Fiction: Group 4
We all leave the house and exchange goodbyes; they get in the car but not before Annie and Grace come to
me. I expect a warm hug but they both jump on me and plant kisses on my face. I am taken by surprise by
their affection, their mother smiles from a distance and jokingly tells her children not to pester me anymore.
“You need a ride? We have space for one more in here,” says Andy as he drives up to the gate.
“No, I’m okay. I can call a taxi, we aren’t going the same place anyway.” I reply, as I thank him for his
consideration.
“Okay, but I’ll be seeing you soon!” says Andy, driving off.
I wave to the kids as they smile to me from the windows of the car. I watch as his car zooms off and I am
left on my own, a momentary loneliness flitting through my mind. I straighten my suit and brush the feeling
off. The sun is setting nonchalantly, the sky turns a gentle hue of orange. My phone buzzes in my pocket. I
take it out and see that it is my boss calling.
“Hey Polly, I’m calling to see how the houses are doing, any progress?”
“Yes actually! I’ve sold one to the casino owner’s son from Macau and another to a TV producer just now.”
“Ah, well, not bad, but we really need to get the last one sold.”
I detect the note of disappointment in his sentence. Just as I was about to give him the standard reply, A
truck comes driving past. As it comes closer, I see that it is an ice cream truck. An ice cream truck? In
October? The truck is bursting with colors and patterns, red, blue, pink everything in the spectrum. Stars,
stripes, floral, everything you can think of. The closer it comes, the more I notice the picture on the truck.
The parents and a child. The child is smiling brightly with her hand holding her mother’s. A family. A
happy family, much like Andy’s.
I look at the house at the end of the lane one more time and fiddle with the keys in my pocket. Maybe they
could be
my
keys. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. Annie and Grace’s kisses linger on my cheeks.
Anytime means no time. And if not now, when?
I open my eyes and am greeted by the blue irises that grow along the driveway. “You know what, the
house has just been sold. A buyer made a decision just this moment.” With that, I end the call.
I was always told to not put all my eggs in one basket, but now I think it’s time for me to break some eggs
and make my omelette. I’m ready for my new tale.
