t,” he cursed under his breath. He had already missed his reservation. Sighing in defeat, he looked around, recognising the surrounding buildings as part of a different suburb.

He pulled out his phone to call up the restaurant and apologise for any inconvenience he caused. Pressing the power button, his face twisted in horror as he faced the bane of every teenager’s existence " the flashing exclamation-mark-battery symbol. It flashed once, twice. And his phone was pronounced dead.

Staring at his phone in disbelief, his vision began to blur as moisture pooled in his eyes. Rubbing his eyes, he walked back into the train station in hope there would be a train coming soon.

As he looked at the schedule, he finally found his local station. ‘Next train in 2 hours’.

Clenching his teeth, he gave the board a glare, as if it would change the time or make his train come any faster. After a couple of seconds and a few odd looks from bystanders, he finally relented and walked off in defeat.

Walking outside once more, he looked down the endless road of blinding lights and signs advertising for various retail and food outlets. After some contemplation, he decided to try his luck as he aimlessly wandered down the relatively empty road.

Looking around he saw that there weren’t many people around. This made sense as it was a weekday and people tend to not wander about at this time and hour. But regardless he didn’t have many options and he had two hours to kill.

Wandering down the road, flashing lights and aromatic smells assaulted his senses. He looked around in the hope of finding something to take his interest. Looking at all of the restaurants, he felt his mouth salivate in anticipation of what he knew was going to be a good meal, regardless of his decisions. He felt his stomach vibrate as hunger began to make itself known.

Taking another glance at his watch, half an hour had passed since he had last checked. Then a clear raindrop landed on the face of his watch. Slowly more and more water droplets landed on him and his watch. He ran into the closest store as fast he could, not concerned at all of whatever it could be.

“Hey, Sleepy!” a familiar voice called out to him.

Looking around, he saw the girl who had woken him from his unwanted slumber on the train. She was now outfitted in a polo shirt and was being berated by, he presumed, her manager.

“Oh. Hello again,” he replied, interrupting the scolding the poor girl was receiving from her manager. She giggled nervously, the same as on the train.

“Welcome to Oiden Rice Bowl Bar how may I be of service to you today?” She asked nervously, her manager’s scrutinizing glare boring into the back of her head.

“Ummm… Surprise me, please,” he shrugged. The girl nodded excitedly and rushed off to prepare his dinner.

He wasn’t too concerned with price, as he had prepared to eat at a more expensive restaurant. So, with that thought in mind, he went and helped himself to some condiments and a drink.

After a minute of rushing around the kitchen the girl returned with his meal and a bright smile. “Here you go! That will be $15.60.”

Handing over the money for the surprisingly low priced meal, he took a seat and stared at the beautiful dish in front of him.

The portion was large, the meat looked tender and cooked to perfection. The rice fell in a small heap, individual grains standing out. It was delicate and contained just the right amount of moisture. The salad was crisp and fresh, the green still bright in the leaves.

He breathed in, allowing the strong scent of rosemary, basil and the sauce to flood his senses and overtake his mind.

It was one of the most exquisite dishes he had ever seen before.

Carefully he piled his spoon with a little of everything - the tender meat, the delicate rice, the rich sauce. He closed his eyes, overcome by a wave of delicious and unique flavours. It was heaven in the form of food. Perfect.