Rose and Sandalwood

Episode 13

*Rose is basically a wife who has run away from home to "find" herself. She meets lots of interesting people on her journey. One person Rose meets is a man named Sandalwood. Here is the story of their meeting.*

I am going to tell you about the meeting of Rose and a lovely man named Sandalwood. It was one of those days, Rose was pining for Blond Tobacco and her old life. It didn't happen often, only when it rained. Those were the days she would sit inside and look out at the world, shrouded in a veil of raindrops, and remember sitting at home with Blond Tobacco. Rose would be knitting a pair socks while sipping on hot, freshly-made coffee while Blond Tobacco would sit and smoke his pipe and reminisce about his childhood. Blond Tobacco told stories so well, he had a deep soothing voice and he spoke slowly and descriptively, Rose always felt like she was going back in time as she listened to his stories.
Well this day, Rose was many many miles away from her husband and had not and would not speak to him for months. She was looking out at the canal and the grey skies and the huge chestnut trees that were dripping with rain.
It suddenly occurred to her that she had nothing to read, and that a good book and a nice cup of freshly brewed coffee was just what she needed on this wet dreary day.
So Rose donned her fancy flowery wellington boots, and her long coat, she grabbed her umbrella and headed for the bookstore which was about two blocks from her flat, walking along by the canal.
It was an enjoyable walk and the only other creatures she met walking out in such weather was a family of ducks.
When Rose got to the book shop, she had to go through the rigmarole of closing and shaking her umbrella before she entered, and and then once inside she began unbuttoning her mac before hanging it on the coat stand to drip. As she was taking off her mac her arm swung out and hit a man right in the chest, it had clearly winded him.
"Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" Rose exclaimed, she couldn't believe what she had just done. It looked like the man was in his 70's and he seemed a little frail. He took a moment to catch his breath and then he looked at Rose in the eye and said, "If you don't mind me saying, young lady, that's some right-hook you've got there! " It was many years since Rose had been called a young lady and she couldn't help but smile even though she felt mortified. He had a very soft but deep voice and even though it was pouring with rain he had no hat or coat with him. He wore a thick brown sweater and dark brown woollen pants.

"Rose felt so bad for belting the man that she forgot all about her book and wanted very much to make it up to him. "I really feel bad about swiping you like that but I'm also feeling a bit lonely today. Do you mind if I buy you a coffee?" Rose motioned to the coffee area at the back of the book shop.
"It's been many a year since a young lass like yourself asked me for a coffee, I will have to accept" the man smiled and showed a very well kept set of teeth.

Rose and Sandalwood bonded over two cups of coffee. They shared the same keen interest in classical literature, both had read "A Tale of Two Cities" 3 times. They also shared a love of cooking as well as making and drinking good coffee. But it was more than that that made Rose feel so at home in this mans' company, there was something about Sandalwood that reminded her of Blond Tobacco, a mellow note in his voice, a ancient wise look in his eye, something that told her that Sandalwood was an old man even while he was a boy, something that was definitely true of her husband also.

So they stayed talking until the book shop closed at the end of the day and it was then that Rose realised that Sandalwood owned the bookshop. After that on any rainy day, instead of feeling lonely Rose donned her coat and grabbed her umbrella and headed down for a chat with her new old-friend Sandalwood.

TO be continued...