Food & Spirits

I hated birthdays. I specifically hated my own, not because it coincided with the Hungry Ghost Festival, but because of this strange dream I had when I was a little girl. It had to do with birthdays and dying during one of mine.

Ever since that dream, my birthdays were extra special… in a morbid way. Perhaps I’ll be run over by a bus while trying to cross the road. Maybe I’ll die of food poisoning. Maybe I’ll fall off a cliff or drown in the pool. I hated it when my birthday came around.

Oh, and I hated dreams too.

Hallie and Ursula – my best friends in the world – wanted to treat me to a birthday dinner at Earth/Spirit. It’s a cosy Chinese café hidden somewhere in town and one of our favourite haunts.

After spending the day avoiding anything that could kill me, I reluctantly (and very carefully) drove to town to meet them. More accidents happen at night; more so if it was raining.

It was raining, of course.

There was a moment of panic when I tried to remember if I was supposed to pick them up along the way, but the feeling only lasted a few minutes. I was already running late, which is normal if I was on my own. Anyway, they would have called.

By the time I arrived at the café, I’ve had two frights involving a car that cut too close and a pedestrian who apparently never saw me coming, not even after I skidded and almost ran into a lamp post.

If an accident didn’t kill me, the shock of it probably would have. I was only happy to enter the small eatery and see the girls at our usual table in the back.

“You’re looking peaky. Are you feeling all right?” Ursula asked.

I scowled as I slipped off my shoes and joined them at the Japanese-style table. “I spent the entire day waiting to die.”

They stared at me. Ursula spoke first. “Y’know, that sounds kinda funny coming from someone who’s already dead.”

It only made me scowl harder. “That is not funny.”

“Well, no. But there you have it. You are dead.” Hallie said. “You died in a car crash exactly five year ago, on your birthday.”

Silence.

I bit my tongue to make sure it was still there. “So why are you…” I groped for words. “Why are you sitting here… with…”

Ursula had already gone back to her menu. “Oh, we’re dead too.” She said, a little too casually. “Same car crash.”

“Don’t you remember?” Hallie burst out. “You picked us up. We were heading here for dinner. And it started to rain.”

Her words hung heavy over the low table. A stone sat in the pit of my stomach. My mind swirled as I tried to make some sense out of it.

“Yes. Yes, I remember now.” I answered, closing my eyes. It wasn’t enough to block out the sudden crash of memories. “The four wheeler coming from the other direction…”

“Dying on your birthday must have addled your brain. You’re the only one who has trouble remembering this every year.” Ursula said, being her usual blunt and unsympathetic self. “Nonetheless, the show must go on. Order your food.”

I leafed through the menu without really seeing anything. “I think I’ve lost my appetite.”

“Order something anyway. It’ll be a year before we can eat again.”

“What happened to those huge spreads they have in honour of the dead?”

Hallie leaned forward. “There’s a reason why they call this place Earth/Spirit.” She said. “Why fight with the other ghosts when you can sit down and order at leisure? We’ve always appreciated good food and service.” She paused for effect. “Sitting in here is better than being out there where they are showing that same old Chinese wayang again. I didn’t even like them when I was alive.”

“Aren’t you guys mad because I took you with me?”

The girls exchanged looks. Ursula rolled her eyes in a manner that said, “Kathy doesn’t remember that either.”

“We got over it.” Hallie shrugged. “Anyway, it was an accident.”

“Could have been worse.” added Ursula.

I gave her an incredulous glare. “How could it be worse than this?”

“It could have been just one of us.” Came the reply. “Then we won’t be able to get this three-in-one Spirit special.”

There was another silence before we dissolved into laughter.

“Let’s order then.” I said, settling down properly for the first time since I arrived. “I’m hungry.”