AMACon 3: Oikos Omnibus

Presto Agitato

He watches her.

Like all those years ago, he watches her.

He knows that she walks though town at the break of dawn, nodding at everyone smiling at her. He knows that she stops and stares at the sunrise by the fountain for a mere 10minutes and starts to walk through Gramma’s bread shop, while purchasing the usual: wheat bread and orange juice as she then nods at the elderly woman and exits the shop.

He knows she does that everyday, but today Maine is nowhere in sight. The elderly woman knows how his eyes follow her and smiles.

Gramma Rosa hands him over the basket of what Maine usually has every morning. RJ looks at her in confusion and she smiles.

“Give this to Maine”

“Does she still love at the house?”

“No. Since her parents died, she has isolated herself in that cottage at the edge of town.”

The cottage at the edge of town; an isolation she has inflicted upon herself. Everyday she does the same routine, over and over she goes; over and over she tries to feel, tries to be normal but fails to do so.

She sits by the meadow and watches the sunset like most days; watches as the hues warmly dance of orange and red; watches as she tries to feel something, anything…but there is only nothing.

Nothing.

An emotionless pit of silence.

“I know you’re there…” she says as a twig crunches, breaking the peace.

RJ emerges from his hiding place as she turns to look at him. She stands up and slowly walks closer. Maine stops in front of him and looks at him with those eyes, blank and expressionless.

“I know you’ve been here these past few days. I know that Gramma Rosa asked you to deliver the usual. I know that. I know you.”

RJ looks at her in astonishment. For someone who secludes herself from everyone, she knows a lot. “If you think I’m stalking you…”

She looks at him, brown orbs firmly holding his gaze. “I know you…from long ago. I know you.”

She walks away prompting him to follow her. She then sits by the meadow and he sits beside here in silence.

They continue to sit in silence the days thereafter; a welcome comfort for him. She continues to bask in the sun or drown in sunsets until night comes when they have to part.

“Why are you smiling, child?”
Gramma Rosa asks him “It’s rather a long time since I’ve seen you this happy. The only time I’ve seen you like this was when…”

RJ looks at the elder woman “It’s a warm day right, Gramma?”

The elder woman looks at her apprentice of long ago and glances at the weather outside “How could it be warm when it’s raging outside?” She says as they both glance at the current downpour.

He smiles as the bell dings informing them of the newcomer. They look up and see Dave walking towards them, a bit tipsy and slightly shivering from the cold.

“Dave…” he says.

“You’re not supposed to come back, RJ. Why the hell did you come back?”

“Young man, I don’t condone violence in my shop” Gramma Rosa says.

“You are the reason…you are the reason why…you don’t deserve a second chance…”

Gramma Rosa taps her cane harshly “You don’t have the right to judge RJ like this. He too was a victim of….RJ!” The elderly woman could only call out to him as RJ runs into the storm leaving both of them behind.

There are memories that fade and those that wish to stay but most of the time those that stay are the ones that has given you so much pain; these are the ones that a person would rather forget.
Guilt has made RJ walk through the storm without question as Dave’s words echo through his head. Guilt has made RJ lose the confidence to redeem himself. Guilt has made him walk through this weather not knowing where he should go, only to realize that his feet unconsciously led him to a place he know considers his safe place.

He tries to dry his tears when its impossible now that he’s soaked to the core; but he is thankful that the rain is pouring, at least it would wash away all the pain he feels inside, even for a moment; even for a while.

RJ looks and sees Maine standing still with her face upward in the pouring rain. She is soaked but with her eyes closed, he could feel that she was waiting for something…anything.

RJ approaches her and tries to take off his equally soaked jacket to at least warm her up. “You’ll get sick. What the hell are you doing?”

Still with her eyes closed, “The reason I love the rain…” she says, teeth chattering “is because of it, I could finally feel what it’s like for tears to fall down my cheeks.”

She then looks at him, in a beat; in a blink of an eye, she collapses as darkness consumes her amidst RJ’s worried screams.