Collen's Story Part 1 Am
"Enough of this." Reminding myself the clock was ticking. Friday night came with an obligation that could not be held to self standard by dashing out the door in haste. Some with the same plans on such a regular basis as I, may treat their preparation with minimal production. Which is fine I suppose but they don't walk away with the same amount of hundreds in their clutched fists. Enthusiasm for the rest of us begins before closing the door behind us to leave.
Nerves stabilized, standing steadily upon the balcony I turned to face the open slide door. Tommy side a cactus tall enough to reach my hips stood straight and tall. A pausing moment held my eyes looking upon its healthy green single stalk decorated with needles just about everywhere around it and on top. I thought of its age now with math but knowledge of its growth from the time it was a baby two in hard luck case plant among others on a clearance table inside some supermarket back in California. It has been no bigger than my thumb, thin and turning brown. Clearly dehydrated. Deprived of proper sunlight. Laying there not even up straight. Its tiny pot on its side leaving the cactus again a plastic table surface near the entrance where gusts of early autumn chills blew though from outdoors. One gust caused it to rock a little as customers entered behind me. I still remember tilting my head deciding resulting in an extra three dollars added to my grocery total when cashing out shortly after. Right on the window sill in my dorm next to my bed became its new home. Why I felt the want to bring it home that day, I don't know. I'm not even sure why I stood here, like I do occasionally noting its growth. It's a plant. A beautiful plant even in its simplicity but a plant none the less. All I know is it would be strange without it here to greet every morning. I looked at the tiny divits still present in my upen palm from greeting it as I always did when checking in on my cactus, by pressing my palm just enough to impress the needley pricks into my palm without breaking the skin. It never took long for the tiny dots in my palm to fade. Some would think there is something wrong with me but ignoring the only other living thing wouldn't feel right standing so close to it not making any contact.
