Farmer's Market

The Beginning of a Bad Decision

Oh, if only we could have seen the outcome of that question. How the room exploded into a heated argument. How 7 people shouting in unison sounded. God, they sure did know the farmer.
   -Well, that was unexpected, whispered Toby.
   -And uncalled for, sighed Monday before erupting in a shrill scream herself. Everybody SILENCE! her voice pierced the air, sharp as a shard of glass.
   And it worked wonders! The benefit of being quiet most of the time.
   -We need answers, and we need them quick, she explained. So? Anyone got something about him?
   -I have an old photograph, with some numbers written on the back. His wife gave it to me when I was still alive and made me promise to keep it safe, I'll fetch it for you, offered Pica raising from her seat.
   -And I have what looks like half a date, or an adress, from his son. But it might not be important. I think I'll just go back in my room, sighed Griffin.
   -No. Either stay here if you can remember it, or go to your room to bring a paper, and come back afterwards, stated Salvador firmly.
   -Fine, came back the huff. It's 13th, M. I'd be lying if I said I know what the M stands for, though. It might be a name too, or mayb-
   Monday collapsed to the floor. Oh no. A vial of something bitter, with something to do with almonds. The hard feeling of bathroom tiles against the back of a head. A bitter friend, who she stopped calling a friend a long time ago. Recreational glass blowing, lost meals. And back again she was conscious on the rug of a living room.
   -My corpse! was all she could gasp. Where is my corpse?
   -Everybody stay back, ordered Toby. She's still getting flashbacks, she's disoriented.
   Most nodded in understanding.
   It took Monday about 10 seconds to get back on her feet as Toby helped her to the couch. Meanwhile, Pica came back. She held a photograph in her hands, of the farmer's wife in a field, and behind her...
   -That's me, Monday remarked. Or, was, I think?
   A glass statue just like her, but in one pice. And, on the back, a series of numbers.
   Monday spoke again, and seemed uncharacteristically lucid:
   -These are coordinates.
   In 2 minutes the Lady had the numbers in the search bar of her phone. The location belonged to a house on a boulevard 15 minutes away.
   -Could you show me the address? asked Salvador. Something seems familiar. Oh! he laughed. It's of a guy I know, Phillip Guthrie. I think he's hosting some kind of party tonight, at 10pm. He invited me but God am I lazy, I didn't even think about going!
   -Could you bring one of us in? asked Toby.
   Salvador threw his head back, roaring with laughter.
   -One? This guy's so uncaring about who we bring over, I might as well come with all of you!
   -I'd say that you should get Toby and Monday, and Griffin to come with you, piped up Adalana. Griffin has half an adress, maybe it'll come in handy.
   -I don't want to go, chimed in a soft voice from the couch. Bring the Lady, I feel sick.
   -I don't want to either, responded Griffin. I hate parties.
   Salvador sighed and then smiled softly.
   -Monday's excused. She fainted here, she might faint there. You mister, on the other hand, he chuckled as he leaned over the back of the armchair and grabbed Griffin by the shoulders, you gotta come with us. You barely go outside, you look like you're anemic!
   -I don't look like anything, I'm invisible, you moron!
   -We've seen you before though, shrugged the Lady. Pale as a wall.
   -I am ALBINO! Literally what the-
   -Oh relax, I'm just messing with you. What, like I don't look like a faux leather purse? she laughed, and Griffin snorted.
   -So, we're set? Me, Toby, Adalana and Grif?
   Salvador rubbed his hands together, but in a split second the grin was gone from his face.
   -Do we all here know how to fire a gun?
   -I don't, admitted Toby. Don't know why would I need to, though.
   -My friends are not very safe people, the other simply shrugged.
   -Toby doesn't need a gun, grinned the Lady. He seems to prefer close combat.
   She winked. The real meaning behind her words, however, Salvador would only find out a few hours later. He didn't notice a good chunk of the other people in the room just left some time earlier, but even if he did he wouldn't have cared.
