Celeste decided to do her thinking in town. After all, if she was leaving soon she may as well enjoy the sights. Besides she felt quite well enough acquainted with the house having scrubbed so much of it yesterday. Another taxi dropped her off outside a bookshop. Celeste browsed the shelves and watched the families doing their shopping. She didn't really have any money to spend on books however. Celeste moved on.
There was a garden. All kinds of fruit and vegetable plants separated by white picket fences. Beneath a large bell, a plaque read "Help yourself but take only what you need, in consideration of others".
Celeste helped herself to a few apples and a couple of bell peppers. She thought the pepper would spice up the salad she was planning for dinner tonight. She'd been frugal when doing the grocery shopping. As Celeste checked the plant for a ripe pepper, a dark haired man in a black suit strode past. Silently Celeste admired him from her half-crouched position in the garden. She mused that it had been some time since she'd dated.
Needing to get out of the midday sun, Celeste found a library. It was dark and cool inside. Like most libraries, it was also very quiet. The tranquillity was shattered by the ringing of Celeste's phone. It was her mother.
"Hi Mom." Celeste answered. "I'm fine. I can't really talk right now, I'm in the library. Call you later, okay?"
Celeste knew her Mum would think she meant the library on campus. She felt bad for the deception. She just wasn't ready to share the radical decisions she'd made in recent weeks. Nothing was quite the same and Celeste didn't know how she felt about it all herself yet.
Hungry and in need of a pick-me-up, Celeste was drawn to the sound of music coming from a large, open lot in the centre of town. Some sort of festival was set up in the town square. Celeste quickly found a snow-cone machine and scooped the shaved ice into a paper cup.
She sat down on the edge of a fountain and licked at her sticky creation. It was wonderful. Sometimes the simple things were best. It was a nice day and Celeste began to relax again.
One of the big attractions of the festival was a roller skating rink. Celeste handed over some change and hired some skates. She used to love this as a girl. It was trickier than she remembered and after a couple of close calls, she gave it up and returned the skates.
Appetite back for real, Celeste discovered a hot dog eating competition about to begin. She volunteered herself as contestant. Her opponents where all men and two of them looked to be brothers.
Celeste gave it a good try, but she didn't win. She beat the skinny fellow next to her though. And it was one way to get a free lunch.
That afternoon, Celeste had a water fight with a family called Bayless. It was another activity that took her back to her childhood. The neighbourhood kids had had some epic battles and Celeste had been fearless. That was before her father left. Distracted by her musings, Celeste lost track of her surroundings. A large, wet "twack" bought her back to the present as a well aimed balloon hit her square on the chest.
As evening fell and it got dark, Celeste sat on a swing once more lost in thought. It had been a good day. She thought she liked it here in Twinbrook. The house was more than a little shabby, but it was functional. She had no job, but that wasn't going to change if she went home. She could look for work here. Tomorrow she would call her Mum and explain. She would make her new beginning right here. Smiling, she stood up and went to hail a cab to take her to her new home.
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