Days went by slowly and trudgingly since then, and in the midst of
preparing for the Flower Festival Elli rarely thought of that day with
Jack. It was so strange--- villagers, at least the older ones, tended to
think of springtime as a period of rebirth, enjoyment, relaxation and
beauty. Beauty, of course, was one thing Elli and anyone else could
recognize in the flowers and the girls in costume at the festival, but the
concept of the Goddess itself was what brought those girls something
different in the springtime: toils, stress, anxiety, good as well as bad
excitement....
Cakes weren't really necessary for the festival as people hardly ever brought food for the festival, but as the event would be held the next day, that meant that this day- Spring 22nd- was her best friend Popuri's birthday and she would be having a brief party this afternoon, so Elli would have to bake anyway.
At eleven o' clock she had shown up early at the Florist's shop, mainly to greet Popuri's mother Lillia and her father Basil, who had come back from his annual stay in a village down south for the fall and winter. Paper flowers and real ones were being lined up to border the room for Popuri's sixteenth birthday celebration, and Elli couldn't help but notice the sunlight striking through the curtains and turning the vivid pastel colors into faded, softer hues. The shop smelled entirely of a sweet natural fragrance and it was overall a very peaceful environment, just as the Bakery was. Popuri had a wonderful life, having grown up here. Her parents were darlings although they tended to cater to her every whim sometimes, and botany itself was a fascinating study to have known for most of one's life. Nothing ever went wrong in a Florist's shop either, not when Popuri had her own parents to help, unlike how Elli just had Jeff. Not that she wasn't happy with Jeff's efforts, of course, but being in the Florist's shop really soothed her and got her to think about things sometimes.
"Elli!!!" Popuri hugged her friend when she came out of her bedroom. "Oh, you brought cake! Thank you so much; I'm sure it will be delicious, as always. Won't you come into my room? I'm not doing much of anything right now, but it's much more relaxing in here."
"Happy Birthday," Elli finally announced when she was inside. Popuri settled a chair at her small table for her, right in the center of her flowery and overly-pink bedroom. Rose-scented incense was burning and the entire bedroom smelled like a flower garden itself. Her friend smiled beautifully and seated herself across from her.
"So how are you, Elli? I mean, you don't stop by as much. You must be working hard with the Bakery. Anything new?" Popuri settled her chin in her hands. One quality Elli loved was that Popuri had a knack for listening most intently when she really did have something interesting to say. It was almost as if Popuri knew that she was happy or when she was upset--- sometimes without even looking at her!
"Well, okay," Elli burst into a smile and a light girlish giggle. "I can't hide it from you any longer. I tell you Popuri, it's been completely boring in the shop until I had Jack swing by last week."
"Oh my gosh! So like, what happened?" Popuri smoothened out her red skirt and crossed her ankles under the table, with her slips rustling. "Is he cute or what??"
"Yeah, of course, very cute. Well, I tell ya, he's very fun to talk to, I mean it. Everybody in this village is like Hi, how are you and Oh, I'm fine, thank you all the time, you know?? But with Jack it's different. He's so cool about it, and at the same time he's telling the truth."
"I've noticed. At least he doesn't brag about his farm," Popuri sighed.
"You're absolutely right, but I mean you should have seen it, the way he blushed. Okay, so he orders a slice of veryberry pie, a scoop of ice cream, and a cup of tea, and is nice enough to comment on these things, but when I tell him his total he totally turns red and notices a hole in the pocket of those overalls of his--"
"Oh my gosh!! So what did you do?"
"Well, I paid the bill for him. And then we went outside and I helped him find his money that was strewn about all over the place, and then he sees Kent, Stu, and May outside. Apparently they'd found some of his money, but he gives those kids at least half of what we found on the road so they could buy themselves some sweets!"
"Awwww!!!" Popuri folded her hands. "I wish I could've been there. What a nice thing to do!"
"Yes, the children seem to know and like him a lot already."
