Erika's Birds

Blue Jay

(A/N: In case anyone missed it, I changed the name Mrs.Ouimette to Mrs.Olivier.)

...When did I fall asleep again?

This has got to be the third or fourth time I slept on the couch this week. My poor back wont be able to take another night of this. I slowly helped myself up to a sitting position and let the blood from my upper body take time to circulate to the rest of my body.

Breathe in....then out... I think to myself as I twist my upper body to the right and made a satisfying trill of cracks down my spine.

Now that I am flexible enough, I push off of the couch and make my way to my bedroom. At a certain point in the morning, my bird friend always makes his way to the open window at the back of my room and returns at noon when my shift at the grocery store starts again. I never close the bedroom window except on the third week of each season where it does nothing but flood the town with relentless rain.

I had done the laundry the day before yesterday so my closet is full of all kinds of comfortable summer dresses and cardigans. My legs cant bare being wrapped in fabrics like pants, so dresses and skirts are the only articles of clothes I wear. I shed off my tan colored dress and replace it with a cream colored one with a light peach floral pattern.

Today, Mrs.Olivier will be opening the shop, giving me some free time to run some errands. Without wasting any time, I smeared on a layer of sunscreen onto my exposed pale skin and sling my pastel blue purse over my shoulder before leaving the house without bothering to eat breakfast. On the list today, I have to visit a handful of people to deliver a couple vials of "specialty" oils.

First on the list was Marion Kirkland, a quiet witch who lives a couple blocks from my house. She runs a quaint bookstore with her husband and are regular customers of mine. I delivered the small vial of potion oil to Marion and graciously received my payment while her husband was in the back sorting the towering bookshelves.      

Next was Kafka brown, the gardening shop owner who controls butterflies. After her was Chie Minami, a refined violinist accompanied by rabbits. Then, it was Patricia King, the sorceress of frogs who doubles as an author.

The last person on the list is Kalisa Lewis, the owner of a lovely café called "Blue's Den". I pushed open the glass doors, ringing the small chimes bolted on the frame, then enter the air conditioned café, taking in the mixed scents of freshly baked desserts and brewed coffee. Behind the counter was Kalisa, a stunningly beautiful Jamaican woman with dazzling amber eyes and pearly smile. Unlike myself and many other witches of her kind, she had never casted a beauty spell on herself before. She is a natural beauty. Draped around her neck is her ferret familiar, sleeping carelessly.

"Good morning my dear friend~ How have you been?" The accented woman greeted me with her signature smile once I walked up to the counter.

"I am very well Kalisa. I've come to deliver the oil" I replied and reciprocated a gentle smile.

"Oh yes! thank you very much," She gleamed as got the money she owed me from her purse and made the exchange for the vial.

Now that my errands are finished for the day, I can head back home...

"Oh won't you stay for some coffee? It's on me today dear," Kalisa offers before I can even turn to the door.

God damn it...I love her coffee way too much to refuse a free deal.

"Well, if it isn't too much trouble..." I trailed off. The ebony woman softly giggled.

" It's no trouble at all. Go on and take a seat anywhere. I'll bring your drink to your table," she said then went to grab a mug for my coffee.

With a gentle sigh of defeat, I make my way to an empty table against the window and plop down quietly. I was planning to head back home and just relax in solitude until my shift at the grocery store started. Yet, somehow I managed to disobey myself.

From my purse, I pull out a planner and check off today's errands from the to-do list. I spent a couple minutes planning out the rest of the week before Kalisa brought not just a cup of my favourite coffee,  but also an arranged plate of eclairs and macarons.

"Oh you really didn't have to give me the pastries Kalisa," I said, feeling sorry that it was all for free.
"Just the coffee would have been enough,"

"Hehe, those aren't from me hun." Kalisa replies with a little smirk as she placed the mug and desserts on the table.
"That gentleman over there asked me to bring it to you." She said and tilted her head to the direction behind me.

I slowly turned my head, only to see the one person I REALLY didn't want.

It was the delivery boy from the other day.

Are you shitting me right now?...