Aarmau Short Stories ●A Purplla Publish●

|Story Two| Like it's 1921

"Yes, mother, I'm fine in the city." Aphmau speaks into the telephone as she looks in the mirror and adjusts her bandana around her head. "You don't have to worry about me. Katelyn is letting me stay at her place while I look for one."

"Gene's better than okay. He was while he was sneaking around behind my back." Aphmau slides on some black flats. "Yes, I know he was loaded."

She gasps, "Mother, I was not about to marry a man who cheats on his fianceé!" Her roommate, Katelyn, walks into the room where Aphmau was. "I don't care, I will not get into a one-sided marriage, whether he has money or not!"

"Well, the march is starting soon and we have to make it before the parade starts." She says, about to hang up. "Yes, I will call you later."

"Okay. Okay. Alright. Bye bye mama." She finally puts the phone down and huffs.

"She still upset about the breakup?" Katelyn asks as Aphmau starts putting small strands from behind the bandana.

"She'll get over it." She picks up a lipstick box and opens it, taking out the tube and opening the cap. "But no matter. What's done is done." She applies dark red lipstick around her lips.

"You're right, you're right. Can I borrow your gold wedges for the day?"

"Yeah, they're in the closet on the second shelf." She points towards the closed doors. "When do you think you'll be finished?" Aphmau steps back and looks at her outfit.

Paperbag high waisted khaki shorts with a matching colored ribbon tied into a bow and a fitted plain red short sleeve shirt tucked into the shorts with black flats and a red matching tied around her head.

Katelyn slips on the shoes and stands up, "I'm done now."

"Great, I don't want to miss breakfast downtown before the parade."

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"You can keep the change." Aaron steps out of the taxi and looks around for Laurence as women past by with banners and signs and other decorations for the parade.

"Over here!" Aaron sees a hand waving in the air and he follows it in the crowd.

"Hey."

"I was afraid you weren't going to make it."

"This is your plan after all." Aaron responds, "What makes you so sure she'd be here?"

"Every woman in town will be. Duh." He points at all the women standing behind the gates or on the streets, speaking to policemen or decorating cars and carriages.

"I hope you're right. So what's your plan?"

"You want to win her over, correct?"

"I really do."

"Then we are here to support. Whether we're in the crowd, celebrating equal rights. Or." He points to the beige tents with women flowing in and out. "We could JOIN the parade."

"Dude."

"Oh yeah." He wraps an arm around Aaron's shoulders, "I hope you can march 13 miles in those shoes."

"13 miles?!"

"The parade starts from here all the way to the bay. At first, it was supposed to be three miles, but, you know, protests."

Aaron looks down the streets and how far it goes. From some of the buildings, some windows are open and people are looking down at the street as well, waiting for the parade to start.

"I hate you."

"You're welcome." Laurence takes his arm off of him. "Do you have any better ideas?"

"We can stand from afar and watch the parade while cheering them on."

"Then how is Aphmau supposed to see you if you're just a part of the crowd?" Laurence asks. "Your best shot is the walk."

Aaron looks around then sighs, "I'm doing this for her. I'm doing this for her. I'm doing this for her." He repeats to himself.

"Atta boy. Come on!"

~~~

"I always forget Ruby's is the best diner downtown." Aphmau and Katelyn walk out of the diner with their bags and newspapers from earlier that day.

"I've been missing out." Aphmau says as they start walking down the streets towards the beige tent for the parade. "Too bad the walk is only 13 miles. I was hoping to cover the whole town."

"... You want to walk the entire city?"

"If it means protesting for equal rights between men and women, then yes." Aphmau responds, "I won't stop until we get what we deserve."

"Okay, Aph. Maybe next Friday." They walk up the entrance and there's a woman with a clipboard. "Katelyn and Aphmau."

She checks it and nods, "You're with group four. They start their march in ten minutes." She informs them.

"Thank you." Aphmau say as both girls walk inside and look for group four. After looking around for a while, they see a white banner with "Group Four" painted in green hanging around a group of girls.

"There they are." Katelyn says but Aphmau is looking in the opposite direction and she grabs Katelyn's wrist.

"You've got to be kidding me."

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Until next time,
~Purplla