Candle In The Wind

4 | Life Is Happening

Callum
________

When I walked into Molly's Juliette was the first person I spotted. She was in a booth with that guy she's always with and she was laughing while stuffing her face with mashed potatoes. I looked at her longingly, she seemed to be the most care-free person in this town. It always seemed like she was unaffected by everyone's opinion — like she didn't care about what anyone had to say. I truly wished to know what that feeling could possibly feel like.

To move as I please, to think of nothing at all, to create my own happiness.

Life was happening for Juliette while life was happening around me.

I had the honor of witnessing everyone's happy ever after instead of having my own.

I sat on one of the stools at the bar section and ordered one of my regular drinks, a whisky on the rocks. It only took the bartender a solid minute to serve me my drink. I ran a hand through my hair then took the first sip. In just a moment, Molly; the owner of the bar/restaurant was at my side.

"Thank you for the other day, you saved me, I owe you one." She said.

I sniffed as I swallowed my drink, "last I recall, you paid the invoice, nothing to be thankful about Molls."

She hummed before she gave that look everyone else has been giving me since they found out about the accident.

3. . .

2. . .

1. . .

"How's Ardley and Celeste?"

"Fine."

"How are you?"

I froze with the drink against my lips, I took a moment of silence to remind myself that no one really cared to hear about how I truly felt, they just wanted to hear the easy answer to ensure themselves that they tried at least.

No one ever truly cared about what I had to say.

My nose flared as I resumed drinking, after swallowing I casted Molly a glance over my shoulder, she still looked the same.

"Fine." I said.

She grinned as she patted my back, "well, you're here, so I'd say if you weren't fine, you'll be fine after a couple of drinks."

Molly looked too young for her age, 30 years older than me and she still looked around my age with her slicked back bun that undoubtedly hid some of her gray hair, her smile lines were barely visible though she smiled all the time. Molly still had all her teeth including her two golden front teeth that really complimented the gap between those two front teeths.

Maybe it's the fact that her family comes from an island, maybe that's why they age slowly.

"Don't stress tonight, Cal, drinks are on the house, courtesy of Molly herself, and I'll have Seba make you a to-go plate of everything you like here." Molly said.

Here at Molly's they served Island food as well as regular food, but this place became a hotspot because of the Island food she served.

She mostly served Haitian dishes but there were a few selected other island dishes here and there and only a handful of American food.

I waved at the bartender so he could send me another drink, and moments later he handed me an even smaller amount of whiskey. I didn't complain because my goal wasn't to get drunk. I was just here for a drink and to escape from everything that reminded me of my brother and his wife.

Ardley was not getting any better but the doctors say he should wake up at any time now — I feel guilty not being by his side right now but everytime I do stay by his side it starts to feel like it's the day I might say goodbye.