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| Will you stay on the train? |
| No |
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| Yes |
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[ 20 ] |
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| Total Votes : 22 |
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 Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 6:51 pm
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Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 1:18 am
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 4:57 pm
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 6:36 pm
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:13 pm
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A Silent Sense of Awe
Tess Warner hated her life. She hated school, her job, her tiny cubicle and her arrogant co-workers. At this particular moment, though, more than anything, Tess hated commuting.
From her current vantage point, almost directly beneath the armpit of her loudly snoring seat-mate, Tess scanned the community bus and wondered, for the umpteenth time that day why she had bothered moving to the city to pursue a career in accounting, of all things. He father fought crime on the streets of her hometown with her brothers as backup while her mother carried the battles to court and she, Tess, youngest of four, moved to Seattle to study more math, and, more importantly, to escape the eccentric grasp of her gun toting family.
Now, three years later, and on the cusp of graduating summa sum laude from Business School, Tess found herself once again without a car and, more importantly, without a roommate. Who, she mentally added, she hated more than school, working or commuting.
Lizzie Farnely, her former roommate and official ex-best friend, could be declared the predominate reason for her overtly pessimistic mood. The girl called her during her late and impossibly short lunch break to inform her, cheerfully no less, that she had decided to marry her boyfriend of six weeks and wished her luck in all her endeavors and hung up, presumably to walk out the door.
Her first instinct was to rush home and try to talk the girl out of it. Hard, particularly considering her car had been broken for months now, with parts in transit over the Atlantic. So she had grabbed her books and backpack and sprinted down the stairs, just in time to resort to taking the 4 o’clock bus.
Now, sitting crushed between an overweight man in a three piece suit and an elderly woman glaring at her over the top of what appeared to be an ancient poodle, Tess analyzed her options. Truth be told, there weren’t many. If Lizzie was there when she returned, by some stroke of unimaginable luck, she might be able to talk her roommate of two years out of moving out, at least until they graduated. Tess grimaced at the thought. Lizzie was sweet, but once she got an idea into her head, she ran with it. She possessed the attention span of a gnat on speed, but she could turn a plan into a reality with alarming haste.
Tess shifted uncomfortably on the hot, sticky leather seat and wished once again that summer would hasten its way into fall. The black material clung obstinately to the skin of her thighs and she succeeded only in pulling her skirt into an oddly twist knot and earning yet another glare from Granny.
Blushing, she stilled and returned to her thoughts. She could make the down payments on their flat on her own, but it would be a stretch and a disastrous endangerment of her good credit. Looking for another place seemed to be her only option and now was as good a time as any to slip out of their lease. Tony, their landlord, had been looking to sell to the new students pouring out of the dorms at their first opportunity. He’d be happy to let her get on with her life.
Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself that she shouldn’t jump to conclusions. The bus ground to a halt and she examined the signs. Three more stops until she needed to worry about anything more than fixing her car. The man at her elbow suddenly jerked awake as his phone alarm went off and swore, bellowing for the driver to hold the door. He leapt up, wafting a cloud of foul smelling air back down towards Tess, but relieving her now numbed arm of his weight in his haste to escape the private hell of public transportation. Tess practically felt the elderly woman’s glare intensify as she exhaled a sigh of relief.
Choosing to ignore her disproving stare, Tess turned her head and examined the city as they passed it. She typically took the 6 o’clock train and she could scarcely help but marvel at how different each sight appeared as the bus whipped past in the sharp, bright afternoon night.
She almost missed her exit, too busy staring at the passing people, students just out of school, new college freshmen acclimating themselves to their new home, young couples out waling their dogs. Somehow the entire world appeared more vibrant to her at this time of day, right down to the leaves on the deciduous trees, turning a light auburn around their emerald centers.
Thankfully she looked up as the bus ground to a halt once more and had time to gather her belongings and rush off onto the sidewalk before the doors hissed shut behind her and she could breathe once more without inhaling the pungent scent of twenty other human beings mingling with hundreds of previous passengers.
