The young man stood in the narrow entrance to the studio parking lot, and as I approached on my bike I could hear him talking excitedly to a handful of others standing near the building's doorway. He wore a dark coat and had long unkept hair, and seemed like he might back up into my path at any moment, so I carefully made a wide circle around him and continued on to the bike rack in the corner.
I was removing the key from my lock and gathering my things when I looked up to see him walking toward me. In one hand he carried a long wooden staff, and around his neck was a polished amulet that seemed to be the front tooth of a large animal. His coat flapped around his ankles as he came closer, and he met my gaze with a wide smile.
"Madame," he began, in heavily-accented English, "you see, this is the bizarre part of the movie." He held out his hand. The fingers were clutching a small spray of crushed purple flowers, which he laid carefully on the rack of a bicycle near mine, close enough for me to reach. He swept his empty hand back in a knightly gesture, and smiled again. "If you have nothing to talk about with your colleagues today, you can tell them that someone gave you some flowers."
"Thank you," I said, smiling back at him and bending toward the flowers, but by the time I touched them he had already turned and was walking away, a crow-like apparition about to take flight.
In the studio, I laid the flowers on my desk, and noticed that a long dark hair, definitely not mine, was entangled with them. The flowers looked sad, but it felt wrong to throw them away, so I put them in a tiny vase of water, and now, this afternoon, they've completely revived.
Glad the story had a happy ending!
Posted by: Martine | September 30, 2016 at 05:39 PM
Marvellous incident, Beth, marvellously described. Can't help wishing there was more and that we know more about the strange young man. But it's also perfect just as it is.
Posted by: Natalie | October 01, 2016 at 07:40 AM
Absolutely charming -- truly heartwarming. Thank you!
Posted by: Frances/Materfamilias | October 03, 2016 at 02:31 PM
Wonderful.
Posted by: Rachel Barenblat | October 08, 2016 at 07:51 AM
Sometimes we are the one who is given the unexpected, sometimes we are the mysterious giver! I am reading a book about Puritans and witchcraft, and so that single long hair does sound... strange.
Posted by: Marly Youmans | October 10, 2016 at 02:40 PM