Valentine? Part 2 by Madame Nova Lyrics
The streets of the Asteroid Market were bustling with shoppers heading home for the night. The light of the pastel dusk was overrun by the harsh streetlights on each side of the road. Mars kept walking along the sidewalks, not taking his gaze from the mossy cracks. People hurried by, paying him no attention.
Drowsiness eventually won him over as the streets cleared, more or less, and the roar of the traffic was dimmer. He looked up from the path he walked many times and searched for somewhere to rest.
A lone coffeehouse stood only a few shops away. He hurried on, the sharp wind blowing him back, and pushed through the door.
He was greeted by the smell of warm bread baking and crushed grounds. The lights were low, but many people were playing old-fashioned chess next to the bar. Mars approached the lady at the counter, who was polishing a glass with a stained rag.
"How can I help you?" She asked without glancing up.
"I'll just take a coffee. Medium cup, please, with some milk."
The order was out in only a couple minutes, but the line was empty. Mars made his way silently to a small booth next to the window. He watched the ash trees along the road sway in the wind and the sky fade from warm amber to indigo. Speckled stars appeared in the sky, blocked out by the harsh billboard lights.
He never noticed the door's bell jingle, or the voice speaking to the lady at the counter. Someone slid into the seat in front of him, watching him.
Roused by the movement, Mars turned to look who had sat down.
"Hello." She said.
He gave a smile but couldn't bring himself to speak.
She watched him a little more.
"Your coffee's going to be cold."
"I guess." He took a sip.
The waitress came over to the table with a saucer filled with hot water and a small tea bag. She set the bag in and waited.
"Not much of a fan of Valentine's Day, huh?" She asked.
Mars glanced over, expecting to see sarcasm or a teasing look on her face. It wasn't there. He should have known better.
"Nah," he said.
She inspected his face a little more. Mars met her gaze, startled at the intensity in those glowing yellow eyes.
"I am no stranger to grief," was all she said.
While she gently stirred some sugar into her tea, Mars wondered what that indifferent mask of empathy was hiding.
"I hate Valentine's Day."
"Me too," she said sadly.
"Earth's cards only make it worse."
"That they do."
Mars paused for a moment as she lifted the cup to her lips. "What're you doing all the way out here, in the Asteroid Market?"
She took a long sip. "Just mailing something."
He nodded, though still not understanding. "Why does giving Valentine's Day cards have to be so difficult?"
His acquaintance gently set the cup down on the saucer and shook her head.
"It just is, sometimes." She replied. "But I feel that whoever you gave it to, you were very brave. I understand that."
"Saturn," he said without thinking.
Her gaze softened even more. "Saturn is the nicest planet you'll ever meet. Trust me, you made no mistake."
Mars looked outside again, taking in the glimmering signs and the flashy cars on the road. Then he looked back inside, at the light from outside reflecting off the steam of his coffee and her short, dusty gray hair.
"Thank you."
"I didn't do anything at all," she said and finished her tea. She checked a smart watch on her wrist. "I must be going. Enjoy your coffee," she said.
Mercury stood up and politely waved goodbye to Mars. He watched her leave out the door with a jingle of a bell. He kept watching as she quickly raced home against the light rain that was beginning to fall.
He sat in silence as the rain collected on the coffeehouse window and the steam curled in the air.
Drowsiness eventually won him over as the streets cleared, more or less, and the roar of the traffic was dimmer. He looked up from the path he walked many times and searched for somewhere to rest.
A lone coffeehouse stood only a few shops away. He hurried on, the sharp wind blowing him back, and pushed through the door.
He was greeted by the smell of warm bread baking and crushed grounds. The lights were low, but many people were playing old-fashioned chess next to the bar. Mars approached the lady at the counter, who was polishing a glass with a stained rag.
"How can I help you?" She asked without glancing up.
"I'll just take a coffee. Medium cup, please, with some milk."
The order was out in only a couple minutes, but the line was empty. Mars made his way silently to a small booth next to the window. He watched the ash trees along the road sway in the wind and the sky fade from warm amber to indigo. Speckled stars appeared in the sky, blocked out by the harsh billboard lights.
He never noticed the door's bell jingle, or the voice speaking to the lady at the counter. Someone slid into the seat in front of him, watching him.
Roused by the movement, Mars turned to look who had sat down.
"Hello." She said.
He gave a smile but couldn't bring himself to speak.
She watched him a little more.
"Your coffee's going to be cold."
"I guess." He took a sip.
The waitress came over to the table with a saucer filled with hot water and a small tea bag. She set the bag in and waited.
"Not much of a fan of Valentine's Day, huh?" She asked.
Mars glanced over, expecting to see sarcasm or a teasing look on her face. It wasn't there. He should have known better.
"Nah," he said.
She inspected his face a little more. Mars met her gaze, startled at the intensity in those glowing yellow eyes.
"I am no stranger to grief," was all she said.
While she gently stirred some sugar into her tea, Mars wondered what that indifferent mask of empathy was hiding.
"I hate Valentine's Day."
"Me too," she said sadly.
"Earth's cards only make it worse."
"That they do."
Mars paused for a moment as she lifted the cup to her lips. "What're you doing all the way out here, in the Asteroid Market?"
She took a long sip. "Just mailing something."
He nodded, though still not understanding. "Why does giving Valentine's Day cards have to be so difficult?"
His acquaintance gently set the cup down on the saucer and shook her head.
"It just is, sometimes." She replied. "But I feel that whoever you gave it to, you were very brave. I understand that."
"Saturn," he said without thinking.
Her gaze softened even more. "Saturn is the nicest planet you'll ever meet. Trust me, you made no mistake."
Mars looked outside again, taking in the glimmering signs and the flashy cars on the road. Then he looked back inside, at the light from outside reflecting off the steam of his coffee and her short, dusty gray hair.
"Thank you."
"I didn't do anything at all," she said and finished her tea. She checked a smart watch on her wrist. "I must be going. Enjoy your coffee," she said.
Mercury stood up and politely waved goodbye to Mars. He watched her leave out the door with a jingle of a bell. He kept watching as she quickly raced home against the light rain that was beginning to fall.
He sat in silence as the rain collected on the coffeehouse window and the steam curled in the air.