This story doesn't have a name yet. It's sort of a love romance comedy. I've decided to do something a little different with the main character. You may like it you may not like it. I'm just putting it up so I can get some feed back. That would be nice =)
Humans. What are we? We play with life as if it’s a game, but do we understand its rules? I don’t. And though others play the game un-hindered and handle its challenges with ease I can’t quite grasp it. I’m the nerdy kid who stays home on the weekends. My closest friend has Microsoft stamped on its surface. I don’t communicate well with others and I don’t function well around groups of people. I have a disorder called social anxiety. That means I’m incapable of communicating with people in a physical environment. I’m a medical outsider. I’m a loser born without the skills to have a social life.
My grandma once said that our store is a small pond at the center of the big sea called Queens New York. That’s not all the way true. Our small corner is no different anywhere else in the Queens. The only thing that makes Stanley’s Flowers standout from the other everyday flower shops is that my ancestor Earnest M. Stanley owned it and the Earnest M. Stanley before him and so on. My ancestor was born in Ireland and migrated to Queens and built our flower shop with his own hands.
I’m sure you’ve already noticed this but the name Earnest runs through my family like a disease. I’m no exception. I was named Earnest Michael Stanley and so were my father and his father before him. It is tradition that Stanley’s Flowers in run by an Earnest Michael Stanley. As a result my life has been planned out since the day of my birth. That’s the nature of tradition. My father currently owns the shop and the day he’s unable to work it’ll be mine to run.
When I was in high school, while other kids hung out with their friends, chased girls, and plain enjoyed life during the week, I was in the flower shop. On the weekends, I stayed home in my upstairs bedroom that I shared with my younger sibling and his smelly socks. He also has the name Earnest which was a bad move on my mom’s part. Half the time no one knew who they were talking to: Earnest Stanley my dad, Earnest Stanley my brother, or me Earnest Stanley. In fact, majority of the time when my mom called one of us or needed someone to do a chore she’d have no other choice but to point and the person she wants and say “you, idiot!” and that person would then comply to whatever demand she had of them. So far the system works only pray tell what happens when one of us fail to recognize which idiot she’s referring to.
I spent every day at the flower shop during the summer which included me and my brother start our morning chores at six: wiping the counter, watering the plants, sweeping the shop, and doing all the meticulous crap work that goes into preparing the shop before it opened. My dad would wake up thirty minutes later and help me attend the flowers. Then seven o’ clock we’d open. The rest of the day would be a 15 hour work day not including breaks that maybe only lasted an hour and we closed at eight and ate dinner at nine. Those days it was like my life was Tvo and somebody set it on permanent fast forward. Every day zoomed past me in flashes and colors. My life was like a bland blend of colors. Nothing out of the ordinary happened.
Except one day early July nearing the end of my senior summer when something did happen. My brother Earnest was sweeping the store when the mail came in. Earnest seeking his order from the wood wind catalogue instead found an envelope addressed to me in a formal seal.
“I don’t know what it is,” said my father. “It’s says it’s an invitation from some prestigious school.”
“Prestigious school?!” exclaimed my mother. “When Earnest when did you apply?”
“I didn’t apply mama,” said my brother.
“Not you idiot!” she looked at me. “Earnest?”
“Umm… No.” I had no idea. At the time I never imagined something so fortunate could happen to me.
“What does this mean papa? Is brother going away?”
“No,” my mother shook her head. “Your brother doesn’t want to leave. He doesn’t want to give his poor mother a heart attack. Right Earnest?”
“Uh..Yea.” Yea, that’s right, I had thought. How could I leave my poor mother in such a feeble state? How could I be that selfish?
“Actually Minerva,” my dad spoke up “I think it’s a bit early we should leave this be. We’ll talk about this more tonight. For now, we’ll let this soak in.”
“No, no, honey I really don’t see the point if Earnest is going to run the store some day anyway.”
My father smiled, the expression revealed the weariness in his aged face. My mother Minerva was hot headed woman and when an idea was planted in hear head nothing but my father’s smiling face could put her at bay.
“Alright…I guess we’ll wait until tonight” she caved but she didn’t sound totally diffused. My mother gave me a worried look and my brother returned to his sweeping. Father put his hand on my shoulder.
“Hey Earnest, how about you run the register for me.”
“Sure.” Register duty was my least favorite job. I didn’t want to tell him that. I respected my father but working at the register meant talking to people. Just thinking about it made my skin crawl. I much preferred avoiding it all together which meant I could avoid the awkwardness of talking to another person.
I wasn’t worried though for it was already nearing our closing hour and it buiness was slow so we hadn’t gotten many customers all day. I was sure no one would come in. I was sure I could get the painful task over with without much effort. But that didn’t happen. That day we had two, a middle aged man and a young woman, that walked into the store. The man wore a black business suit and carried a suit case which he sat down as he came to the counter. The girl stood behind him, she had long blonde hair and was wearing a blue dress. She was my age. She was tall and her figure athletic, her movements were swift and angelic, and her features were sharp with the acuity of a goddess. In all my life I’d never seen a living thing more beautiful. Just like out of a dream
Our eyes locked. “Hi,” She said. “I came to buy some flowers but I’m not really sure what I want.” She leaned forward and a bit of cleavage showed. I nodded dumbly.
