[Hiatus] Flower Shop

» Flowers

I woke up to the sound of my alarm on my phone. It flashed, "BUY FLOWERS!" on its screen. I turned off the alarm, and sat up on my bed, waiting.

Knock, knock. Two quick knocks, it was the butler.

"Mr.Vaji are you awake? Will you be eating breakfast?" The butler asked.

"Breakfast? With how useless you are, you don't even deserve food. With your current skills, you aren't even worth this fame." A voice sneered.

"Mr.Vaji...?

"No, I'll skip breakfast today." I told the butler.

After a couple seconds of silence, I heard the butler walking away from my door. I relaxed for a bit. I had an aching pain near my neck.

"You can't even sleep properly."

I got up from my bed to dress myself. Today is my mother's birthday after all. I should visit her.

◈

"What do you need? If you are just bored, continue practicing on your piano." He asked coldly without looking up from his paperwork. I come to his office every year for the same reason, but he's always like this to me. Convincing almost everyone in the house that I'm not even one of his children. So why would I still expect him to remember?

"He will never care about you. So stop dreaming."

"I would like to go visit my mother." I told him plainly. Visit my mother, the phrase always puts him into shock, and he always quickly recovered. "And?" His tone annoyed me. I should be the one that was annoyed that he doesn't even care about his first wife, but he's annoyed at me for even mentioning her birthday. I mentally sighed and then said, "I would like to visit her." 

Without even glancing at me, he went to look at his calendar. If I was younger I would've thought he put mother's birthday on the calendar, but now that I'm older. I realized he was just checking if there was anything planned for me to do. "Alright, you have to come back before 2pm. We have a meeting with the Rose family to confirm the marriage date between you and their daughter." He told me and went back to his paperwork. 

"I see, I'll call your driver then." He told me. After not hearing me leave his office, he looked up with a grim expression. "You may leave now." He grumbled. I nodded and then left his office. I stopped saying, "thank you", to him for a couple years now. What's the point of saying it, if he doesn't even acknowledge me, it's pointless.

"Attention seeker." The voice scoffed.

I put on a pair of sunglasses and headed outside to wait for my driver. As I waited for my driver to arrive, I stood in the shade of the tree to wait. But while I waited I couldn't stop feeling that I was being watched. It felt like someone was watching from behind me, but there shouldn't be anyone there. My step sisters would be at school, my step mother would be at Cecilia's house, and my father...he couldn't care less about me. So why does it feel like I am being watched?

"Mr.Vaji, are we ready?" My driver asked, appearing in front of me. I nodded and entered the car. "Where to?" My driver asked me. "The Blossom House, I didn't get to buy flowers last time." I told him. My driver nodded, and started to drive to the flower shop. I wanted to thank him for always driving me to places, but the awkwardness between us, wouldn't let my mouth say. The whole ride to the flower shop was awkwardly quiet, but maybe it's better this way. That was I could be within my thoughts. 

"We are here, Mr.Vaji." My driver announced, while stopping at the entrance of the flower shop. "Mr.Vaji should go in first, while I look for a place to park." He told me. "Alright." I said while getting out of the car. As I walked into the flower shop, all the fragrance of flowers hit my nose. It was a pleasant smell, I wish I could stay here.

The little bell on the door rang, announcing that I had entered the building. "Ah, Mr.Vaji! Nice to see you again!" The cashier of the flower shop greeted me.

Again. Again. Again. I hated that word.

"Will you be purchasing a bouquet of pink carnations, again?" He asked. I know that he wasn't saying it on purpose, but I wanted him to stop saying the word.

"Useless. You can't even handle a meaningless word." A voice sneered.

"Yes, Mr.Vaji will be purchasing a bouquet of pink carnations." My driver told the cashier, then there was a pause. "Though, I don't see any pink carnations today in the shop." My driver noted. I focused back, and looked at the shop's arrangements. There were indeed no pink carnations today.

"Ah, our new delivery boy must be running late today." The cashier looked at the watch on his wrist. "While you're waiting for the flowers to arrive, why don't you enjoy the view for a bit." He said, while gesturing us to a bench. I sighed, and went to sit on the bench.

"Why don't you sit also?" I asked my driver. "It's alright sir, you should relax a bit." He told me. I nodded and continued to look at the view outside.

"He doesn't want to sit next to you, because you are a dirty albino."

I flinched at the thought. I looked at my driver, but he only smiled at me. As I noticed that it was quite sunny day today, I was surprised there were not many people walking in the streets. Usually I see crowds of people in this type of  weather. 

"The people don't understand how to enjoy the weather, and you who want to enjoy it, can't even stand outside for long." The voice snickered.

"Sir, it's alright." My driver told me, his voice was kind. More fatherly than my own father. When I looked at him, he was pointing at his jaw. That's when I relaxed my own jaw, I must have unconsciously clenched them. I had cracked my own teeth before, because I clenched my jaws too hard. He must've been worried. I gave him a smile, and his own face seemed to relax.

"Is he actually worried, though? Is he? Maybe you should- "

"Mr.Vaji, I've never asked, but who's the lucky lady, that you get flowers to every year?" The cashier's voice interrupting my thoughts.

"They are for my mother." I told him flatly.

"She must love them then." The cashier continued to chatter away.

"Pink carnations were her favorite flowers." I sighed. I hope they are still her favorite.

"Were...?" The cashier paused for a moment before realizing what I said.

word count: 1142