Ace of Wands [Reversed]

The Market—EVENING

I am browsing an antique booth in the Market with a group from work. But everyone is ignoring me, especially Iris, the new girl, whom I am trying to impress. The redhead.

I say something witty and there is a murmur of appreciation and then I say “That’s me the heart of the group,” and storm off.

I find a display of ceramic elephants that make me smile, but they are too expensive and who cares when you are alone. I find the same effect with art, books, etc. Some neat stuff but who to share it with?

Whatever.

I am going to put all these thoughts together for my publisher. The book will be a fragmented story including sketches and fake correspondence to a publisher. Something of a scrapbook of a failed writer. I think it’s ironic.

I decide to leave the Market passing two kids who are running out the back of the store and I follow because some black cows are beginning to stampede. I ward off a few cows, noticing there is a small cemetery out there behind the Market that the cattle are charging through.

Though he cows go around me I fear they won’t see the kids. So I grab the kids and hold them close to shield them. When the herd passes I take my notes and the kids around to the front. I drop us all at the bus stop to work in peace.

But I can’t.

So I flip through the Market circular. It advertises booze but I overhear they don’t serve them anymore, only ice-cream.

As I sit on a bench. I notice the redheads, still milling around inside. Distracted. I don’t see Andrea enter the bus shelter.

She sits next to me.

“Qu'est-ce que tu fais?”

I shrug.

“Pourquoi êtes-vous si triste?”

“I am shocked,” I say, “I am shocked to be confronted with the all the girls who ever cared for me all at once.”

“All?” she says, “Que voulez-vous dire?»

“My mistake,” I reconsider, “Nope. No one ever cared for me but you.”

“Zut!” She thrusts her arms and legs around me and smiling close to my face, “Try 300. Don’t you know everyone loves you? Look around!”

I shrug this off and say, “Well, I’m a complicated man.”