A Boring Day
It was so boring right now. I was absolutely bored out of my mind. Could it get even more boring with each passing second?
Where I sat on the couch in the lounge that was at the back of the floral shop, the paranormal romance novel I had been trying to read now laying forgotten on the pillow next to me, I was simply staring blankly at the clock on the wall, which now showed that it was just twenty-three minutes past three in the afternoon. I think I may have been looking at the clock for about fifteen minutes straight, but it felt like forever in this sort of slow day.
The shop did not have that many customers today, and it was all calm, peaceful, and downright boring.
Closing time was not until six in the evening, but with this sort of boringness, I wished that it ended right now. Might as well cut our losses and just close up shop, since I saw no point in waiting for customers when it already seemed that there would be none. But Mom approved no such thing, and she always told me that patience was one of the key virtues of hard work.
Mom; ever the hard-working one.
Unfortunately, I was nowhere like that at that very moment.
Finally, I got bored from just staring at the clock. I groaned and finally got my butt off the couch, making my way to the front. I needed to do something, or else I might die from this utter boredom on this slow day.
"Mom!" I called out in a whine as I dragged myself to the counter. "Can I at least go out for a walk or something? I am absolutely bored out of my mind!"
Looking over to where the counter was, there sat Mom, who was looking at me as I whined.
To be honest, if both of us were seen by anyone new, they would not have thought that we were mother and daughter.
Demi Chloe had earthy blonde hair that fell in curls to her shoulders, and she had a pair of olive green eyes that were just so vibrant and had an earthy tone. Whereas, I had long wavy hair of russet brown, nearly the colour of chocolate, and bright amber eyes, which was a trait that was already very rare for anyone else to have. I looked absolutely nothing like my mother, except for the same peachy complexion of skin. Plus, she did not look the age of being a mother; she only looked probably a decade or so older to my age of twenty.
She had told me, the last time I had asked her, that I took my looks from my father, who left before I was even born, most probably because he did not want to have responsibilities of being a parent. Once, I had even questioned her if I was born out of wedlock, since she looked so young to be my mother.
She never told me the truth. But I had come to the conclusion that I was, since there had been no proof among her possessions that she had ever been married; there had just been my birth certificate with her listed as my mother and that was it. At first, the thought of being an illegitimate child bothered me. But she told me that she had never regretted having me, and that I was the only joy in her life. That eased my bothersome thoughts, and I decided that it too did not matter, as long as I had her.
Mom had a romance novella in her hand, having read it to maybe pass the time and occupy herself in this boring time of day. As she marked the page she had stopped at and set it aside, she pursed her lips and shook her head at me.
"Honestly, Melindia. How are you ever going to manage this shop on your own if you cannot even handle a slow day?" she asked me in mock-disapproval.
With a groan, I replied, "Now's not that day, Mom. So? Can I go out for a while or not? I'll come back before closing time."
Mom tutted, but then sighed in defeat and said, "Alright, alright, young lady. Just for an hour, alright?"
Hearing that, I inwardly cheered at the thought of being able to leave the now-suffocating shop and immediately headed to the lounge to grab my purse. I was out in a few seconds flat, already making my way out the shop doors.
"See you later, Mom."
"Don't be out too late, Melindia."
I was out of the doors of the shop in a few seconds flat, and was already walking on the path on the way to Main Street. At this time of day, lunch hour was about to finish up, and the working people that was out was either going back to work and the general public was about to be out for their own leisure. I could even see some children here and there, meaning that they had finished school not too long ago.
When I had entered Main Street, I continued on to a tiny short alleyway between two buildings – a hair salon on my right and a drug store on my left – and walked down a short pathway that led to a quaint and petite building hidden in between all of the shop-houses.
A red-bricked box-like cafe which had its name written on the display window in bold italics; 'The Vintage Cuppa'.
This particular cafe was a personal favourite haunt of mine, since it was so hidden away from the noisy hustle and bustle of Heatherton and it was the most perfect place to sit down and read a good book (other than home, of course) with a very delicious cup of caramel frappucino topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips - the best in town.
Plus, my best – and somewhat only – friend, Henrietta, worked there, and she could get me any delicacy I so desired at a discounted staff price.
I pushed open the glass doors and made my way inside, hearing the tinkling of the overhead bell as I entered. True to its name, The Vintage Cuppa was furnished in all sorts of vintage décor, ranging from red coral Victorian-themed wallpapers plastered to the wall, orange-brown plush armchairs at the sides of low square coffee tables and dark blue plush dining chairs around tall round tables, paintings of neutral-coloured floral patterns, tall vases of lovely flower arrangements, and a soft ballad that was actually being played from an actual vinyl record that was playing on an actual vinyl record player.
The quiet and calm atmosphere of the cafe – from both the soft ballad playing, the comforting colours of the décor and the miniscule amount of people (since it was already the end of lunch hour) – I felt myself relax, and praised myself for coming here instead of being stuck inside the boring shop.
"Mel!"
