LEFT AT THE ALTER

Chapter 6

"How many kids do you want" I had asked

"Any number of children that you would want" he answered. That was how he was and I felt it was sweet, he made sure I was a major determinant in all the decisions and that I was always carried along.

But what I had realized that especially during the wedding preparations he had left everything to me, at first I felt he just really wanted me to be in charge of all of it but then later it seemed more of the fact that he wasn't really interested.

I still went with it anyways. I didn't observe a lot about how he did and how he acted. I just always felt that I knew him so well and all.

The next date Maria had set up for me didn't also end well but at least, this time I wasn't at fault in anyway and I didn't act like a crazy woman. It was all his fault. The date had started out quite nice and sweet like the previous one and I had been so determined to not make it go wrong like the last time.

I had promised to keep an open heart and at least give him a chance. The date started and he started talking, he seemed a bit older than I was. We didn't really have alot in common like the first date I had gone on but still I wanted to not just dismiss him and give him a chance.

He talked alot, a whole lot that I prayed silently that the date finished already. The thing that got me the most was the fact that he was married and he had his wife where the ones interested and he had even invited her to join me. Now that was creepy and weird. I left almost immediately as I said my Goodbyes. I didn't understand what was going on and what in the hell they even expected from Me.

I had told my friends about everything that had happened and at least no one could blame me and I told Maria about how I wasn't going to go for any of her planned dates anymore because I was already tired but the kind of friend that I had, I knew there was no stopping her until she got what she wanted and in this case, she wanted me to get over Mike and just live life.

I went to the store pretty early in order and as I was still busy on my phone trying to tell Maria about how I wasn't going for one of her dates. I hadn't realized someone had walked into the store.

"Hello" I heard the sweet voice as I immediately looked up to see who it was. He was tall, fine, perfectly shaped face with Hazel blue eye balls and well carves body, it seemed like he was 6'4 ft in hight which went perfectly well with the other features of his body.

"How may I help you please?" I asked. He didn't seem like a native of the town unless I felt like I would have known him or at least heard of him from my friend Maria who knew everyone even more than the mayor himself.

"I just need to get flowers, I need very nice ones" he said and then immediately I assumed he probably had a girlfriend or something unless who would he be getting flowers for.

"We have lots of varieties" I said as I walked around showing him the different flowers that were available.

"Which would you suggest I get someone, she personally likes to have a lot of flowers around, she is like a flower collector, just like art collector" he said with a smile. Ohh, wow, that smile. I hadn't seen a man with such great dentition and smile in a long time. It was beautiful.

"There are a lot of options to choose from here though, we have the roses in different colours, lily's, Carnation, tansy, marigold, gladiolus, hyacinth, hibiscus, blueballs, aster" I explained as i pointed at each of them as I mentioned their names.

"Which would you choose if I wanted to get it for you" he asked And I smiled. I remember how Mike would get me roses over and over again and never bothered to ask if I even liked them. Roses weren't exactly my go to flowers, I wouldn't pick them first if I was asked to pick a flower. But he never really bothered to ask and I just made him believe that I loved it and I smiled.

"I personally feel Roses are overrated and everyone gets it. Its a norms, if someone wanted to get me flowers, I would prefer something unique, less common but still with lot of meanings behind it" I explained

"For example, blueballs, they are beautiful and also have strong meaning behind them, next, Asters which embodies daintiness and charm then freesia and calla lily" I explained and he watches with so much enthusiasm.

"I like that, can I get all of them" he suddenly said and I was surprised but then couldn't say anything and I just packed his order and he also dropped a tip. He seemed really nice too.

He was about leaving when he then turned around and said "I didn't get your name"

"I am Roseline" I answered "You have probably heard about me if you stay in this town" I continued.

He laughed then said "No, I haven't, what do you mean by that though, am I supposed to have" he asked

"Everyone does and you really Don't have to be polite about it. I have since become really used to it" I said and then I saw how confused he was looking at me and then I realized that he probably really didn't know about anything I was talking about and I was just making myself look stupid.

"I am Troy by the way" he said with asmile

"It was nice meeting you and thanks for helping me out with the flowers" he added

"It was nice meeting you two" I said with a smile.

