Always, Tulip

▫️One

Ginelle's pov

The holiday was over.

I sighed for the nth time with my head resting on the transparent glass window of the fast moving bus. Celebrations were now over and I had to get to work.

I had just left home for the city where I lived and worked. My parents had been against the idea of me coming back so soon but I couldn't disappoint Lora, my supervisor at work.

She was a lovely lady who ran a fairly large bookstore where I worked at. She was also a mother of a young boy, Dalton. I had watched over her son, who was now eight, growing up. We had been friends for three years now since I started working for her.

I considered them family as my parents also knew them. They dotted on Dalton having even packed some new foods for me to bring for them. I'm sure Dalton would be waiting for the food.

I had to fill in Lora's place at work since she had to prepare Dalton for school and as a parent, she was required to be present at all the meetings and that's why despite mama's protests, I had to come back earlier.

I was also supposed to print out some cards for a book display that would be held in a week's time. I pulled out a copy of what I had come up with from the left pocket of my small bag.

It was orange, the name of the book to be displayed at the centre in a black font, the address and name of the bookstore came below that and then Lora's email. I stared up at the small card shaking my head. The orange contrasted everything but I couldn't help it, that was my favorite color. I had to redesign that soon.

Maybe I could ask Jordan for help but I wasn't sure whether he'd be back this week. Jordan was a friend of mine who also worked at the store and always helped me in anything. He however tended to baby me in everything in spite of us being age-mates. Maybe because I was smaller in size.

... everyone is encouraged to stay indoors at this time when the heavy rains continue to pour as floods are expected in ...

The female announcer on the television screen at the front tirelessly announced and I had caught on her words because the volume was slightly raised then lowered again.

I sat up straighter but no one seemed to pay attention to the news as the other fifty one passengers on the bus were more concerned with getting to the city as soon as possible.

I tried to move my feet after being seated for a while as I observed the passing trees. The land was dry and bare, perhaps that was why we didn't mind the rains being announced. There was no rain from where we were coming from and most civilians tended to believe what they could see.

The girl beside me was probably a highschool student. She had her white ear phones connected to her phone and plugged into one ear. The other side lay on her lap where I could hear the loud music she was listening to. Her eardrums might have been noise tolerant.

Other than that, the bus was quiet and when I looked around, most people were asleep. I could have slept out of boredom but the loud music beside me distracted me. I didn't want to receive a nasty comment from the girl if I shook her awake.

I took out my phone and decided to text Leila, she was my other female friend. I had known her years back when I was a sophomore in college when we were looking for empty apartments in the same building.