2| Meandering Through Life

“Thank you, please come again,” Summer smiled as she bade another customer goodbye. The curve of her lips straightened as soon as the door closed. She let out an inaudible sigh. It has been 2 weeks since she has started working at this bakery. The bakery had a steady flow of customers—some regular and some new. It had taken some time for her to get used to the regulars. She slowly learnt that regulars sometimes got a little extra just for being their regular patrons. Barbara stayed at the cashier and Liam, her husband, created magic in the kitchen.

“Tired already?” Barbara asked as she brought in a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls. Summer pursed her lips and shook her head, concentrating on wiping the counters. Thankfully for her, the bakery was small, so there weren’t any tables for customers to sit and eat. She avoided socialising at all costs. The elderly lady had learnt about her nature very quickly. She was a friendly woman and mostly left the younger one to her own devices. Summer even got a small apartment for rent. The rent was quite high as per her income, but she managed with whatever she had saved up. 

It felt nice to have a routine, a mundane one — no ruthless caregivers, not having to tend to fresh injuries, not having to hide her tears, and most of all not having to fear that she would have to go through those things all over again. She wasn’t even having dreams….ones that kept her up most nights left her shivering and gasping. For once, she was at peace. 

“Summer?” she almost flinched back but restrained herself from doing so. ‘She is not going to harm me,’ she chanted in her mind. She turned to look at her. Barbara looked a little astonished but she recovered quickly. “I was asking whether you have attended high school?” Her question was abrupt, but Summer replied, “Yes, I have. I have also completed my Bachelor's in Accountancy.” Barbara’s eyes widened at her answer. Summer had carried along with all her documents while leaving or rather running away from the house. But Barbara never asked for them and she didn’t show it to her either. “But you don’t look…” the older woman trailed off. Summer knew what those unsaid words might be. She didn’t look like a 21-year-old girl. She was malnourished. She had average height and was skinny, her face was heart-shaped but her skin was pale. Her flaming red hair and golden eyes made her stand apart, even when she wanted to blend into the crowd. 

The wavy locks seemed unmanageable at times but she cut it last year, and she had bought fake lenses to make her eyes look less scary to some people, but it irritated her eyes to no end. Thus, she was stuck with these odd features. 

“Why haven’t you tried to seek a job elsewhere...you know, like small firms or companies?” Barbara asked, looking genuinely curious. Summer lowered her gaze as she fidgeted with the wiping cloth. “I...never tried.” She never had access to much. Just before she had come to Melham, Gloria had given her a second-hand smartphone because she didn’t have any, and contacting the latter was becoming a problem. She missed the convenience store owner. Barbara’s eyebrows knit together. She was about to say something when the bell chimed. Both of them plastered a smile on their faces again. 

~~~~~

She let out a weary sigh as she plopped on the single bed. She had barely toed off her shoes and kept the leftover buns on the mini-fridge before manoeuvring to the bed. She had yet to unpack and buy other household stuff, postponing it for when she received her salary from the bakery. She gets up reluctantly and pads to the washroom. After taking a relaxing shower, she takes the backpack from within the closet and starts unpacking her stuff.

She dumped the contents on the bed — a few clothes, a balm, her comb and concealer, some documents and one tattered book whose contents she had not been able to decipher till date. She stared at the leather-bound book, its cover barely holding the yellowed pages. Her fingers traced the odd pattern on the cover. It always intrigued her and what’s surprising about the pattern is that despite the cover’s edges having frayed, the pattern never faded. Her fingers almost itched to open it but she resisted the urge and put the book inside the drawer before putting in her clothes. She then checked her documents and put them away in another drawer.

She debated whether to eat something before going to bed. Her stomach growled, making the choice for her. She trudged to the kitchenette where she had kept the packet of leftovers. After eating a couple of chocolate chip filled peanut butter cookies and a slice of carrot cake, she was full. When Barbara had first handed her a packet filled with buns and doughnuts, she had been hesitant. 

“You can eat this as your dinner. Buy some groceries tomorrow and then you can start eating something other than bakery goods,” she had said sternly. But Summer noted the kindness underneath them and Liam had offered her a small encouraging smile, she had taken the packet with trembling fingers and then had almost choked out a ‘thank you.’ 

Then it had become a routine, one of the things in the routine to be exact. She mentally noted to buy groceries tomorrow as she brushed her teeth. 

~~~~~

The mark glowed golden, almost blinding her. ‘This is not real,’ she reminded herself as she stared at the pattern, mesmerised. She was most probably in her room, even in the dream. 

‘Serena…’ she heard a lilting female voice, a calming one. Serena? Who is she? She didn’t answer. 

‘Beware of the untamed wolf....’ the voice said. 

~~~~~~

Her eyes snapped open. The room was pitch dark except for the white curtain filtering in a little light from the streetlamps outside. She scanned the room, even though her heart pounded. No one was here. Staring at the ceiling, she wondered about the dream. It did not leave her. These dreams. Who was Serna? She tried to recall every person she remotely knew, but none were named Serena. Her head started to ache, and she started to become listless. These dreams made her like this. She screwed her eyes shut. She won’t think about it. She had settled in her new life now. Dreams be damned.