I turned my head to the direction of where my name was being called, finding it directed to the counter, which Henrietta was manning at that moment. The girl with wide blue-grey eyes and mousy blonde hair with streaks of bright blue adorning her tresses waved to me with a big smile on her glossed lips.
"Good to see you here!" she exclaimed in a bubbling manner when I came over to the counter. "I've been meaning to call you, 'cause I have a lot of fresh gossip that needs spreading."
If anyone were to see me and Henrietta, no one would think that we were actually best friends. Henrietta was a real socialite, able to strike up a conversation with just about anyone who she came across, in addition to the fact that she was loud, preppy, and loved nothing more than a real good party. On the other hand, I was a real wallflower, being as meek as a mouse when it came to meeting new people and preferring to spend all my time in the quiet and comforting fortress of my home while I entertained myself with a good book in hand or a flower shrub that needed tending.
But then again, they do say that 'opposites attract', so maybe that's why Henrietta and I always managed to get along despite our totally different personalities.
"Well, you're in luck, because I got absolutely nothing to do for the next hour," I told her with a smirk as I lazily leaned against the counter. "A soy cappuccino with lots of almond milk foam. I need some of that delightful caffeine to recharge my batteries after a boring and uneventful time back at the shop."
Without even writing up my order on the computer register, Henrietta simply turned and yelled out my order to Jacob, a twenty-one year old college sophomore. Looking through the small window that looked into the kitchen, Jacob saw me and raised his hand as a gesture of greeting while he smiled at me kindly, to which I waved back in an equally friendly gesture.
It was not that Jacob and I were really close friends; it was just that I was a regular here and that nearly any employee of the cafe already knew me from my frequent visits, while others would simply know me as 'the florist's daughter'.
"He's cute, isn't he?" Henrietta sighed dreamily and batted her eyelashes in a flirty manner when Jacob was out of view. "It's too bad he's only here for another week before he goes back to New Hampshire for his next semester. It's too short a time for me to make a move."
I cocked a brow at her and told her sceptically, "You do know he has a girlfriend, right? That girl whose pictures he has hundreds on his Facebook? The one that he's been with for ten months already? The girl who you repeatedly call a 'goody two shoes who thinks she's so sweet and cute and blah blah blah'?"
"Oh, enough of that talk, girl!" Henrietta exclaimed with a dismissive wave of my hand. "It's time to get into that gossip I promised you, Springtime!"
'Springtime' was Henrietta's own personal nickname for me. When I had first met her – which was a long time ago in this very same cafe, when she was still new at the job and I had yet to be a constant regular, and just a little while after we got into our first real conversation instead of just being the regular customer and server – she had called me 'Springtime' because of my infinite love for the season of spring. She used to call me 'Flower', because of my addiction to flowers and also the fact that I was a florist, but that was long forgotten already. Only 'Springtime' remained as her nickname for me.
At that moment, a glazed white ceramic coffee cup that was sitting atop a saucer was placed on the small pick-up table next to the counter by Jacob, who was now making his way back inside the kitchen. From the cup, the strong aroma of soy bean milk and caffeine radiated in the air, intertwining with the lingering scent of creamy almonds that came from the whitish-beige foamed milk that topped the coffee.
Henrietta walked out of the counter station and took the coffee cup in her hands by the saucer. "Order up! A soy cappuccino with lots of almond milk foam for Melindia Hagne!" she exclaimed loudly as she made her way to one of the empty nearby tables. Rolling my eyes, I followed her, just for the sake of getting my caffeine.
When I took the seat across hers, I made haste to grab hold of my coffee by the cup's handle gently. Giving a few tentative blows of air to cool the surface, I then took a careful sip, feeling relieved that my tongue did not get burnt when the coffee finally slowly flowed past my lips. When I drank it, I could feel myself become even more relaxed and satisfied, all thanks to the uberly delicious soy cappuccino with almond milk foam.
"Remind me to give my compliments to the barista. Jacob sure can make a cup of coffee!"
Henrietta only rolled her eyes and exclaimed, "That can wait! Right now, I need to tell you all about this guy I saw when I was on my way to work!"
Oh, boy. This could not be good for me.
This was not really the first time Henrietta's goes about telling me about a guy that she found to be really super attractive and how said guy would be the perfect husband for her; this was already the countless who-knows-what time she does this. Usually, I would listen to her to just be kind and be engaged with whatever she has to say, but it's absolutely no lie that it could get extremely boring after a while.
As per normal, I casually asked in a slight nonchalant tone, "So, how'd you meet him?"
Henrietta sighed aloud in exasperation. "Unfortunately, I didn't! I only saw him walking about in the park about too far away for me to try and catch him before he left. I was running late for work this morning, so it was even more a disadvantage. But! Even though I did not really meet this guy, believe me when I say that he looks like a god."
I set down my cup of coffee carefully and raised an eyebrow sceptically at her. "That's what you said about the guy you saw jogging last week," I pointed out to her.
