A big thank you to Randi, for her exquisite editorial work, and guidance.
Wow, what a day for my assistant Jennifer to call in sick. The shop was packed. I gift wrapped the ring box and ran the card. It's hard to concentrate when the shop is overflowing with customers. It's only a small shop, and I have a lot of stock on display not locked away. Often described as Bohemian, some said it was Gypsy Chic, whatever the hell that meant. I liked it to be alternative: shades of Morocco, shades of early French. No set style or influence. I stole from many, but copied none.
I wrapped and chatted as I served. There was a woman standing going through a few necklaces I had in the shop front window. Standing with her back to me, I admired her slim petite figure, her dark olive complexioned legs, wow, very sexy, the Christian Louboutin pumps making her cute little bottom stand out. She wore a fashionable short business skirt and jacket. Her long wavy black hair really shone under the fluorescent lights.
Finally, I managed to work through the line of customers. The shop was empty except for the lone woman, who lifted and played with the necklaces. "Looking for something in particular?" I enquired in my most polite voice.
I watched as she lifted and admired an aventurine crystal necklace.
She turned slowly to face me behind the counter. "Hey, Jacki."
I just about choked. "Lucy, what are you doing here?" I mumbled through stiff lips.
She smiled warmly, her beautiful dark brown eyes as big and pretty as I remembered. "Just a bit of shopping, and hopefully going to lunch with my sister."
"Half sister," I corrected.
"No, I never thought of you that way. We will always be sisters, Jacki."
"Whatever, sorry, lunch is out of the question. You can see how busy I am." To accentuate my point, a couple walked in giving me a bright friendly smile as they came to the counter to check out rings.
Lucy handed over the aventurine necklace. "Is there anything special about the stones in this?"
"Its metaphysical properties say it provides strength, confidence, courage, and promotes happiness. It is supposed to renew one's optimism for life."
"Hhhhmmm, sounds perfect. I'll take it. Do I get a family discount?" She murmured softly.
Checking the price which I had listed at $349 dollars, I said, "Seeing as how it's you. I'll give it to you for $350."
She laughed sweetly. "Sounds perfect. Thanks."
I removed the price tag and started wrapping it. Moving to the till, I asked. "Cash or card?"
She handed over a credit card. I ran it, entering the price as two hundred, and handed it over. She looked a little shocked, when she glanced at the payment slip. "Jacki, I would like to chat. What time do you finish? I'll come back and take you to dinner somewhere?"
"Lucy, I'm pretty busy at the moment."
"Too busy for your sister? Come on, babe, it's my shout."
"Yeah, okay, be here at six."
The rest of the day flew by. It was just one of those crazy busy days. I loved my little jewellery and gem stone shop. Karangahape Road is a pretty full on place. The shop next door was an adult store, and it got some pretty wild visitors. Two doors down was a massage parlour. Interspersed with that, there were novelty stores, a couple of clothing outlets.
K Road as it's known, once had a bad rep. It was full of strip clubs, brothels and massage parlours. It was Auckland's red-light district. Still was, really, but nowadays it had a far more diverse group of shops and outlet stores. There was everything from music stores to Architects.
---------------------------------
Late in the afternoon, I had a chance to ponder what Lucy wanted. It had to be ten years since we saw each other last. It made me spit tacks that she was just as pretty as ever. In fact, now she had the figure to go with her looks. When she was a teenager, she had baby fat, and lots of it. She was cherubic. I always admired her tits, god they were gorgeous, soft and pillowy, yet firm and bouncy. Guys always drooled over her. They never even looked at me.
I was the overlooked one. Short, and skinny. No bum, no boobs and plain. That was me. All my life I played second fiddle to Lucy. She was the bright vivacious outgoing chatty popular kid. I was the awkward, I hate the world rebel.
Lucy was already living at the Browns' place when I arrived. She was a ward of the state, just like me, but she had been there about eight months or so. Mrs. Brown idolised her. She doted on her like she was a star. The Browns did take me in, as well, and I should have been grateful, but after having bounced around a few foster homes, I was feeling a little vulnerable.
