Roger谭
2000年12月的一天，我走进了玫瑰餐厅。已经很晚了。
大多数餐馆都打烊了。别无选择，只有看看这间还有没有外卖。
她们供应高价的精美食品，我意识到不对劲。
实际上这是情人约会的留连之地。它位于烈治文山地区，一间非常精美的餐馆。每张桌子跟两张椅子很好地搭配为一组，相互分隔，为约会伴侣创造多个安静的环境气氛。每张桌子上方的灯光柔和，那焦点光环起了给每组桌椅分划界线的作用。还有那玫瑰花，点缀在每组桌椅之间，也起到划分区间的作用。
我偷偷看了一下，到处都可见很多成双成对的，女的露出大胸脯，互相传递秋波，我看得出生意相当好，这种不同的生活情调没有我的份。
“我很抱歉，我们不能提供外卖。”接待的大声对我说，他把我撇下就离开了。
所有的人顺着他的声音转向我这边来。我注意到了一些女士在窃笑，一些男士表露轻蔑的表情。
我犹豫之际正要移步离开，就被一位从柜台后面走出来的穿红色连衣裙的女子完全给迷住了。她是一位非常美丽的中国女子，三十出头，对我彬彬有礼。
“有什么能帮你吗, 先生？”
“很饿，想找外卖，周围都没有。”我说。
“哦。。。。还没回家？”
“是的。”
“我给你看看菜谱，挑好了我就给你做好打包，好吗？”
“那太谢谢了。女士, 很欣赏你的亲切态度。你是这里的老板吗？”我故意把嗓门提高了一点。
“承蒙光临。”她欣然一笑。
“能否帮我出点主意？反正两份正餐份量就行了。 我不想麻烦你太久。”我觉得有点过意不去。
“没关系的。”
… …
大约十分钟我的外卖就给弄好了。
“我是否应该付“贴市”（小费）？”
“不。你不用，先生。”
“谢谢。”我正离开。
“等等。你不在意的话，我请你喝杯热咖啡好吗？外面很冷。”
我给了她一个热情流露的眼光。。没说一句话。
我拿着咖啡到了外面，凝视着那冷暗的夜空，一口就把它喝下去。
“玫瑰，你不适合我。”我自言自语道。
我走近我的“铁骑”，抚摸着它。
“我们走吧，伙计。”
从那时候起，我就光顾玫瑰餐厅很多次。不为我，而是为那胖子。而我知道老板娘的先生回香港谋生去了。
这些日子我都早出晚归。在GC公司干，没有其他同事那样的规定工作时间。我是唯一一个要陪伴中国来的大老板的。那大胖子。我一直工作到深夜都不能回家。有时候甚至到第二天天亮！大胖子不太懂英文，日常生活都有问题。于是每天我带他到外面的餐馆吃饭。
通常我们俩在回家路上的一家叫“南北楼”的餐馆吃饭，然后回到他屋里继续工作，我做各种文件工作。跟他讨论生意上的事。如果我们觉得又饿了，那我就开车出去买外卖。
他尝过玫瑰餐厅的美味珍品后，就上了瘾，并且一次又一次地要我去买。我心里想，如果我告诉他关于老板娘的事，他一定缠着我带上他一起去看看。
他对饮食很讲究。他说他是农民出身，拿锄头长大的，而且很好斗。是村子械斗的几百人的头。
我跟他不同，我感觉自己是那种除了抗联将军杨靖宇吃的那些食物之外（树皮，草根，和棉絮），什么都能吃的那种人。
Oct. 2000
I entered the Rose Restaurant. It was late evening.
The day was already over for most restaurants. I had no choice but tried this one for take-out food.
They provided dainty food at the high end prices and I realized something wrong..
Actually it was a lingering place for dating. It was located in Richman Hill area, and a very elegant restaurant, with each table and two chairs grouped nicely and separated from each other, creating a number of quite ambiences for the dating partners. The lights over each group were subdued, with focus circle helping delimit each group. The roses too, interspersed between groups , helping separate the spaces.
I gave a surreptitious glance that many couples with the females bare-busty, casting loving glances to each other, could be seen here and there and I could see that the business was quite good, and that such different life style was not for me.
“I am so sorry we are not able to provide food for taking out.” The reception told me loudly. He left me on the mat
All of them turned to my direction to his voice. I noticed some ladies tittering and men having an expression of scorn.
While I hesitated my moving out I was simply enthralled by a lady in red one-piece dress coming out from behind the counter. She was a very beautiful Chinese lady in her early 30s, showing civility to me,
“What can I do for you, sir?”
“Hungry, for any take-out and nowhere else for it now,” I said.
“I see…. Not home yet?”
“No.”
“I’ll show you the menu and prepare what you pick for your take-out. Ok?”
“That’s very kind of you. I appreciate your gracious manner, madam. Are you the owner?” I raised my voice a little bit intentionally.
“It's gracious of you to come, Sir.” She smiled agreeably.
“If you can give me some suggestion for whatever two sets of prandial size. I don’t want to bother you too long.” I felt a little bit sorry.
“No problem at all.”
About 10 minutes my take-out was ready.
“May be I should pay tips?” I asked.
“No. No tips on you, sir.”
“Thank you.” I was leaving.
“Wait. Would you mind having a cup of hot coffee, on me? It’s cold outside.”
I gave her a look with passion, without saying anything.
I was outside with the coffee, staring into the cold dark sky. I gulp it down.
“Roses, you don’t pertain to me.” I thought aloud.
I walked close to my “iron horse”. I fondled it.
“Let’s go, buddy.”
… …
From then on I patronized the Rose Restaurant many times. Not for me, but for the fat guy. And I knew the landlady’s husband had returned to Hong Kong to make a livelihood.
These days I left home early and returned late. Working for the GC company with no regular time as other colleagues. I am the only one who had to company a big boss, a fat man, from Mainland China. I couldn’t return home till midnight. Sometimes even worked till the next morning! He didn’t know much English and have problem for his daily life too. So I guided him to the restaurant and ate out everyday.
Usually we two had our dinner on the way home at the South-North Restaurant and then returned to his house to continue. I did various kind of paperwork, and discussed the business with him. If we felt hungry again, then I would drive out for the take-out food.
Once he tried the dainties from the Rose Restaurant, he addicted to it and asked me to buy again and again. I thought if I told him the story about the lady owner, he must have importuned me to take him to take a look.
He was very dainty about his eating,。He told me that he was from the farmer family and grew up with the hoes, and that he had a chip on his shoulder and was the head of over three hundreds engaging in the tool fighting between hamlets.
Not like him, I feel like I am the kind who can eat any food except the ones the Anti-Japanese General Yang Jing Yu had eaten (cortices, grass-root, and batt).
Roger C.Tan，Roger谭，TanRoger，Roger Tan，谭聪，Roger Cong Tan