“Well, I don’t mind if your mom comes along. We could get her a few nice things.” She added, thoughtfully.
“No, it’s fine. She will be just fine at home.”
“But we can still get her a few nice things.” she blinked.
“Definitely.” I smiled.
“Come on now,” she gulped down the remnants in her cup and set it on the table. “Grab your purse.” She rose to her feet.
“Alright.” I pushed back the chair and hurried to the counter. I put some things in place, took off my apron, grabbed my purse, and then we left the shop.
Daisy and I wove through the bustling streets of Sunnyvale, heavily laden with our previous shopping. And when I thought we were just about to round off the series of excursions, Daisy paused in front of a boutique window. Apparently, something must have caught her eye, and it was a sparkling display of necklaces and pairing earrings.
“Oh my God, that looks gorgeous. I’m sure it would be perfect for the little white dress you wore earlier.” Daisy gasped. She pointed at one that was made out of gold, it was simple, with a clean-cut ruby in the center.
“But do we have to get it, Daisy?”
“Hm, hmm.” she nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Oh, Daisy, it doesn’t really matter.”
“I still want to get it, yes, I’ll get it for your Mom.” She said, rushing to the door. I had no choice but to follow her.
Pushing through the door, we were immediately welcomed by the cheerful chime of the bell. The shop was quite large and relatively filled to the brim with alluring jewelry.
Daisy flitted from one display to another, trying on rings and draping necklaces over her neck. I just watched while she made her selections. At last, we got to where the necklace that had attracted us was, and then she even took time to admire it further.
“It’s a limited edition of Chopard.” A female voice came behind us, and a smiling face appeared. It turned out she was the shop owner.
“What do you think?” Daisy asked.
“I think you have an eye for good things.” She beamed a smile.
Daisy and I exchanged glances, knowing that her comment was expected of every business owner keen on making brilliant sales. As it was, Daisy did not actually require her opinion to buy the jewelry in the first place. She was going to buy it, anyway.
As we moved towards the counter to make purchases, Daisy caught sight of another piece of jewelry, this time it was neither a necklace nor a pair of earrings but a headband adorned with pearls.
“It’s a trend these days,” she mentioned. “I hoped to get one.” She smiled, adding the accessory to the cart. Finally, the cashier summed up our bill, we paid and left the boutique.
When we boarded a taxi, I found a moment of respite, reclining in my seat while Daisy quickly tapped on her phone screen. She was responding to important messages about work, she said. I told her to take her time; hanging out with her was nice.
“Aw,” she hugged me before proceeding with what she was doing.
Looking out the window, I let the freshness that accompanied the breeze caress my face. I watched how people trooped in and out of shops, cafes, and bookstores and how the streets bustled in everyday activities. It was all nice to watch. However, my attention suddenly shifted to a large crowd of people in front of a tall skyscraper. A chorus of sirens and revving of the present heavy machinery seemed to announce something. The building was about to come down.
“Oh my God,” I was alarmed as I tried to keep the activity in sight even as the taxi sped on further away from the terrible scene.
A loud thud immediately followed, shaking the earth.
“What’s that sound?” Even Daisy was jolted out of consciousness about what she was doing.
Impatiently staring back, she must have figured it out, for she said;
“That’s one big blow. Are you okay?” I heard her concerned voice, but I felt inhibited to respond.
For a fleeting moment, I was not myself. I remembered how the machinery circled the perimeter of the building like hungry predators. It was a hideous sight. I hated seeing buildings get demolished.
It never just meant material destruction; I also viewed it as sentimental value destruction.