White Tulips & Wedding Cake

by Jonathan Solomon

  The waitress returned to the table with their drinks. Again, there was an awkward silence. Once the drinks were placed down on the table, the waitress went hurriedly back to the café kitchen.

  “You don’t think I’m capable of making a scene in public? I know I love my chocolate but I’ll make an exception this time. Watch this,” said Camille as she picked up the iced chocolate. “You contact me after many, many months of not hearing from you. Yes, you live your own life, but I’m clearly not even a small part of your picture. And you’re marrying a man. After everything that’s happened! You’ve embarrassed me.”

  Camille got to her feet and poured the iced chocolate over Anthony’s lap.

  “What are you doing?” spluttered Anthony as he felt the ice cold liquid seep into his jeans. The café suddenly went into a silent hush.

  “Oops,” said Camille in faux surprise as she put a hand to her chest in mock apology. “Clearly, I wasn’t thinking about what I was doing. That is, me coming here in the first place.”

  Anthony looked down at the mess he was in.

  Camille put her sunglasses back over her eyes and casually walked out of the café. She looked both ways before crossing the road. She unlocked her car, stepped back into the driver’s seat, slammed the door and drove off.

  Chapter 5

  Saturday, 7 April – 8:02 pm

  Iris and Ollie returned to their unit that evening. Iris checked her mailbox, and looked through the bundle of letters. As she moved one envelope behind each other, she had a smile she was not able to take off her face. It felt superglued on and she was helpless to dim its wattage. She stopped on the stairs when she saw a letter in her mother’s handwriting. These must be the photographs of Jack that her mum was talking about. Iris walked quickly up the rest of the stairs so she could share these photos with Ollie.

  “Ollie, I have some photos!” Iris excitedly called out.

  “Photos? Of?” asked Ollie.

  “My uncle Jack,” said Iris as she moved to the dining table. Iris and Ollie both sat down at the dining table as Iris opened the letter. There was a short letter from her mother:

  Dear Iris,

  Here are the copies of the photos I said I’d get around to posting to you. I know you don’t like surprises but I’m so happy you are inheriting Jack’s Paddington property. I’m surprised myself. I didn’t realise Jack had successfully bought a building in Sydney. But there’s no denying that about Jack. He had ambition. You know the type. Nothing-getting-in-the-way-of ambition. Anyhow, the solicitors told me about Jack’s estate and I am just so happy for you, Iris! Your fortune’s changing and it looks like good things are finally going your way!

  Love, Mum.

  P.S. By the way I have received a parcel of Jack’s personal effects that include mostly paraphernalia and quite a few letters but they’re all written in French, I’m afraid.

  Iris smiled and spread out the slightly colour faded Kodak photographs on the dining table. These photographs were taken around the early 1970s. Iris was now observing a much younger version of herself.

  “Mum, you look so adorable,” said Ollie looking closely at one photo. “Jack’s certainly a very handsome man. Even through the waistcoats he looks like he has a barrel chest. And his face is very tanned with deep laugh lines. He looks very friendly.”

  There were photographs of Jack and Iris holding hands, hugging each other and eating ice-cream together. In these photos, Jack was looking adoringly at Iris, while Iris was laughing in sheer delight.

  “It seems like such a lifetime ago. Time catches up with you so quickly Ollie,” said Iris sadly.

  “And you said he wasn’t married? Or had any children?” asked Ollie.

  “That’s right.”

  “Was he, you know, attracted to…,” asked Ollie tentatively. “Do you think it runs in the family?”

  “I don’t know. He may have liked men. Or he may have just enjoyed his own independence. A confirmed bachelor,” answered Iris.

  “Do you know why he had to leave for France?” asked Ollie.

  “I’m not sure. Maybe Mum knows,” said Iris.

  As Iris looked at the captured images of happier times, her mind took her back to a fleeting memory.

