Categories > Original > Drama > New Leaves of a Dead Tree
Getting an Answer
It was lunchtime to the world that worked. Marly wandered the crowded street in the opposite direction of everyone else. Her head dangled low, which made her hair shield her face from the view of passers by. She barged through not caring about the cursing that came from those she knocked into. Somehow, without seeing her path clearly she knew where she was heading...nowhere. Like all of her days, she wasted time. Her theory was 'if I wasted the best years of my life, why shouldn't I waste the rest?'. In previous years, she would have protested against the easy way out, but now 'is there a point?'.
Rounding a corner, a body collided into her. She walked at such a pace, that the collision barely fazed her. The body was a guy. Him having fallen to the ground from their collision, made him visible to her. The fact that he fell didn't bother her. She ignored his gaze, steered clear of the area and carried on walking.
Finally, she curved into Bluend. Her speed reduced, so she now strolled. She held her head up high as if to say 'I'm the boss' and imagined if the trees, leaves and wildlife changed into her experiences and memories that Bluend symbolised, and the characters involved bowed down to her. With all the breath in the world, she persisted gracefully.
On the bench she observed the born-again trees. At this time the trees looked dead; discoloured and crispy, just like their fallen leaves, which rustled as the wind walked by. Unexpectedly, Marly heard droplets of water crash onto the rusted metallic frame of her bench. The clothes she wore were not those made for rain. And by the look that the sky illustrated, rain was going to come in heavy herds. She wore her famous red hooded zip-up sweater, she had had it for so many years that if not for the tattered 'Gap' logo she would have never guessed she had bought it from there. Her jeans were stonewashed blue and baggy. She had been given them only a month before as a Christmas present from Alec with a tear in the butt area. Alec said it was for a bit of sex appeal, but Marly wasn't keen on having her rear hanging out for all to see, and sewed it up with some black cotton making it look like the work of a child. And a pair of brown leather ankle boots that gave femininity and pride in her step because it was the only shoes that could withstand water.
Marly had left a few hours before work started to get redressed in her bar outfit. Heading on route for work her only thought was 'why?' and from that came 'I wish I didn't...' and 'I hope Alec doesn't turn up'. For the first two, she had an answer for. 'It was the only way to live', the second was more of a prayer.
Work was the usual, groping guys, dancing girls and a hose to cool everyone off. Every night at the bar, Marly had wished for nothing to happen...and every night something happened to spoil her insignificant morale. Tonight she was working on the floor, waiting tables with drink orders. Three drinks sat on a circular tray that balanced in her hand. Stepping between people as they came towards her, the liquid contained in glass rippled. Standing at the table, she placed each glass one by one onto the table before each man the drink belonged to. She turned on her heel, but then made another 180-degree angle. The man that sat closest bestowed upon her, a tip. After only taking a step, a drunken man thrust himself onto Marly causing her to become unbalanced, falling onto the booth she just served.
"Get off me." she quietly asked, not wanting to draw attention. The three men in the booth looked over at them; one alarmed, one almost laughing and the other's expression was that of watching a soap opera.
The man touching Marly didn't seem to take the hint and began to push up against her. She attempted to use force to get him away, but failed.
"Get off me!" she squealed.
Her private plea for help was answered.
Water drowned her, and memories clouded her mind. Scrunched up on the ground, rocking back and forth like the little girl she was. She broke down.
A couple of minutes later, Marly walked back into the bar. She saw Alec, who in her state decided to disregard. Not noticing, his movement, she zigzagged her way between the socializing bodies. She was tapped on the shoulder. And in reaction, swiftly twirled to face...Alec.
"Why'd ya go outside?" he asked stroking her hair.
She knew why he was acting like this, and that irrelevant detail didn't help matters. She didn't say anything.
"Fine." he said in a rough tone, "I know when to fuck off!" he spat in her face. He then headed for the exit, while she just stood there. No thought waltzed in, and no reason to move popped up.
"Are you actually gonna move your scrawny behind?" Norah shouted on her left.
Marly just raised her head and looked over.
"And for that little break, I'm gonna take that time off your pay!"
She nodded.
Moving away, she floated. Her imagination held a conference.
"Are you alright?"
She snapped out. She hadn't even realised. She looked at the man asking, she remembered him from earlier and just stared at him.
"Are you alright?" he repeated, "Do you need to sit down?"
She just stared at him as he directed her over to his table. She didn't resist, nor could she think of a reason to do so. At this time, she'd let anything go. The other two men at the table watched as their friend helped her sit with them.
'Is she okay?' one mouthed to the other. The one who had helped her, squatted in front of her. He didn't know what he could do. Obviously, he knew she must be quite shaken up from the earlier event, which made him unsure of what to say. He in and exhaled loudly - loudly to Marly. She hung her head so he couldn't look her in the eye.
"Is there anything I can get for you?"
She shook her head like a shaggy dog. Her hair budged in clumps.
The other two just gazed over at her in awe. They too had no idea what they could do.
"Jay, have you ever read Macbeth? - You know, Shakespeare?" one of the two said to the other, his accent strong. The other just crumpled his forehead at them.
"Maybe...Oh, in high school I did."
"I'm auditioning for the play -"
"That was shite. I spent a year on that rubbish and still didn't understand the bloody crap. A waste of time if you ask me." the other said, reducing his speech.
"Well, I didn't ask you! I'm auditioning for the starring role of Macbeth and trying to get into character is difficult-"
"Difficult? Why?"
"If you let me finish, I might tell you!"
"Okay, Blake chill! Why...was...it...difficult?" he said with sarcasm.
