Purple Flowers

Chapter 5

SMACK! A sticker was pasted onto the old signboard that stood outside the creature’s flat.

“So that’s it, then,” a man in a white shirt and brown tie announced. “A unit’s sold.”

“Thank you, Mr. Smith,” Mr. James said. “You are the best property manager we have ever consulted.”

“Just doing my job,” Mr. Smith wiped a sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief.

Mrs. James was busy unloaded packed luggage and boxes from their car and putting them in a pile in one corner of the front lawn. “Honey? When do you think we can start cleaning up around here?” She sniffed and held her breath as she entered and checked out the dusty garage.

“As soon as we can call the cleaning ladies ‘round here, darling. This is your treat, well, our treat, actually, for our wedding anniversary. We don’t have to do any cleaning this round.”

“Oh, honey, thank you!” Mrs. James cried as she threw her arms around her husband’s neck.

The couple began exploring around their new property, looking for anything worthy to keep. The property manager came running through the gates after them.

“Uh, just as a reminder, Mr. and Mrs. James. This is a flat, so more people may be coming in to purchase or rent another unit, too. Just letting you know may expect some company in the future.”

“We’ll keep that in mind, thank you,” Mr. James replied and Mr. Smith left.

“Honey, look here.” Mr. James came rushing to his wife’s side.

“What is it?”

“It’s a pot of purple flowers.”

“Wow, they are beautiful.”

“Yes, they sure are. But remember the legend we were told of by Mr. Smith over the phone?”

“Oh, honey, it’s just a legend.”

“Yeah, but think of all the people and children that went missing around this area. What if it’s true?”

Mr. James stared at the flowers in the pot, thinking. “What do we do about this thing, then?”

“Also, I can’t imagine picking up the damn flower petals every time they fall off the plant. That’d be too much work. I don’t want the ground to be covered in purple flowers.”

“So what do we do?”

“Maybe we should get rid of it.”

***

“WHAT?” Danny slammed a fist on the coffee table that a few other customers turned to look at him.

“That’s what I heard. The flat’s been sold to some couple who just moved into town,” Jacob explained.

“But it’s only one unit out of how many, though,” Megan added on. “So they’re probably gonna be very lonely there, with no one else living there, even with each other. It is a flat, after all.”

“Why would a couple come all the way into a not-so-well-known town and buy a flat when they could have something like a bungalow or a double-storey cottage?”

“Beats me, Danny,” Alice shrugged. “Couples have a weird way of making decisions.

“But what about the creature?” Danny asked out loud, then almost covered his mouth for almost giving away his secret.

“We didn’t see any the last time we were there,” Jacob inferred. “So they probably won’t see any either when they live there.”

“They’re probably not afraid of it,” Alice said.

Danny began to sweat. How is he going to meet the love of his life now that someone might see her in her true form?

“Oh, yes, Danny. Tell us, how was Prom last week?”

“Uh…… it was fun, I guess? I… danced and ate and everything.”

“You danced, with whom?” Megan asked, eager to hear the deets.

“With someone, of course! Why, you think I’d be foolish enough to dance on my own or something?”

“You danced with a beautiful girl. I saw you,” Alice teased.

“Yeah, and man, was she the belle of the ball,” Jacob shook his head.

“Wait, a girl? What girl?” Megan demanded.

“Some beautiful girl with blonde hair and the most gorgeous dress I have ever seen,” Jacob gushed.

“You should have seen how all the other girls were flocking around here, man! Everyone was putting their hands or their noses to that dressed. But when they asked her where she got that dress, she wouldn’t give them a straight answer,” Alice added on.

“At the end of the night, some were even rooting for her to be chosen as Prom Queen. It’s too bad she didn’t win, Danny. You would have made a great Prom King.” Jacob patted his friend on the back.

Danny blushed. But deep down, he was worried about the queen that sits on the throne in his heart.

“Ooooooooh. Someone’s in lo-ove!” Megan sang, teasing her red-faced friend.

“No, I’m not. I’m just taking a compliment.”

Alice giggled. “Don’t lie, my friend. I didn’t just see how your date looked like or how the others reacted around her. I also saw how YOU reacted around her. You looked so happy, so delighted that you’ve finally found a day. So…… in love.” His other friends nodded in agreement.

“Man, you all sure’ve got eagle eyes,” Danny mused.

“We know,” Megan beamed.

“So, when will you see her again?” Jacob asked.

“I’m not sure,” Danny answered truthfully. “I’m really not sure.”

“Don’t tell me she just left you hanging after such a wonderful night like that. After all that magic, you’ve definitely got to see her again.”

“I know.”

“So what are your plans for today?” Megan asked, changing the subject.

“I’ll probably skate around that town again. By the seaside, everywhere. I’m so impressed by the view I probably want to see how it looked like during other times of the day,” Danny said, not lying. “I also want to familiarise myself a little more with the town ways and places.”

“That’s a good plan,” Alice commented. “Shall I join you?”

“No thanks, I can go by myself. Plus, you don’t skate.”

“I can learn.”

“I don’t accept little ‘pupils’. Sorry.”

***

A few hours later, Danny found himself visiting every florist in town, trying hard to locate that special pot of purple flowers. Every florist or salesperson he talked to denied that they had seen a plant that matches his description. Danny concluded that if he never finds that plant, he would never see his queen, ever again.

After hours of skating and sweating through the back of his shirt under the hot afternoon sun, he finally arrived at the last flower shop marked on his Waze app. He parked his skateboard by some bicycles and entered. A blast of cool air from the air-conditioner swept over him, and Danny stood there for a moment, embracing the change of temperature.

“Hello, young man. May I help you?” the cashier greeted him.

“Oh, hi. Uh, I’m looking for a vase of purple flowers that was sold here not too long ago.”

“Purple flowers……,” the cashier muttered. “It was sold to us, you say?”

“Yeah. You by any chance got it?”

The cashier walked away from the cash register and began searching the stocks for Danny’s order. When she didn’t find any, she called the shop owner for help.

“Try looking in the shelves of flowers we bought from people last week,” the owner pointed in one direction. “It should be there.”

Danny stood under the air-con and watched as the cashier looked and pulled out a medium-sized brown vase of the magical flowers from the shelf. Danny’s mouth widened into a smile. At last.

“Is this the one you’re looking for?” the cashier asked.

“Yes, that’s the one.” Danny could recognise them with one look. “Thank you so much.”

Just then the shop owner came out and gasped at the specimen. “That one? Why, I tell you that’s a good choice especially if you’re a forgetful person.”

“Oh. Why?” Danny asked.

“Because my assistant, and I, too, on some occasions, forgot to water that plant a few times. We’ve got just too many plants here to remember everything. Yet, that thing never died, or withered, or turned brown, or dropped its leaves. Strange, isn’t it? What’s more interesting is that we’ve placed it in our greenhouse -”, the shop owner pointed to the back of the shop, “right at the spot that receives the harshest sunlight. Yet here it is, still blossomin’ as beautiful as when we first saw it.”

“Like I was telling you, Mrs. Robinson,” the cashier spoke up, “it could be an alien species of plant.”

Both women burst out laughing. Danny smiled at their amusement. “Oh-ho-ho. Go on and enjoy your dear little plant, young man. I’m sure it’ll be in good hands, as you’ve come all the way here to find it,” the shop owner said, examining the sweat-stained shirt on Danny’s lean body which was almost drying up completely now under the air-con.

“Thanks,” Danny said. “How much will it be?”

“For a determined man like you, just fifteen dollars.”