  1973

  Iris recalled being with her mother as a child at Sydney Airport. They were walking to the Departures Lounge where they saw Jack waving and running up to them, giving Gladys a kiss and overwhelming Iris with a bear hug. She then recalled Mum and Uncle engaging in a very serious conversation while Iris was left to read a book, Rapunzel, on a bench. Iris realised there was another person, an older man, who joined the conversation. She thought it might have been someone who worked at the airport. Then her mother looked angry and had called out Iris’s name. Iris had got up to her feet and put the book back into her mother’s bag. Gladys grabbed Iris’s hand and held it firmly as they walked out of the Departures Lounge. Whilst walking, Iris turned around to catch a glimpse of Jack, who now held his head in his hands. Iris could feel her mother’s grip tightening on her right hand. Iris was perplexed by the whole thing, but had turned around to wave at her uncle. Jack had somehow seen Iris wave and as he lifted his head he waved back at her. Iris and her mother then left the periphery of the airport buildings and walked towards the carpark.

  “Have you decided what you’re going to do?” asked Ollie, interrupting Iris’s moment of reverie.

  “Where do I start? So much information! It’s like I’ll need a full month to really absorb this news. But you know what? I think I’ll keep the building. In that butcher space, there is a cold room. That would be really useful to have in a florist shop. In fact I think I’ll start my very own floristry business. And I can quit working for FFS. That just makes me so happy! To no longer have to work for Dahlia. I can’t wait to see her face when she reads my letter of resignation,” said Iris. “Yes, I’m keeping the building. I’ll text Sakura right now about my decision. Oh and the money, Ollie! I can now afford to pay the electricity bill. And on time too!”

  “I am so excited for you, Mum,” said Ollie as Iris typed out a text message and pressed send.

  “And you can work for me if you’d like, as a casual. Earn extra money on top of your bartending job,” offered Iris.

  “Me work for you? Wouldn’t that be weird?” said Ollie.

  “I know family businesses get a bad rap, but we’re really nice people and most important of all, we’re genuine people,” said Iris.

  “What would I do? I only know bartending and I have done perhaps a bit too much travelling. I can’t say that I know anything about the florist trade,” said Ollie.

  “You like riding bikes. You can do deliveries. I’ll have a bike fitted out with a delivery box. That way, flower deliveries can be made promptly,” suggested Iris.

  “Will I have to wear lycra?” asked Ollie.

  “You wear whatever makes you feel comfortable, Ollie.”

  “Awesome! I love wearing lycra. I can do bike deliveries. I don’t have a driver’s licence so I wouldn’t be able to make deliveries by car,” said Ollie as his mood became sad. “You know why I don’t feel comfortable having a driver’s licence.”

  “Yes, I know. I understand. I don’t blame you for Roddy’s death,” said Iris.

  “Okay, I guess if I’m helping you out and staying fit at the same time, I can’t say no,” said Ollie.

  “I’ll order a lycra bike uniform and I’ll pay you as well. I want to help you. You may even reach the elusive dream of having savings,” said Iris with a laugh.

  “For a change!” agreed Ollie.

  “And that upstairs space, I think it’s actually liveable. I might move in there once the place has been spruced up and you are more than welcome to join me,” said Iris.

  “Doesn’t this lease expire at the end of September?” Ollie posed the question.

  “Oh, that’s right. Well, you can continue living here if you want. In any event we’ll get to see more of each other,” said
Iris. “I can make the car deliveries myself. I’m excited thinking about it! My very own floristry van.”

  “What about a name? What will you name your business?” asked Ollie.

  “I am going to call my business, um, let me think. Oh I know! ‘Late Bloomer Blossoms’ because I feel that I have been given a second chance. I’m starting life again and I am already over 50!”

  “To Late Bloomer Blossoms,” Ollie toasted.

  “To Late Bloomer Blossoms,” Iris concurred. “And about that restaurant space, I might have that place spruced up for another business. It would be nice if the restaurant space was brought back to life. I’d be more than happy for a restaurant, bakery or café to make use of that space. I might get Sakura to manage applications and she can provide me with a shortlist.”

  “Look at you! All organised!” marvelled Ollie.

  “I know right! So unlike me,” said Iris. “Oh Ollie, if only Roddy was here. We would all be so happy. So happy together. If only I could share this happiness and amazing time with my Roddy.”

