Something Told the Wild Geese


Chloe

Something told the Wild Geese
It was time to go
Thought the fields lay golden
Something whispered, whispered snow.....

Chloe let the old song wander into her head and smiled. A small flock of geese, likely the last of them, faded away as they flew off in their V formation for a warmer winter in the south. Corran lay peacefully under a light blanket of snow. She stood in the rusted forgotten playground and let the cold air fill her lungs.




It was November 12th, the day after Remembrance Day. Her remembrance had seemed hollow and empty this year on her own. It was the first year she hadn't gone to the cemetery to place her poppy on her grandfather's grave. As much as she wished she could have, it would have been way too exposed and easy to predict. She had left this year's poppy on a grave by the old church in Corran of a man born around the same time. His epitaph spoke of service and family. Somehow he shared part of that same energy and she could honour that this time.


Chloe drifted through the streets on an aimless walk. Her day times were mostly her own. She had taken up babysitting a neighbour child in the time after school before her parents arrived home from work. Taylor was an imaginative girl who loved to draw and make up stories about everything in the world around her. Many of her stories featured a heroic cat, based on her cat Toulouse. Toulouse had been lost for a few months now. At first Taylor was beside herself, but now she had decided Toulouse was on a journey, a quest to rid the world of bullies, rats and robbers. Chloe likes Taylor's version of what might have happened to a lost cat better than how those real stories usually went.

Babysitting wasn't a very profitable part time gig. Chloe knew she had to find more work soon. She sighed and looked around the stillness of the hamlet. The Chinese restaurant was owned and staffed by one family. She doubted they'd hire outside the family. There were a few odd shops but nothing compelling. She had considered the service station when she had just moved but then a couple of bikes roared into view and she shook her head at her own stupidity. If the old gang rolled through on a  cruise, where else would they fill up?

The cold air nudged her movement into the tea shop on the corner. She was greeted by warmth, the cheerful chatter of the local patrons and the lovely smells of tea, cream and something wonderful and cinnamon fresh baked wafting in the air.  Chloe stepped up to the counter and smiled at Stella. Stella was a known fixture; outgoing and outspoken, and this was her place.



"Well good morning to you Chloe. What can I get you?"

"Hi Stella. What am I smelling? You baked something amazing!"

Stella laughed "I had a craving. It's coffee cake. Classic recipe."

"Oh my god...I NEED some and a chai latte please."

Stella nodded "Good things to have together." She tapped away at the touchscreen register "That'll be $8.50 after tax please."

Chloe's face gave an involuntary wince "I need to find another job to support my sweet tooth." She passed Stella a ten dollar bill.

Stella took it and looked thoughtfully at Chloe "I could use some help for the holiday season. We get a few gifty things in and it picks up a bit. Can't guarantee a lot of hours in January though."

Chloe's eyes widened "Really?! Just like that? Do you want a resume...references?"

Stella snorted "Can you make tea? You're friendly and polite. That's pretty much the most of it."

"Yeah I can make tea. I mean I've never done a latte but I can learn that part. I'm a quick study."

Stella handed back the ten "This one's on me. Once I've got your info and you're on the payroll, you'll get a discount. Let me make your latte. Watch this time, I'll walk you through the steps. Then we'll sit down with the calendar and figure out some training times ok?"

Chloe exhaled with a look of absolute gratitude "Thank you so much. This is amazing."

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