Chapter Four: Carmen

When I arrived at the market, I was assaulted with a variety of odours from all directions. Cooked and raw meat, spices, candies, fried insects, fruits and vegetables, baked goods, and so on. When I get out of the truck, I stroll around aimlessly, colliding with a powerful chest and landing on my rear.

"Crap," I exclaim.

"Oh! Sorry!" As they help me up, a deep voice apologizes.

"It's o-- oh my, you're tall," I exclaim, looking up. He stood at least 6'0" tall.

His skin is olive, and his features are crisp and angular, as though chiselled to perfection. He had a narrow nose. As he stares down at me with a mix of amusement and horror in his grey eyes, his lips are twisted into a smirk, his dirty blond brown eyebrows that match his tousled hair knotted in confusion.

"Thank you, I guess?"

I apologize, "Oh sorry, I didn't intend to say that out loud."

"Don't sweat it. By the way, my name is Noah. Noah Walker, "he says, extending his hand

"Carmen Hernández," I said, shaking it.

"What brings you to the farmers market, Carm?" he asks, his arm around my shoulder.

"I'm just looking."

He points out where things are sold, the nicest vendors, and the ones to avoid as we walk.

"And here is the famous Krysty!" he exclaims as we come to a halt in front of a produce stand with a 'help wanted' sign that catches my eye.

"Shut the fuck up before you lose your tongue," yells a girl, whom I assume is Krysty.

I chuckle.

"Oh, I didn't notice you were there; this jerk irritates me at times. My name is Krystyna, but you can call me Krys or Krysty," she said, giving me a warm smile.

"Nice to meet you, do you have any openings?" I ask, pointing at the sign.

"Yes," she says, "but no one appears to want to work for me."

Noah sarcastically remarks, "I wonder why."

"I swear to God, I'll--" Krysty begins, but I interrupt her.

"What positions do you have available?" I ask.

"I pay $20 an hour for each job, which includes gardening, kid's entertainment, and delivery," she says.

"I'll do it. Everything, " I say.

"O-ok. I-I-I'm going to get the papers! "She stutters ecstatically.

"Every third Wednesday, you deliver, you're with the kids on Friday, and you bring produce in every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday," she explains as she hands me all the paperwork to complete.

"Wow, that's a huge list of things to grow," I observe as I scan the lengthy list.

Tomatoes, radishes, carrots, lettuce, bell peppers, cucumbers, garlic, basil, chives, mint, rosemary, spinach, blackberries, apples, raspberries, cherries, figs, pear, and watermelon. Just a few examples.

As I sign the documents, she says, "How fast can you grow all that?"

"All 40 items? Maybe two and a half weeks?"

"That's not gardening, my friend; that's MAGIC!" exclaims Noah.

Krysty hands me $60 and adds, "I found a new friend today."

"Well, I've got to go, but I'll see you in two days?" I ask.

"Yep,"

Noah pouts, "And I'll be here too."

"I know you will,"

We exchange numbers, and I wave as I walk back to my truck.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

With the $60, I drive over to the store and buy a lot of seeds. With the eighty dollars in my wallet, I also purchase an automatic sprinkler system and other items that I may need.

When I go home, there is no one there. After putting on my gloves, the first thing I do is head to our large backyard. Mowing, pruning, preparing the garden beds, clearing space for the five trees, adding soil and manure, sowing the seeds, and programming the sprinkler to water on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

I'm filthy and stinking when I'm done. So I hurry to shower and change into sweatpants and a tank top. I hear someone barging into the house as I take a tub of Ben & Jerry's chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream from the fridge.

"Hey, sis," I say, knowing that only Cami could do such a thing.

"Hey, I've got something for you," she says.

"What?" I ask, as I grab a spoon and walk into the living room to meet her.

"Here. Your old one is so cracked that you need one "she explains.

She offers me a blue iPhone 12 pro max with a transparent phone case, and I gasp.

"I'm sorry, but I can't take those," I say.

"I figured you'd say that, so I didn't take the receipt, which means there's no way to return it," she says.

She grins as I stare at her, perplexed.

I take the products and say, "Touché."

Mami and Papi walked into the house as I was setting up my new phone.

"Girls, we've been invited to a ball by the Royal Family!" Mami exclaims.

My mouth forms an 'O' shape and I almost drop my new phone.

"What is it about?" Sitting next to me, Cami asks.

"Here-- oh! careful!" Mami says as she hands me an envelope bearing the royal seal.

"Have you opened it yet?" I ask, looking at it.

She responds, "I was too nervous."

"Your family has been invited to a royal ball by the Royal Family. The royal family is throwing a ball in the hopes of finding the prince a wife. The event's theme will be 'A Masquerade in the Fall.' We recommend that you wear red or orange if you want to win the prince's heart. Wear yellow if you're not going to the ball to win the prince's love, but just want to mingle and enjoy a glass of wine. All men must wear black. The ball will take place on August 17th from 8:00 p.m. until 12:00 a.m. We hope to see you there."

I'm getting less and less excited as I read the invitation aloud.

"Before you get excited, Mami," I continue, "I don't want to go."

"You can't stay; if you both go, we'll have a better chance," Mami says putting down her notepad and pencil, and reaching to hold my hand.

"You guys know that I'm not as ambitious as Cami; she wants to marry a wealthy man, but I just want to settle down and start a family. Plus, the prince would never even look my way," I explain.

"Even if you aren't chosen, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it," Cami says, holding my other hand.

I grumble, "Fine."

"Perfect," Mami claps excitedly as she begins to take down notes again.