The Abandoned Omega

Chapter Six

Jun carefully tweaked the rhododendron branch in the arrangement and couldn't help but lightly caress the indigo petals of the iris, before standing back and examining his work.  He gave a curt nod and smiled.  With this humble arrangement placed upon the centre of the table, coated in a crisp white cloth, his first commission under his own name was complete.

It was a wedding that he had been commissioned for.  Weddings were a huge deal for any florist, for the bride and groom could not only request the bouquet and button flowers from them, but also table displays, smaller bouquets for the bridesmaids, even thank you gifts for those who had helped with the big day.  In this case, the bride, a young brunette, who had been swimming in indecision, had haplessly wandered into the florist and seen him playing with a random assortment of unsellable flowers, which he had arranged into a stunning yet simple display that could only be considered as art.  Despite not knowing anything else that she wanted for her wedding, she knew she wanted him to create for her some table decorations.

With Eiko's more experienced hand, they had worked out a price, colours and flowers for the main bouquet and a very ecstatic bride and mother-in-law to be had left feeling that they were in capable hands.  Eiko had congratulated Jun on his first commission which had stunned him, as it hadn't occurred to him to see it that way.  But as he glanced around the hall, he couldn't quite hold down the emotions stirring his heart.

"Are we all done, here?" Shaheed asked him. The young coffee skinned youth was the epitome of a sullen teenager. Naturally the last thing he wanted to do was work in a shop dealing with girly things like flowers. It was just that his mum and dad had insisted he needed a part time job on the weekends, he thought that they were just trying to keep him apart from his friends. Part time jobs that he didn't need to get the bus nor train to were few and far between, but his older brother knew Eiko's cousin, who happened to know that the woman was hiring staff so she could comfortably go on maternity leave. His mates had ribbed him something terribly when they had found out. Still, when he had received his first pay check, he grudgingly admitted that it wasn't all bad.

"Yes," Jun said with a satisfied nod, "we are." He pulled on his coat, grabbed the last of the plastic wrapping he had used to protect the containers and flowers and followed Shaheed out off the door. A blast of cold air hit them, the low temperature a sign of a long winter to come, but at least the weather remained fair and bright. The pair made their way to the florist's delivery van.

Shaheed had a driver's licence, unlike Jun, having been fortunate enough to pass his test first time. He was quite a cautious driver as well, which Jun appreciated. He had little experience being driven about in vans and cars, his ex, Ryder, the person to drive him around to places in his university days, had been an appalling driver.

Shaheed dropped him off outside of the florist front before manoeuvring the small van to the back streets where the garage was located. "How did it go?" Eiko asked him. She sat upon a stool, surrounded by her most favourite flowers. Her baby boy, Akahito, was now three months old and currently in the care of his doting dad.  Jun felt guilty about dragging her away from her family, but the other part timer had commitments this weekend and could not make it in to cover them.

"Miss Kimberly loved the bouquet and table arrangements," Jun replied, softly. The young woman had almost burst into tears of delight and she hadn't even walked down the aisle to her beloved as yet.

"That's awesome," Eiko replied slumping down upon the desktop, clearly very tired.

"When Shaheed gets back," he said as he glanced over her weary form. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Yes, please!" Eiko answered, gratefully.

After the young man returned, Eiko walked up the inner staircase towards the apartment, Jun not far behind. As they opened the door, they came to find Keiichi slumped fast asleep over a giant teddy bear that Jun had purchased him with his first wages.  He was wrapped up in his duvet cover and the television was playing to itself. "Aw," Eiko whispered, guiltily. "This can't have been fun for the poor bun."  It had been fairly busy in the shop, being the weekend, and she couldn't look in on Kei as often as she would have liked.