the smell after rain - h.s

6. bowie and yoko

a.

As i opened the door my two cats ran into my direction with hungry eyes. „Bowie! Yoko! Didn't Demi give you food or why are you so happy to see me?"
I laughed as i bowed down to the two cats petting their backs.
Bowie was a short-haired ginger cat with a white circle over one eye and Yoko was my beautiful white long hair cat with mesmerizing blue eyes. I found them together with martin in a box, not far away from Bonnies' house a few years ago. „Common let's get you guys some food."
They followed me meowing into the kitchen.
I lived with Martin and Demi for two years. Our mom July died only half a year after i was born. Martin was five. Sometimes he had memories like her eyes or her smile that i always begged him to tell. She had a heart attack that caused her to die in her sleep. Later the Doctors found out that she had a problematic heart that no one knew about.
Every time dad talked about her he had a sad smile on his face and tears in his eyes. „Oh mon Ange, She was like an angel, heaven-sent. We shouldn't be mad that God took her back i would take her back too if I was him. She was a gift. And when she left, she left me the too most precious gifts i will ever receive."

I always thought i knew what loss meant but as my dad died thirteen years later, my whole world crumbled and became dark for a long time and as summer turned into autumn my childhood wilted like the sunflowers in our backyard. After July died Auguste how ironic.
He had cancer but he didn't told anyone about it. He kept smiling, kept laughing. He died within half a year the doctors told us, he didn't had to suffer long.
He wrote us letters in this time and made us the Medaillons. He left us way more money than we could imagine.
We never were rich. Mama worked as a florist, papa as a guitarist. We always traveled around with him. And when he died this whole perfect world in which I, martin and papa lived in made a complete turn.
Martin was eighteen. He soon finished school and moved to London to Aunt Bonnie and went to college and became a lawyer.
He got his degrees quite young.
He was always the one who loved rules, problem-solving and always wanted to help with law and justice.
He always worked, trying to earn enough money to build us a life.
I moved to grandmaman and grandpère to south England. They live in a tiny cottage in Cornwall near the sea right beside a big Forrest. It was the house dad and bonnie grew up in. It was gorgeous. But it wasn't the life i wanted to live, i felt trapped, wanted to see the world.
I lived there till i finished school and tried to see martin as much as possible.
I started working in the small bakery from grandmaman and grandpère to support my family who was left.

Aunt Bonnie gave me a map when i was 18. A map that dad made for me. With notes, pictures, and stickers on it. With contacts, train lines, and special places to see. With it came an envelope with money, keys to safe-deposit boxes in different cities where letters and gifts awaited me, and a small letter.

Dear Annabelle Fleur Pleuvoir
My little sunflower.
Never let anything dim the light in your soul.
Keep wandering,
keep searching.
You deserve the world, belle.
J'taime, ton papa

I visited all the places papa told me about and learned to understand who i was again.
I sure know that that was the greatest gift dad ever could have made me.
And now 1 year later i work with bonnie, make some art and music and try to volunteer as much as i can.
But what i really wanna do in life?
I wasn't sure at all.

„Alright alright, here you have your food you, little monsters." I chuckled as i saw both cats fighting over who gets which bowl.
I put my beige trenchcoat onto the wardrobe and renewed the messy braid on the back of my head.
Martin bought a terraced house a little bit outside of Notting hill and only 10 minutes, with the bicycle, from the bookshop. It wasn't big, but it was perfect for us.
Demi and martin lived downstairs on the first floor and demi had her florist shop on the ground floor.
I lived right under the roof.
I had a little balcony, a little kitchen, and enough space for my bed and my art supplies. It wasn't enough room for my clothes but i was completely ok with that, they were under the stairs in a small chamber. I knew that i needed to move out when they get children because downstairs was only one room left, were the guestroom was at the moment and if they get more than two children, one would need to sleep right beside my clothes in the chamber under the stairs like harry potter and i wouldn't let that happen.

I walked downstairs, to the shop, to see if Demi came back. At this time she always got home from the market and started making flowers ready for the next day. „Hii Dee, how's it going?" I asked smiling at her widely.
She turned around while brushing her hair back. She looked like an incarnation of Hera the Greek godmother. She had dark brown strong curly  hair that reached her full hips and almond eyes in the color of the woods, framed with strong eyebrows over it.
As she smiled back at me i could see her small tooth gap between the front two teeth.
„Ana! I didn't know you were already at home. Since your Phone isn't working, Martin wrote me to show you this."
I frowned as she handed me her phone. Earlier, when i went back, the door was locked and i didn't knew where he went.
I read:

Hi honey!<3 show this to Annabelle when you get home.

there was an emergency at the office, sorry i couldn't wait till you come back. Two customers came in, while you were gone. TWO! A customer gave me his number because of the monthly package. Don't know if he wants it but he seemed interested so here you have his contact info.
Didn't knew what to do with it, since you don't have a phone anymore and bonnie killed the one in the bookstore.
What is it about the women in this family and the tendency to destroy telephones?! The second one was an old lady asking for a book about diagnostic immunohistochemistry or something like that???! That's when i got the call from the office, to come back immediately and i came half an hour too late because i couldn't shake off the insisting lady, who thought that i should know what that is and why they employ someone as dumb as me.
Never gonna help you out again. Only except a ton of chocolate for my service and for an apology:(
M.
(Oh and honey i will come home late again today.
I'm sorry!
I love you. xx <3 (ps: don't let belle eat all the cake joseph brought.))

I handed the phone back to Demi as i shook my head: „I really don't know why you married him."
Demi laughed as she blushed, looking like a little girl, falling in love for the first time.
I rolled my eyes jokingly.
„Mail me the customer's contact. I will have my phone back from the repair shop tomorrow. I'll go to the soup kitchen now." I said.
She bowed down taking a basket from under the table with two fresh loaves of bread.
„Here. Take that."
She said.
I grinned hugging her tightly as i answered muffed by her hair:
„Demi you are the best. Bye. Love you."
„Love you too Hunny. Be safe."
I walked out the door waving back taking the blue umbrella standing next to the door.