• The Boots
    By Caitlin Ford

    “And that’s how we first met!” said Elina, finally concluding her exasperating story. She has been bragging about her lover all day. So much, that I can mouth the whole story with my eyes close “you know, you should find yourself a man. Stop it with this chauvinistic attitude of yours.” Elina calmed down her cheerfulness to say this, getting back to earth. I whispered in my head, “And stop it with your bragging attitude.”

    Elina is my friend who is like a little princess. When she smiles, flowers fly all over the place. I pity those who have to work so much to pick all the millions of flowers up. Elina cares way too much about others, and is too kind. She is very romantic, and very frail. Elina was always sick when she was a child, and right now, she is still getting better. Elina is always trying to hide her weakness, so nobody would help her. She really does care too much about people.

    We were at a little ice cream parlor, drinking ice cream floats. The tables here were in three colors; pink, turquoise and sky blue. The table the two of us were at was pink, because Elina likes that color. There was a man nearby, cleaning a table. I watched with disgust as he spat on the table to get it clean. Men are rude, stupid, dirty and ugly creatures, Creatures that care only for themselves.

    Because I was watching the man, I didn’t notice that some of the ice cream float fell on my shoes. I bend down to clean the smug of my new lime-green Mary Jane shoes. They looked kind of nice with the floor. The floor was a checkers pattern of the colors pink and turquoise. The counter where the lady made the treats was a sky blue color with starts and sparkles.

    I put a few coins in the jam box and started to wiggle a bit in my seat. Elina was having a hard time holding in her outburst of laughter. Elina was always cute when she laughed. She is my little angel. We then started to wiggle together. The next thing you know it, we are all, the whole parlor, are all dancing together. We dance the whole rest of the day for no reason. The music just made everyone happy. So happy, you just have to dance. We didn’t even know if you would call what we were doing dancing!

    This was a good diversion from the feelings I been hiding, even from Elina. I can’t tell her! She is already too caring! I can’t be a burden on her! But then again, she won’t take it as a burden. But I still can’t tell her about it. For a while now, I’ve been feeling kind of lonely. I don’t know why, but I have been for a while now. Elina is not enough to take this loneliness away.

    Anyway, after a while, everyone headed home. We waved our goodbyes as everyone went to mind their own business. I was distracted from tiredness that I didn’t notice where I was walking. My left foot fell in a whole, so I twisted my ankle. Elina squeaked, and started to panic. Elina then rushed to my side after panicking for a couple of minutes, and tried to see how she can help. She gently rubbed my back and ankle, and whispered comforting words to me. Elina know nothing about wounds and stuff, so she just keeps on eye on however it is.

    “Just go home, I’m fine. It does not hurt at all!” that, of course, was a lie. Elina needs to rest. “Go on now! Or I’ll carry you there myself.” Elina blushed and hesitated before she finally took off running. I watched her as she slowly disappeared into the darkness of the city.

    I then went on my way. Since Elina is my roommate, I usually go home with her, but my ankle is killing me, and making me real spacey! I enter the pharmacy to get some bandage. The place smelt of mostly alcohol. This was not a very clean area, but it’s nice to enter a clean building. Everywhere was white, like clean pureness. I guess they wanted to white to make it seem even cleaner. It works.
    “Where are the bandages?” I asked, the clerk pulled out a white box with three strips wrapped around it. I looked at the price, and saw that it was $3; I had only one dollar bill, and a few coins. I smiled at the clerk and showed how much a have, and she smiled back. Then next thing you know it, I was thrown right out of the pharmacy, and into the dirty city.
    I decided to just go home. Wounded ankle, or not, I was going. I was so tired, and so in pain, that my vision became blurred. I once again didn’t notice something important. I went in the wrong direction and right into a bad area. I felt scared, cold, and sick, tired, and was in pain. This was too much for me. I saw a few drunken men, and one threw a bottle right at my head. I was about to fall when all sudden a strong arm grabs my waist, and my hand. Since I was faced downwards, I could not see his face. But what I did see was his boots that were black with brown belts at the top, and at the ankle. At the toes and heals, were some sort on metal covers, and at the top-back of the boots were brown and black tags or something. Then out of nowhere came a voice
    “Are you alright Miss? I do hope you are un-hurt.” It was coming from the man who was still holding onto my waist and hand. I was still tired, so I could not help but faint. The next morning I found myself in my apartment with Elina at my side.
    “Marissah! Are you okay?” I rubbed my eyes, the pulled the hair out of my face. Was that a dream? I was about to ask when Elina continued. “A gentleman had brought you back! He bandage you ankle and head. He said you got hit with a bottle, then fainted! Are you okay? Why didn’t you tell me?” Elina to a deep breath, then continued, “I was so scared when I called you to find a man’s voice! I thought you were kidnapped!” Elina ended with a great big hug, and a shower of tears. I gently patted her head, and kissed her cheek.
    “Tell me, did you see the man’s face? What did he look like?” I asked. “I must thank him,”
    “Oh, he would not tell me! When I told him that I must thank him, he said that it was not necessary! He then said that he loves everyone, and wants them all safe! He would not even show me his face! He kept covered with a hat that matched his boots: black with brown belts” was Elina’s reply. I then saw that one of the tabs from his boots was on the floor, it said Jonathan. I guess that is with name. I then picked it up, and placed it in my purse.

