The eyes of eons. [Slow Editing]

Chapter 17

     The day of my first interview was coming. Till Wednesday I’d stayed home in absolute harmony with the whole apartment of Alex, though my sickness held me hostage all that time and to shake myself up, I went for a walk meaning to stop by a pharmacy. I needed to get some cough drops, headache remedy and just felt like taking some fresh air. The weather was pleasant and I ended up going farther than I originally planned.  

     I passed by a World Trade Center station to Broadway and from there went slightly up where on the way found a pharmacy. It was just on the course of my route, there was nothing special about that pharmacy. The medicine section was on the right side, and on the left was located the rest, including things like cosmetics and body care. 

     I really couldn’t waste more money than I’ve already had. I found the medicine picking only what I really needed, and then out of nothing to do, and partially out of curiosity, I strolled by the isles in meaningless search.  At the postcards I paused and began browsing by the titles - Happy Birthday, Thank you, Get well, Happy anniversary. Next to me stood a young man. He was choosing the right envelope for his card. I reached for the cards that looked appealing to my eye not scanning his appearance in details. While I was playing with the Get Well row tracing my fingers by beautifully curved letters, his quick acknowledging glance turned into a bore. When it was impossible to ignore it, I’ve finally met his stare.

     My lips reacted faster than my brain “Luke?” My voice betrayed me.

     Unwillingly, as if I forced him to talk he responded. “Hello. What are you doing here?”

     “Getting some medicine,” I shrugged my shoulders and unintentionally displaying the bottle of cold syrup in my hand. “And you?”

     “Choosing a postcard.” It was quite obvious what both of us were doing in the pharmacy. The questions were idiotic and so were the answers.

     “How’s everything?” I stepped back creating more space between us.

     “Fine and with you?”

     “Fine as well,” I smiled coyly mentally calculating my ways to escape. “Um, it was good to see you,” I murmured. “Bye and I’m sorry for your loss.”

     “I wand my grandmother’s CDs back,” he went straight to the business. Of course, no tea invitation.

     “I can’t give them to you. I’m sorry.”

     “They are not yours to keep,” he puffed acidly.

     “I’m really sorry, but I really can’t give them to you.” Agnes warned me about it, Luke shouldn’t have them.

     “Listen!” He lost his temper and shouted at me. “I’m not asking, there’s no grandpa Will to protect you, do you hear it? You will give them to me.”

     “Why do you need them? They are just CDs.”

     “That doesn’t concern you. You’re just like the rest of those morons, know only how to stick your nose into somebody’s else business.” 

     A sales person, an old man of sixty cleared his throat. “Miss, is everything all right? Is this person bothering you?”

     “No, no..everything is all right.” I used that moment to run away and swiftly walked to the front of the pharmacy. 

     Quickly I processed my items at the register and not looking back at Luke marched out of the store. 

     All the way home I had a very bad feeling eating me up. I was sorry to see Agnes’s grandson in such wrecked state of mind and I knew that the CDs should have been his, but despite all odds they were mine.