Sunday

“Boss, Soren’s here,” Junna said.

Ayan had just returned to the counter from checking on Elijah at the same table he had been sitting at the day before. Elijah had greeted him with a beaming smile, and a giddy good morning almost as soon as the cafe had opened. He had plopped down at the table with a laptop, and seemed to be typing away at something. Perhaps writing a book. Ayan was content to let him sit there all day as long as he didn’t bother any of the other customers. He had ordered several pastries and a coffee.

“Please don’t ever call me boss again,” Ayan said, glancing from Junna to the back where he could see Soren hanging up his jacket.

“Sure thing, boss,” Junna said with a sarcastic smile.

“Do I really have to do this?” Ayan asked, anxiously rubbing his eyebrow as he glanced between Junna and the hall leading back to the kitchen.

“I could do it for you,” Junna suggested, “but I might accidentally end up firing him. And I know that isn’t exactly what you want. This place is hanging on by a thread as it is, and you know how cut-throat I am willing to get to save your dream, Boss.”

Ayan rolled his eyes, but smiled as he steeled himself to go talk to Soren.

I don’t understand why you don’t just ask her out. It’s so obvious.

“It’s not that simple,” Ayan muttered.

Almost as soon as he stepped in the back to greet Soren, he saw Elijah walk by, heading to the bathroom a few feet away. Soren glanced over at Ayan, looking uneasy.

“Hey, what’s up?” Soren asked.

“We need to have a chat,” Ayan said, scratching the back of his head anxiously as he spoke, “I hate putting you on the spot, but I’ve noticed some discrepancies in the till, and they tended to coincide with when you were working. We uh, we know you have been pocketing some extra cash. I wanted to give you a chance to explain yourself.”

“It wasn’t me!” Soren blurted.

Ayan closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, before opening them and offering a warm smile, “I understand that people go through hard times. Trust me, I really do. And sometimes we panic, when we’re in survival mode, and we make terrible decisions in the moment, decisions that we wish we had a chance to take back. I am offering you a chance to come clean about your decisions, Soren. I really want to give you the benefit of the doubt, because you are an incredible and brilliant young man, and I think you want to make an impact on this world just as much as I do.”

“I-,” Soren began, then broke down, “I’m sorry. My sister has been sick, and my parents are working all the time at the church. My sister had her heart set on this concert, and I had no way of saving up on top of helping my dad pay the rent. My sister three years younger than me, and you know she’s adopted, and she really looks up to me. I made a mistake. I’m so sorry. I’ll put it all back. Please don’t fire me, I really need this job.”

“I’m not going to fire you,” said Ayan. “If you return the money now, I’ll see what I can do about getting you more hours, okay? I would like to be able to help out with you and your sister, unfortunately, it’s hard to break even at this place on a good day, so if we want to keep it running, we’ve got to work together. Can you do that with me?”

Soren nodded emphatically.

“Thank you, Soren. And I appreciate your honesty. It means a lot.”

“Thank you for giving me this chance,” Soren said. “I promise I won’t mess up again.”

“Just get the money back before close, okay? Have you spent any of it?” Ayan asked.

Soren shook his head no, “It’s all in a drawer in my room. I can go get it now.”

“Do that,” Ayan nodded, “Junna, Angela, and I can hold things down this morning until you get back.”

Soren nodded and grabbed his jacket, before taking off. Ayan was about to head back to the front, when he saw Elijah step out of the bathroom, wiping his hands with a paper towel, holding the door open with his foot.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full,” Elijah said, tossing the paper towel into the trash before looking thoughtfully at Ayan.

“I’m sorry?” Ayan said, confused.

“You are a good man. Kind and just,” said Elijah. “Blessed are any who cross your path.”

Ayan was unnerved by Elijah listening in on his conversation, but he realized it was his own fault for not moving to a more private part of the cafe.

“Is there anything you need?” Ayan asked, “Before I head back up front?”

“A better world,” Elijah said, before laughing to himself as though he had just told the funniest joke. Ayan gave him an uneasy smile and nodded.

“Could I get a grilled cheese sandwich, actually?” Elijah asked, “I have some work to do, and lunch is coming up.”

“Of course,” Ayan said, gesturing to Elijah to lead the way back out to the front.

Soren returned fifteen minutes later with all the cash in an envelope. Ayan noted Junna watching them as Soren and Ayan walked to the back so that Ayan could count out all the money.

“It’s all here,” Ayan said. “Thank you, Soren. Like I said, I will see what I can do to help you out. Your sister may have to wait for the next concert though.”

Soren nodded, looking relieved just to still be standing there without losing his job, or worse.

“Let’s have a great day, shall we?” Ayan asked.

“Yeah,” Soren said, grinning now, “Thank you.”

Soren quickly went to work, taking orders as fast as he could with all the warmth that Ravi’s Respite could offer.

