The Mystery of Maple Creek

Chapter 14. The Little Bazaar

Chapter 14

The Little Bazaar

(Perspective: Hellen Mayweather)

The following day, I woke up early again. On the way to the fish market, I heard from my dad that a little bazaar was held in mid-town.

“That’s nice. Everyone in town must be gathering together there,” I said.

“The bazaar is held every month among the locals,” said my dad while nodded. “You know, it’s important to be socially active in a small town.”

I was planning to be socially active, actually. But things had changed. I felt terrified to meet the eyes of people here. I didn’t know if I could trust anyone since the incident. Especially after I witnessed the ripper took off his mask.

“Hellen, I know that you’re trying to recover from a trauma,” my dad started encouraging me, “But it’s a great opportunity to know more people now. I think you should go to see your new friends at the bazaar.”

I chuckled a little. “Well, Dad, I know. But I am worried about you. I come here to help you.”

“You’re not going to be by my side forever, Hellen. You get to find your destiny out there,” my dad said firmly.

As we walked throughout the soil trail, my eyes stared far away at the edge of the market town.

Then my dad said again to me, “You get to marry one day. You get to have your own life. You’re just not going to be an old grandma, living by my fish market all the time. That’s terrible.”

I let a heavy sigh before I muttered, “I haven’t thought much about what I want to do in town, actually, Dad.”

“There are lots of boys you can choose here. I know people in Maple Creek are all nice,” my dad motivated me.

I giggled and said, “Just let’s say; I still help you run the market, while I will find an idea about what to do here.”

As we arrived at the terrace of Mayweather’s fish market, my dad blocked my way to the door. He rested his hands at his waist suddenly. His stare looked firm and a bit annoying.

I squinted perplexingly at him. “What? Let’s get inside.”

“I am, but you are not,” my dad told me. “You better head off to the bazaar now. Get me snacks or something good.”

I chuckled in disbelief. He was persistent to make me visit the bazaar.

And before he went inside, he demanded me again, “Oh, don’t forget to buy me a coffee.”

***

As I was walking toward the mid-town, I saw some people started to build their white tents. There were various things that people put on sale here.

I observed around for a moment. But I had not found anything I liked yet. I was not actually into this, but he wouldn’t let me work in the store anyway.

When my eyes finally met the clique club here, I couldn’t avoid them. The Shelby sisters already waved and exclaimed at me. They ran to drag me toward their tent.

I saw Joanna in the back of the tent. She was busy preparing for the drink bottles. But I had not yet seen Melissa around here. Then I looked at their empty table stand, except for a pile of brochures.

Then I asked these two sisters wonderingly, “What are you guys doing in the bazaar?”

“Oh, you have not heard?” Bree said in a flirty tone. “We are going to promote our best local event in town!”

I still squinted my eyes bewilderingly at them. I just literally had no idea. “What is it?”

“You are such a nerd, Hellen!” Bree teased me. “It’s time for the Miss Maple Creek event!”

Then Bridgit added, “Well, since the incident, we didn’t get to finish our little game. So, no one wins, and—”

Bree immediately nudged her elbow with eyes half bulged out. “Shut up, Bridget. It’s over.”

“Oops, sorry,” Bridget muttered, while shrugging her shoulders.

I blinked my eyes. I felt like I should be blamed for this. If I had never opened the coffin, this incident would never happen.

So, I said, “Marion’s body has not been found. And no one has made a proper burial for her.”

The two sisters stared down on their own feet when I mentioned it. Everyone who knew Marion must feel so lost for her disappearance. But for me, I saw her death with my own eyes. I felt terrified, but at the same time, I felt sad.

“I know, we’ve talked about this with Melissa. We are not so sure either if this is the right time to start the event,” Bree said, still staring down.

I took a deep breath and said, “I think it’s okay. Marion really wanted to join Miss Maple Creek. She would be happy for you all to celebrate this for her.” When the two of them stared bewilderingly at me, I quickly added, “I mean—she once told me, before she died.”

Bree and Bridgit nodded wearily.

Suddenly, someone hugged my shoulders without my permission. I was so surprised when I looked up. As I remembered, he was the frontline guy at Durrand’s Sport Station.

“My girl, Hellen Mayweather—” he greeted me with his witty tone. “I miss you so much.” And then he kissed my cheek.

“Such a dumbass!” Bridgit exclaimed peevishly at him.

I quickly pushed him away from me and said, “Hey, don’t do that—”

But he didn’t bother to listen and just kept mumbling on his own, “My dad and I also open our stand. Come and check it out, girls! There are hot swimsuits for next summers.”

“Save it for your cheap girls, playboy!” I heard Melissa shouted out behind us. When I looked back, she was bringing paper brochures in her arms.

And then Joanna joined us here. She stared agitatedly at him for a second. “What do you think you are doing here, Neil? Trying to sell out your manhood to women again?”

I burst to laugh when I heard Joanna teased him terribly like that.

He didn’t even have a shame. Instead, he laughed along with me.

“Ouch, I won’t ever forget the best nights we had shared together, girls,” he teased back. His eyes glanced back and forth between Joanna and Bridgit.

“It was all in the past, you bloody arse!” Joanna shouted, sometimes her Gaelic accent still sounded thick like Noah.

“Right, don’t bring it up again, you two-timer!” Bree also defended her sister.

I suddenly remembered Noah. His pretty face appeared inside my head. When I thought about him, it was like magic. He was there, a few blocks away from the clique’s tent. He also built his table stand. I saw Ronnie was helping him.

