“… Unfortunately, no. At least, not for flowers.”
“Ah. They’re that uncommon now?”
“Well, no. You can still find them here and there, but there’s no particular spot to sightsee. At least, that I’m aware of.”
“I see. Must be hard to be a flower seller, making rounds all over the country.”
“Depends. Most sellers cultivate and grow their own. It’s a more reliable way of getting yields. But their gardens are not exactly great to sightsee. Nor open to the public.”
The man gripped one of the tables, almost like he was giving it a firm push. Then, he turned around and leaned his back against the table ledge, his hands in his pockets, giving me his undivided attention.
“Not as pretty either?”
“Yes. I mean, if you just love flowers, then fair enough. There is a certain kind of beauty when they are out in the wild, however. The gardens are too organized. Devoid of anything else the flowers usually grow around. And I find the flowers that come out of these gardens to be fairly tame.”
He nodded. “Not in their natural habitat. I’ll have to get out there to see the real deal.”
“Well, you know, start slow. You don’t have to jump straight out of the nest. There are some great stretches of land in the country. Wide open to the sky. They’re more interesting than you’d think. If you’ve only ever known the city, going out to a wide open space on a sunny day is a great way to get lost without actually getting lost.”
Looking away, off to the side, he smiled to himself. “Well that’s funny to hear.”
I shrugged. “You know, small steps. There are several neighbourhoods on the hills east of the city you could get to by tram. They’ve got their own paths. And if you get lost, you could always ask the locals for directions. They’re typically very friendly.”
“Right. I’ll keep those in mind.”
The man stopped talking. We were silent once again. This time, however, he seemed to be lost in thought, no longer interested in the flowers. His gaze stayed in the corner. I eyed the streets once more, pretending to distract myself with whatever was going on outside. It was in complete shade now, though I could tell from the hazy glow that the sun was still high enough to shine on the tops of the buildings, giving everything a reflected red glow. I remembered the situation I was in, reigning in the comfort that I felt for the past few minutes.
“Well… I’m all done here.”
I held my breath.
“The flowers, they certainly are entrancing. I’ll give them that, at least. Though, there’s nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing to suggest there’s magic at play.”
“… Glad to hear.”
With a smile, he straightened, slowly making his way to the door. “Pleasure speaking with you, Ms. Elisabeth. May chance give us another opportunity to speak again.”
“Ms. Allen, actually. Sorry.”
“Oh. Pardon me.”
“No, that’s my fault, I think. But, likewise.”
Reaching up, tipping his hat forward, he smiled. “Good night. Take care.”
“You too.”
And he was out the door.