She’ll
Remember the Roses
He
opened his black leather wallet to the familiar emptiness he was accustomed to.
Not to be thwarted, he thrust his hands into his blue jeans pockets. Finding
them empty he turned them inside out. The extra effort only produced the
discovery of a hole. Finally, he reached inside his black jacket to be greeted
by the feel of paper. “Hope it’s a twenty, hope it’s a twenty...” began his
mantra. Upon examination it was a lowly Lincoln.
Gazing
upon the gray haired woman behind the newspaper stand he smacked the green
paper upon the counter. “A dozen, carnations please,” he said with enthusiasm.
“She’ll
remember the roses,” spoke the ancient proprietor.
The
suggestion struck James in an awkward manner. Tonight was a once in a life time
event. He had met the girl, no, the exact woman
of his dreams. But roses were twenty dollars per dozen while the asking price
of the carnations was an affordable five. “A dozen carnations,” he repeated
insistently.
Sir,”
said the woman pleading, “She’ll remember the roses.”
James
gave a quick glance backwards to see that Laura was still waiting. The lovely
young lady caught the look and broadly smiled before giving a bashful look
away. “I ain’t got all night lady,” the young man began angrily. Then in a hushed
whisper, “For Christ’s sake, I’m in love.”
The
elderly woman wobbled to the carnation rack and pulled out a dozen carnations
consisting of equal portions of pink, white, and red; she liberally mixed in
some white baby’s breath and green leaves. Hobbling back, the woman handed them
to the eager patron. Immediately he put them to his nose and sniffed delightfully.
“She’ll
remember the roses,” the saleslady tried a final time.
“And
you’ll remember me as the jerk you tried to exhort as much money as you can get
out of,” said the young man in restrained rage
Snatching the flowers with venom, the young
man turned away. James hid the flowers behind his back and took broad strides
towards his black haired beauty while the moonlight glowed majestically with stars
twinkling and blinking approval.
James
was oblivious to the scenery, focused solely on his true love. “Here Laura,”
said the young Romeo fighting his shyness, “these are for you.” Like a magician
pulling a rabbit from a hat, the young lover presented the dozen carnations.
From
his vantage point in the woods the man could see and hear everything that was
going on. His eyes watched intensely, as if recording every last movement with
intensity.
“Why,
they’re beautiful,” said Laura, her face an explosion of glee.
“Just
like you,” said James awkwardly.
And
then it happened, that magical moment; she kissed him. It was the summation of
all the love poems and all the philosophies of kindness rolled into one, and
then some. James, needless to say, was overwhelmed. The connection of their
lips lingered as the young couple interlocked their hands. Retreating from the
embrace their hands remained interlocked as they began the long trek to Laura’s
dormitory.
The
man sat in the woods, concealed but watching every step. He gazed on until the
couple vanished into the horizon. He knew it was a night the young man would
never forget. In fact, the young man would be haunted by that moment every
single day of his life. For you see, the man in the woods was James.
It
took forty years for James to manage to safely time travel. Not only did he
have to secure the exuberant funds, he also had to satisfy certain authorities
about his intentions. Time travel is serious business and life is incurably
infinite. Mathematical equations fail when you just factor in one variation in
the time stream. Theoretically one slight change could dramatically alter
realities in unthinkable ways.
James
had fallen in love with Laura. She sealed it with a kiss. In fairy tales when a
man kisses a woman in true love the bond is eternal. However, James knew from
the harsh reality of his history that life was no fantasy. Laura would walk out
of his life taking his heart with her.
The
watch on James’ wrist buzzed, indicating it was time to return from whence he
came. He scanned the area making sure it was entirely vacant except for the old
lady attending the news stand by the bus stop. Quickly, James fled his place of
concealment. With deliberate speed he hustled towards the field far away from
the bus stop. However, as he made his escape a sobbing voice of familiarity
paralyzed him, causing him to freeze.
Glancing
up he gazed at the news stand full of magazines, candies, and other assorted
goods for sale. The ancient lady lifted her head tears steaming down her eyes
as she wept. James looked and, despite long years, he recognized the face. It
was none other than Laura.
“Carnations
are for one night, roses are for forever,” the ancient woman sobbed in a
pitiful voice. “She’ll remember the carnations.”
James
was overcome with the realization that he was not the only one to fall in love
that night, nor was he the only one to travel in time searching for answers.
Somehow life was vibrant and new, not roses, but true to reality, carnations.
Words For The Future is book blazing trails in the mind of the reader. From the present day to dystopian futures, there are mysteries at every turn of the page. Look at the world through the eyes of a creative genius showing you the secrets of everyday life mostly overlooked. Where there are shadows, there must be light! Feast upon the fiction and satisfactorily fill the desires of the heart, mind, and soul. A time travel story and a first contact are included. Some of the stories will terrify others will give birth to a hilarious chuckle. All are guaranteed to entertain.
Words For The Future is an original collection birthed by a most unusual mind. Originality oozes from the cracks between the pages. Give it a try; let the book thrill you.
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