    I got dressed in a green skirt with a white collar shirt that had a peach flower on the heart. I wore the same shoes as I did yesterday, and I wore a peach sheer scarf. I had my hair in a high pony-tail, and I had some pick lip-gloss on. I made sure everything I was wearing was straight and nice. I looked in the mirror, and saw the bandage on my head and ankle. I took a deep breath before leaving the house. I have work to tend to. I work at the parlor I went to the other day. The apartment does not pay for itself.

    The streets were noisy at 8:00 in the morning. I could smell the bread bakeries, the Chinese restaurants, and the flower shops. Everybody was doing something. I decided that on my way to work, I would keep an eye out for that gentleman, Jonathan. But I could not see him. I didn’t even see anybody wearing a black hat! I guess those hats are out-dated. But I still hope to find him.

    At work, there were more people than usual. I was skating around, taking everyone’s orders, and cleaning tables. I was so busy, that I did not see that gentleman named Jonathan with the outdated hat out the window. He faced me, then turned around, and left. I ran right after him, ignoring all the shouts from my boss. He kept repeating that I was fired. I did not care. I needed to find this Jonathan man.

    I skipped, and dashed after the man. It’s hard to run in skates. But after a while, he disappeared into the crowd. I stopped to take a long and deep breath. Sweat rolled down my arms and legs. I stood up, and noticed that I was lost. I turned around, and around, but nothing was recognizable. I took a random path, not knowing where I was going. I walked this way, and that way. Everything was getting worse and worse. Everything was looking more and more scary. I pulled out my purse, and fixed my make-up that was ruined from all the sweat.
    I then went on my way again. Again, not knowing where I was going. I was about to enter a dark alley without knowing it, but then something grabbed my waist.
    “That’s not the right way.” whispered a voice. Before I was able to recognize it as the gentleman named Jonathan, he lifted me up, and put me on his shoulder. Again, I could only see his boots. He carried me away, while I could not see anything but the ground, and his boots. When we finally came to a stop, I notice that we were back at the parlor. He put me down, and turned away, and left into the crowd. I did not see his face. Then my boss came out.
    “I decided not to fire you.” He started. “That gentleman said that I could not find a replacement better then you. He was right. You are a very cute, smart, and pretty girl. That brings in lots of customers.”
    “What is this, a host club? Anyway, did you see the gentleman’s face?”
    My boss scratched his face, then answered,
    “Why….no. he kept it covered with his hat. But he did leave saying his name was Jonathan.”
    So I was right, or the tag. Whatever, His name is Jonathan. That makes it a little easier to track him down. After my shift was finished, I left for home. It was raining hard, and getting dark. But I didn’t care, I got a good many costumers. I took a deep breath; I plan on finding Jonathan tomorrow. It’s too late in the night. While I was walking, I man out of the darkness came and grabbed my purse. I ran after him yelling. That purse had Jonathans tab in it! I was about to give up, but a figure came out, and grabbed the thief, took the purse, and walked towards me. I then notice that it was Jonathan. At that moment, the streets light turned on, and I saw his face, his beautiful face. I could not help it, but ran into his arms and hug him. I whispered into his ear, “I love you, Jonathan” then he whispered into my ear,
    “I always loved you, and I will till the end of time. Marissah” I did not know how he knew my name, but I didn’t care. He hugged me tighter, and hugged him tighter. In the end, I guess I was the girl that was a chauvinistic, but now I am the one falling in love, with a man. The man with the outdated boots.