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         Night made its arrival, welcomed by the light of the street lamps turning on. A bright eyed boy in distance of one of the lamps sits on a bench. He sings in harmony with the delicate sound of picking from the guitar he held, in front of an italian restaurant. Passer-bys take notice to the young boy’s talent, as well as his omitted demure. Only paying him with an eager smile as they continue on—which appeared to be all the satisfaction that he needed. Below the wooden seat lays Minzi. A kooiker hound. She thanks the strangers for their payment. Giving them a happy wag in return with her silky white tail trailing along the chilled pavement tiles.

         Across from the young busker, one of the restaurant’s employees accompanies him as a listener from afar. The man’s curiosity aroused from catching a note or two coming in from someone entering from the kitchen’s back door. A hairline of smoke rose from his lighten cigarette. One that he managed to sneak in with a custom pocket fixated within the right-side of the bigger pockets of his black faded jeans. It was close to closing time anyways, he thought. All that remained was to clean up. Rationalizing that he might as well treat himself to a smoke from a long hectic day.

         “Honestly Antonio!”

         Harsh hacking noises disrupt his anticipated moment of relaxation. From a fellow co-worker coming out for a breath of fresh air. To her surprise, she was instead greeted by a nebulous body of carbon monoxide. With exaggerated gasps for cleaner air, she tries to wave away the smoke with her hand. To which, Antonio rolls his eyes and continues.



         “ You’ve finished early.”  Her face contorts in a scowl. Placing one hand into the front pocket of her hunter green apron, and the other to brush back a few loose locks of her curly ginger springs.

         “ I should say the same to you Nora.” Countering back in a raspy voice.

         “ Hah.” Nora barks. “Pardon me. Unlike some people, I have been busy at work. I came outside to catch a quick breather.”

         “ That doesn’t give you the right to boss me around outside my father’s building and be poking into my business. You’re-” He does his best to maintain his anger. He exhales a smokey sigh. “ Just remember, you’re here position is temporary, and was graciously given to you by my father.”

         “ That may be.” she grabs hold of the hand with the cigarette in it. “ But yet, isn’t it sort of ironic that the part timer is accomplishing double the amount that the full time is?” She fights with his resistance. “ Just for the record, your father—who just so happens to be a good friend of mine— gave me permission to me to keep you in line.” She concludes by snatching the cigarette and crushes it beneath her white canvas sneaker.

         “ Tch.” He growls in frustration, shoving his shaking fists into the pockets of his jeans. An interval of silence divides the two for the time being.

When the fumes of their spat disperse, the melodic sound of plucking pierces through the tense atmosphere. Clearing a way for the sound of the boy's voice as well.



         “ Wow.”

         “That kid’s got some remarkable talent.” Antonio compliments.

         “I know. I can’t believe how good he’s gotten.” With her hand she lifts her wavy bangs from her forehead in awe. “ And in such a short time too.” Both Antonio and her watch as the boy’s music lifts the spirits of his audience. It was almost as if he had casted a spell on whoever was within range of hearing him.

         “ Wait. You know that boy?”

         “ Yes.” She answers while removing her apron.

         “ Is he like, your nephew or something?” Nora folds the apron over her arm and chuckles.

         “ No. Nothing like that at all.” Giving Antonio a playful nudge, she says. “ He’s staying with me at my grandparents house. You know, that one that I stay in each year?”

         “ Right.” He digs at an itch on the lower side of his face. “ Where’d you find him?”

Nora stays silent.

         “Nora?”

         “Actually, he... found me.”