A New Kind of Freedom

"Yes… I know," Weruche places a garland on her combed out afro, "I know. I'll have the pictures ready for review by Monday." 

She rolls her eyes but musters the politeness to say "Okay, Samantha." She pauses, hand on her hip as her brows knit and she sucks in a breath. "Yes, Samatha. Have a good day." 

Weruche shudders as she takes off her wireless earphones and sets them on the table, releasing an exasperated breath as she does so. 

The door swings open and in walks her roommate, Tami. "Spring fest bitches!" She's holding flute glasses and Weruche bursts into an elated squeal as she takes one; they cling glasses and gulp down their mimosas.   

Tami places her glass on the bedside table, "Weruche, I need a different shirt," she whines as she walks into Weruche's closet.

Weruche rolls her eyes before walking into the closet where she leans on the wall with folded arms and an amused squint,  "Tami, I didn't know we share one closet now," she laughs.

Tami turns to her with a pout, "I just need something with a loose fit," she holds a plain white t-shirt against her upper body, "you have an abundance of them." She blows Weruche a kiss and they both laugh as Weruche indulges her by catching it. 

"Which do you prefer?" Tami asks replacing the white with a burgundy. Weruche points to the white, "change into corduroy shorts and it'll be a much cuter outfit."Tami smiles widely, "you're a lifesaver!" She exclaims before scuttling out of the room. 

Weruche stands by the full-length mirror examining her reflection. Her subtly freckled copper skin is nicely exposed by the simple ditsy satin dress she has paired with square-toed slippers. 

She walks over to Tami's messy room and frowns, "is this outfit carnival enough?"  

Tami nods, "maybe wear sneakers with the dress? Or sturdier slippers…those are very brunch." She has changed into the outfit Weruche recommended and paired that with chunky sneakers. She follows Weruche into her room and walks to the table, "you left the bluer one for me," she smiles and places it over her thick cornrows, "thanks!" 

Weruche is distracted by her footwear dilemma. An alarm goes off indicating it is past noon, she kicks off the square-toed pair and carefully fits her manicured feet into open-toed strappy sandals. 

"I like…" Tami says. "Who were you talking to, frustrated?" Tami picks up an old toothbrush and begins laying her edges. 

"Samantha." Weruche unplugs her power pack and stuffs it in her fanny pack, " think she's a bit anxious, and I  get it… It's her first time using a freelance photographer, but she needs to chill." 

"She does… always stressing my girl out." Tami touches up her lipgloss and smiles at her reflection. "You also need to do better with time hun."

Weruche frowns guiltily, "Yeah, I know." 

Tami walks over and hugs her, "don't worry, you just started freelancing, you'll get a hang of good service in no time." 

Weruche smiles, thankfully, "I'm getting a PA," she chuckles, "thank God I have good clients, so I know it would be worthwhile for some high school senior or first-year student." 

Tami laughs, "that's the spirit!" 

An alarm goes off and Tami frowns, "We're gonna miss out on the good food," she groans. 

Weruche turns off the light and smiles, "ready." 

Weruche slips in her earbuds and Tami gets a phone call as they walk to the elevator. 

In the ride down, Weruche is distracted by her music but notices when Tami's demeanour changes. She pauses the music and watches her roommate with curious concern. Tami curses at the person she's speaking to and ends the call. She curses some more as she takes out the bottle in her backpack and takes a heavy gulp. 

"Tami?"

"It's fine Weruche… I don't want to talk about it." 

Brows knit with deep concern "You sure?"

Tami nods and leans against the wall. Weruche watches her for a moment but the elevator dings and opens before she can say more. 

Tami links arms with Weruche, "nothing is going to ruin today."

Weruche smiles, "okay." 

The walk to the park isn't long, the two women laugh and talk as they weave through the crowd of people dressed in clothes that express the general sigh of relief now that the snow has officially stopped falling. "I can't believe last week we were still shovelling snow," Weruche says as she looks around wide-eyed.

"That's how it is," Tami laughs, "you'll get used to it." 

Weruche nods. 

They cross the street and join a growing herd of people heading towards the park. Each street pole is wrapped with beautifully crafted strings of various colours of paper flowers— which adequately builds her excitement, and Weruche smiles once the sprawling green park comes into view. She pulls a disposable camera out of her fanny pack and Tami watches patiently as she takes a few shots of the greenery and unfolding festivities. 

"Okay," Weruche sighs and they continue into the festival. 

A large banner— held up by flower coated structures, reads 'Spring Blossom Festival' in hand-painted script circled by various doodled flowers, leads people into the park.

At the far end of the park, a stage is being mounted and equipment connected by technicians. 

As they slowly stroll on the slightly damp grass, Weruche spots a family setting up a picnic on a blanket. The mother and older daughter layout the food that's neatly stacked in the basket. The father balances the younger girl on his arm and distracts her by playing with the plastic flower clips in her hair. 

Tami tugs at her arm and she looks away from the family, "yeah?" She asks

"Nothing," Tami chuckles, "although, we need to find something to eat before I faint." 