Inhaling the fresh, warm summer air deeply, Tess began her relatively short walk back to the flat that may only be “home” for a few days longer. Her typical path, like every other route she’d noticed on this early ride home, varied greatly depending on the time of day. People she’d never seen before in her life called out salutations, rode bicycles past and hawked goods at an afternoon market. Tess kicked herself for somehow, in the two years she’d live in this neighborhood, having never managed to see this side of it.
What caught her genuine interest, though, was a sign placed jauntily on the front of a building that read: Apartment for Rent. Making note of the building’s dark facade, Tess continued on her way.
She stopped once more, at the vendor directly before her own complex, Antoinio’s Plaza. The man was selling hot dogs, and Tess felt her mouth begin to water. She handed over the three dollars the man requested and continued on her way, warm dog in hand, swearing to come home early at least once a week from this day forward.
The hot dog, however delicious, made opening her door quite problematic, and she struggled for a moment before she found a was to balance books, bag and dog as she fished her keys out and unlocked her front door.
Once inside, she dumped her burdens to the floor and scanned the room, alternately munching on her supper and gnawing her bottom lip. Lizzie definitely left in a rush. Their furniture sat exactly where it had this morning, as did the silverware and dishes. Tess supposed she should have been happy, after all, she had painstakingly chosen all of the appliances and decor for their meager living space, but the pristine appearance of their space hammered home the reality that Lizzie really had left. Her joyful clutter and meaningless junk were nowhere to be seen, and their living space was pristine as it had never been.
Running her fingers across the permanent stains on their much abused counted, Tess raked the room with her eyes and, seeing a flash of white on the otherwise bare dining room table, she crossed the room and snatched the letter up.
Dear Tess, the letter began.
I’m so sorry to ditch you like this, but I really, really think this is my chance to really find true love. Andy’s a great guy and I know we’re perfect for each other. I hope you aren’t too mad. I’ll call you when we’re settled and find out how you are.
Oh, I’ve already spoken with Tony about changing the lease and he said if you want out he totally understands. You got a week left to make up your mind, though, so just be sure to tell him, kk? I know you will, you’re better at that sort of thing than I am.
Talk to you later, sis!
Lizzie
Figures she’d talk like that even in a letter, Tess grumbled to herself.
Sighing, Tess returned to her abandoned bag and books and hauled them over to the table, fishing out today’s newspaper. Flipping to the classifieds, she began highlighting what appeared to be good deals. Tomorrow, she thought, she’d get cracking. For tonight, however, she may as well hop over to the for rent sign next door and investigate.
Shrugging into her jacket again, she slipped outside, past the now empty sidewalk where the vendor had been situated earlier that day. She wandered back down two blocks until she found herself before the same tall, dark building. She strode up the steps and rapped on the door, declaring her presence to all inside.
The door swung open and Tess, expecting someone approximately her height looked down in awkward surprise. Thankfully, the tiny, elderly woman who answered the door didn’t seem the least bit offended. She merely smiled upward and asked, “Here about the apartment, dear?”
At Tess’ nod, she promptly invited the girl inside.
Once the front door swing firmly shut, the grandmotherly woman led the way down the hall.
“If you would be so kind as to wait in the dining room,” she instructed, pointing down the hall, “I will get us something to drink.’
Tess nodded and opened her mouth to reply, but the woman was already out of sight. Shrugging, she turned and made her way into the dining room.
The room sat at the rear of the house, so no prospective buyer ever set eyes on it first. The sight simultaneously robbed Tess of every breath in her lungs and stopped her heart for several, swift beats. The room easily stood as tall as the building itself, with high, smooth wall painted a uniform, snowy white. The room’s only window arched high into the wall, nearly brushing the roof in its climb skyward. Huge struts of iron supported the glass structure, adding a cold strength to the room’s interior. Outside, the view commanded nearly as much attention as the structure itself, neatly clipping over the rooftops to provide an unparalleled view of the city. More iron poles extended the length and width of the ceiling, supporting the immense structure with a complex web of steel constantly pushing and pulling one another into shape.
The ceiling itself looked nothing like Tess had even known a ceiling to look like, with shard of glass scattered so haphazardly across the tiles that it appeared a chandelier had shattered an embedded itself into the plaster. The shards reflected the lamplight and haphazardly spread across the room, lighting some corners better than others. The lamps themselves stood one in each corner, shoved away and forgotten, overshadowed by the commanding wooden table.
