dinner 2

The Peruvian restaurant was small, no more than 6 tables, and our group immediately took over all of them, there wouldn't be strangers around, and that was for the best. And so with a little help from the sparse service staff, we managed to join all the tables together in one long line. That way all 16 of us where able to sit comfortably, though not talk to everyone, but gather in smaller cliques. Everyone seemed so at ease by that time, so relieved of the day’s emotions. 

The tiny restaurant offered something of a safe heaven, where we could each unwind. I always tend to think back to that night with a mix of sadness and regret. It had been a particularly good tournament for me but I had fallen short as usual, and my friends had not fared any better.  So we traveled in small groups to fit better in the taxis, that also gave us time to grow reacquainted with our friends who we seldom had chance to see, mainly due to the distance between the capital city and our own port-side metropolis. Also it was a chance to meet new people, especially an exuberant brunet I had been chatting up for a while now. 

Frank and his son, Frankie Jr., sat on the opposite end of the table. Frank was a large man, with somber disposition when playing but of a loud and jovial character otherwise. We all had great hopes for junior, he was a surrogate son for most of us, one we had seen grow from a tiny to an all arms and legs skinny and sullen 15 year old. Most of us had immense hope, he had started playing as a 7 year old, that he would one day be great as a pro. 

After the corner seats Carl and Sid had sat together and were talking quite loudly of their tournament participation, or rather their lack of any tangible rewards after such a long day. Peter hadn’t been able to make the tournament and because of that I had been forced to room with Carl. But the hotel had screwed up, and put Carl and Sid with Christopher and dumped me. Luckily that would prove to be a stroke of luck later. Carl and Sid were crazy about anime, their respective collections were almost legendary amongst those who knew of them, and so was their interminable bachelorhood. 

Carl was a robust fella, but he had the sweetest face you would ever see on a 40 year old geek. He barely looked 30. His short height coupled with his long blonde locks and shaved face, help his case. Not like me, I refused to shave and my facial hair agreed and failed to grow noticeably for weeks on end. That’s also why I just cut my hair short; it’s easier to pretend to be happy when you don’t have to take care of yourself. We both looked alike, and yet I don't believe I have yet met anyone as different from me than Carl.

Gregg sat across from his wife, Andrea. They had married the year before, less than six months prior, so you could still see the shoot each other longing gazes. They had been dating for about three months, or maybe four, it was soon after she had broken up with Peter. They were that typical couple, everyone knows one like them, the pair that will definitely end up together. But it took them a few years to put all their shit together. I cheered in their direction, and Gregg responded with his own glass of pisco. 

I have a hard time remembering them ever being so happy again. A year after the dinner, they lost their first baby boy; they would lose 2 more before Andrea killed herself. Last time I ever saw Gregg was at her funeral, I don't think anybody else has ever seen him since.

I had cleverly managed to sit next to S, her haunting dark brown eyes covered, and yet perfectly framed, by her glasses. We had just talked a couple of times before I came to the city, she was very friendly, both of us also very flirty. I was feeling lonely and cut off, my job had been overwhelming me for the two months preceding the tournament. Long hours, coupled with continuous loss of contact with people, I was vulnerable. Plus really horny, and this girl had huge breasts. 

Sid had been giving me plenty of crap for not making the best of my chances, but I got one on him though. We had been exchanging messages on our phones, pretty nasty shit. So I just read out his messages, cleverly leaving my parts of the conversation out. It was a riot and S laughed out loud, and I could see a slight twinkle behind her black rimmed glasses, even as she slowly turned her eyes towards Laney. 

Danny sat across us with his girlfriend at the time, Dian, and he was entertaining us all with his travel stories. Danny was a man of the world. He had visited 3 continents before his 18th birthday and saw them all by the time he was 30. Dian was a beautiful woman, whose dark skin heavily accentuated her green eyes. She was Jamaican and they’d met in Mallorca, while Danny finished his first master's degree. I always thought Danny should have married her, though if they had settled down; it's hard to believe she would have been accepting of his taste for slim, dark young boys. Every time I have a chance to visit him in Boston, he and Mike, his partner, always have more stories to keeps us entertained for evenings with no end. 

Ralph sat 2 seats over, his wife Laney was sitting next to S and talking to her quite intently. Sonny was sitting next to Ralph, he was seething in silence, yet his demeanor didn’t betray this to the whole party. I could tell, it was definitely me he was angry with. I was extremely pissed off at Ralph for bringing Laney, she never fit in with the group and worst of all, she was monopolizing S cutting me of. At the time I didn't realize she did it all for Sonny. They had gone out for a while before she got into Ralph, and she knew he had a deep affection for Sabrina. She would have to work overtime to help him, S was easy going and I knew what buttons to push. 

Yuri was talking with Jorge and Jeffrey, all three were cheerfully recanting Jeffrey’s win in the finals over a young man named Robert. Roberta hadn’t been invited; I kind of regretted not insisting he come, since he was something a newbie to the tournament scene.