"I haven't seen Jack much lately, but I did notice him swing by here once when I was outside watering. He looks so cute when he does that thing that guys do-- you know, when they tip their hats or take them off in front of a lady? So he's definitely polite..... OH, ELLI!!!!!!!!" she burst all of a sudden. "I just thought of something. You know how we're supposed to be helping Maria along, right?"
"Right, and? How is she?"
"Well, they've met at the library, as far as I know, but he's acquainted with all the rest of us, too. Who's going to get to dance with him at the Flower Festival tomorrow? I mean, I really don't want to start an argument, but let's face it-- we'll all want to!" Popuri's face drooped with guilt. "We don't know him very well yet, and he could like any of us-- or none of us! It's just like Ann said. And even further-- what if Jack has a girlfriend that he left behind in the city where he came from?"
"You're right. Well, Maria is smart, and she's too shy to think of such a thing, so she'll probably choose to back out altogether. Ann and Karen... well, I know Ann doesn't look for romance easily at all, and Karen simply has other things to worry about. At least that's what I think, but what it all comes down to is, whoever gets asked, gets asked, and it doesn't necessarily mean anything. So for the time being, I think we should just mind our own business and pretend we're not paying attention to anything like that in particular-- even if it makes us all look completely stupid."
"I see what you mean. Imagine if we all let on that we had interest in him! That's bound to cause some problems for all of us. So, are you running for Goddess?"
"My name is in the ballot, as always, but I doubt anyone's voted for me. I don't even know why I put my name in the ballot. I just do it to please the Goddess, I guess, and do some good for everyone for a little while.... I've never done it before, but it doesn't matter to me. I just do it for the experience. I know you're running."
Popuri smiled. "It would make my parents proud."
Elli figured that was something she wouldn't have to work too hard at, considering that she was Lillia and Basil's only child, but she deserved to be Goddess nonetheless. So did Maria especially, and having Karen as Goddess would cheer her up since the recent feud broke out again between her and her family, and Ann was never Goddess before either.
The subject of the Spring Goddess this year, surprisingly, didn't arise even once during Popuri's party, which started two hours later. Elli thought maybe the three others had figured out for themselves what she and Popuri were discussing, and she was glad of it. Instead, the five of them had their usual fun gathering that they'd always had since they were children without regarding anything else-- the way they all promised things were going to be always.
Cakes weren't really necessary for the festival as people hardly ever brought food for the festival, but as the event would be held the next day, that meant that this day- Spring 22nd- was her best friend Popuri's birthday and she would be having a brief party this afternoon, so Elli would have to bake anyway.
At eleven o' clock she had shown up early at the Florist's shop, mainly to greet Popuri's mother Lillia and her father Basil, who had come back from his annual stay in a village down south for the fall and winter. Paper flowers and real ones were being lined up to border the room for Popuri's sixteenth birthday celebration, and Elli couldn't help but notice the sunlight striking through the curtains and turning the vivid pastel colors into faded, softer hues. The shop smelled entirely of a sweet natural fragrance and it was overall a very peaceful environment, just as the Bakery was. Popuri had a wonderful life, having grown up here. Her parents were darlings although they tended to cater to her every whim sometimes, and botany itself was a fascinating study to have known for most of one's life. Nothing ever went wrong in a Florist's shop either, not when Popuri had her own parents to help, unlike how Elli just had Jeff. Not that she wasn't happy with Jeff's efforts, of course, but being in the Florist's shop really soothed her and got her to think about things sometimes.
"Elli!!!" Popuri hugged her friend when she came out of her bedroom. "Oh, you brought cake! Thank you so much; I'm sure it will be delicious, as always. Won't you come into my room? I'm not doing much of anything right now, but it's much more relaxing in here."
"Happy Birthday," Elli finally announced when she was inside. Popuri settled a chair at her small table for her, right in the center of her flowery and overly-pink bedroom. Rose-scented incense was burning and the entire bedroom smelled like a flower garden itself. Her friend smiled beautifully and seated herself across from her.