Tess was in love.
She approached the room’s center and sat carefully upon the bright upholstery, careful not to mar the turquoise surfaces, the only bright objects the room and a beautiful contrast to the pale room. She reached one hand forward and skimmed her fingers over the wood, marveling at its smooth texture and rich, red color.
“Beautiful, isn’t it dear? I had it imported specifically for this room.” The old woman’s voice snapped Tess out of her reserve and drew her attention to the commanding archway that encompassed nearly an entire wall of the room and led, presumably, to the kitchen.
“I’m sorry, ma’am!” Tess spluttered, withdrawing her hand. “I shouldn’t have been touch-”
“Don’t be ridiculous, dear,” the woman replied. ‘It was meant to be beloved. And don’t call me ma’am, it makes me feel old. It’s Marie.”
“Tess,” she replied automatically.
“Pleased to meet you, dear,” she smiled, setting down a tray filled to the brim with a cheerful green teapot, two cups and plethora of cookies.
“Um..,” Tess began, uncertain of how to steer this conversation back towards the desired topic.
“The for rent sign, right? I can tell you now dear, what I’m looking for is a roommate, not a renter.”
“Oh?” Tess straightened a little, heartened. She had been desperately wondering how she could ever manage to pay the rent for a place with so gorgeous a room in it.
“Yes. I own the house and, as you can see, it’s quite large. I’m looking for a companion presently, as my husband recently passed on and I find myself increasingly lonely. Would you be able to accommodate that?”
“I-I think so,” Tess replied, “Could you possibly give me a ballpark figure?”
“Chores and cooking every other day. Fifty dollars a month if that isn’t enough for you.” Marie said, face utterly serious. Tess was positive she had to be joking.
“I pay seven or eight times that in the tiny flat I live in now. You can’t mean that!”
“But I do dear,” Marie insisted. “I’m looking for a companion, not a renter. Besides, I doubt that you landlord makes you help with laundry and general upkeep. This is a big house, even for two people.”
“Are you sure? I mean, you don’t even know me,” Tess prompted, fishing for the catch.
“We can sign the lease on a trial period if that makes you feel any better. I don’t mind.”
“Yes, actually, that helps a lot. Especially considering my last roommate just ran out on me,” Tess sighed, curling into her seat even further. She hadn’t thought that anything Lizzie did could surprise her anymore, but being abandoned in favor of her best friend’s boyfriend hurt more than she cared to admit.
“Missing her already dear?” Marie asked, leaning forward to prop her chin on the heels of her hands. “Care to tell a stranger all about it?”
Tess didn’t think she did. She made a point of not talking to anyone about anything if she could help it. Her mother, the one exception, so seldom answered the phone that it quickly became relatively pointless to call her in anything but an emergency. But something about this old woman said she was willing to listen. And listen she did as Tess stayed long past dinner time, explaining about Lizzie and Andy and why on earth it bothered her so much. And Tess, in return, listened to stories about Gregor, her late husband, and how they had married much the same way, although, in her time it had been something more of a scandal.
“So how about it dear?” she asked at the end of the night, placing their empty cups next to the kettle, now filled with only the cold dregs of tea, on the now barren tray.
“I think I’m in,” Tess smiled for the first time since Lizzie’s phone call.
“Excellent,” Marie replied, extending her hand across the table. “We’ll shake on it then, and go fill out the paperwork tomorrow? Ten-ish?”
“I work until noon,” Tess replied, “How about lunch and a meeting at one?”
“You strike a hard bargain, girl,” Marie replied with a grin. “Deal.”
“Deal,” Tess repeated, extending her hand out to clasp the elder woman’s in a firm handshake.
A/N: Wowza, 2458 words, lightly edited. This is, hands down, the longest single piece I’ve written in months and easily the longest ever in one sitting. Thanks Stelle. |
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:16 pm
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:32 pm
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 8:10 pm
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 8:16 pm
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:06 pm
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 8:28 am
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Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 2:53 pm
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Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 5:24 pm
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 5:14 am
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