I look like a girl, he thought angrily, since when do I have to put myself in front of the mirror to decide what clothes I have left?
He was in his room, his clothes all rioted and covered only with a towel around his waist, trying to decide what clothes Poppy would like the most, cursed under his breath when he realized that almost all his clothes were the same: dark.
In the end he ended up deciding as usual, a brown pants and a green jacket, I take care that his hair was not tangled and he looked in the mirror, trying to imagine the image that she would take from him. The only difference was that the wrinkles were even more marked.
He took the perfumed letter and put it in his jacket pocket. When he took the knob he took a deep breath and found the value he needed for that night. He opened the door and faced the warm breezes of that night.
He stood for a moment, still, watching his surroundings carefully as a rabbit inspects before daring to leave his lair. The first thing he likes is that in his neighbor's house he did not listen to the usual argumenta when there was a party.
He put his hands in the pockets of his jacket and crossed the street slowly.
When he was in front of her garden, he walked to the side to get to the back garden that was divided by a wooden fence. As he approached, he was surprised by the presence of the music that was beginning to reach her ears.
He pushed the wooden door of the fence with one hand and froze when he saw the scene, it was easy there were gathered more than twenty people including the Snack Pack, chatting among them, dancing or even swimming in the pool that was in the middle of the garden.
Branch took a step back, embarrassed before so many people, confused, he took the letter out of his pocket and read it quickly, but until then he realized that in all the letter the only thing her creator had written was his name. The rest was printed.
He felt a pang in his stomach when he realized that the same letter had been delivered to everyone and that only the names of the recipient had been put on top. Poppy had never specifically thought of him.
Why would I do that? I've been dead to her for a long time.
He turned around to go home when he heard someone call him from behind.
-Branch!
He habitually took his cold and alert look that he always had when he turned to see her. He was surprised (though he did not show it) how much Poppy had changed. She had managed to grow easily about ten centimeters (or was five, to him it seemed ten) her shorts had replaced them with blue trousers that reached below the knees.
Her face full of freckles seemed to have taken on an air of maturity (although he did not trust much in that) and did not use any makeup, did not really need it, the most striking was her hair caught in an indomitable high ponytail stained a strong pink color.
He had never seen her with his hair dyed, but he had to admit that it looked good on her. Although she still wore the unforgettable wreath of pale blue flowers and green leaves made of felt that she had used since she could remember.
-I'm very glad you decided to come-the girl greeted him with joy.
-Just go out of curiosity while on my night walk-he lied, his voice muffled-I had heard the unpleasant rumor that you had come back.
- You, Branch? Were you curious? That's very weird, you should see a doctor.
Branch rolled his eyes. Poppy let go and hug him tightly, he uncomfortably writhed in place trying to break free of the girl.
-No hugs Poppy!-He shouted in despair, the girl released him smiling still.
-Thank you Poppy for your warm welcome, but if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to my house.
-Ahh, no, that's not it- she took his hand firmly, Branch shuddered at the touch- it was quite a miracle the simple fact that you came to my garden, you will not leave so soon.
She pulled him hard to the back garden and closed the fence to make sure that Ramón did not run away as soon as he let go. She turned to see him with a playful smile. The opposite of how the young man felt at that moment.
-Happy?
-No- he answered rudely-What is the name of the crime in which you lock someone against their will?
-Kidnapping?
-Exactly,-he said sarcastically,-it seems to me that I am being a victim of that crime at this damn moment.
- Stop being spoilsport and go to serve yourself some drink, I'll go there with the guys if you need me.
Poppy left, leaving Branch to his fate.
Shit, alone and in the middle of a party full of pure clowns.
He walked a few steps and leaned against the wall, his hands inside the pockets of his jacket. Near him was a table with white tablecloth, full of different snacks and drinks, he went over and took a glass with something that looked like soda.
He returned to his place slowly absorbing the liquid while he returned to recharge in its place. Branch observed the party quite disinterested, but with a lot of attention followed each one of Poppy's movements.
It was incredible the energy that that girl had at her twenty-two years, at one point she was talking to neighbors in one corner, the next she was jumping from chair to chair playing with Suki, now she was throwing balls trying to knock down some glass bottles against Copper
Branch felt each of his muscles tense when he saw Poppy running towards a boy with horrible yellow pants and planted a kiss on his face. Of course, he must have imagined that Creek would be at that party because he was the boyfriend of the young lady of honor.