"So how are you, Elli? I mean, you don't stop by as much. You must be working hard with the Bakery. Anything new?" Popuri settled her chin in her hands. One quality Elli loved was that Popuri had a knack for listening most intently when she really did have something interesting to say. It was almost as if Popuri knew that she was happy or when she was upset--- sometimes without even looking at her!
"Well, okay," Elli burst into a smile and a light girlish giggle. "I can't hide it from you any longer. I tell you Popuri, it's been completely boring in the shop until I had Jack swing by last week."
"Oh my gosh! So like, what happened?" Popuri smoothened out her red skirt and crossed her ankles under the table, with her slips rustling. "Is he cute or what??"
"Yeah, of course, very cute. Well, I tell ya, he's very fun to talk to, I mean it. Everybody in this village is like Hi, how are you and Oh, I'm fine, thank you all the time, you know?? But with Jack it's different. He's so cool about it, and at the same time he's telling the truth."
"I've noticed. At least he doesn't brag about his farm," Popuri sighed.
"You're absolutely right, but I mean you should have seen it, the way he blushed. Okay, so he orders a slice of veryberry pie, a scoop of ice cream, and a cup of tea, and is nice enough to comment on these things, but when I tell him his total he totally turns red and notices a hole in the pocket of those overalls of his--"
"Oh my gosh!! So what did you do?"
"Well, I paid the bill for him. And then we went outside and I helped him find his money that was strewn about all over the place, and then he sees Kent, Stu, and May outside. Apparently they'd found some of his money, but he gives those kids at least half of what we found on the road so they could buy themselves some sweets!"
"Awwww!!!" Popuri folded her hands. "I wish I could've been there. What a nice thing to do!"
"Yes, the children seem to know and like him a lot already."
"I haven't seen Jack much lately, but I did notice him swing by here once when I was outside watering. He looks so cute when he does that thing that guys do-- you know, when they tip their hats or take them off in front of a lady? So he's definitely polite..... OH, ELLI!!!!!!!!" she burst all of a sudden. "I just thought of something. You know how we're supposed to be helping Maria along, right?"
"Right, and? How is she?"
"Well, they've met at the library, as far as I know, but he's acquainted with all the rest of us, too. Who's going to get to dance with him at the Flower Festival tomorrow? I mean, I really don't want to start an argument, but let's face it-- we'll all want to!" Popuri's face drooped with guilt. "We don't know him very well yet, and he could like any of us-- or none of us! It's just like Ann said. And even further-- what if Jack has a girlfriend that he left behind in the city where he came from?"
"You're right. Well, Maria is smart, and she's too shy to think of such a thing, so she'll probably choose to back out altogether. Ann and Karen... well, I know Ann doesn't look for romance easily at all, and Karen simply has other things to worry about. At least that's what I think, but what it all comes down to is, whoever gets asked, gets asked, and it doesn't necessarily mean anything. So for the time being, I think we should just mind our own business and pretend we're not paying attention to anything like that in particular-- even if it makes us all look completely stupid."
"I see what you mean. Imagine if we all let on that we had interest in him! That's bound to cause some problems for all of us. So, are you running for Goddess?"
"My name is in the ballot, as always, but I doubt anyone's voted for me. I don't even know why I put my name in the ballot. I just do it to please the Goddess, I guess, and do some good for everyone for a little while.... I've never done it before, but it doesn't matter to me. I just do it for the experience. I know you're running."
Popuri smiled. "It would make my parents proud."
Elli figured that was something she wouldn't have to work too hard at, considering that she was Lillia and Basil's only child, but she deserved to be Goddess nonetheless. So did Maria especially, and having Karen as Goddess would cheer her up since the recent feud broke out again between her and her family, and Ann was never Goddess before either.
The subject of the Spring Goddess this year, surprisingly, didn't arise even once during Popuri's party, which started two hours later. Elli thought maybe the three others had figured out for themselves what she and Popuri were discussing, and she was glad of it. Instead, the five of them had their usual fun gathering that they'd always had since they were children without regarding anything else-- the way they all promised things were going to be always.