In My Desperate Time

"Old Mr. Louis, are you asleep?"

I knock on his door at nine o'clock in the evening,

"Not yet. What's the matter?"

I hear his loud voice, and then the door opens from the inside.

"I just want to ask if you are in the mood for some night snack. I can cook some noodles or dumplings for you." I smile kindly at him, trying not to make myself look different than usual.

The old man shakes his head and says, "I don't like those food. You can make hot and sour noodles for me. Make sure the taste isn’t too blend."

I don’t expect him to be someone who likes spicy food. But making a bowl of hot and sour noodles doesn’t beat me.

"Okay. Wait for a second. It'll be ready soon."

I nod and leave the room immediately.

This is one step closer to please Mr. Louis.

Twenty minutes later, I bring the noodles upstairs and knock on the door again.

happens after knocking

asleep in such a

Now that is embarrassing.

not to eat anything at night to lose weight. And I don’t want to eat anything too spicy to upset

away

door of Frances’ room is still open,

and I walk in with the noodles in my

is reading. He is so intrigued that he can’t even hear the knock on the door, let alone not noticing me

"Are you hungry, Frances?"

when my voice breaks the silence.

what he is holding in his hands under a pile of documents. "What are you doing in here? Don't you know you should knock on the door first?!" He asks me with a straight face while turning

you can’t hear it." I answer

unless I answer next time." He says after a

my fault that I enter his room like that. I hand him the

me?" Frances has a meaningful smile. "You really think I can’t

answer the knock on the door. I assume he is asleep, so I brought

saying anything, Frances takes the bowl from my hand, says while frowning.

slight complaint,