Gone Too Soon

It’s a sunny morning! April realised when she stepped out the door for her usual morning walk down the bakery for coffee and cornetto. She dropped her rain jacket by the door and launched herself into the warm glow.

After her routine walk, she decided to venture further to the local nursery, maybe, to get a little plant, or just to inhale the prime of spring. Once she entered the nursery, she hesitated. It was busier than she imagined in such early hour of the day. She suddenly grew self conscious over her unwashed face, messy bed hair, and without underwears beneath the white t-shirt and grey lounge pants. She folded her arms across her breasts to create some safety.

Soon she was distracted by the multi colour tulips and grape hyacinths. She reached out her hand to touch the ferns and manoeuvered the pot to read the label – Northern Lady Fern. Right at that moment, her fingers felt the moist and warmth which drew her to an innocent chocolate face of a puppy. Her heart melted instantly and she lowered herself to the level of this delicious ball of cuteness. “Hey, little one! What’s your name? Awwww…you know you are cute, don’t you?”

“Honey!” A magnetic voice startled her. She followed the voice and looked up, there stood a man in tan cargo pants and a navy polo shirt. He was wearing a grin decorated with scruffy beard, just passed the threshold of the five o’clock shadow. Immediately she was embarrassed imagining how he would see her – squatting down in a mess next to the puppy and could not take her hand away from its affection. “Her name is Honey.” He must have seen the complex expression on her face, so gone on to clarify. “And she has your eyes…honey brown.”

“Oh, ok.” She got up avoiding eye contact with him, walked almost in a fleeting speed to hide herself in the tall palms and citrus trees. She felt so bad that she ‘abandoned’ the cutest puppy, but she felt even worst about keeping that interaction going in her indecent outfit.

It had been ages, she finally felt safe to slowly move out from the tall plants toward the nursery exit. Just when she eased up her nerves and started to breathe more steadily. That nerve wrecking voice came out of nowhere, “April’s gone too soon.” He stood in front of her like a pine tree, with the puppy sitting obediently next to him on a leash. “What?” That’s all she could manage to mutter. ‘How does he know my name?’ She was puzzled. “Ahhh…I said April has gone too soon. It’s first of May today already. See, the citrus trees have grown a lot…” His magnetic voice trailed her all the way through the exit door.

‘Don’t look back April, it’s been a cluster of embarrassment. Mother, you are right again. Never go out without dressing appropriately because you’ll never know who you’ll meet.’