Otis walked the trek back to the town’s center by foot. Then, he took a turn toward the suburbs — a place he vividly remembered. He still had the address firmly engraved in his brain. He found the house he was looking for in a narrow alley, not far from the docks, which was covered by a vine that bore hundreds of ripe grapes. He knocked on the wooden door and waited. Shortly after, he was welcomed by a woman in her mid thirties. She was slender, had deep, blue hair, and was missing an arm.
Otis felt weak at the knees, as if he had suddenly regressed to his teen-age years. It was at that point that he realized he might not have planned the encounter all the way through. He stood there in silence, completely paralyzed. The woman was growing impatient, so he did the first thing that came to mind: he lifted one arm and waved his hand awkwardly.
“Hey, Lulu,” he said.
The woman arched an eyebrow while placing her arm on her hip.
“Do I know you?”, she asked.
“Uh… I’m…” Otis stuttered.
The woman’s dubious expression suddenly turned into a big smile. “I’m messing with you, ya gullible dork! I knew it was you before you knocked. I could recognise the sound of your waddling from a mile away!” she said. Then, she cheerfully jumped on him and gave him a strong, affectionate hug. “It’s been years!” she said. “How the hell have you been, Otis?”
“Good grief,” he replied. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”
“You’re still the same ol’ pushover, I see,” she said. “I barely recognized you without the bangs, though. Why did you cut them off?”
“I’m trying new things.”
“Well, what’re you waiting for? Come in!”, she said, as she opened the door for him.
A deep sense of nostalgia came over him as he took a look around. It was a small, seaside house, with a few wooden beams on the ceiling, a stone arch that led to a tiny inner garden, and tons of nautical equipment sprinkled all over. It was as if not a single day had gone by since the last time he was there.
“Have a seat wherever,” Ludmila said. “Want some tea?”
“Yeah, okay,” Otis replied, as he sat by the kitchen table. “Got any rooibos?”
“Sure, Otis. ‘Cause I always keep some rooibos tea around in case you decide to show up unannounced.”
“Oh. Sorry. Any tea will do, then.”
“Kidding. Of course I got rooibos. I know it’s your fave.”
Lulu poured some water on a kettle and placed it on her mud stove. Next, she lit up a fire and grabbed a pair of tea cups. Once the water began to boil, she placed two tea bags on the cups and sat by the table in front of Otis.
“So,” Lulu said. “You came here alone? No spouse?”
“No,” he said, sipping on his cup. As he did, some of the droplets got tangled around his mustache, which never failed to amuse Lulu. “I never got married.”
“How so?”
“I… didn’t get around to it, I suppose.”
“Huh.”
“What about you? Still in the sailing business?”
“You bet. Not the greatest time to be a sailor, though. An alert was issued to all cargo ships everywhere a few days ago. Apparently, someone’s been stealing ships left and right as of late.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
“It’s fine. At least I have a ton of free time now.”
They spent most of the afternoon reminiscing about the time they spent together when they last saw each other. The trips they made aboard Lulu’s boat. The fantastical places they visited and the quirky people they met. The cold nights they endured, finding solace in each other’s company. They talked until the sun started to set, at which point Lulu pulled out a bottle from the cupboard, waving it in hand with a smirk on her face, and replaced the tea cups with a pair of wine glasses.
“Okay, but just one glass,” he said. “I don’t wanna get back reeking of booze.”
“Oh, don’t be such a wuss. Besides, it can’t possibly be as bad as that party at the Seaside Carnival. Remember that night?”
“Oof. I never got so wasted in my entire life,” Otis said.
“You’re telling me?” Ludmila said. “I was the one holding your hair while you puked! I really miss that bonnet. It was so pretty.”
“What bonnet?”
“Don’t tell me you forgot. The restrooms were full and you couldn’t hold it anymore, so you threw up on a small, black bonnet I had hung on the coat rack.”
“I have no recollection of that ever happening.”
“Boy, have I heard that before,” she said, after which they both shared a good laugh.
Upon noticing the time, Otis let out a sigh and begrudgingly got ready to stand up.
“Well, I think I’d better head back,” Otis said.
“You have somewhere to crash?” Lulu asked.
“I’m staying at the Happes’.”
“...Wait, what? You mean the Happes?”
“Yeah. You know ‘em?”
“Everyone knows them. They’re celebrities around here. Question is, how did you get to meet them?”
“That Rooster guy sent me a letter asking me to make a big sculpture for him. It’ll take a few days to finish, so he’s invited me to stay over in the meantime.”
“Well, look at you, big shot! You’re really climbing the ladder. I’m happy for you.”
“And you said I’ll never make it as a sculptor.”
“Oh, come on. You know I didn’t really mean that. I was just pissed off.”
“I don’t blame you. I shouldn’t have left like that. I was young and naïve, and full of stupid dreams. I’m sorry I hurt you.”
“Don’t be. I don’t resent you for it. Life got in the way. It happens.”
They both sat quietly for a little while, until Otis broke the silence again. “Listen, Lulu…” he said. “I’ve been meaning to ask. Would you like to… y’know, hang out, sometime?”
“What for?”
“Well… y’know. The usual. Have a few drinks. Chat some more, maybe.”
“Otis, I’m married now. I have children.”
“Oh! Sorry, I thought —...!”
“You see an empty house on a weekday and the first thing that comes to your mind is that I’m still single? My husband’s at work. Kids are in school. Life doesn’t stand still waiting for you to make up your damn mind, you know?”
“I’m truly sorry. Forget I ever said anything, okay?”
Ludmila couldn’t contain her laughter anymore.
“I’m joking, you numbskull!” she said, almost spilling the wine out of her nose. “Oh, you should’ve seen the look of disappointment in your face! Priceless!”
“Goddammit, Lulu,” Otis said.
“‘Course I’m still single. Can’t believe you fell for that one! Do you even see a ring on the one hand I have?”
“Alright, I get it.”
“Sure, let’s ‘hang out’,” Lulu said, doing air commas. “Are you free tomorrow night?”
“I am.”
“Come by after work. I’ll give you a tour around the canal on my boat. You remember it, right? The ‘Sea Urchin’?”
“Of course. Sounds delightful.”
* * *
After leaving Lulu’s house, Otis went straight back to Happe Estate. The sun was already down by the time he arrived there. He thought it best to get some work done before bedtime. He headed to the solarium, hung his coat on the workbench, and lit a few oil lamps.
Once preparations were complete, he started taking his tools out of his handbag, which he then laid carefully on the bench. He had chisels and mallets of all sizes, as well as brushes and a few carpenter pencils.
Along with his working materials, he pulled out a gramophone and a handful of records. He placed the disc on the device, and, just as the music began to play, he approached the marble block with his tools grabbed firmly in his hands. He grazed its surface with the end of his chisel, then hit the shaft with the mallet. A couple of hours later, the ground around him became full of chunks and pale-colored dust.
As soon as he stopped sculpting, he suddenly felt a presence standing behind him, beneath the room’s door frame. He turned his head around and saw the silhouette of what seemed to be a little girl, staring at him in complete silence.
“Oh! You must be Sophie,” he said.
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