Lucy was already installed in their lives, and they loved her. She was everything a foster parent wants: Smart, pretty and polite. Lucy could do no wrong in their eyes; she was perfect.
I, on the other hand, came with the reputation of being hard to handle, obnoxious and difficult. Unfortunately, the more love they poured on Lucy, the worse my behaviour got. Yeah, I was jealous, and I rebelled.
Lucy, I never understood her. She was always so nice to me. She wanted to cuddle up in bed and talk. She loved to gossip about school and boys and even some of the girls. Under the blankets at night, she ruled; she was the chairperson of our two person group. She loved to hold me, but I knew it was just an act; nobody's that nice. She was too sweet, too perfect.
She always offered to help with my schoolwork, and Mrs. Brown used to say, "Lucy, you're an angel. Now you listen to her, Jacki. If you listen, she can help you."
I hated that she was so clever, so of course, I never listened; I wanted to blame her for my failures. Come on, I needed an excuse, and she was right there, front and centre.
Of course, the Browns never saw it as her fault, even when I explained Lucy got it wrong. Mrs. Brown's sad face was always in my mind: the way she scowled when I said it was Lucy's fault. "Jacki, my darling, it is nobody's fault but your own."
That was our life. We shared a room for six years, and I grew to hate her, a little more every day. She seemed to get everything she ever wanted, she didn't have to work for anything. The boys all lusted after her, the girls all wanted to be her. The teachers adored her; she passed everything with honours.
Me, I was the perennial class clown; that persona was my mask. I used it to hide my stupidity. I figured it was my shot at popularity. If I couldn't be clever, I would make people laugh.
I couldn't wait to get out of school. The moment I turned fifteen, I left. The Browns hated me leaving school. I got lecture after lecture. I couldn't just stay there if I wasn't going to school. Of course, goody two shoes Lucy passed her school cert and stayed on to do sixth form so she could go to University. Me, I just wanted out.
Yeah, I was a bitch. I got into trouble; I found a group of street kids who hung out at the skate park and we started doing petty crimes to raise cash for booze and drugs.
Did I mention I wasn't very clever? Of course, I got caught, and the only way I could get out of having to do PD was accept a course at Polytech. That way I was given a suspended sentence.
Life at home was bad enough before then, but after that day in court, things got worse. Staring into Mrs. Brown's eyes and seeing her complete loss of respect, killed me. She was a strict old biddy; all I wanted was the love she showered on Lucy. All I got were lectures.
Lucy was a suck up, as well; she called the Browns Mum and Dad. I could never do that. I liked them, they took me in, but they weren't my parents. God, I didn't even know who my father was. I knew my mother; she visited occasionally, when she was out of rehab, or jail.
I guess I was following in her footsteps.
That's when I ran away. The guilt and seeing the look of shame, maybe not disgust, but loathing, on their faces drove home the guilt, I was already feeling.
I met a boy. He was trouble and I knew it, but he had a car, and he was heading for Auckland, that was good enough for me. Te Awamutu was a small town, and all I wanted was out. Sign me up.
------------------------
I was just clearing up and locking doors when Lucy walked back in. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah, just give me a moment to lock up."
Her car was nice, an almost brand new Audi. She kept smiling at me. Damn it made me uncomfortable. "Well, you seem to have done all right for yourself," she said.
"I get by, what about you? What are you doing these days?"
"I have have a physiotherapy clinic in Hamilton."
"Ah, a massage parlour, no wonder you can afford an Audi."
She laughed. "Still the clown huh, but I was being serious, I was impressed. Your shop is incredible."
"Thanks, I like it."
"Do you actually make all that stuff, or do you import it?"
"I make like 80% of it, all the carved stuff is mine. The rings and bracelets are mine; I make them. Some of the cheaper stuff I import."
"Wow, Sis, you are very talented, and the shop, that is stunning."
"Yeah, it's okay. It pays the bills."
The car went silent until we pulled over in Ponsonby Road. "Where are we going?" I asked.
"Some place called The Midnight Gardener. It's supposed to be pretty good."
