Pastel Colored Sadness

CHAPTER 8 Puzzles

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Chapter 8

Puzzles

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Dawn broke over the horizon by the time we made it to the small town. Adam stopped at a small gas station wedged between a diner and a bar. Feeling peckish, I went into the bar. It was a beautiful place, made of dark woods and filled with green seats that matched the pool tables in various stages of a long forgotten game. The barkeeper seemed surprised as I took a seat. "You're not going to the party?" he asked.

"Party?" I inquired.

"Oh! You must have just arrived. The O'Kelly's party up on the cliff. They've taken half the town up there, I swear. She was sitting over in her favorite chair, Mother O'Kelly was, and suddenly she got this phone call from someone. It was almost like the family was having a baby, they were streaming things like: it's time! and things like: It's happening!

"Next thing we know, she's screaming joyfully: He's red! Henry, he's red! And that sent just about everyone in here over to the cliffs, spreading the word to those invited and such. You reminded me of a girl that rushed in and bought all the ice she could from all three stores here, in a frantic hurry she was. She had beautiful brown hair and gemstone green eyes. I've never seen a beauty like that in all my life. Well, I think she was stuck with ice duty or some such for that said party..."

The bartender was eager to go on and on about this party, but I stopped paying attention. A brown haired, green eyed beauty? One that when he looked at me, it reminded him of her? I patiently waited for the bartender to finish his epic story of the events around the O'Kelly's party, then asked him about the girl.

"Oh, yes. She came in a couple days ago, stopping in for some gas in her little bug. She looked like she was moving in with all the things she'd packed into that poor little bug. She was the talk of the town that day and the next. Everyone seemed to want to know everything there was about her. I swear, every young lad in town's got their eyes set on her. The O'Kelly boys were the only ones to talk to her as far as I know. Conner works at the diner and he sweeps my porch during the slowest of the daylight hours. He was the first to see her.

"And Conner's a young lad that's broken more girl's hearts than I reconks he knows. He doesn't seem to notice them. None besides his favorite singer: Taylor Sunshine. You can always hear him humming along to her music, and he always uses her songs for his sport. But back to the new beauty. She apparently loves Taylor Sunshine as much as he does, and plays the guitar, and loves stuffed animals. I saw him asking his blind brother, William, to give her a stuffed lamb as an apology after he'd accidentally kissed her. He was so red in the face that he beat the color of his darn red hair!" the bartender laughed.

"You can tell everyone that she's taken. Our families have made us betrothed. I'm here to take her to our wedding," I said with surprisingly possessive venom in my tone.

"Now you hold on here just a minute, sir. She's been through a lot. According to the O'Kelly boys, she's here grieving her boyfriend who's committed suiside. I don't think she's ready to get married to any betrothed her parents are forcing on her," he said, filled with obvious concern.

"I don't like the thought of it much either, but orders are orders. She knows just as well as I do that we can't ignore them," I was becoming impatient with this turn in conversation.

"Ah... I see. She's never given up while you haven't even tried. You see it so forcibly as a rule that you can't see any other possible option," the man sighed sadly.

I'd had enough of this. "I don't see why I should. She's in pain right now, you say. She wouldn't be if she'd just accepted it ten years ago," I then walked out, no longer in a mood for the bar's atmosphere. I walked over to the diner and sat at a window seat.