   -Very well then. Let's get dressed. It's- he checked his watch -7pm! By 9 I need you all here.
   Toby felt disoriented. He didn't have a "good" suit, fact which Lady Alligator picked up on quite fast.
   -Do you plan on going out in that jacket of indiscernible color?
   -'s the only jacket I have.
   -I think I have an old suit at my house. I already have to drop by to grab some things, tag along. It's too small for me, and you look, what? 5'8? It might be good for you.
   In the 75 minutes it took them to come back you could hear the house filling with noise, with everyone upstairs making a ruckus. Uncalled for, unneeded fashion tips coming from people whose knowledge came from different cultures and periods of time could be interesting sometimes, but not when arguments sparked up. As Griffin passed Toby in the hallway you could hear him muttering to himself about a "shitshow" and "lunatics".
   Salvador, on the other hand, had the common sense of locking his door and only unlocking it when he absolutely needed to get out. Which was, noticeably, when he needed to take his head out of its jar and wash it thoroughly, accompanied by Marlene calling him "disgusting" and Maisie saying he's "uncultured". It didn't stop him though, and as Maisie pulled out some rubber gloves and bleach to clean the sink you could hear him and Pygmalion yelling at eachother across the house as they tried to remember who last used and where did they leave the hairdryer. A back and forth lasting about 5 minutes until Marlene had the courtesy to bring him the dryer, after which he promptly returned to his room and began dressing up while listening to a record he selected at random from his stash of disks.
   The doors of the mansion were slammed open by Lady Alligator, in a strapless red dress, an even bigger hat that the previous one, and red lipstick slapped on. Followed by dear Toby, who felt a bit like a cat who got caught in the rain for some reason. The suit was just fine, albeit a bit too big. He still kept his old boots and his straw hat.
   Griffin knocked on the door to Salvador's room, ignoring how improbable it was that the other heard him through all the noise. He opened the door just a little bit and saw the other one with his back turned loudly arguing on the phone, his words mixing with the music in the background. "Una mattina…" You have to admit that, if you're a certain kind of person, studying physics seems more important than learning a second language. And so, Salvador's argument sounded like gibberish. Pleasant, smooth, fluent gibberish is still gibberish.
   -My God! "Stammi lontano"! Che cosa, è pazzo? Ridiculous, impossibile! Phillip sarà morto!
   Salvador seemed to talk more with his hands than with his mouth, as he had the phone prepped up to his ear with his shoulder, and was gesturing wildly. He turned around and only came to a halt when he saw Griffin in the doorway.
   -Sono occupato. Ciao.
   He leisurely threw the phone on the bed and smiled back to the other man.
   -Who were you talking to? I don't think I've seen you this angry. Must've been a real moron.
   -Just a friend of Phillip's, I wasn't angry. By the way, don't you wanna get visible 'till we go there?
   Griffin smiled.
   -You're changing the subject, and lying real nicely. A friend? Now, I don't speak much Spanish but-
   -That's Italian. I'm Italian.
   -Whatever. I can still sense that the name of the guy we'll visit and "morto" in the same sentence aren't good news and- Shit! You said you're Italian? Why didn't I know this? And you have no accent whatsoever!
   -"Where I came from" just never came up! And thanks, I practiced killing my accent daily when I was a teenager, he said dryly. You're not gonna hear it 'till I get drunk or tired. Which, by the way this night is going, I'll probably do before midnight. You should go and do the physics thing you do with the particles to get visible and then brush your hair, he spoke as he guided Griffin to the door, 'cause Toby and Adalana might be ready. Also, I think I'll have to arrive at the party half an hour earlier than you guys, sorry.
   -Why is that?
   -Might have an assassination to prevent, he simply said as he closed and locked the door behind Griffin, who didn't even have time to register what happened. And as the door locked and the music got louder, he had a feeling that from that moment everything was going to get more complicated.