"See you around then Rose" he said as he walked out

"Who is that young man that just left" mother asked as I immediately jumped up scared as I didn't realized when she got behind me.

"Mother!!"

"He is a customer" mother said

"He has a girlfriend" I said before mother could say anything else

"And how would you know that" She asked

"Because he bought flowers for her, but I don't think I have seem him around much. I am thinking he is a tourist maybe" I explained.

"Yeah, different people have really been coming into town lately" mother said

"Maybe he is"

I hoped silently that Maria wasn't going to invite me again for one of those ridiculous outings which she called date. At this point I wasn't even sure what was wrong but it seemed I was the problem of it all because it seemed like I was the common denominator in the dates.

Mother wouldn't stop asking me about him but I knew literarily nothing about him too so there was nothing to say.

We closed from shop quite early today and we had picked up several things from the market to cook. Grandmother literarily was the best cook I knew and when she was ready to cook, everyone loved it.

I picked up my phone again as I scrolled through Mike's i********: page to see if he posted something new. I didn't know why I was still stalking him, why I wasn't stopping or seeming like I was going to stop anytime soon. I was going through my timeliness when a picture of Troy suddenly popped on my screen. It was on the explore page. I opened his page to see what it entailed and all.

As I scrolled through his page I realised that he actually travelled alot and had a lot of fun around the world. I say pictures where he took in Various big cities in the world. As I looked further to see if I was going to see the picture of any girl I realized that there was none.

Marie: what about the date you were supposed to go to today? ..

Me: at least I need a day of rest to myself please, those dates have been terrible to me.

Mary: just let are have today Maria, she will continue later

I was still on my phone trying to convince Maria about how I wasn't going to any of her planned dates again when I heard a knock on the door.

"Dinner is set" mother said as she walked into my room. I dropped my phone on my bed then went out to eat.

"Did Rose tell you about the fine young man she met today at the shop" mother said as she dished the food.

"Mother!!" I exclaimed as I raised my brows. She never let's go of things like that easily and I knew, she was always going to keep talking about it especially after what had happened. Everyone suddenly feels they can hook me up with any single guy on the streets and all.

"Just tell me dear, who is this Young man" Grandmother asked enthusiastically, I could see that she was interested in what I wanted to say, her eyes shone widly as she wanted to hear what was going to come out of my mouth.

"Grandma, he was just a customer, nothing more, we didn't even speak for long" I explained as I started to eat my food.

"Did you ask if he has a girlfriend" Grandma asked.

"Grandma, you don't just ask strangers if they have a girlfriend, I don even know him so well. He probably has heard about me and doesn't want anything to do with me"

"You can't just say that and I feel you're just assuming he has a girlfriend" mother said.

"he was buying flowers mum and they seemed important to him too" I said as I thought about how he had been really particular about the flowers and wanted everything to be perfect.

"If you say so"

"By the way have you thought of what you want to do" mother asked

"What I want to do, how, I don't understand " I asked curiously.

"You quit your job and all, you obviously don't plan to continue continue just staying in that store with I and your grandma forever"

"I don't know, that's the only thing I can think of right now, there is really nothing else yet"

"I found this outside the store when I was about to close though" Grandma said as she handed me a flyer. It was a flyer advertising an art class. I didn't know they organised that in town, it seemed interesting and I really wanted to go.

"You should check it out, follow your dreams and do not let fear stop you from doing what you want to do" she advised.

"I won't " I said. When mother said time healed anything, I guess she was right because I was getting better and I knew it. I can feel me wanting to do more things as the day went by and also me wanting to participate in more activities and I was really glad that I was improving and that there was progress and like mother had always told me since the incident happened that "You should never let your life be put on hold because of any man, you should move on and show the world how much you can achieve"

Those words keep ringing in my head all day and that's what I want to do, show the world how much I can actually do. I was more determined to do what made me happy now more than ever. I guess what happened was more of a blessing in disguise then because my art took a new turn from that moment and it was evident.

I took the flyer grandma had given to me and I posted it on a side in my bedroom, the classes were starting in a few days and I didn't want to miss it. At least I had something to keep me busy now.