"Already?" Weruche laughs 

Tami frowns and nods. "Yes. Already." 

Weruche soaks in her environment. The sun on her skin and the feeling of the cool breeze grazing her bare arms giving her goosebumps. 

As they walk by a pastry stand, Weruche is pulled over by the brightness of a cupcake topped with neatly piped pink frosting the shape of a tulip; besides these cupcakes are others crowned with flowers that range from roses to sunflowers. She smiles and takes in the rest of the pastries—pies and cakes with bright and cleanly designed icings and frosting.

Tami pokes her, "they're pretty right?"

Weruche nods just as the owner walks over. She's a woman with a tattoo sleeve and blonde hair in a French braid, she smiles warmly, "Hello ladies," she speaks with a Southern twang to her accent.  

Weruche and Tami smile, "what kind of pie is that?" Tami asks pointing at a lilac coloured item. The baker begins to explain the components of the pastry, but Weruche is distracted by the cupcake layout. The baker didn't just set them on display cases, she placed them in a way that gave the illusion of the sort of bouquet you want from a lover. "Can I take a picture?" Weruche inquires, she distractedly takes out her camera. "Definitely," the baker replies with an amused smile. 

Weruche captures the pastries and for the last shot asks the baker to step in. She smiles, satisfied, "I'll have a pecan and apple pie please," she says. Tami gets a cupcake with sunflower icing and the two women leave. 

"This is amazing," Tami gasps 

"This too." Weruche says, speaking with her mouth filled with the pie that was bursting with the perfect blend of cinnamon, pecan and apples, "I think there's a hint of lime… and oh my God, it works!"

"This," she holds up her half-eaten cupcake, "is an orange cupcake with lime cream cheese filling." She licks her lips, "I don't know how she did it, but she did it well." 

Weruche nods and her attention goes back to her pie. 

They dispose of their trash in a nearby bin and sip the mimosas in bottles Tami made sure she packed. "What next?" Tami inquires as she stretches. Weruche adjusts her garland and looks around, more stalls are fully set up and the variety is making her squirm with excitement. 

A few feet away she sees a small stand with an African American couple discussing how to place candles, jars and bottles. Raina’s Scents is elegantly printed on a white flag, Weruche tugs at Tami’s arm. “We need candles,” she says. 

Tami rolls her eyes, “no we don’t.”

Weruche ignores her and walks over to the stand. The man sees her first and offers a welcoming smile, “hello.” he says, “welcome to Raina’s Scents.”

She smiles, “thank  you.” 

The woman sets the items quietly, but her demeanour is welcoming. She stands back and eyes the arrangement, nods contentedly and turns to Weruche and Tami with a newfound concentration. “Hello ladies,” her voice is warm and confident, “welcome to Raina’s Scents.”

Weruche smiles, “thank you.”

"Is it just candles?" Tami asks 

The woman shakes her head, "we make perfumes," she picks up a bottle with a slender neck, "try this." She picks up a stick and sprays the perfume on it, she waves it in the air a bit and then holds it out to the ladies. Tami leans in first and inhales, her eyes widen as a smile slowly forms on her face. "It smells delicious," she pulls Weruche over. She leans in and a rich creamy smell that she can't identify takes over her senses. The woman notices her confusion, "it's a creme brulee fragrance." 

Weruche frowns, "I don't know about walking around smelling like food," she chuckles 

"I love the idea of walking around smelling like food." Tami counters, "anymore where that came from?"

The woman nods and the two of them begin discussing the different fragrances. Weruche stands back and watches with amusement as Tami takes more scent cards and expresses her curiosity in a comical manner. 

"Would you like to smell some candles?"

She turns to the man, who steps back. "Sure, why not?"

"Let me get you something with flowers," he waits a moment and then picks up a candle. He holds it to her, she takes it and hesitantly holds it to her nose. She can recognise lime, but the mix is strange to her. "What's in it?" 

"There's some jasmine, iris, lime, sea salt and fresh-cut grass," he smiles, "I think it suits your personality." 

She laughs, "maybe… or you're just saying that to be a good salesman."

He shakes his head, "you're presently wearing a scent that's majorly lavender," he pauses, "that gives me insight into what might appeal to you." 

She considers his words and then nods, "okay. I'm buying this candle." She smiles and he nods. 

Tami buys two bottles of perfume and Weruche gets a complimentary candle to the first, something he described as woodland. 

"We need food now… real food." 

Tami nods. 

Before arriving at a barbecue stand, both girls haggle prices with a woman who sells small retro handbags with hand-painted floral patterns. They also stop at a painting stand where Weruche chooses a delicate floral pattern that is carefully imprinted on her arm while Tami gets a pattern painted around her left eye. Through this, Weruche takes photos of kids playing with soap bubbles and a couple circled by a crowd watching their magic performance. 

Balancing different food items, they settle their mini feast on a foldable garden table already occupied by three men that Weruche gauges are in their early twenties. They each give a welcoming smile and the ladies return the gesture as they get comfortable. 

"We need water," Tami stands "I'll go get some." 

