Beginning Anew

No change.

It was exactly as she remembered it. Her grandmother’s store and home had always been a constant for her. The one thing that never changed. Even as the years wore on, the surrounding building changed colors, shapes and owners, the streetlamps were repainted brown, 12 East Dove St. remained the same.

It used to give her comfort that the worn sign always read Evans Herbalist and Apothecary, that the storefront was always an old fashioned dark wood with numerous glass panes through which you could see into the store with its shelves and racks of goods. Beyond all that, the familiar counter, the door that lead to the back room – which had another door that lead to the stairs which lead upstairs… to her grandmother’s apartment.

Now, it just broke her heart.

Nanbury Evans shook her head and turned away. Her car was a small purple hatchback, ridiculously old and worn. Her luggage, all of her life’s belongings, was in two suitcases strapped on top of the roof. The backseat held her grocery shopping that she’d done on the way. The boot held her precious guitar and violin. In the front seat, two cats snuggled together, asleep and peacefully oblivious.

The suitcases were first she decided. She began the task of undoing the straps, careful not to jostle them. She felt the back of her neck prickle uncomfortably and looked to her left. An elderly woman stood there, staring at her. Her lips, currently in an “o”, were painted a fluorescent pink and she had a thick woolen gray shawl around her shoulders.

“Hello,” Nan said, after a moment passed and the woman did not move or say anything.

She seemed to come to life, clasping her hands and breaking into a smile. Her eyes creased at the corners and took on a twinkle.

“Nanbury!”