He looked at the group that Poppy always came together with: the Snak Pack. The only difference that there was in them is that everyone had their hair dyed in different colors.
Bored he followed with the look each one of the movements of Poppy during what he believed three quarters of an hour, perhaps more, and easy more than ten glasses of soda ingested. He began to despair a little, all that time wasted and had only managed to talk to her for less than three minutes.
He pulled back from the wall, brushed the dust that had stuck to his back pockets and threw the glass into a trash basket nearby, went to the wooden fence and for some reason felt the look on her face pink haired girl.
-Branch!
He turned around and without removing a hand from the wooden fence and waited for her to come closer.
-What's going on?
- Are you leaving so soon?
-I do not have anything to do here, I just came to see how you were and that's it.
-But you should keep what's left of the party.
-For what? Knowing you tomorrow at the same time I will hear that horrible September song of Earth, Wind and Fire blaring in the streets for a party that you will be doing.
-I'm not doing parties Branch, at least not soon in this place.
That seemed strange to the young man.
-Why not?
-It is a notice that I want to give to all of you right now, this week I will dedicate myself to prepare my things again to move.
-Where? - Branch asked knowing that the answer was not going to like him very much.
-To Bergen Town!-Shouted the excited girl-I got a job as a teacher in an art school for children and young people.
-What?! - Branch's cry was so horrible that everyone stopped what he was doing, some alarmed and others scared.
Branch took his face off in surprise at one of wrath and, taking Poppy by the wrist, forcefully pulled her out of the back garden into the main garden. His face reflected everything except joy.
-Bergen Town Poppy? Really? Bergen Town?
Poppy frowned, beginning to be alert.
- Are you aware that the bertenos are not beings you can deal with? For God Poppy, they have been our enemies for generations. I thought you were smarter.
-Let me go!- She broke off sharply because Branch was beginning to hurt her wrist - of course I am aware that our towns were enemies for years, but that is over. My father managed to make a peace treaty that caused both towns to be at peace.
- A damn sheet of paper is not enough for everyone changed there, they are still the same heartless monsters that mistreat the people of Villa Troll!
-That is not true Branch, they are human just like us but they need our help in some things, so accept that job, I can teach you that they too can be happy.
-Of course, you are going to teach them how to make cards of "life is full of cakes and rainbows" so that they change, they are a ball of bitter unhappiness.
-Well, I think you're too bitter, you know too much, do not you?
Branch tightened his lips furiously, she was also uneasy, they both heard that the wooden fence opened behind them.
-Poppy, is everything okay?- Creek asked uneasily.
-Of course it is well, intrusive -the young rude replied- it is just that she does not know how to choose the right decisions and decides to go to a town where they will immediately put the rope around her neck.
Creek frowned, annoyed.
- Enough Branch! You are acting as if an apocalypse is coming at this moment, it is just a job.
-A job where you will be surrounded by enemies, in an enemy town, working with enemies! More stupid could not have been.
The words began to hurt the girl, who looked at him with clenched fists and furious eyes, her boyfriend approached when he realized the tension that was taking over Poppy and grabbed her shoulders.
- Go fuck somewhere else, Branch! - the hippie shouted at the Grinch of the colony - Poppy is already a mature woman, capable of making her own decisions and knowing what is risky or not for her. A woman who does not need your stupid fits of anger to get ahead.
The presence of Poppy was the only thing that stopped Branc from throwing himself at Creek and leaving him prostrate on the floor, he tightened his fists and looked at Poppy straight in the eye.
- You may have matured PHYSICALLY, but if we talk about mental maturity, YOU HAVE NOT CHANGED ANYTHING!
He turned around furiously and returned to his old house, leaving a pained Poppy on the street while Creek tried to comfort her.
Branch played entertaining in the backyard of his grandmother's house, in his house. With a box in his hand full of transparent plastic bags. He liked to go out to his grandmother Rossiefpuf's garden in the afternoons and search among all the medicinal plants, grass and earth for new leaves and / or branches that the wind would have pushed to the garden.
He was amused to take the leaves or branches that fell into the yard and spend hours comparing them with those he had already stored in his cardboard box. Now he was observing a leaf with three leaves that seemed to have a heart shape.