Sitting there with these strangers, made Marly almost forget about the nights' previous event.
It was lunchtime to the world that worked. Marly wandered the crowded street in the opposite direction of everyone else. Her head dangled low, which made her hair shield her face from the view of passers by. She barged through not caring about the cursing that came from those she knocked into. Somehow, without seeing her path clearly she knew where she was heading...nowhere. Like all of her days, she wasted time. Her theory was 'if I wasted the best years of my life, why shouldn't I waste the rest?'. In previous years, she would have protested against the easy way out, but now 'is there a point?'.
Rounding a corner, a body collided into her. She walked at such a pace, that the collision barely fazed her. The body was a guy. Him having fallen to the ground from their collision, made him visible to her. The fact that he fell didn't bother her. She ignored his gaze, steered clear of the area and carried on walking.
Finally, she curved into Bluend. Her speed reduced, so she now strolled. She held her head up high as if to say 'I'm the boss' and imagined if the trees, leaves and wildlife changed into her experiences and memories that Bluend symbolised, and the characters involved bowed down to her. With all the breath in the world, she persisted gracefully.
On the bench she observed the born-again trees. At this time the trees looked dead; discoloured and crispy, just like their fallen leaves, which rustled as the wind walked by. Unexpectedly, Marly heard droplets of water crash onto the rusted metallic frame of her bench. The clothes she wore were not those made for rain. And by the look that the sky illustrated, rain was going to come in heavy herds. She wore her famous red hooded zip-up sweater, she had had it for so many years that if not for the tattered 'Gap' logo she would have never guessed she had bought it from there. Her jeans were stonewashed blue and baggy. She had been given them only a month before as a Christmas present from Alec with a tear in the butt area. Alec said it was for a bit of sex appeal, but Marly wasn't keen on having her rear hanging out for all to see, and sewed it up with some black cotton making it look like the work of a child. And a pair of brown leather ankle boots that gave femininity and pride in her step because it was the only shoes that could withstand water.
Marly had left a few hours before work started to get redressed in her bar outfit. Heading on route for work her only thought was 'why?' and from that came 'I wish I didn't...' and 'I hope Alec doesn't turn up'. For the first two, she had an answer for. 'It was the only way to live', the second was more of a prayer.
Work was the usual, groping guys, dancing girls and a hose to cool everyone off. Every night at the bar, Marly had wished for nothing to happen...and every night something happened to spoil her insignificant morale. Tonight she was working on the floor, waiting tables with drink orders. Three drinks sat on a circular tray that balanced in her hand. Stepping between people as they came towards her, the liquid contained in glass rippled. Standing at the table, she placed each glass one by one onto the table before each man the drink belonged to. She turned on her heel, but then made another 180-degree angle. The man that sat closest bestowed upon her, a tip. After only taking a step, a drunken man thrust himself onto Marly causing her to become unbalanced, falling onto the booth she just served.
"Get off me." she quietly asked, not wanting to draw attention. The three men in the booth looked over at them; one alarmed, one almost laughing and the other's expression was that of watching a soap opera.
The man touching Marly didn't seem to take the hint and began to push up against her. She attempted to use force to get him away, but failed.
"Get off me!" she squealed.
Her private plea for help was answered.
Water drowned her, and memories clouded her mind. Scrunched up on the ground, rocking back and forth like the little girl she was. She broke down.
A couple of minutes later, Marly walked back into the bar. She saw Alec, who in her state decided to disregard. Not noticing, his movement, she zigzagged her way between the socializing bodies. She was tapped on the shoulder. And in reaction, swiftly twirled to face...Alec.
"Why'd ya go outside?" he asked stroking her hair.
She knew why he was acting like this, and that irrelevant detail didn't help matters. She didn't say anything.
"Fine." he said in a rough tone, "I know when to fuck off!" he spat in her face. He then headed for the exit, while she just stood there. No thought waltzed in, and no reason to move popped up.
"Are you actually gonna move your scrawny behind?" Norah shouted on her left.
Marly just raised her head and looked over.
"And for that little break, I'm gonna take that time off your pay!"
She nodded.
Moving away, she floated. Her imagination held a conference.
"Are you alright?"
She snapped out. She hadn't even realised. She looked at the man asking, she remembered him from earlier and just stared at him.
"Are you alright?" he repeated, "Do you need to sit down?"
She just stared at him as he directed her over to his table. She didn't resist, nor could she think of a reason to do so. At this time, she'd let anything go. The other two men at the table watched as their friend helped her sit with them.
'Is she okay?' one mouthed to the other. The one who had helped her, squatted in front of her. He didn't know what he could do. Obviously, he knew she must be quite shaken up from the earlier event, which made him unsure of what to say. He in and exhaled loudly - loudly to Marly. She hung her head so he couldn't look her in the eye.
"Is there anything I can get for you?"
She shook her head like a shaggy dog. Her hair budged in clumps.
The other two just gazed over at her in awe. They too had no idea what they could do.
"Jay, have you ever read Macbeth? - You know, Shakespeare?" one of the two said to the other, his accent strong. The other just crumpled his forehead at them.
"Maybe...Oh, in high school I did."
"I'm auditioning for the play -"
"That was shite. I spent a year on that rubbish and still didn't understand the bloody crap. A waste of time if you ask me." the other said, reducing his speech.
"Well, I didn't ask you! I'm auditioning for the starring role of Macbeth and trying to get into character is difficult-"
"Difficult? Why?"
"If you let me finish, I might tell you!"
"Okay, Blake chill! Why...was...it...difficult?" he said with sarcasm.
Sitting there with these strangers, made Marly almost forget about the nights' previous event.
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