She was walking in the garden. The day was young, the sun was bright and there was a warm breeze playing with her hair. She was walking amongst the rose bushes, her hands brushing the flowers as she strolled, her hips swaying from side to side.
Her skin was as fair as porcelain, her arms dotted with golden freckles.
I watched her slowly reach out and delicately pick a brilliant white rose and place it behind her ear.
She was wearing a white summer dress.
She sat upon the ground, and began to pick the daisies by her feet.
She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Her brilliant green eyes shone as she looked towards the sky. She fell backwards to the ground, folded her arms across her waist and closed her eyes.
I was sitting on a park bench, not too far away. I had my coffee in one hand, and my camera sitting beside me. I had been taking photographs of the blooming flowers in the park when I spotted her amongst the flora. This was the first time I laid eyes on her.
So I got up off my seat, which I had been sitting on for about an hour now, and finished my coffee. I picked up my camera and walked out of the park and to my car.
* * *
The days were long, the nights were warm and filled with mosquito bites and tossing and turning in bed.
It was sometime after six o'clock when I arrived at work, the chef's were already in the kitchen, the waiters setting out the tables.
I made my way through the main dining room and into the kitchen, I washed my hands and out on my whites. I was doing the little gold buttons up on my jacket when I heard someone calling my name.
“Adam! Adam, I'm so glad you're hear I've had nothing to do since we opened!” The shrill voice I heard from behind the racks belonged to Cindy, the new apprentice chef. She had the voice of a mouse, the personality of a teenage girl and she was always in everyone's way. Me being me, I took her on the team anyway.
“Cindy, you need to be helping.” I could tell my mind was elsewhere as I gave the orders and walked away.
The sky grew dark, and the kitchen was hot and filled with steam. The last of the customers had left, and we were cleaning up.
It was as though I was on autopilot the whole night. Everything was blur; work went fast, the voices were indistinct and I was so damn tired.
To be continued...