As Ayan helped Junna prepare for the lunch rush, he caught himself occasionally glancing at Elijah, who was deep in concentration on his laptop. Such a strange man. He had appeared so distraught the day before, as though the world had done everything it could to kick him when he was already down. Ayan had taken pity on him, sad to see the man suffering. But now, now Elijah typed giddily away with a beaming smile on his face as though he was having the best day of his life. The worry lines on his face seemed to have melted away. Ayan often caught Elijah glancing in his direction, and made it a point to stay out of his line of site as much as he could.

“I think he’s got a crush on you,” Junna pointed out as they were an hour out from closing, “The man can’t keep his eyes off of you.”

Neither can she.

Ayan sucked his teeth and shook his head, unsure of how to respond to Junna’s comment. He knew she was trying to make light of the situation, but something about it had him on edge.

It was hard to deal with the ultra-lonely sometimes. People so desperate for a connection that anyone showing even a hint of kindness became in their mind the most important person in their world. It had happened a few times before, and every time he had done his best to make it clear that his kindness was for everyone, and unfortunately, he did not have the luxury of being best friends with everyone. Try as he might. Most moved on after some time, realizing that he couldn’t give them what they needed. Once, he had needed to call the police when a mentally ill woman had followed him home, and he had later caught her sleeping in his bed. When she had finally gotten help and was properly medicated, she sent him an apology letter, begging his forgiveness, which he had given happily.

There was something strange about Elijah. Something a little different. For one, he seemed to have a bible verse for every situation. For two, the way he looked at Ayan was unnerving, as though he was looking through him, not really seeing him at all. But look he did. While he was classically handsome and strikingly tall, there was something off about the way he smiled. As though it was hiding a part of him that he didn’t want to share with the world.

“He’s pretty intense, don’t you think?” Junna asked, quiet enough for only Ayan to hear.

Ayan nodded, so appreciative of Junna for understanding how he was feeling about the whole situation. She was his very best friend, and the one person whose opinion mattered to him more than any other. Well, except for…

Me!

Ayan smiled and shook his head, acutely aware of Junna looking at him as he did so. He hoped that Elijah would eventually grow bored of the place, of him, and move on to the next thing. He almost regretted giving him that coffee. Perhaps the man just needed to go run a church or something. He seemed to have memorized the entire bible, and if anyone could share the context of its words, it was Elijah.

The bell over the door tinkled, and Ayan turned to see Charlie walk in. Ayan’s face lit up as he held up a finger, then ran to the back to get the tent and a backpack full of new supplies, as he heard Junna and Charlie chatting. He brought the supplies out to Charlie who put his hands together in a praying gesture, thanking Ayan profusely.

“There are extra snacks and water in there for you and May,” Ayan explained, “And some cards for the Y to cover the next month or so of showers. Toothbrushes, socks, and feminine supplies for your friend. Just let me know if you need anything else, okay?”

“You are my Lord and savior,” said Charlie, gleefully putting on the backpack and taking the tent from Ayan, who happened to glance over at Elijah in that moment and noticed him staring at the both of them, a strange look on his face. “How can I ever thank you?” Charlie asked.

“If you ever manage to get on your feet, just pay it forward, my friend. Help the next one, and the next. World will be a lot better off if we can all do that,” Ayan said.

Charlie set the tent down and held his arms up, and Ayan walked around the counter to give him a hug.

“I honestly don’t know what I would have done without you, my friend. I always thought I could look after myself, but I’m just a little guy in a big world. Without you there to pick me back up, I’d still be lying in a ditch, you know?” Charlie said.

“Anything I can do to help,” Ayan said. “You deserve every dignity in life, and to feel safe and secure. You’re as worthy as anyone else.”

Mr. Big Heart.

“Shhh,” Ayan hissed, before shaking his head and smiling at Charlie. “Please let me know if you or May need anything else.”

“You have more than provided, my friend. I truly appreciate this.” Charlie had a grin on his face as he left, leaving Ayan feeling content.

Ayan walked around to check on all of his customers. He always considered himself lucky to have so many patrons, which he credited to his incredible employees and the wonderful recipes that had been passed down for generations in his family. He reached Elijah’s table, and grabbed Elijah’s plate, giving him a kind smile before turning to head back to the kitchen.

“I wanted to say, I am in awe of these tables,” said Elijah, knocking on the table he was seated at.

“I built them myself,” Ayan said, turning back toward Elijah. “This particular table was cut from a burl that was growing on a tree in my auntie’s property. You can see the seemingly random pattern to it. My auntie had a number of trees actually, but the city accidentally destroyed the roots on all of them when repairing the sidewalk. Well, I say accidentally, but I doubt that. However, I was privileged to create something rather special from all that death. My workshop is right downstairs actually.”

“It’s exquisite work. I should have known you would be a carpenter too. Do you sell any pieces?” Elijah asked.

“I do for charity,” Ayan nodded. “Lately they’ve just been collecting dust though at my auntie’s gallery. No one has the money to buy specialty items these days, it seems. Not in this economy.”

“That’s a shame,” said Elijah. “A real shame. You are a man who truly goes above and beyond, and I see it. I see you. The sacrifices you make. The kindness. I wish I were as good as you.”

Ayan shook his head, “I’m not…”

“I have something for you. Something to help out a bit. It seems like the least I can do after the kindness you showed me when I was in the depths of despair yesterday. I had all but given up hope, and you brought it to me, displayed in the foam of a latte.”

