Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 11:40 am
The sky was falling with the fine grain of dust, tinting the sky with a faint orangem which muted the world beneath it in serenity. The day was ending, the calmness of night was aproaching as the sun made its hasty retreat. A lone bicycle lazily followed its route across the rice field dotted countryside, leaving a small plume of dust in its wake. The rider, a young man from the old city of Sydney, wore a haggle of new-age fashioned clothing. A shirt with an assortment of phrases, many of which made very little sense, was ripped and torn, strands dangling down to his patched worn jeans. Around his waist dangled a number of trinkets and keychains, which tinkled and rattled as he bumped across the dirt road. His hair was a sight to behold, a mishmash of colours and styles, what could be said about it was that it sprung from his head and thusly settled daintly across his face. His shoes, which were encrusted in dirt, could be identified as having been made by the American brand Skechers, a rare find he had discovered at one of many flea markets.
Pulling up slowly to a side stall, he lifted the cardboard awning which covered the bench. The smell of spices wafted through, the small room was stacked wall-to-wall with small jars, the contents of which encompassed more than he could fathom.
"We're not open yet," came a friendly feminine voice.
A sickly thin lady stooped over a kitchen bench, slicing with a long thin knife. She looked up, her thin eyes quickly taking on a maliced nature as she recognised the boy peering from under the cardboard awning.
"Escher! You're late again!" A knife was promptly embedded in the kitchen bench. Escher ducked from under the cardboard awning and rustled his way to the side doorway where he stood. "We have five orders backed up. If we don't get these out soon we'll have many travelers irate!"
Ignoring the rantings, Escher grabbed at his bag and pulled out a pair of headphones and put them on. Reaching once into his bag he produced a CD; it was worn out and looked almost like it was going to shatter. Extending her head forward, the lady stared bewildered, at the CD that Escher flashed in his hands. Her eyes once again grew to a disproportioned size. "Lilly what?! I thought that was strictly banned. Who sold you that?" She shrieked, reaching for the CD. Noticing her approach, Escher quickly jerked back the CD and placed it into the portable player while putting his index finger up to his mouth. He smiled cheekily and pointed to a number of wooden bento boxes that lay stacked by the door.
The lady busily concentrated on the hair that had fallen from her tight knit hair-net. "Yeah, those go to Town Hall station," she muttered deeply to herself. With a quick nod, he swung the package into his awaiting backpack, which whirred shut with a clink, securing the stack of boxes in place.
Careening around the corner, Escher leapt and landed on his bike. His feet working like machinery, he quickly sped off. Hearing her foodstall being peppered with dust, Jenumi sighed resentfully. "You seem so happy. Why won't you speak again?"
Pulling up slowly to a side stall, he lifted the cardboard awning which covered the bench. The smell of spices wafted through, the small room was stacked wall-to-wall with small jars, the contents of which encompassed more than he could fathom.
"We're not open yet," came a friendly feminine voice.
A sickly thin lady stooped over a kitchen bench, slicing with a long thin knife. She looked up, her thin eyes quickly taking on a maliced nature as she recognised the boy peering from under the cardboard awning.
"Escher! You're late again!" A knife was promptly embedded in the kitchen bench. Escher ducked from under the cardboard awning and rustled his way to the side doorway where he stood. "We have five orders backed up. If we don't get these out soon we'll have many travelers irate!"
Ignoring the rantings, Escher grabbed at his bag and pulled out a pair of headphones and put them on. Reaching once into his bag he produced a CD; it was worn out and looked almost like it was going to shatter. Extending her head forward, the lady stared bewildered, at the CD that Escher flashed in his hands. Her eyes once again grew to a disproportioned size. "Lilly what?! I thought that was strictly banned. Who sold you that?" She shrieked, reaching for the CD. Noticing her approach, Escher quickly jerked back the CD and placed it into the portable player while putting his index finger up to his mouth. He smiled cheekily and pointed to a number of wooden bento boxes that lay stacked by the door.
The lady busily concentrated on the hair that had fallen from her tight knit hair-net. "Yeah, those go to Town Hall station," she muttered deeply to herself. With a quick nod, he swung the package into his awaiting backpack, which whirred shut with a clink, securing the stack of boxes in place.
Careening around the corner, Escher leapt and landed on his bike. His feet working like machinery, he quickly sped off. Hearing her foodstall being peppered with dust, Jenumi sighed resentfully. "You seem so happy. Why won't you speak again?"