Categories > Original > Drama > New Leaves of a Dead Tree
Everything's Going...
Before she left the apartment the last thing Alec did was give her a kiss for her to keep for the rest of the day. She accepted with gratitude and it left her with a smile across her face. Their previous bed tumble also taught her something she had forgot a while ago - how to curve her mouth into the famous expression known as 'the smile'.
Quite a way away from the apartment, she strolled on the sidewalk with her head up. She again got on the no. 79 bus and went off to the fairy tale neighbourhood. Again she saw the same scenery she had seen many times before, yet her eyes still seemed drawn to it like it was some wonder of the world or great mystery to her. Arriving at her bus stop, she sat on the bench and watched.
Today it seemed, everyone was at work or already out because hardly anyone was queuing for busses. Again she saw the mother in the house across from the shelter. The woman was taking out her trash. After closing the lid on the remains of her family's meals, she pushed back her lengthy black locks by using her fingers as a comb. In the eternal sunlight that shone on the neighbourhood, the streaks of grey in her hair gave evidence to her age. She walked back into her home; her head up and her shoulders back as if she was trying to get ready for something that awaited her inside. Marly's gaze was intense.
Sitting at the bus stop bench, this time waiting for the bus, she was spotted by one of the three,
"Hey!" He called. She turned her head in the direction of the sound. It was Marshall.
"Hello." she said with normality.
He carried a surprised expression. "What are you doing here? I thought you lived in the city?"
"I do." She replied. The reason why she came down here was so irrelevant that she thought he didn't need to know.
He stared, waiting for her answer that wasn't told. Then asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I love this neighbourhood."
"Really? Me too, but I guess I would."
"I hope to live somewhere like here one day."
"You mean one day when you get married and have children?"
"I don't think I could bare to have children." Realising where she was and all the questions, she thought she'd cut the conversation short and ask, "What are you doing here?"
"I live here...well, used to. My mum lives just over there," Marshall explained pointing to one of the identical houses, "I was visiting her and picking up my sister."
"You have a sister?"
"Yeah, she lives with me. Her name's Nadine." he looked at the bus stop and a thought occurred, "do want a lift? I'm going back to the city in about half an hour. Just got to wait for my sister to pack - she's been staying with my mum."
She nodded with a slight smile and as they walked to his house she gave him a, "thank you."
She spent the rest of the day with Marshall and Nadine. Marly was even invited to their apartment when they reached the city. They chatted, and she joined in. But when it turned four o'clock, she said she had to go.
"Work, right?" Marshall said, understanding. Nadine on the other hand, didn't understand. Seeing her expression, Marly said,
"I have to get home, get changed and go to work." After which, she felt sorry to have to leave.
"No! Forget work. You've gotta stay!" Nadine protested.
"Nad, you're being childish."
"Am not."
"Are too."
Marly chuckled. The duo glanced over at her and laughed.
"Do you wear a uniform to work?" Nadine asked.
She shook her head, "We have a dress code."
"Dress code? As in a suit and tie?"
"Not exactly."
Marshall sat in silence watching as Marly attempted to discuss her job without wanting to.
"Why? What do you do?" Nadine asked, practically shoving the conversation down Marly's neck. Marly accepted defeat and answered her questions gracefully.
"I work in a club." she said, her head now lowered as she thought about her rubbish job.
"Oh. So, what's the dress code?"
"As little as possible."
"I've got an idea! How 'bout you borrow some my clothes and then we can come to work with you. It'll be fun! I've got some really cool clothes!"
"Nad!"
"What Mars bar?" she said rudely.
"Nothing." He breathed.
"Euh...such an asshole." Nadine whispered under her breath.
"I heard that."
"I wanted you to hear it." she turned her head in the direction of Marly, "what d'you think?"
Marly just shrugged her shoulders.
The girls spent an hour looking through Nadine's clothes. While the girls did that, Marshall sat, smoked and watched the sport channels.
Marly tried on many outfits, one after another to try and find something that was appropriate.
"What's the name of this bar, then?"
"The Hose Down."
At the sound of the words, Nadine stopped and looked at Marly, "You work in there!"
She nodded.
"You don't seem the type! You're joking?"
She shook her hand not wanting to believe it herself.
"My god!" Nadine said, her hand clasped over her mouth in shock.
They carried on their search, and whilst Marly changed, Nadine chatted. She was one of those people who never stopped talking, if a subject became dull, she'd change it in such a way that you wouldn't even have known it until you're halfway through it.
"You have great figure. I don't see why you don't show it off."
"I don't have the clothes."
"You can take mine of you want - how about we go shopping tomorrow? Are you busy?"
Marly couldn't believe her ears, she was asked to go shopping. Then reality hit, "I don't have the money."
"So? I'll buy them. I'll use Mars bar's credit card. He won't mind."
"I don't know."
"Come on, I can't let anyone with a body like yours to let it go unnoticed. That's just wrong. And no offence to your clothes, but they do nothing for your figure. You have it, flaunt it!"
Marly was overcome with emotion, "Thanks, Nadine."