  “Maybe he’s watching over us, and seeing how happy we are at this moment. Maybe Dad is here in this very room celebrating our success. Right here, with us,” said Ollie.

  Iris looked at Ollie and smiled.

  Chapter 6

  Monday, 9 April – 5:00 am

  “Bi-bi-bi-bi-beep, Bi-bi-bi-bi-beep, Bi-bi-bi-bi-beep,” the alarm clock sounded.

  Iris blearily opened her eyes. Even though she slept in on Saturdays and Sundays, she had nowhere near caught up on her sleep. The sleep deficit remained unchanged. Iris groaned herself out of her bed and started getting ready for the working week.

  Over the weekend, Iris received an email from Dahlia outlining the fresh flowers required for this Monday. As usual, every workday morning, Iris went to the Sydney Flower Market, a 35-minute drive from Penrith. In the latest email, Iris was instructed to buy Asiatic Lilies, Banksias, Birds-of-Paradise, Callistemons, Freesias, Hyacinths and Roses. Even though it was so early in the morning Iris did enjoy, to some extent, visiting the large warehouse where the Sydney Flower Markets were held. Iris enjoyed walking through the many aisles of vendors, all standing under rows of bright lights, with their fragrant flowers in buckets, ready for appraisal by florists, wholesalers and retailers. Iris knew quite a few of the vendors on a first-name basis.

  Iris pushed the trolley of flowers towards her car and once loaded into the car, drove the 25 minutes to Bexley. Among the flowers in the front seat was an envelope. This envelope contained Iris’s letter of resignation. As much as she wanted to have a dramatic resignation, possibly with punctuating expletives, Iris knew deep down that she should never burn bridges. Generally it was Dahlia who did the burning. Bridges, people’s feelings and self-esteems were Dahlia’s specialties.

  Iris said good morning to Dahlia quietly as she placed the flowers into the cool room of FFS. Dahlia was a beautiful, muscular and tall woman with long straightened auburn hair. Apparently Dahlia was a top athlete in her local softball team. Dahlia ignored Iris’s presence and worked away at her laptop. Iris waved to the other staff member, Pahi Singh. Pahi, a woman in her late 30s, had bronze umber-coloured skin with long lustrous black hair and deep dark eyes.

  Iris reached into her back pocket and brought out the envelope. She was not sure how to approach Dahlia. Iris cleared her throat and Dahlia glanced up at her with irritation and pursed lips.

  “Sorry to bother you. I have this letter to hand to you. I’ve decided to resign,” said Iris nervously as she handed over the letter to Dahlia. Dahlia took the letter with a perplexed look on her face.

  Pahi was nearby, working on tying together a bouquet of roses with satin purple ribbons and her eyes widened with shock.

  “What do you mean you’re resigning?” barked Dahlia sternly.

  “It’s all explained in the letter,” said Iris.

  Dahlia gave the letter in her hand a dirty look and returned the same dirty look to Iris.

  “I’ll need a moment to read this, if you’ll excuse me,” sniffed Dahlia as she went into the cool room to read the resignation letter.

  Pahi Singh huddled up to Iris and gave Iris a hug.

  “You can’t leave me alone with her. I’ll go mad. You’re my support network, my lighthouse amongst the turbulent waters of Dahlia’s mood changes,“ pleaded Pahi. “Well, how did that happen? Did you win the lottery? And you forgot to share the winnings with me?”

  “No,” said Iris. “It’s not that.”

  “Did you finally get the sugar daddy you always dreamed of?” asked Pahi.

  “No. Not that either” said Iris. “And for the record I don’t dream about sugar daddies.”

  “Uh huh,” doubted Pahi. “Well, how can you afford to resign?”

  “I’ve come into an inheritance,” said Iris.

  “Well, that is good news for you! You don’t have to work for Dahlia anymore. You’re a survivor!” said Pahi, who had cheered up at the thought that there was hope after all. This possibility may be open to Pahi. “You must be very excited.”

  “I am. I still can’t believe it. But you’ll need to leave as well. This place is not good for your mental health and you’ve been here longer than I have. In fact,” said Iris, making sure that Dahlia had not yet left the cool room. “I would like to offer you a job at my new florist store in Paddington.”