Melissa quickly disturbed my serenity as she approached me, “Yeah, the pretty Noah also participates every month in this bazaar. Why don’t your dad join us here in mid-town?”

I blinked my eyes anxiously for a second. As I regained my senses, I answered her, “My dad has not given a thought about it. There is a lot of preparation to join the bazaar, right? We are just arrived in town, so—”

Melissa smiled widely at me. And then she said, “Why don’t you join our Miss Maple Creek then? Just fill the form at our table there.” She nodded her chin at the stand behind us.

“Yeah, maybe you can win as the runner up. Because the first rank will be taken by Melissa, or maybe by me,” Joanna shouted out as she heard our conversation.

I chuckled a little at them. I was just too awkward for this kind of topic.

Melissa rolled her eyes out at Joanna. And she muttered, “You wish.”

“HEY, GIRLS!” Bree suddenly exclaimed at us. “Let’s go see Neil’s stand. He said he wants to give us a free summer hat if we buy a swimsuit!”

Joanna sighed heavily and snapped, “You are a dumbass, Bree! He just wants to rob your money!”

But Bree and Bridgit dragged me along with them to his tent. I just didn’t have a say in this. As we left Melissa and Joanna, we visited the white tent owned by the Durrand’s Sport Station.

My eyes sometimes stole a glance at Noah’s tent. He was still busy preparing the tent. Then his parents just came. They brought a large stock of maple syrup bottles.

I knew he was well-aware that I liked to glance at him. But every time our eyes met, he intentionally stared away from me. He probably was still mad at me for asking him yesterday. He still didn’t want to talk with me, I should understand.

Another minute as I stood boringly, my eyes scanned around. Until I finally found a familiar face. I saw Carla Bennet also opened a tent in this bazaar. She was not alone at the time. It seemed like she was with an old woman. Maybe she was her mom. Although I saw them from afar, I could see the resemblance in their face. They were wearing a preacher’s dark uniform at the time.

Bree suddenly tapped my back and whispered, “Don’t go there.”

I narrowed my eyebrows bewilderingly.

Bree tried to convince me again, “You don’t want to get too close with the Bennet. You see, their tent is the only one that people visit less.”

“You are all people just judging them too much,” I said, just wanted to sound objective.

Bridgit came between us and realized what we just talked about. And she gave me a hint, “The Bennet is scary people. No one in town ever crosses path with them, unless you need spiritual counseling.”

Bree was crossing her arms in her chest. And then she added, “But you know what? These days people prefer to do spiritual counseling through online service.”

However, I didn’t want to listen to their judgmental issue. I just wanted to visit them, because I wondered what they put on sale. Afterward, I walked away from the Shelby sisters.

As I approached them closer, I saw they served some bowls of homemade porridge. The smell was delicious. I was interested to taste it by myself. Maybe my dad would like it too.

“Hello, you are our very first customer,” the old woman greeted me nicely.

I smiled in return. And then I said, “Please, I want to buy two porridges. One for me and one for my dad.”

The old woman nodded as she quickly prepared my order. Subsequently, Carla just came from the back of the tent. She looked surprised to see me here.

“Hey, Carla, how are you today?” I asked her in a friendly manner. I hoped I didn’t scare her.

The old woman looked back and forth between us. “Oh, you two already knew each other?”

“She is Hellen Mayweather, Mom,” Carla said. And I was right, this woman was her mother.

“Mayweather? The new family who moved into town a few days ago?” Her mom murmured.

I quickly nodded. “Yes, that’s me and my dad.”

“I know Mister Ronald Mayweather. He is a nice person,” she said to me.

When no one was talking again, I hurriedly continued the conversation, “So, Ms. Bennet—”

“Please, just call me Natasha,” she insisted. And then she gave me the paper bag contained of two bowls.

“Umm, Alright, Natasha… I mean Ms. Natasha Bennet,” I said, being too awkward suddenly.

We giggled along. But Carla was just stared like a statue at me. She looked a bit weird as usual.

Afterward, I quickly asked her, “So, I was wondering, how can I make an appointment for spiritual counseling in the Holy House?”

Natasha paused to observe my expression. And then she said, “Oh, are you interested in this fall session? You’re going to be our first client.”

“The first client? There are no other?” I wondered since this was the second week of the month already.

“Well, not everyone these days into spirituality, dear,” Natasha told me. “I heard from the news that you were in the accident.”

I took a deep breath when she mentioned it. And then I nodded wearily.

“We can help to heal your trauma,” Natasha encouraged me.

I paused to stare at them both. I hoped I didn’t make a stupid mistake again since the incident.

“Just come this evening to our Holy House. I will assist you there with Carla,” she informed.

After all, I just had to try once. So, I nodded to agree.

Maybe this will be a good thing. I hope it does. Although my head sometimes is playing a trick on me, thinking some bad things can just happen, I try so hard not to. And whatever it will be, I’m hoping for the good thing to come.

Maybe I can trust these people. Although they may make me think otherwise, but the look is just the look. They can dress and act like whatever they want. But my faith will lead me to the truth. And I really hope it does though.

I was afraid, deeply inside my heart. But what is the odd if I don’t try to think otherwise, huh?

Maybe this time the luck is on me. Maybe I can understand what is going on for the better.

I just have to find it out. Maybe I can enhance the way my thinking thoughts and patterns.

Please, future… be good to me.