"Call me Nad!" and they hugged each other.
Before she left the apartment the last thing Alec did was give her a kiss for her to keep for the rest of the day. She accepted with gratitude and it left her with a smile across her face. Their previous bed tumble also taught her something she had forgot a while ago - how to curve her mouth into the famous expression known as 'the smile'.
Quite a way away from the apartment, she strolled on the sidewalk with her head up. She again got on the no. 79 bus and went off to the fairy tale neighbourhood. Again she saw the same scenery she had seen many times before, yet her eyes still seemed drawn to it like it was some wonder of the world or great mystery to her. Arriving at her bus stop, she sat on the bench and watched.
Today it seemed, everyone was at work or already out because hardly anyone was queuing for busses. Again she saw the mother in the house across from the shelter. The woman was taking out her trash. After closing the lid on the remains of her family's meals, she pushed back her lengthy black locks by using her fingers as a comb. In the eternal sunlight that shone on the neighbourhood, the streaks of grey in her hair gave evidence to her age. She walked back into her home; her head up and her shoulders back as if she was trying to get ready for something that awaited her inside. Marly's gaze was intense.
Sitting at the bus stop bench, this time waiting for the bus, she was spotted by one of the three,
"Hey!" He called. She turned her head in the direction of the sound. It was Marshall.
"Hello." she said with normality.
He carried a surprised expression. "What are you doing here? I thought you lived in the city?"
"I do." She replied. The reason why she came down here was so irrelevant that she thought he didn't need to know.
He stared, waiting for her answer that wasn't told. Then asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I love this neighbourhood."
"Really? Me too, but I guess I would."
"I hope to live somewhere like here one day."
"You mean one day when you get married and have children?"
"I don't think I could bare to have children." Realising where she was and all the questions, she thought she'd cut the conversation short and ask, "What are you doing here?"
"I live here...well, used to. My mum lives just over there," Marshall explained pointing to one of the identical houses, "I was visiting her and picking up my sister."
"You have a sister?"
"Yeah, she lives with me. Her name's Nadine." he looked at the bus stop and a thought occurred, "do want a lift? I'm going back to the city in about half an hour. Just got to wait for my sister to pack - she's been staying with my mum."
She nodded with a slight smile and as they walked to his house she gave him a, "thank you."
She spent the rest of the day with Marshall and Nadine. Marly was even invited to their apartment when they reached the city. They chatted, and she joined in. But when it turned four o'clock, she said she had to go.
"Work, right?" Marshall said, understanding. Nadine on the other hand, didn't understand. Seeing her expression, Marly said,
"I have to get home, get changed and go to work." After which, she felt sorry to have to leave.
"No! Forget work. You've gotta stay!" Nadine protested.
"Nad, you're being childish."
"Am not."
"Are too."
Marly chuckled. The duo glanced over at her and laughed.
"Do you wear a uniform to work?" Nadine asked.
She shook her head, "We have a dress code."
"Dress code? As in a suit and tie?"
"Not exactly."
Marshall sat in silence watching as Marly attempted to discuss her job without wanting to.
"Why? What do you do?" Nadine asked, practically shoving the conversation down Marly's neck. Marly accepted defeat and answered her questions gracefully.
"I work in a club." she said, her head now lowered as she thought about her rubbish job.
"Oh. So, what's the dress code?"
"As little as possible."
"I've got an idea! How 'bout you borrow some my clothes and then we can come to work with you. It'll be fun! I've got some really cool clothes!"
"Nad!"
"What Mars bar?" she said rudely.
"Nothing." He breathed.
"Euh...such an asshole." Nadine whispered under her breath.
"I heard that."
"I wanted you to hear it." she turned her head in the direction of Marly, "what d'you think?"
Marly just shrugged her shoulders.
The girls spent an hour looking through Nadine's clothes. While the girls did that, Marshall sat, smoked and watched the sport channels.
Marly tried on many outfits, one after another to try and find something that was appropriate.
"What's the name of this bar, then?"
"The Hose Down."
At the sound of the words, Nadine stopped and looked at Marly, "You work in there!"
She nodded.
"You don't seem the type! You're joking?"
She shook her hand not wanting to believe it herself.
"My god!" Nadine said, her hand clasped over her mouth in shock.
They carried on their search, and whilst Marly changed, Nadine chatted. She was one of those people who never stopped talking, if a subject became dull, she'd change it in such a way that you wouldn't even have known it until you're halfway through it.
"You have great figure. I don't see why you don't show it off."
"I don't have the clothes."
"You can take mine of you want - how about we go shopping tomorrow? Are you busy?"
Marly couldn't believe her ears, she was asked to go shopping. Then reality hit, "I don't have the money."
"So? I'll buy them. I'll use Mars bar's credit card. He won't mind."
"I don't know."
"Come on, I can't let anyone with a body like yours to let it go unnoticed. That's just wrong. And no offence to your clothes, but they do nothing for your figure. You have it, flaunt it!"
Marly was overcome with emotion, "Thanks, Nadine."
"Call me Nad!" and they hugged each other.
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