  “No way! Get out of here! You do move fast!” said Pahi in astonishment. “Yes! I truly and absolutely do accept.”

  “I just thought we both have good colleague chemistry and it would be a shame to split us up,” said Iris. “But don’t resign just yet, otherwise Dahlia will think I’m stealing you from her.”

  “I follow you, Iris,” said Pahi. “I will use my discretion and wait a couple of days before handing in my notice. Oh Iris, this is so exciting.”

  Pahi jumped up and down on the spot and gave Iris another hug.

  Dahlia slowly rolled opened the cool room and Pahi fled back to her workshop space. Dahlia’s face now had a look of disgust and walked slowly towards where Iris was standing.

  “After everything I’ve done for you, you ungrateful bitch,” said Dahlia in a raised voice. “I’ve given you five years of invaluable experience in the floristry trade and this is how I get thanked. I don’t know if I can find another person with equivalent experience. The money I am going to have to waste on advertising and the time, oh, the time I have to waste to train this new person.”

  “Look Dahlia, my letter did state that I’m happy to serve out my notice period, which should give you enough time to find the right person. I’ll even help train the new person,” offered Iris.

  “No, thank you. You’ll be more of a nuisance than a help. In fact, I want you to leave. Right now, at this very moment. Get your things and just leave. I’ll opt to pay you out in lieu,” said Dahlia with fury. “Now, if you will excuse me, I actually have work to do.”

  Dahlia swanned off back to her laptop and started typing madly away.

  Iris proceeded to walk over to her designated section in the workshop area. She had to collect a few items. Pahi looked over at Iris and gave her two thumbs up.

  Iris found a discarded cardboard box nearby and started to place her personal items in the box. She did not have much to pack. A few coffee mugs, several framed photos of her family before Roddy died and thank-you notes from customers. She knew she had thrown herself hard into work, keeping herself busy and having a distraction from the gaping hole she felt in her heart from Roddy’s passing.

  Once Iris had packed her personal belongings she waved goodbye to Pahi and walked out of FFS. Her back relaxed in a way she never thought possible before. She started to feel that her breathing was less laboured. She felt a freedom inside that was finally released.

  Iris turned around to face the place she had worked so diligently for the past five years. No, she was definitely not going to miss working there. Iris thought of the future and made a decision to call Sakura to
day to assist in finding a suitable tenant for the next-door store space.

  Chapter 7

  Monday, 16 April – 10:09 am

  “Thank you for coming back to my office,” said Sakura as she greeted Iris in the foyer of Foxglove Mimosa Snowdrop Lawyers. Sakura waved Iris through to her office looking out over Hyde Park, past Rushcutters Bay and all the way over to Bondi Junction. Sakura’s office had quite a few framed photographs of cats. Sakura saw Iris looking at the photographs.

  “I live alone and I thought having cats would be a good idea,” explained Sakura.

  “They’re beautiful,” said Iris.

  “Yes they are. So how are you?” asked Sakura as she gestured towards the chair.

  “I’m good, thank you. I feel like I’m starting to turn a corner. I also want to say thank you for looking after the leasing side of things,” said Iris as she sat in the chair facing Sakura’s desk. “I’m very excited about the potential tenants for the store next door.”

  “Yes, I posted the advertisement online a week ago and I have now taken this down as we’ve received quite a few expressions of interest,” said Sakura as she opened a few manila folders on the desk in front of her. “As discussed, you were happy for me to come up with a shortlist of three applications to meet your brief. My understanding is that you’ll make a decision on which application is successful.”

  “Yes, that’s right,” confirmed Iris. “You’ve taken the advertisement down already?”

  “Yes, the advertisement was quite popular due to the rental cost. I was aware you wanted to pitch a lower than market rate for the rental, in consideration of quite a few vacant stores along Oxford street,” said Sakura.

  “Well, there were a lot of empty stores. Maybe the local businesses couldn’t afford the rent as they currently are,” said Iris as she looked out again to appreciate the scenic view outside.