Before Weruche can object Tami has walked away. She picks a fry and chews idly. Her eyes land on her freshly painted hand and she smiles. She eats another fry and her thoughts dance on to Samantha, her newest client— the CEO and Editor-in-chief of an interior design magazine. Weruche had enjoyed the shoots, although the snowy days meant less sunlight which meant more editing. She looks around at the brightness of the once dreary park and a wide smile set on her face. 

A stone throw away, two girls are chasing each other with squirt guns. Both are laughing wildly as they flawlessly aim their guns at each other. The purity of their happiness intrigues her as she recalls days playing similar games with her sisters. She remembers when they were at the Holi festival, the year before, and they had thrown paint balloons at each other. 

She wonders if the girls' elation at the exit of winter and all the cooping up it demands can be quantified. The freedom in their running and laughing shows that it can't. 

The girls stop playing once an older lady that Weruche decides is their mother sternly asks them to sit. They do so obediently, but there's a contentedness to their tamer smiles.  Weruche looks away as they begin to eat. 

Her eyes meet one of the men, his coily hair is kept out of his face by a bandana, he smiles at her and she politely does the same. 

"I like your garland," he points to his head.

She nods, "thank you."

"I also like your hand paint"

She chuckles, "Thank you." 

He holds out his hand, "I got one too." A lone flower sits on his bicep.  

"Pretty." She says.

They both laugh.

A comfortable silence settles, though they are both smiling. She begins eating her pizza and he picks up a sticky wing. 

"What's a normal day for you?" 

She looks at him, "I'm a photographer and visual branding consultant." 

He nods, impressed. "I'm an accountant at a record company." 

"I forget that record companies have those," she laughs.

He smiles, "many people do." 

Tami approaches them and Weruche smiles up at her. 

"Water is harder to find than booze." She laughs and places the bottles on the table. The accountant smiles at her and she looks to Weruche. 

"Who's your new friend?"

He hears and holds out his hand, "Jonathan."

Weruche laughs and she shakes his hand, "Jonathan, nice to meet you… I'm Weruche."

He smiles wider, "that's a foreign name."

She nods. "That's my friend, Tami."

Tami smiles, though she's distracted by her food. "Nice to meet you." 

The three begin to eat. Weruche's stomach flutters with a wave of delight as he edges closer to the women. 

As their eating progresses, Jonathan introduces his friends— Aaron and Paul. Eventually, all five of them are engaged in a heated conversation about which of the best vocalists in the two bands that will be playing has a better range and Weruche feels content. She's missed socialising, working for herself has become an annihilator to her free time.

"Would you like to go for a walk?" Jonathan asks

She nods,  "I'd like to go for a walk."

Tami kicks her discreetly and she returns to gesture. 

The foldable garden tables and chairs function as a maze for their walk. 

"So, what brings you to this year's Spring Blossom fest?" He asks 

She shrugs, "I just moved into town, been here since January."

"Where did you live before?"

"L.A… for a few months." 

He nods. "Sounds exciting. I've been a few times."

She is too busy repressing the thoughts of the reason for her move, so doesn't respond.  

They continue down a path lined with bright green shrubs dotted with budding flowers. She notices them and remembers the hibiscus patch that grew in her childhood compound. She ignored them all the years she lived there, but now, the sight of such bright flowers attracts her attention. Not just that, it latches on and ushers nostalgic thoughts. Spring, for her, brings more than the rebirth that is its general narrative. It links her to her mother, a strong woman who gardened every day and on special days, like Christmas service, would place flowers in her children's neatly styled hair. 

Spring, for Weruche, gives breathing ground to people as opposed to winter which brings limits and barricades. 

"I've travelled wide," she says, "but I've never been settled in a town long enough to sit and smell the roses." 

He laughs, "I'm going to take that literally."

"I think you should," she laughs too. 

They stop and he leans on a pole. He starts talking about the town he grew up in and how the people always found excuses to celebrate things. He absentmindedly breaks a pink flower from its place and she fishes out her camera to capture this moment— a beautiful man fiddling with a flower. 

He smiles once she's done. "I'm going to take that as a compliment."

She laughs, "I think you should." 

He reaches over and places the flower in her hair. "Perfect." 

She looks away shyly, he steps to her side and they silently agree to walk back to the group. 

The sun has started its descent, dousing the park in a purple hue that Weruche cannot ignore. She pulls out her camera again and captures the moment. 

When the pair return, they have paper flower jewellery that they made at a stand run by teenagers raising money for a spring break trip. Weruche hands them out to everyone and watches with glee as they put them on. 

"You two have been busy," Tami teases as she wraps Weruche in a quick hug after smiling at her sunflower pin with contentment. Jonathan sits beside Weruche and she likes the warm feeling radiating off him. 

Once a guitarist takes the stage and strums the chords to a song, the crowd cheers and hoots and claps as the joy of spring bursts forth in their excitement. Tami stands on her spot on the bench and cheers with her hands in the air. 

"Welcome to Spring Blossom Fest!" 

Weruche's cheers as she lets herself be consumed by the freedom of spring.