Hometown Glory {h.s.}

1.

I let the cool drizzle of the daytime air soak my skin. It's only 7:30 but the sky bleeds a dark red that fades into a light purple across the sky, a variety of different size of clouds scatter across the stratosphere, beautiful. I stare at the sky for a little longer. I walk past the familiar auto shop that has oil puddles seeped into the driveway, rusty tools spread out in the yard, and an air conditioner that makes a rattling sound loud enough to be heard from the end of my town. I take the corner past the auto-shop and a smell of fresh baked goods lures me to the local bakery. The door chimes as I set foot into the inviting bakery.

"Goodmorning, Avari."

"Hi Mrs. Kindler, how are you today?" She doesn't answer me while she removes her apron and steps in front of the counter top with the delicious goods, she walks over to me and smiles like the world is going her way. She hugs me while I return the favor, finally, she responds with a light 'Fine.' She walks back to her post while I sit down on the metal chair. They're cold at first hand. Sometimes Mrs. Kindler takes hot rags and sets them on the chairs before she opens, I guess not today. She turns round behind the counter and looks at me.

"What'll it be?"

"I can't say, I feel very different from every other day..." Mrs. Kindler begins to knead dough for the oven soon.

"Not in the mood for my sweets? Now that's very unusual Avari, maybe if you go by the church, Pastor Malcom will see what's troubling you." I groan loudly as she mentions the church, she's always pushing me to go there. It's too strict for my liking. Mother always taught me 'If you don't like it, don't do it!'

"I don't enjoy going there Mrs. Kindler, not my kind of environment."

"Okay, I hope you feel better." Usually she'll bicker about how the church has been good to her all these years, but she stays quiet.

"Is there anything important that I should know?"

She looks up in surprise and stops kneading the dough she was preparing for the oven.

"Well there's a new family coming in, total of three. Very polite, maybe you should stop by and tell em you like to walk aimlessly around town so they won't be frightened when they see a child walking alone." She laughs at her own joke and I do the same. Maybe I will stop by. I tap on the table with a quarter I found in my pocket and look at the floor.

I stood up and said my partings to Mrs. Kindler. I walk out and see a brown station wagon drive down the road to the only vacant home on the street. The new movers. I noticed a figure in the back seat, must be the kid.

I walked back to my apartment which happened to be a street behind them, hope they don't turn out to be annoying.

•

I close the door behind me as I take off my trench coat covered in droplets of water this morning and turn the heater on, I kick off my sneakers. I know it takes a while to warm up so I put on two pairs of socks while I'm in my bedroom. The air conditioner makes a soft 'ting' sound so I know it's starting to get warm. I sit on my worn down sofa with two books in my hand;

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

1984 by George Orwell

My hands graze over 1984, anyone could tell it's my favorite book. The spine ends had curl up and the author's name was almost unreadable. The corners of it were bending and the pages were aging with grace, but the words stuck to the pages like a beautiful memory.

I settle in the old cushions and open the book to page one.

"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen."