Jigi closed the apartment door behind her and slowly slid down to a sitting with her back against the door. She heard a vacuum cleaner coming from inside the room and the sound of Fumiko's singing.
She sat their head buried in her arms as the vacuum cleaner approached her, came to a still and switched off.
"Hi roomie, you're home late. Your swift ended more than an hour and a half ago." Fumiko announced.
Jigi slowly raised her head and said, "I was at the police station." Fumiko immediately sat next to her by the door.
"Did something happen at work? Some rude customer tried assaulting you again? Did Amanda try to kill you this time?" Fumiko continuously questioned.
"I was arrested," Jigi answered. "You went to prison. I knew I was a bad influence but I'm not that bad." Fumiko extravagantly exclaimed.
"No, no I was arrested for trespassing." Jigi stood up from the foot of the door into the living room with Fumiko following closely behind her. She sat down and found herself narrating the events of the night.
"Ce type is a creep. Don't waste your energy on him. Did you find what you're looking for in that box?" Fumiko asked.
"Unfortunately, no," Jigi responded with a sigh.
" And you still got arrested. Well, that was a waste." Fumiko answered. Jigi pointedly stared at her friend, and she swiftly cleared her throat and said, "I'm glad you are okay now."
The beeping sound of the microwave interrupted the conversation. "I'm going to get it." Fumito rose from the couch and walked to the kitchen. She brought back a bowl of leftover food from the visit to her mother's place, Papet Vaudois.
Fumiko took a spoonful and chugged it into her mouth. Fumiko studied Jigi's visage of worry and quietly questioned her, "Jigi, are you okay?"
Jigi sighed then nodded. "The officer I spoke to hinted at my ignorance in matters regarding my father in my early childhood. It appears I don't know who he was. He was portraying him as some kind of criminal." Jigi explained.
"But you know it's not true." Fumiko tried to reassure her.
"What if it is? What if I was left out in the dark for so long?" Jigi desperately questioned with a longing and yearning in her eyes.
"Then you should have found out. They're what-ifs. You don't have any substantial basis on the claim." Fumiko reasoned with her.
"I hope it's true, and that's what they're claims and what ifs." Jigi tried to convince herself.
"Hey, cheer up," Fumiko said. "I'll let you know that things aren't always as it seems. You remember the dinner we went to at my parents' house and the fight that ensued." Fumiko continued.
"My father was crossed which he had been for a long time about my life choices. Choosing to follow my passion as an artist instead of following in his footsteps to become a tech entrepreneur like he is.
Despite all of this, my mother called after the dinner to inform me of how difficult it was for my father to accept this, but he would come around. The moral of the story is life is hard, and parents are flawed people who may not understand you or in your case may take the wrong paths and decisions.
However, we don't fault them, we embrace them. Because we know they would be there for us or not, but life goes on." Fumiko advised as Jigi stared at her awestruck.
"So, you decide whether to find out the truth or not. Okay, I'm done there. This wisdom spewing has made me hungrier. I need another bowl." Fumiko concluded walking towards the kitchen with Jigi's cackling in her wake.
Jigi was grateful for Fumiko's words as she pondered over them. She would find out what the officer had to say however she was not ready yet.
Fumiko made her way back in complaining, "At this rate, I'm going to get fat by summer." Jigi rolled her eyes and heard her tummy growling.
Fumiko pulled out a spoon from the thin air and handed it to Jigi. They sat in silence munching on the food until Fumiko broke it. "What's up with your bakery?"
"Yeah, what about it?" Jigi questioned. Fumiko shrugged and gave her a pointed glare. "Je ne sais pas, d'accord. I was thinking by this time I have gotten enough money to start where my father left me off." Jigi exclaimed.
"You're thinking too much you're refusing to act," Fumiko said. "What do you mean?" Jigi asked. "Have you ever considered other options than your own? You better bake your bread and not pick up someone else's breadcrumbs." Fumiko reasoned.
"Why are you being so wise today? It's symptoms of an upcoming illness. Don't get used to it." Fumiko playfully reasoned. Jigi found herself giggling and laughing to tears.
Jigi's phone pinged with a notification. After their cackling session, Fumiko stood up to clean up while Jigi stayed behind and checked her phone. She had countless notifications from her psychoanalysis and Wyatt.
She blushed at the thought of him. She read his message stupidly smiling as Fumiko returned with a wicked smile wiping her hands.
She slowly walked behind Jigi startled her as she grabbed her phone. Fumiko was some inches taller than Jigi and she used that to her advantage.
"What do we have here?" She said glancing through her phone.
"Wow, a message from Wyatt." She teased wiggling her eyebrows.
Jigi already knew she had read the message before she even had a chance to. "You're attending his tournament. Can I come? I want to support my favourite couple." She winked.
Unbelievable, Jigi thought. However, Jigi loved the idea she could not see it any better than this. She affirmed the development and finally checked the message from her psychoanalyst. She stared at it intensely nibbling her lower lip.
~~~~~~~~~~~~<~<<<~~~~~~~~
Sunday morning came quicker than a rabbit could say, Jack. The roommates headed off to work but left early for the tournament although their swift had not ended.
The cold, gloomy and lonely ice rink was now booming with life and lights. Fumiko ordered some popcorn and drinks. They had changed out of their work clothes and put on some more comfortable clothes.
Jigi was wearing wide-leg jeans and a tie-and-dye jeans top with white Converse and her hair in a high bun. She wore her Juniper necklace.
Fumiko on the other hand wore a long cargo skirt with a knee-long slit on the sides paired with long sleeves asymmetrical top and a faux fur crossover slipper and black socks.
They took their seats in the middle of the rink not too far from the ice. The commentator made announcements and arrangements for the competition.
Jigi was anxiously looking around for Wyatt. The lighting dimmed and the commentator announced the first contest, ice dancing. Jigi was genuinely enjoying herself. The ice dancing contest came to an end the winners were awarded their medals and prizes.
Up next was the female figure skating. She did a couple of laps and jumps Jigi had no idea what she was doing but it was captivating.
Jigi watched all the female contestants do their sects and get rewarded. Both had finished their snacks by now.
Jigi offered to go get more but froze in her steps when those warm brown eyes gazed at her, and they were directly gazing into her green ones as he made his appearance on the ice.
He gracefully made his way to the eyes as if he was born doing so. He gave her a wink and she reddened.
YOU ARE READING
Winter Bakery
Short Story"Want to get out of here?" "My shift hasn't ended yet," she stuttered. "Are you sure you want to go back in there?" Fumi asked, raising her eyebrows. "Well..." Jigi hesitated. "Come on. It would be fun. I've been meaning for us to go out together...
