The Omega is a Novelist

Chapter Twenty One

During the cold weather of the month and the nearing winter holiday's, the cafe should have been seeing an increase in trade. However, most of the seats were empty, the tables vacant despite the peak time of day. Aisha glanced at the ticking clock with a sigh as she watched the counter feeling greatly disheartened. If it weren't for the recent order from Himura publishing's for a batch of freshly made cakes and pastries, things would have felt bleaker than they already did.

Her only customer finished his slice of cake and drained his tea, before giving her an awkward nod and leaving the building. Aisha sighed again.

Shortly following the glass breakage, they had received hate mail though the post. One unpleasant sender filled their envelope with rusty razor blades and a cut out newspaper style letter with derogatory words. The replacement window was sprayed with similar hate filled words. An old friend of Keko's had discovered the source of their woes, a photograph of them kissing within view of their shop window had been posted on the internet with the address of the cafe and the fact that they were it's owners. Naturally, they had reported the incidents to the police, but the men that came to interview were not only unhelpful, but even hinted that it might be their fault!

Keko was taking the situation hard, especially after Aisha was pushed and verbally abused by a small group of teenagers just the day before. Aisha had tried to reassure her, had told her that the terms that they used weren't very original nor inventive. But the woman would not be mollified so easily and had even wanted to keep the cafe closed. "But if we do that," Aisha had told her, "then those bigots have beaten us."

The small bell above the cafe door chimed and Aisha automatically began her greeting; "Welcome to... Oh, it's you."

"I am hurt," Yori said simply, before glancing around the cafe with a sigh. "No improvement then."

"No," Aisha groaned. She turned to fill a cup with Yori's usual beverage. "You would think that in this day and age, people would be able to see past our sexuality."

"Sorry, Ai-chan," Yori murmured, before taking a seat close to the counter. Aisha filled a second cup for herself and brought them both to the table.

"It's not your fault," Aisha replied. "Really, I don't think that Keko and I have done anything wrong. There will always be idiots who believe our wombs mean we must belong to men only, in order to give them children. What they fail to realise, is that there was no way they would get near my panties Keko or no Keko!"

Yori laughed and grabbed his drink. The woman that his friend had become was so much more confident and extrovert that the girl she had been and that was all thanks to Keko. In contrast, Keko had become softer and more thoughtful, though she still retained a somewhat sharp tongue and blunt manner. Of course, Yori had also come to understand that beneath her hard exterior, she was actually very sensitive.

"How is Keko doing?" Yori asked.

"Not good," Aisha said, honestly. "She ate a whole tub of ice cream without me last night."

"A whole tub?" Yori echoed in question.

"Yes and it was mint chocolate chip!" Aisha complained.

"Ah, your favourite," Yori recalled.

"I know, right?!"  Aisha's eyes suddenly filled with water and without further warning, the woman broke down in front of him.  Yori could do nothing more that wrap his arms around her smaller frame as she sobbed.  "It's not supposed to be like this.  We were so happy.  Why couldn't the world let us be?"

"I don't know," Yori replied, honestly.  "I don't know."

*****

After Yori left for the afternoon, Aisha closed the shop behind him, locking the door on the cafe.  She waved to Yori as he responded by the window, before retiring to the apartment above the shop and to her beloved wife.