Fall Not

EPISODE 5

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Now, we’re inside a mall, window shopping for our favorite dresses and make-ups, and yet will buy food for our fridge, uh so unfair. We never go to a restaurant just to enjoy expensive dishes, instead, we’ll just buy our favorite chicken marinated and then fry it at home. Well, of course should we cook it here inside the mall?

As we looked around, our feet brought us inside so many gorgeous dresses. How I love to buy ten of these. Unfortunately, all we can do is let out a deep sigh, which we just did. It doesn’t add up to our expense anyways. To dramatically dream big is free, not unless you start to work it out because it’s kind of expensive.

“Should we steal from our emergency fund?” Claire looked at me and asked with her convincing tone, thinking she could deceive me this time. But she failed. I know that she’s quite down, but our budget also will soon be reaching its lower peak, since I’m not yet working.

“Nope. Let’s just buy chicken and sandwiches. Don’t forget about the mug, we need to buy new ones.” I grabbed her hands and led our path to the grocery store. But she’s still desperately looking at the dress.

“Yes, it’s beautiful. But can you use that dress to save our lives if we are hospitalized? Hmm?” she just rolled her eyes at what I’d said. “forget about it.”

“Never mind.” she bluntly uttered.

“Good girl, let’s just buy our favorite marinated chi—"

“Chicken again? Can we just buy beef?” she requested. I would love to spoil her with beef but all I can give is my sarcastic smile and out-of-this-world stare so she could remember that I don’t eat beef. It made her lower lip drop, and the joy left her eyes as she somehow interpreted my reaction, how smart dear.

I smiled at her, sincere this time, and continued to walk letting her hold onto my arm. I’m not clingy but this lady is.

“Should we just buy veggies this time? We haven’t cooked them in a while.” I suggested as we were heading towards its display area. “Hmm. What do you think?'' Her permission is all I need.

She just gave me an unconvinced look as if what I’d suggested was wrong.

“We? We both cook?” she asked with her confused look, and I got it. Ahh “I assumed it is just me who can cook, right?” she added.

“Sorry, I forgot. You don’t like my dishes anyways, so why would I bother?” I explained. I am guilty of it, that I cannot cook tasty meals as others can. My point is, I prefer to be a taster.

“Let’s just buy chicken, this time I’ll cook, it’ll be easy since it’s already—”

“No thanks. You don’t need to worry about it, Lay. I can handle this.” she hurriedly walks toward the vegetable display area, leaving me here with an empty pushing cart.

I followed her with my deadly glare. She really can kill my joyful moment huh? Well, is it my fault that I am just good at tasting food? If it were not for those people like me, an expert chef like them would never have the chance to prove how delicious their dishes are, right? I’m making a point here.

“Did I offend you little dear?” sweetly asked Claire but I just shook my head. “Or rather convincing yourself about how good you are at cooking marinated chicken?” she added.

Claire is now in front of me giving me a sweetened face. Putting inside the cart the veggies that she picked, no chicken this time.

How fast, dear.

“Where’s the display area for the mugs?”

“Ah, it must be over there,” said I then pointed out the display area in the opposite direction.

“Mine white.”

“Mine black, as usual.”

Claire is still looking for different designs, Me? I love plain colors, plain black. If it’s not black, it should be white.

“Should we buy sleepwear?” I asked but she’s busy looking for a mug. So, I just followed her. She noticed that I looked like I was waiting for an answer, stuffed while staring at her.

“What? Sorry, what did you say? Buy what? Slipper?”

“Sleep. Wear.” I said properly pronouncing the word. She nodded, her face saying, uhm yeah.

“Uhm yeah, that’s awesome” see? As expected her face has a talent for communicating words, even before.

After all the window shopping and buying what is needed, we still have a budget to treat ourselves that is why, we’ll be eating in a restaurant after this, just a 3-star one, not that bad. I, as an unemployed person, should never be picky, and she, as a person who needs to feed a human being, needs to save money.

“Oh!” Claire gasps. We’re now falling in line next to a counter, and as expected there are lots of buyers. But this lady beside me looks like a person who did see a ghost, in the middle of the day.

Claire is now giving me that look, those eyes that couldn’t figure out what to do and what to say, that kind of look is quite scary when you are in line to pay for your bills next to the cashier. Now, I’m convincing myself that I shouldn’t be worried.

“Don’t give me that look,” I whispered sarcastically. The person paying in front of us is about to give their payment already, and next, would be us.

“Wait.” she softly uttered while looking around. Claire is absent-minded right at this moment. Her eyes are wandering as if it’s looking for something. Haven’t we bought what is needed? Did she just say, wait?

“Wait? Why? Don’t tell me you forgot to buy something?” said I. I’m starting to worry. I leaned toward her ears and whispered, “…or you didn’t bring any card with you? That’s not it, right?” The line is long and everyone else is waiting for their turn, while this lady beside me couldn’t take her eyes off something that caught her attention.

I didn’t bring my card with me, and if ever I did, there wonwouldn’t enough balance in it. So, we need Claire’s card but she’s still out of this earth.

“CLARIVIEL!” Now my voice has become a bit disturbing, she hastily turned her face to me and gave me her confused look. “What are you looking at?!” I asked after tapping her shoulder. She’s not paying attention. I’d rather say both of us are not yet paying the cashier.

“The cashier’s waiting for our payment, I need your card. Did you by any chance bring it with you? Dear, you’re supposed to bring it.” The question seemed to pull her back to the reality that we need now to pay.

“Oh, my card? I’m sorry,” she said and reached out for her wallet inside her pink shoulder bag. Like nothing happened at all. “Here.” she then gives me her card., I let out a deep sigh of relief.

Just after we finished paying for the groceries, I just stared at Claire while we were on our way to the Mall’s exit, she was walking calmly as if nothing happened.

“What just happened? Did you see a ghost?”

“I did see…”

“A ghost? I guess you didn’t sleep much last night either. We’re on the same---”

“Haze. I saw him earlier inside the mall,” she explained without a pause.

...

please refer to the next episode for the continuance of the story. Thank you for reading.