“That’s incredibly kind of you,” said Ayan, watching as Elijah pulled out his wallet. He expected a twenty dollar bill, or at most fifty. When he saw Elijah pull out a wad of $100 dollar bills, he was shocked. When Elijah went to hand the money to him, he shook his head and took a step back. His first thought was that Elijah was suicidal, and giving away his worldly possessions before he took his own life. His second thought was that this might be the man’s sad attempt to buy his friendship. Either way, he was wholly disconcerted by the gesture.

“I can’t accept this,” said Ayan. “It’s too much. You sh-should keep it.”

“Please,” said Elijah, standing now, taking Ayan’s hand, and setting the wad of cash in his palm. Ayan looked around, but none of the other patrons seemed to be watching them, or if they were, they weren’t very obvious about it.

“Are you okay?” Ayan asked, hand trembling somewhat as he held the money. “This has to be your rent, or utlities, or…”

“I own my home. My parents left it to me when they died. They were fairly well off. Not billionaires or anything, but I have never hurt for money. This is nothing, I promise.”

“Why don’t you donate it to a charity?” Ayan asked.

“Do you know the overhead on charities? Elijah asked. “By the time it trickled down to help somebody, there would be nothing left. I see the food you give away. The items you buy for the less fortunate. I saw you give a struggling young man a second chance after he stole from you, when most would have kicked him out on the street. I watched that young man return and do the best he could because you gave him a chance. I want to help you do all the good you can in the world. Think of it as an investment.”

“Investment? In what?” Ayan asked.

“The future of humanity.”

Ayan wanted so badly to turn Elijah down, but he knew the man wasn’t about to relent. Elijah had folded Ayan’s fingers around the cash, squeezing his hand gently as a sign to hold on to it.

“I’ll do my best,” Ayan promised, “To make sure this gets into the right hands.”

“I have faith that you will,” said Elijah.

This is insane. You know this is insane, right?

Ayan walked to his office in the back of the cafe in a daze. He counted the money out, then counted it two more times after he discovered that Elijah had given him $6000. Given to him like it was nothing. Ayan briefly wondered if he was being filmed for some sort of emotional tiktok, and had subtly looked around the cafe for any hint of a patron with a cellphone pointed his way when he got back to the floor, but it appeared to all be legitimate. Or at least, they had definitely stopped filming by then.

I’m surprised you haven’t told Junna yet.

“I’m going to,” Ayan muttered. “I just haven’t seen her yet.”

Suddenly, she appeared at his side, nudging him with her arm as she smiled at him. After a brief moment, her smile faltered, “Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

“Elijah just handed me $6,000,” Ayan whispered. “I don’t know if I’m being filmed for some sappy tiktok or what, but this is crazy. I don’t know what to do. It just feels wrong.”

“$6,000?! Seriously!” Junna exclaimed.

“Shhh,” Ayan put a hand up to warn her to keep her voice down.

“Sorry,” Junna said. “But that’s a good chunk of money. Seriously. There’s a lot you can do with that.”

There was so much good that he could do with the money, and yet he still felt a twisting of unease in his gut.

“You okay?” Junna asked.

Ayan shrugged, “I don’t know how to explain it, but it feels like I accepted some sort of deal I don’t know about by taking the money. I can buy way more supplies, more food, cover some expenses here so that we can really optimize the good we’re doing, but at what cost? I don’t know what he wants from me. He’s claiming to give it in good faith, but that doesn’t feel right, you know?”

Junna nodded slowly, seeming to take in his words, “So you hold onto it for a bit, until you get an idea of where he’s coming from. If it seems legit, you use the money for good. Otherwise, you give it back to him and send him on his merry way.”

“I also can’t just kick him out. He hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“That’s why you wait and see if he’s going to,” Junna said, “and then it’s sayonara psychopants.”

Listen to her.

“Okay,” Ayan nodded. “Okay.”

“Listen, not to change the subject or whatever, but Sasha and I were wondering if you wanted to go out to eat with us tonight. I called in aleady at the bar. Sash got some life-changing news she wants to share, and we wanted to know if you’ll be there. Some other friends are coming too. We’re going to Ranchero’s for dinner.”

“Oh!” Ayan was caught offguard, but felt a flush of happiness at being asked to hang out.

Say yes already!

“Yes!” Ayan said. “I mean, yeah. That sounds fun. Not much else going on.”

“Good, great! So, 6’o’clock, Ranchero’s. You can bring a gift if you want to, but you obviously don’t have to.”

“Any hint at the life-changing news, so I at least know the theme of gifts to bring?”

“Nope, that’s for Sash to tell.”

“Gotcha,” said Ayan.

Soren walked up to them at that moment, “Hey, Junna, this customer is complaining about getting a bad fritter and wants to do a return. I told him since he already ate most of it that we weren’t going to do that, but he says he wants a manager or he won’t leave.”

Junna rolled her eyes, “Time to get back to work.”

Ayan watched her go, feeling a rush of gratitude as he did so.