FICTION, SMALL TOWN PROMPT
The Tale Of Two Friends
Even though they had been friends from their first day in school, they had to find their way to each other
Josette’s smile disappeared when she hooked up with Zeke.
The grocer on the corner of the main street was the first to notice. When the tinkling of the bells announced the opening of the door, Mr. Green looked up, greeted Josette and turned back to the shelf. Split-seconds later, he spun around because Josette’s normal, chirpy “Good morning, Mr. Green!” didn’t sound.
Instead, she stood there, her hand firmly locked in Zeke’s, and meekly smiled at the grocer, nodding her greeting.
When the bookstore owner and the staff at the diner experienced the same, the story was out on the street: Josette was in love.
Zeke had only recently moved to their town, or rather, the outskirts of it — where the rich city people had built enormous houses, with lawns as large as half a football field. His father was some bigshot in the city, his mother an artist, working in her studio every day, and exhibiting her art in the city.
Zeke — eighteen and in his last year of school, just like Josette — was the only family member they had ever seen in town, once he and Josette became an item.
To the horror of the townspeople.
Not only did they miss her smile, her upbeat nature and the way she always had a friendly word for everyone, but they were collectively worried about her friendship with Luna. The two girls had been friends from their first day at school, and both went to the high school in the bigger town about thirty miles down the main road.
They never saw Josette and Luna together anymore. Zeke claimed every free minute Josette had, accompanying her everywhere and leaving no room for friendship.
Gossip went around whether Zeke was good for Josette, but the general opinion was: they are young, their relationship won’t last.
The townspeople never really stopped talking about the young lovers, but just as much as they missed Josette’s smile, they got used to the new Josette.
Many times they had tried to talk to Luna about Josette, but she shared no information.
Six months into the relationship, school was out and those who could, left for their summer holiday destinations.
There was a collective sigh of relief when, in the first week of the summer holidays, the grocer’s doorbells tingled and a cheery “Good morning, Mr. Green!” came from the door. The old man just barely managed to blink away his tears.
The next day, Josette and Luna sat together at the diner, chatting and laughing like the six months in between had never happened. Their friendship was still as strong as ever.
The relief was short-lived. Two weeks before the end of the summer holidays, Zeke returned from his trip to Europe, and Josette lost her smile again.
The consensus was that someone had to speak to Josette, to have her understand Zeke was not a good match for her.
Before anyone could intervene, it was time for the youngsters to go to college. Josette and Luna went to the same college and shared a room in the dorm. No one in town knew where Zeke would continue his studies, and they all feared that away from home, he would be of an even bigger negative influence over Josette.
On two consecutive breaks, it underlined those fears when Josette and Zeke frequented the diner. He was still too possessive, and during the second break, Josette seemed more distant than ever. On two or three occasions, townspeople even noticed her withdrawing her hand from Zeke’s and ignoring his scowl.
On their third break, Josette didn’t come home, and neither did Luna, but they both returned to the town at the end of their first year of study.
Zeke was nowhere to be seen, and Josette was back to her beautiful, friendly, caring self.
Eight weeks long, the townspeople held their breaths, partially enjoying seeing the two friends together, but waiting for the moment Zeke would appear again.
That was why they missed the signs.
The knowing smiles. The shy blushes. The gentle touches. The locking of pinkies, only to quickly release again.
They saw it, but they missed the meaning behind it.
On their first break from college during their second year of study, the young women didn’t come home. They also spent their second break in the dorm.
When they returned home on their first break, the beauty of spring and the glow of love surrounded them.
A ripple spread through the small-town community when Josette and Luna walked down the street to the diner, hand in hand.
They wanted happiness for every young person, and had witnessed how Josette had changed when she was with Zeke. They knew he wasn’t right for her, and wished for the young woman to fall in love with one of their own.
Now she had, but it — Josette and Luna — wasn’t what they had expected.
It was only the next day that the town got some answers.
Mr. Green’s eyes shone brightly when the two young women entered his grocer.
“Good morning, Mr. Green!” Josette said, smiling at him from the door, her fingers tangled with those of Luna.
“Josette, Luna, good morning, ladies. It’s so good to see you,” he said, and as an afterthought he added: “… together.”
“Thank you, Mr. Green. It means a lot that you approve,” Josette said, smiling first at him, then at Luna.
“Well…” Mr. Green started.
“Oh gosh,” Josette exclaimed, “I’m sorry. I assumed… I mean… I thought…”
Mr. Green raised his hand to stop the stammering young woman.
“Of course, I approve, dear Josette. We all do. All we ever want is for our young people to find their way in life and love. We were worried about you last year, you know… with Zeke.”
Josette nodded, a serious expression on her face, while Luna smiled gently.
“I know,” Josette said.
She looked pensive for a while. Luna squeezed her hand, and Josette smiled at her.
“I was also worried about myself. I liked Zeke, but he liked me in a different way. He wanted things from me I couldn’t give him, and thought if we were in a relationship, he would get them. I thought so too. That I could… change.”
She blushed as she said this, but pushed on.
“Many nights I stood at my bedroom window, looking at the moon and missing Luna. I think Zeke sensed I loved her the way he said he loved me. He didn’t like it, felt rejected… became possessive… abusive…”
Her voice trailed off. Luna pulled her closer, hugged her and kissed her cheek.
Josette looked at her, love shining in her eyes, and her voice became stronger.
“So many nights we talked. Talked and talked and talked. We needed to accept us first, before others could.”
Mr. Green beamed.
“I have only one thing to ask,” he said.
The two young women looked at him expectantly.
“Are you happy?”
Josette and Luna's eyes locked in a loving embrace, and huge smiles formed around their faces.
“Yes,” they exclaimed simultaneously, “yes, we are!”
Mr. Green laughed at the enthusiasm of the two.
“Then that’s all that’s important,” Mr. Green said. “Some might find it uncomfortable at first, but they will get used to it.”
He chuckled.
“We’ve never had a same-sex couple here before. That’s how they say it in the city, right?”
The young women laughed at the mock-confusion on his face, and nodded.
“The townspeople will get used to it. Might take a while, but they will.”
And they did. All everyone in the small one-street town cared about was for their own to be happy…
Even though some still talked behind their hands whenever Josette or Luna were in town.
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