“Yea, sure,” I lead her into the back and showed her the displays. “We have lilies, and many hydrangeas with different colors and Violets.”
She said “I like Violets, and lilies are nice too. But I’m not sure if that’s what I’m looking for.”
I turned, “Then what are you looking for?” I started but stopped when I noticed how close she was too me. Her perfume over powered the smell of the flowers and her lips looked even juicer up close. It was hot yet not a drop of sweat trickled along her delicate features. Or maybe I was the only one feeling the heat.
“I-it’d help if I could have some kind of idea what you’re looking for.” I stuttered and stepped back. I couldn’t handle the closeness this girl obviously knew nothing about personal space. She closed in and I backed against one of the displays. Her face was inches from mine now.
“Really, I was hoping a man like you could read my mind.” She blew in my ear and I felt her soft breast graze my arm. If I was hot before I was in the oven now.
“W-what could you-”
“Shhh,” She pressed one delicate finger against my lips. It felt soft and moist. She mouthed some words in my ear so quite that I couldn’t quite hear.
“What?” I said.
____________________
“I would like to purchase some flowers please.”
I blinked. It was the man speaking not the girl and we were at the front counter not the back of the store.
“Y-yes, sir,” I said. But what kind of flowers did he want? I had no idea and by the way they kept staring at me I could tell they expected me to do something. I was as I feared. My social failure was beginning to show. I looked down at the counter.
“You’re not gonna tell me what kind of specials you’re offering?” I blushed. Specials of course that’s what they wanted to know about. I was stupid.
“Sure, we have the,” my eyes fell on the list we had taped the counter. The guy followed my gaze.
“Oh, there it is,” he said and rubbed his chin “ok, how about your half-dozen special with violets.”
“Right,” I turned and peaked into the back room “Pa! We need the half dozen special! Violets!” I rang the bell. And my father answered a few moments later with the order.
The man looked at his watch and thanked as he left the story. I watched him up until he reached his red Ferrari and opened the door. The girl didn’t look back as they left but as they drove away we caught eyes one last time. I sighed. A girl like that would never be interested in me. I was never good with girls but something about the girl was nostalgic feeling.
That night we closed the store it was nine and mother had already started dinner. My brother went up to our room and practiced his saxophone. I resolved to avoid the racket anyway I could and the best way was by finding refuge in my favorite hiding spot on the roof. The night air was cool and I didn’t mind. Also the sky was clear that night. The sounds of the city below had a calming effect on me and even the burnt remains of the apartment building next to the shop. I saw the old fire latter by the window on the fourth floor and it brought back memories of an old friend. The only good friend I’d ever had. Emily Rosen.
“Don’t cry,” The girl looked up at me. Her brown curls just barely covered her eyes but I could see the dried streaks running down her cheeks. I took out a napkin from my pocket and gestured to it from behind the window. She nodded and lifted the glass pane so I could hand it to her. “There. All better.” I smiled. That seemed to cheer her up a little and she smiled too. She handed me the napkin.
“Thank you” she said I shook my head. “No you keep it.”
“My name’s Emily.”
“Nice to meet you” I said “my name’s Earnest Michael Stanley but I hate my name.”
“Okay then. Why don’t I call you Michael?”
I nodded. “Okay sure.”
“But only I can call you Michael.”
I smiled and nodded. “Okay sure.”
Emily smiled her face lit up. As if right on cue the night exploded as fire works and their bright lights lit the sky. Emily and I watched the show all night and at the dawn of the New Year was the dawn of a new friendship.
------------------------------------------------
I frowned. When I looked at the empty window on the fourth floor it made me frown. I heard a door slam and jumped at the sound of someone approaching.
“Mind if I come and sit son?” I turned to see my father strolling towards me.
“Sure.” I said and he sat on an empty spot next to me. For awhile he didn’t say anything. I expected him to say something but we just sat where we were listening to our own thoughts and looking at the sky. I didn’t mind I was fine with silence.
“It’s a shame we can’t see the stars here in the city. It’s too bright.”
I nodded. “Yea.”
We continued to sit in silence. I heard a police siren in the distance.
“You’re mom doesn’t want you to leave you know.”
“Yea, I know.”
I heard my father sigh. “You know son, in my life I’ve met a beautiful woman. I fell in love and married her. I then had two beautiful sons and have lived a happy life.” He paused. I said nothing.
“I’ve had so many good things in life but I’ve never been anywhere. I don’t feel like I’ve seen the world. I’ve always lived in this small part of Queens and I’ve regretted it.”
“What’re you saying pa?”
“I’m not saying that I regret you’re mother or the life I have now don’t get me wrong.”
I nodded.
“Just, I don’t want you to regret not seeing the world like your pa has. That’s why” he handed me the letter of acceptance “I want you to go to college in the city.”
