My Precious Flower

Chapter 5: Bumped Into Him

As the last of her students left the classroom, Evita found herself alone in the quiet space. She gathered her materials, placing the stack of books neatly into her bag. The weight of the books in her hands served as a tangible reminder of the knowledge she had shared with her students that day. As she headed out, walking through the empty corridors of the school, her thoughts inevitably turned to the lesson on the word "enchanting" and, once again, to Tobias. The word had taken on a new layer of meaning, carrying with it the memories of the dream and the mysterious encounter with the charming stranger.

Evita: Ahh, thinking about that mysterious stranger again am I?

Evita: Of course I would be...I can't erase him from my memory in a snap. Even if I tried to.

Evita: We only saw each other once in the real world...Something about him. It's inexplicable.

Evita: Anyways, I should leave the class. I have nothing more to do being alone here.

With her mind still engaged in contemplation and the memory of Tobias lingering in her thoughts, Evita walked the miles of road from the school towards her apartment. As she approached her destination, a realization struck her. She needed to restock her kitchen essentials.

Evita: She thought to herself. Oh, I totally forgot! Stupid me...

Evita: On the inside. I need to buy gin and salt...Otherwise I can't cook proper meals at home.

While Evita was entering inside a local grocery store, she didn't notice Tobias in the background. He observed from a distance, his gaze following her as she moved through the store.

Tobias: He said to himself. That's the gracious girl from the flower shop! I need to talk to her again...

Tobias: He continued in his thoughts. I'm feeling rejoiced upon seeing her for the second time.

Tobias: On the inside. What should I do to make her remember me if she forgot about our last encounter?

Tobias: On the inside. Oh, that's it! I shall give her the one item that represents her the most.

While he contemplated how to approach Evita without startling her, he noticed the Enchanted Florist owned by Miriam standing right across the grocery store. A thoughtful idea crossed his mind, and he decided to head inside the flower shop. Inside the fragrance of flowers greeted him the same way like last night and Miriam had just finished arranging another pot of flowers on the shelf behind her counter.

Miriam: If you are new here, welcome to Enchanted Florist!

Miriam: The shop that sells a variety of colorful, unique flowers picked out from the wilderness and watered in the mornings!

Being attentive to her flower shop quickly noticed that there were no new customers except for Tobias, who stood patiently at the entrance.

Tobias: I'm afraid there's no one new. It's just me...Tobias, madam.

Miriam: Oh, so you did come again! I'm very surprised to see you after providing service to barely 3 customers that came this morning.

Tobias: It's unfortunate you never receive any new customers...Sad to see modern people losing their spiritual touch with flowers.

Tobias: To them, flowers are meaningless because they are envious and disapproving of others with rare true beauty.

Miriam: Not only are you handsome, but very knowledgeable and wise are you?

Miriam: Well, how can I assist you today, Tobias?

Tobias: I want to buy a flower...Red like crimson passion and bright like the sunlight.

Tobias: With that being described, I want a red chrysanthemum.

Miriam: That must be for a special someone. Mind telling me who it is?

Tobias: It's for the gracious maiden you mentioned to me and made me meet on the first time I came around here. Evita.

Miriam: Ahh, Evita it is. I see you grew fond of her quite fast and her name still lingered in your mind.

Miriam: Do you like her?

Tobias: Not going to deny that I do. Who wouldn't adore a precious flower like her?

Miriam: I see. Well, I'll find the flower you desire for her.

Without hesitation, she navigated through the colorful arrangements in the shop. Within seconds, her experienced eyes spotted the last red chrysanthemum nestled among other flower types in a vase. Miriam then handed the red chrysanthemum to Tobias, its deep red petals vibrant and full of meaning.

Miriam: Here you go. The very last one we have today. I hope this is what you were asking for.

Tobias, appreciative of Miriam's assistance, cradled the flower in his hands, a thoughtful gesture for the encounter he hoped to have with Evita.

Tobias: Yes, exactly what I want. You have a talent of identifying things, madam.

Tobias: I shall make more presence more available here. I don't care if no one else feels the same way about your shop.

Tobias: If I was the mayor of this town, I'd make Enchanted Florist famous and well known.

Miriam: Very sweet and soft of a gentleman you are.

As Tobias left the Enchanted Florist, cradling the red chrysanthemum, he made his way toward the grocery store where he anticipated meeting Evita. The seconds ticked by, and just as he approached the entrance, Evita came out from the store, holding her small kitchen ingredients. In their distracted state, both Tobias and Evita walked closer to each other, their paths converging until they unexpectedly bumped into one another. Evita, not paying attention to where she was walking, was on the verge of dropping her gin bottle. However, in a swift and timely move, Tobias reached out and caught it, preventing it from shattering on the ground.

Evita: My humblest apologies, sir. Forgive my ignorance and please excuse my clumsiness.

Evita: I didn't see you walking towards me...

Tobias: Apologies from you are not necessary. It's me who should be the one apologizing. I bumped into you first...

Tobias: It looks like you almost dropped this...Lucky I caught it before it could fall to the ground and break into a million pieces.

Evita: Oh, this! Thank you so much!

Tobias: If I recall correctly, this is our second time seeing each other. I'm delighted for us to meet again, Evita.

Evita: And I'm delighted you remembered my name, Tobias.

Tobias: Expect me to forget the name of a young, charming, and magnetic woman who has a heart brimming of strong desires?

Tobias: Definitely not, darling.

While they acknowledged each other, their eyes held a certain warmth, a recognition of the connection that seemed to transcend the ordinary. Without saying another word, Tobias reached into his pocket and revealed the beautiful red chrysanthemum he had carefully selected from the flower shop moments ago. With a gentle and deliberate motion, Tobias placed the enchanting flower in Evita's golden, wavy hair, securing it in a way that added a touch of vibrancy to her appearance. His touch was tender as he stroked her face.

Tobias: There now, you look more fresh with the flower in your hair.

Evita: I have no words left to say. How did you know what my favorite flower was?

Evita: No one else can guess!

Tobias: Darling, you must know how observant I am. It's easy for me to discover what your preferences are.