Clementine had become a wild child. Born in America but raised abroad, she now had little regard for the expectations of high society. But her reckless ways eventually catch up with her when she is kicked out of college in New York City and forced t...
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Clementine had the rest of the day to wander the streets by herself, and truly take in everything that Mina told her. A wedding, a baby and an invitation...how quickly life changes, she mused to herself.
She wandered past a group of boys playing basketball. She passed a surf group, and she wandered out to the sea again. When she started to get hot, the only thing you can rely on in Rio, she bought coconut water and drank it straight out of a coconut form a street vendor.
She passed by a a street band, and stopped to listen to the mellow, Brazilian music. The soft spoken singer and the band of old men playing skilfully behind her. She dug into her bag and pulled out a few reals, the Brazilian version of the dollar, tossing it into the money jar.
She was slowly starting to feel less like a tourist in her 'home town' and more of a local.
So when she passed by a bridal store, she couldn't help it, and bravely went in. She was greeted by a skeptical store worker, but upon seeing Clementine's bag- Prada - the worker relaxed and was more than willing to help.
Clementine eyed the wedding dresses, but only for a moment, it wasn't her wedding anyway. Instead, she went straight for the bridal dresses, and choosing a few champagne coloured options, she made a beeline for the dressing room.
Trying on a variety of options, she knew she found the one when she put on a slinky, open back dress. Cream coloured, it was the perfect dress to accompany mina's stunning, lanky beauty. Classy, but not overpowering.
"This one," Clementine told the shopkeeper, pointing her finger to the one.
"Good choice," the shopkeeper, a lady in her mid-40s smiled, and before she took it away, Clementine snapped a picture and sent it to Mina:
I found the bridesmaid dresses. You're welcome.
Mina replied right away: Stunning.
Clementine had always prided herself on her good taste. Whether it was the traveling or the exposure she had thanks to, well, let's face it, money, but also get own gravitations, she has been told over and over again, how impeccable her taste was.
Feeling the highs of her retail therapy, she stumbled into a nearby bar with a killer terrace outlooking the water. It was late afternoon, and she granted herself an all time favourite - a Pina colada.
She was slowly sipping, people watching, and trying her best to be in the present - mindful. Her shrink, bless him, was no longer in her life, Clementine refusing to see him or anyone after the hospital incident, but she did take a few lessons away, and was doing her best to be good and implement them.
She was starting to get just the itty bittiest tipsy, and she felt her hadn't gravitate towards her phone, almost dealing Zico's number, knowing the first 3 digits by heart, but then pulling away when she remembered their phone call.
I'm going to be absent for a few days.
She hated this game. Just as she thought they were finally in a good spot, an open spot, he goes off and becomes cryptic all over again.
She ran her hands over her throat, remembering how Zico grabbed her there, gentle enough for it not to hurt but hard enough to make it erotic.
Suddenly, her drink was empty, but she didn't want to go home. She felt she was rising a wave. And yes, sometimes it gets her into more trouble than she intended to, she was determined to not seem needy, and live her own life.
Leaving some money on the table, and a generous tip - she was feeling good- Clementine continued walking on the street. Adopting an open attitude to whatever may come her way.
But as she turned the street corner, the noise that she was hearing from the restaurant that started getting louder as she got closer, revealed itself to be a full on protest.
Woah, Clementine stopped. The heat, and the Pina could, and the mass gathering of bodies all screaming and yelling was a clear sign that she should probably have turned back.
But instead, she walked right into the crowd, curious about what was going on.
People had signs, but it seemed friendly enough, at least, not violent. It was mostly young people, around her age. They seemed like university students, most of them. And from what she gathered, they were protesting something political.
She was aware of the tension happening in the country, alsmot seemingly the never ending tensions, knowing that her father had connections in politics and that it worked out for him, she chose to not probe much harder or deeper into the matter.
But suddenly, it was like her eyes were opened, and something happened. She realized, again, how much she was sheltered from and she hated it. These people were protesting something, weren't they?
She found a part in the crowd that kept moving forward, and she followed them.