He hear someone knocking on the door of his house, he did not flinch, for him it had become a habit that at all hours he came with his grandmother to ask for some advice on medicine, medicinal plant or even to take care of the small children in the area occasionally.
So he continued quietly crawling through the grass looking for new leaves for his collection.
- How are you, mayor Peppy? - He heard the voice of his grandmother-Of course if ... do not worry ... come here.
What could they be giving to their grandmother? He stood up and went to the patio door.
-Don't worry Mayor Peppy, you'll see how we'll have fun with Poppy.
Poppy? Who was Poppy? He did not remember any girl that had brought his grandmother with that name, it was surely someone new. He had never liked living with other children, when his grandmother had to take care of someone he usually locked hisself in his small room and stayed there until the day was over.
-Branch! Come here for a moment please.
Branch ran into the living room where his grandmother held a small bundle in his arms.
-Look Branch, she is Poppy, her father had an emergency meeting today in Bergen Town and we played a lot with her.
Fantastic! He thought sarcastically. He approached his grandmother and could see the little girl he was holding.
She was easy as three years old, had beautiful pink eyes and a short hair for her age of a chestnut color. She held in his arms a little troll of the 80's with pink hair and a red diamond in the navel.
The little girl seemed somewhat frightened when she was in the arms of that old woman who was unknown to her at that moment. But when she turned to see Branch, it seemed to diminish a great part of her shyness, perhaps because she saw him as someone with an age more similar to her own. She smiled a little shy and extended her arms to him.
Branch saw her a little distant, but her grandmother, moved by the attitude of the girl, gave the little girl in his arms to be carried for a while.
-I'm going to check the stove so that the beans do not get burned, I'll order it for a little while.
He looked dumbfounded at his grandmother as she left the room, his eyes turned back to the girl who was watching him curiously.
-Typically-he said-they tell someone to take care of someone small, but at the mere hour they pass the package to someone else.
Poppy gave a small laugh, Branch-to her surprise-smiled at her. Maybe it would be easy to deal with that little girl. He held her tightly and carried her into the backyard to show her his collection of leaves.
Branch woke up with a headache that did not seem normal, three days ago he had a routine check, but he felt so bad emotionally that he did not have the strength to go to the hospital for his appointment.
He put his hands to his face and sobbed weakly, remained for a moment reminding himself how little he was worth as a person. He sat up a little on his pillow and looked forward. On a wooden chair, he was greeted by a small troll with light blue skin and blue hair.
The small doll made of cloth had a green vest with decorations that looked like green leaves and a small brown pants with green and orange patches. He had a big, tender smile and open arms ready to hug his owner.
An invitation that Branch never accepted in the four years he had with him. That little doll had been the gift that Poppy had brought his the day she left for college and had argued moments before her departure, that Poppy could never teach his what had brought him exclusively for him.
Branch had discovered him the next morning, picking up the little clutter in the house, between the cushions of one of the sofas.
-I brought you something-he thought he heard again while there would be sadness the gift bag.
He pulled out the little blue-skinned troll, made of soft fleece, created with arms literally open, his eyes filled with tears that morning, not by the little troll he was used to seeing every day for Poppy , but because around his neck, the doll had a chain with a small card with an inscription that said:
This little Troll is for you to give you the daily hug that I can not give you during the next four years and do not feel alone. When I come back I can give you that hug that I owe you and that you need so much. Poppy.
That night Ramón could not sleep in peace. Now every morning when he woke up, that fleece doll was the first thing he saw. Only that week did not cause feelings that he longed for. If not, now it reminded him that he had hurt the only friend he had left who was ever interested in him.
You shit on everything, he scolded himself.
He heard the sound of an engine, moved with one finger the sliding curtain of his window that was on the side of his bed. He saw Poppy putting a last suitcase in the trunk of a small car, saw her saying goodbye with a hug from her father and probably promising to come soon to visit him. He saw her look briefly at his own house, get into his car, start the engine and move down the street saying goodbye to his father through the car window.
Poppy had left, again. And this time to a place where there would be dangers wherever she went. Branch retired from thewindow, furious and defeated he fell back into the pillow and covered himself again with the blankets, that day would be one of getting up late.