Martin meets a Someone
These stories are all arriving out of order, but we’re getting there. Martin had not long returned from a holiday in the big City before a stranger turned up in his little town. She would have quite an influence…
Martin meets a Someone belongs to the following groups:
Short stories - Spherical Scriptings and WMGIt was a very hot summer’s day. Martin had been in his backyard, building a new hive for his B’s. He had just come inside to have a drink when there was a knock on the door.
Martin strolled to the door and opened it. A very pretty girl he did not know was standing in the sun. Her long straight hair was very red.
“Hello, I am Martin.” Said Martin.
“Hello, I am Rebecca.” Said the girl. “I have been walking and it is very hot. May I have a glass of water?”
“Of course.” Said Martin. “Come in.”
Rebecca followed Martin into his kitchen. He poured her a glass of cold water and put in some ice and lemon. Then he made another for himself.
“We can sit on the back step if you like. It is cooler there.” He suggested. Rebecca agreed. They sat on the back step.
“What are they?” asked Rebecca, pointing out Marin’s B hives.
“Oh, they are my B hives.” He answered. “They are for my B’s.”
“Oh.” Said Rebecca. She sipped her drink.
“Where are you from?” asked Martin, after he had crunched an ice block.
“I am from the City,” Rebecca answered “but I have moved here. I live just outside the town with Onyx. He is my cat. He is black.”
“I have been to the City!” Said Martin “I went with my friend Rubber. He is an E raiser. We went to the market and to the beach and to Share X. Change the City God and I ate a lot of donuts.”
Rebecca laughed. Martin thought he would do anything to hear that sound again. “Yes, I am sure you did.” She said, her blue eyes bright with amusement.
“Why did you move here?” Martin asked, mainly to make her talk again so he could listen to her voice some more.
Rebecca sighed “I wanted to catch some Z’s.” she said. “There is never enough time to do that in the City. I got so tired doing everything I had to do and all I wanted to do for ages was catch some Z’s. So here I am.”
“I know some great places to catch a few Z’s. I could show them one day if you like.” Martin offered.
Rebecca smiled “That would be lovely.”
They sat on the back step and talked some more. Martin fetched more iced water. Rebecca talked about the City. Martin told her all about the little town, and Rubber’s farm, and his Bs. Sometimes they just sat quietly, drinking their drinks and listening to the Bs humming.
The sun began to fade.
Rebecca stood up and stretched. “I must go home and feed Onyx.” She said.
Martin stood as well and they went inside.
“Thank you for the drinks and for a lovely afternoon.” She said when they reached the front door.
All at once Martin spoke “Did you know that once a butterfly landed in my hand? It was very beautiful. It rained a bit so I held a hand over it and then the wind blew so I held my hand next to it so it was sheltered and could stay as long as it liked but I didn’t hold it too tightly to make it stay or I would have crumpled it and then it would not be beautiful anymore and that was the whole reason I wanted it to stay so I was sad when it flew away but happy because it had stayed as long as it liked…”
Rebecca cocked her head to one side. Her hair fell over one eye. The other looked at him quizzically. Martin went red. “Um, today was a bit like that…” he said, suddenly embarrassed.
Rebecca smiled. “You are a very sweet man,” she said “but I am not like your butterfly.”
“Oh.” Said Martin, silently cursing himself for having said something so silly.
Then Rebecca gave him a quick peck on his cheek. She smelled of orange and vanilla. “Unlike your butterfly, I did not get to stay as long as I liked.” She said. She walked to the front gate, waved once, then headed back toward the town. The sun was setting fast. To Martin it seemed she was taking the light and the colour away with her.
Martin sat on his back step in the warm dusk, listening to his Bs settle down for the night. With his head full of the afternoon he had spent with Rebecca, Martin ate a whole box of donuts.
None of them tasted as good as her name…
oneperfectkiss
What a gorgeous story!! Lovely reading!! xx
natapee
Oh, this is possibly my favourite Martin tale so far. So full of possibility. I love the butterfly analogy.
friartuck replied
Thanks Nataly – there are more to come, but this is a favourite of mine too… ;-)