CH. 3
"Fallen Embers"
Omi carefully picked a dozen roses for a bouquet. He mixed half red and half pink. Then he brought them out for the customer, a girl, about his age, in pinstriped pants, wearing a duster and carrying a stuffed, pink rabbit.
"Here you go," he said as she handed him the money for them.
"Thank you," she replied.
"Sure. Who are they for?"
"I'm not sure. I just had this feeling that I had to buy a dozen roses and if I didn't I would regret it forever."
Omi shrugged, "Well, I hope you find out soon."
The girl left and he went back to work, his many admirers following him with their eyes while they browsed the flowers.
Rie sat at home, tapping her foot, trying to think of something to do. She had been so bored and full of energy last night that she had actually cleaned the entire house. She went over to the fridge and pulled out some tofu, she looked it again, though, sighed, and put it back, grabbing a package of cookies instead.
She opened them up and stuffed one of the chocolate-covered delights into her mouth. She turned on the radio and listened to some alternative rock for a while, dancing and singing in between cookies.
***
Aya untied his green apron as he left the flower store for lunch, taking his brooding air with him, leaving the shop feeling quite a bit more lively and happy.
He walked down the street and hopped into his car. He hit the play button on the stereo and Ken's CD came on again, fortunately on a different track.
Once, as my heart remembers, All the stars were falling embers. Once when night seemed forever I was with you.
Once, in the care of morning In the air was all belonging. Once, when the day was dawning I was with you.
How far we are from morning, How far are we And the stars shining through the darkness, Falling in the air.
Once, as the night was leaving Into us our dreams were weaving. Once, all dreams were worth keeping, I was with you.
Once when our hearts were singing, I was with you.
(Enya, "Fallen Embers")
He pulled over to a little café and climbed out of the car, going inside. He got a sandwich and a cappuccino. Then, he sat down at a table in the darkest corner.
A few minutes later, a woman, dressed remarkably like he was, in his black pants and trench coat, entered. She got a bowl of soup and a drink and looked at him, sitting at the corner table.
She came over and asked, "Do you mind if I sit with you? This is where I always sit."
Aya shrugged and she put down the soup and cup to pull out the chair.
"I'm Eve." She stuck out her hand over the table.
Aya took it and told her his name. She, then, pulled a book out of her coat pocket and began to read while she ate.
Aya looked at the book. It was entitled The Stories of a Stranger, and had a picture of a bonfire on the cover. He read the description on the back.
He came and sat down beside her as she roasted her marshmallow.
"Hello. Do you have any food that you could spare a stranger? I could entertain you as payment for them."
She gave him the bag of marshmallows and he began to tell his first mysterious tale.
"Four stars! A wonderful read!"
~Library Journal
"I couldn't put it down! The Stories of a Stranger is a great book that people of all ages can relate to!"
~Tristan Ornson, author of The Soul Story
Aya took a bite of his sandwich and made a mental note to read the book.
***
Vanadise was browsing through the "Natural Sounds" CDs when she looked up to see and attractive man looking at the "Rock" section behind her.
She made her selection, a new Loreena McKennit CD and went over to see which disk he was looking at. It was a soundtrack for a movie she hadn't seen yet.
"Have you seen that yet?" she asked him.
"Nope, but my friend said that it has great music." He replied, looking up, expecting to see an employee, but was startled to find a tall woman wearing a sundress, her long hair cascading down her back. "Have you seen it?"
"No, not yet, but it looks really good."
"Yeah, say, I've got to get to work in about ten minutes, but tomorrow is my day off. Do you want to go see it with me?"
"Sure!"
He pulled out a business card from his pocket and wrote on the back of it. "Here's my number. I should be home around eight. Gimme a call, OK?"
"OK," she said as he went to purchase his CD.
Vanadise looked down at the card.
Ken Hidaka
534-8913
Van smiled and put it into her purse as she went to the cash register to make her purchase.
***
Rie stood in the check out line at the grocery store. While she had been dancing, she was overcome by a craving for rocky road ice cream.
She made the purchase and left the store, walking through the parking lot to her scooter. She hopped on and turned the key. She drove out onto the road and stopped at the light.
Next to her was a mightily hott guy in a midnight blue convertible. He wore a tee shirt, cut to show off his abs and had wavy hair to his shoulders. And he was looking at her.
Rie flipped her hair out of her face and made eye contact with him. He was cute.no, more than cute. Way more!
She smiled and zoomed off as the light turned green. She looked into her rear view mirror. He was following her. She turned off onto her road and parked her scooter in the driveway. He turned too and watched her go into the house.
He looked at the address and when he got home, he called the operator.
"Hello, I'd like the number for a house number 387 Gillesport Road."
"Just a moment please." He was put on hold for a few moments before the operator came back, "589-4265."
"Thank you." He hung up and dialed the number she had given. It rang five times and was halfway through the message before she picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hi, this is Youji.You know, the guy in the car?" he said, hoping that she did remember. She seemed like the kind who would.
"Oh! Oh, hi! How'd you get my number?" She asked, fully aware of how he probably did.
"I called the operator."
"Oh."
"Yeah, well, I was wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night."
"Oh! Sure! That'd be great!"
"OK, well, I guess I'll pick you up around seven."
"Sure, that sounds great!"
"OK, um.One more thing, what's your name?"
"Rie."
"Well, I will see you at seven."
"OK, bye."
"Bye."
Youji hung up and threw his arms in the air for victory. He was still the charmer.