She shook her head in protest, and continued to exclaim, "I am telling you truthfully, Spring, that this guy really looked so handsome and gorgeous that it's almost impossible for someone that good-looking to possibly exist! He was like the very meaning of the phrase 'tall, dark and handsome'! Seriously, even Hollywood's top hottest celebrities would look like Average Joes compared to him. He's got this brooding look that so smouldering and sexy that he could really make any girl weak in the knees. He certainly had that effect on me!"
Henrietta then let out a pleasured whimper and started to fan herself immediately, while I could only watch her with a look that most certainly said 'I am bored with whatever you had been speaking to me about'. I mean, it's really no wonder why I would be so bored, because this was just Henrietta and her usual 'boy-crazy' and 'hopeless romantic' personality. Normally, I would not have mind, but she's been doing it so frequently now that it was – admittedly – getting really annoying.
"Oh gawd, I sure hope I see him again! And then I might be able to get him to take me out for drinks and get to know him a little more. I wonder what his favourite type of girl is. With those sorts of looks and that high level of hotness he possesses, he must have women throwing themselves at him all the time!"
"Mm-hm… Right… Go do that…" I replied in a voice that could hide just the slightest bit of my annoyance and boredness at the conversation. It was so funny and ironic; I had come to the cafe to alleviate my boredness, but here I am getting bored by my own friend. "By the way, don't you have a job to do right now?"
At that very moment, Bryan, the owner of the cafe, emerged out of his office and, upon seeing Henrietta sitting with me at the table and fawning to herself about the image of the guy that was now stuck on her mind, immediately started demanding to know why she was not managing the counter. In a flash, Henrietta jumped out of her seat and rushed back to the counter, all the while remarking with sass about things called 'breaks' and how 'other employees use it to recharge'.
As I watched her have a funny sort of quarrel with her boss, I could only smirk in amusement and drink up my soy cappuccino, feeling relieved that I now had the peace I wanted to myself.
XXX
I was just reading some e-books on my phone when I had noticed the time and realized that it was time for me to go.
Putting back my cell into my jeans pocket and grabbing my purse, I downed the remaining of my now-cooled cappuccino and got up from my seat. Henrietta wasn't at the counter now, probably doing some work in the kitchen. Nearby, I saw Jacob cleaning up a table that had previously been occupied by a couple. I called him out and he looked at me promptly.
"Can you tell Henri that I've gone back and I'll clear my tab with her next time?"
Jacob nodded with a friendly smile. "Sure, Melindia. Have a nice day."
I waved goodbye to him as I made my way out of the cafe, and then I started on my walk back to the flower shop. At this time of late afternoon, the town was quite abuzz with activity when I got on to Main Street. Moms were shopping for groceries to make dinners with some even stopping for a chat with fellow moms, cars were driving up and down the street to their own destinations, and nearly everyone was done with the work day and was now on their way home or some other place they had planned to go for whatever reason.
Just the thought that shop was not going to close for at least another two hours made me dread going back to the stifling boringness. I needed a little bit more time of relaxation before I braced myself to go back, and my secret pomegranate tree at the park was the right place in mind.
I'm sure a few minutes there wouldn't hurt… I thought to myself as I changed my walking directions from the shop to the park instead. I could just tell Mom I got caught up with something.
The park wasn't that far from Main Street, only a five-minute walk away. Very soon, I was already walking past the lake, following the path that led to the thicket of trees where my pomegranate tree lay as the heart of that thicket. The day was calm and peaceful, with the feeling of a light breeze all around the air and the sounds of people laughing heartily and children playing with their friends.
The thicket of trees finally came into sight and I walked off the pathway and on the grass. There was nobody in the area, so there was nobody who had seen me disappear into that thicket.
The thicket was quiet and peaceful, except for the tweeting and chippering of birds in the branches above me. I looked up to see some yellow-bellied and red-feathered ones flying from tree to tree and hopping from branch to branch, all of them singing in harmony.
But then, I was distracted by the feeling of my foot kicking away something that was now rolling a few feet ahead of me. I looked down and was surprised to find half a pomegranate laying on the grass, some of its seeds now scattered from falling out due to the impact of my accidental kick.
I picked up the pomegranate half and became curious as to why there was even one lying around in the first place. As I continued to walk the way to the tree, I began to wonder if there had been someone here recently, and I began to worry that my secret place was not so secret after all.
Just then, my memory flashed to a scene from a few days ago, and I was suddenly thinking about the dark-haired pale stranger who had stood in front of the tree and who had scattered six pomegranate seeds, which seemed curious, or somewhat ominously.
I began to wonder if he would ever come back to the tree.
Who would have known that, when I finally stepped out into the clearing, my words would ring true.
Author's Note:
Well... it was kind of disappointing to know that there was not a lot of responses to the first chapter as I hoped there would be. But nevertheless, I will strive!
Anyway, let us introduce Demi Chloe, Melindia's loving single mother, and Henrietta McPherson, Melindia's party-crazy best friend. Anyone who read The Reincarnation would remember Henrietta, so let's welcome her back!
But who is that guy who mysteriously appeared in the end?
Muse of Fanfiction