The Villager

10

THE VILLAGER
ʚɞ Ruth ʚɞ

"Tiffany..." Rubbing my dirty hands over my apron, I grew the blonde lady that entered the bakery. Mr Clementine looks up from his book, his eyes switching from her soul to mine, and in an instant he is gone. Out of the room.

Tiffany wears a beautiful soft pink dress, butterflies dance across the seams. Her hair is laid softly on her shoulder, in a low ponytail. She looked like a doll.

She clasps her hands together, settling for a sweet smile. "Ruth, I know this was sudden. I just wish for everything to be perfect."

"I understand." Nodding, I tell her truthfully. Who wouldn't wish for their wedding to be perfect? It is a ladies dream. "Come, I have a few decorations for the cake that you may love."

Waving my hand, I led her to the counter, showing her bags of our cake decorations. Her eyes come across all them, starting from pearls, glitter, flowers, bows.

"I do hate coming here without Timothy..." She murmurs which has my heart racing at the mention of him.

I eye the decorations, laughing to settle the awkward tension. "Men get bored of this anyways. Do not feel ashamed, I am sure he trusts you to pick the best cake for the two of you."

With the tilt of her head, she eyes me. "When did you and Timothy meet?"

Rubbing the side of my arm, I hesitate to answer but what good would it do to lie to her. Why should I keep it from her?

"Grade school," I answered truthfully. "Though our parents were not fond of each other, we did not care, we continued to be friends in secret."

"In secret," she murmurs to herself. She smiles. "Was he fun? I surely have to know this. He never really shares about his younger days."

Oh, he was so fun. Timothy had this spark that nobody could take away from him, his father found that exciting. As Timothy grew older, the more stares he had received from other ladies, the more he thought the world revolved around him and he did the unthinkable with those ladies.

Toying with ladies' hearts was all Timothy knew how to do. He could never settle down for one second and take a look at what was in front of him. That he did not have to allow those ladies to chase after him when I was there all along.

Waiting.

"He loves his family, always has. Especially his father," I explain with a soft smile.

Mr. Hampton always knew where we were hiding from the world, but he never told a soul. He simply kept his mouth shut and minded his business.

"What were his favorite things to do?" She leans against the glass case full of cakes, leaning her chin upon her palm.

I eye her. "Miss Lumpkin, do not allow me to offend you but he is a grown man now. He is not the same as he was before, he has grown to like different things, we all have as we get older."

"Well, when you have a gentleman whom does not tell you his favorite things such as little as his favorite color, it takes me to go this far into knowing him. Actually knowing him."

I was saddened for her. Truly, I was. While she begged for the simple things like knowing Timothy, I knew him like a book. While she got the ring, I got a broken heart. She got him, I got empty hands.

His favorite color was blue. Not like the color in the sky. Deep ocean blue. He loved the color of the waves clashing against each other, the way you could be free.

"What was his favorite food?" She keeps up with her questions while I pity her.

Porridge with honey on top with a bit of fruit to go with it.