"Fallen Embers"
Omi carefully picked a dozen roses for a bouquet. He mixed half red and half pink. Then he brought them out for the customer, a girl, about his age, in pinstriped pants, wearing a duster and carrying a stuffed, pink rabbit.
"Here you go," he said as she handed him the money for them.
"Thank you," she replied.
"Sure. Who are they for?"
"I'm not sure. I just had this feeling that I had to buy a dozen roses and if I didn't I would regret it forever."
Omi shrugged, "Well, I hope you find out soon."
The girl left and he went back to work, his many admirers following him with their eyes while they browsed the flowers.
Rie sat at home, tapping her foot, trying to think of something to do. She had been so bored and full of energy last night that she had actually cleaned the entire house. She went over to the fridge and pulled out some tofu, she looked it again, though, sighed, and put it back, grabbing a package of cookies instead.
She opened them up and stuffed one of the chocolate-covered delights into her mouth. She turned on the radio and listened to some alternative rock for a while, dancing and singing in between cookies.
***
Aya untied his green apron as he left the flower store for lunch, taking his brooding air with him, leaving the shop feeling quite a bit more lively and happy.
He walked down the street and hopped into his car. He hit the play button on the stereo and Ken's CD came on again, fortunately on a different track.
Once, as my heart remembers, All the stars were falling embers. Once when night seemed forever I was with you.
Once, in the care of morning In the air was all belonging. Once, when the day was dawning I was with you.
How far we are from morning, How far are we And the stars shining through the darkness, Falling in the air.
Once, as the night was leaving Into us our dreams were weaving. Once, all dreams were worth keeping, I was with you.
Once when our hearts were singing, I was with you.
(Enya, "Fallen Embers")
He pulled over to a little café and climbed out of the car, going inside. He got a sandwich and a cappuccino. Then, he sat down at a table in the darkest corner.
A few minutes later, a woman, dressed remarkably like he was, in his black pants and trench coat, entered. She got a bowl of soup and a drink and looked at him, sitting at the corner table.
She came over and asked, "Do you mind if I sit with you? This is where I always sit."
Aya shrugged and she put down the soup and cup to pull out the chair.
"I'm Eve." She stuck out her hand over the table.
Aya took it and told her his name. She, then, pulled a book out of her coat pocket and began to read while she ate.
Aya looked at the book. It was entitled The Stories of a Stranger, and had a picture of a bonfire on the cover. He read the description on the back.
He came and sat down beside her as she roasted her marshmallow.
"Hello. Do you have any food that you could spare a stranger? I could entertain you as payment for them."
She gave him the bag of marshmallows and he began to tell his first mysterious tale.
"Four stars! A wonderful read!"
~Library Journal
"I couldn't put it down! The Stories of a Stranger is a great book that people of all ages can relate to!"
~Tristan Ornson, author of The Soul Story
Aya took a bite of his sandwich and made a mental note to read the book.
***
Vanadise was browsing through the "Natural Sounds" CDs when she looked up to see and attractive man looking at the "Rock" section behind her.
She made her selection, a new Loreena McKennit CD and went over to see which disk he was looking at. It was a soundtrack for a movie she hadn't seen yet.
"Have you seen that yet?" she asked him.
"Nope, but my friend said that it has great music." He replied, looking up, expecting to see an employee, but was startled to find a tall woman wearing a sundress, her long hair cascading down her back. "Have you seen it?"
"No, not yet, but it looks really good."
"Yeah, say, I've got to get to work in about ten minutes, but tomorrow is my day off. Do you want to go see it with me?"
"Sure!"
He pulled out a business card from his pocket and wrote on the back of it. "Here's my number. I should be home around eight. Gimme a call, OK?"
"OK," she said as he went to purchase his CD.
Vanadise looked down at the card.
Ken Hidaka
534-8913
Van smiled and put it into her purse as she went to the cash register to make her purchase.
***
Rie stood in the check out line at the grocery store. While she had been dancing, she was overcome by a craving for rocky road ice cream.
She made the purchase and left the store, walking through the parking lot to her scooter. She hopped on and turned the key. She drove out onto the road and stopped at the light.
Next to her was a mightily hott guy in a midnight blue convertible. He wore a tee shirt, cut to show off his abs and had wavy hair to his shoulders. And he was looking at her.
Rie flipped her hair out of her face and made eye contact with him. He was cute.no, more than cute. Way more!
She smiled and zoomed off as the light turned green. She looked into her rear view mirror. He was following her. She turned off onto her road and parked her scooter in the driveway. He turned too and watched her go into the house.
He looked at the address and when he got home, he called the operator.
"Hello, I'd like the number for a house number 387 Gillesport Road."
"Just a moment please." He was put on hold for a few moments before the operator came back, "589-4265."
"Thank you." He hung up and dialed the number she had given. It rang five times and was halfway through the message before she picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hi, this is Youji.You know, the guy in the car?" he said, hoping that she did remember. She seemed like the kind who would.
"Oh! Oh, hi! How'd you get my number?" She asked, fully aware of how he probably did.
"I called the operator."
"Oh."
"Yeah, well, I was wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night."
"Oh! Sure! That'd be great!"
"OK, well, I guess I'll pick you up around seven."
"Sure, that sounds great!"
"OK, um.One more thing, what's your name?"
"Rie."
"Well, I will see you at seven."
"OK, bye."
"Bye."
Youji hung up and threw his arms in the air for victory. He was still the charmer.