quaint by Elia Cisneros (macos ebook reader txt) 📕

I love the rain. Routinely, it lets me now I'm home in a way that I can only call serene. At the moment, it creates a watery pattern across my face, as I wait for my dad's white Volvo to pull up. I'm on the side of a busy street in downtown Seattle, and the harshness of my environment makes me feel uncomfortable. Soon, it comes into view, and I greet my father with a nod, half hidden behind a black cashmere turtle neck.
"How was lunch with friends?" He asks me.
"Fine", I reply. In reality it had gone rather poorly. Sarah had contracted a terrible cold, and periodically sneezed into the direction of my face. Why she couldn't cover her mouth was beyond me. With two people absent because of "homework", it was one of our lesser meets.
"Well lets go home. I got a ton of stuff I got to do when we get there, so, hop in."
Judging by the dark circles under his hazel eyes, matted hair, and his misfit outfit, my dad had been having a rough time with his work. I 'Hopped in', and we drove away. We passed the space needle, and then pacific northwest Ballet. At that point my dad commented on the rainy weather, as he did every day, rain or

shine, and I said that there was nothing good on the radio. right then, my stomach did a flip akin to a plane nose diving towards a crashing sea. I gulped, reached out an unsteady hand. "Dad...that car... those cars... why is there blood?"
"Oh." Was all he said.
Before me, two cars were swerving in a dance growing slowly perpendicular, then horrifically dangerous. Finally, I heard a crash, and at the same time the two cars, one SUV and a pick up truck, collided in a grotesque harmony that scared me. Blood spilled across the road. I felt our car swerve just in time, soon we were on the other side of a busy road, heading to a 'more scenic route'. I didn't look behind me.
"Well.. hahah. That was eventful, wasn't it?"

I stared my father down, as if to say, don't you dare comment about what just happened.

He cleared his throat and assumed attention to the road. "Where are we going?" I ask.
"Home! if I remember correctly, this is a route home. We'll be there soon." Then under his breath, "at least we better".
A few minutes later we pulled into a small town. "Hey, dad?" I say. "Can we pull over? I'd like to get a bite to eat." I said this partly because I really was hungry, and then, I needed time to get my act together, breathe. And after today's events, I thought my dad might appreciate some down time as well.
"sure hun." I saw the relief spread through his face instantaneously as he spoke.
we parked in front of an old, antique kind of shop. As a rule, I don't like old things, but this had a kind of aura about it, something quaint. I stepped out of the car. The wind brushed against the back of my neck, rustling my hair, and then carrying on to bump against the store front. I searched the door for a sign of some sort, a name or a date. I found none. Quickly, I brushed this fact off with indifference. The air seemed warmer, fresher, and altogether better than the air on that crowded street in downtown Seattle. I surprised myself when I felt my cheeks lift into a kind of half smile. The air even smelled sweet. "I'll be right back" I yell towards a dad, half asleep and half awake. I walk up the entry way steps on the porch of the shop, and then open the door. A lady meets my eyes, and I hers.
"Hello?" she says. Her voice has a welcoming tone to it, and my smile grows.
"Hello". I look around me. The walls, painted a rusty pink, are covered from ceiling to floor with antique clothing. I finger a dress by the side of the door that catches my eye.
"That's a beauty, isn't it? one of my favorites. I'll sell it to you a little cheaper if you want it".
"Oh-" I begin to feel a little awkward now, I only had 12 dollars and some cents on me. "no, that's alright. It is pretty though." Now, I'm edging towards the door handle, ready to make a speedy escape.
"Wait a minute. I won't let you go without something. how much do you have on you? I'll sell it for say... seven dollars? how is that? of course, if you wanted something different, you can always look around."
"Oh-" I say again. "Well, alright. Thank you."
"Your perfectly welcome. I'll wrap it up for you, so it won't get ruined."
She leads me to a counter cluttered with nick-nacks and tarnished jewelery. a shelf covered with dusty American flags hovers above her head. The sale's lady's fingers, folding coarse tissue paper, are painted a vibrant red. I notice all of this, and find myself, again, smiling slightly. It all seemed so perfect in this town. you get the feeling that your home

, I thought.
"There", she says, grinning ear to ear. 'All wrapped up and pretty!"
I smile tentatively back, take the rapped dress from her presented hands, and quickly leave.

Publication Date: 03-30-2012

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