photo: Spring. Courtesy of R W.H.
CIRCLE OF TWO.
A UNICORNS CHRONICLE BOOK TWO..
BY
Heather Rowan.
On The Doorstep.
Seventeen-year-old Alexandra Mary Hunter got off the bus that had brought her from Piccadilly to Kensington High Street. Thanking the bus driver, she became a ghost, covered herself in shadows, and with her invisible Unicorn Hearts-Ease trotting beside her, began seeing, in her imagination, unseen. In her backpack she had her Business College registration form and a city map. Today was a day for both feet on the ground and all business. Her unicorn tossed his mane. Today, Alexandra was on the hunt for a flat and a part-time job
As she waited at the pedestrian crossing she looked around her. To her left she saw a branch of her bank a short distance along the High Street. Beside it the old Golden Arches. Behind her the spring sunshine bouncing off large plate glass windows, was a newly opened Supermarket, specializing in Organic Foods. Announcing, on the gaudy banners that hung from its upper ledges, that is was an American Company. Next door to that, resting comfortably on its sturdy foundations was the good old English staple, Marks and Spencer’s that also boasted a Food Hall in its ‘Lower Level’
The lights changed and Alex crossed the street with the crowd of hurrying Londoners on their way back to work. She liked the look of the neighbourhood. “It seems a practical neighbourhood.’ Hearts thoughts settled in her head. “Clean here as well”. She returned his comment. “However, given time, the darker places of London will be found.”
“Only if you seek them out little one.”
“Not voluntarily my friend… I could stumble into them I suppose.”
" Never leave home, when you find a home, without me."
“Not likely to.”
On the opposite side of the street, signs told Alex that, to the East was Holland Park to the West Kensington Gardens, and going further west was the park. The one. High Park. Could these green spaces be places to dream in? Rest for a while away from the frenzy of the pulse of the city? If she liked the property she was going to view this afternoon, and chose to stay, and could afford to live here, time would be on her side for exploration.
Referring to her city map as she stood in the shadows of a huge church that dominated this corner she saw that she needed to follow the aptly named street that headed north in front of her. She glanced to her left and was delighted to see a flower stand in the corner, and although it stood in the murky gloom of the building. The colour and fragrance of the flowers filled the corner.”“ A small bright spot, in the middle of the bustle and crowds.” Heart danced slightly on his delicate hooves.
“There are always hits of delight in a big city. Sometimes big, Sometimes small, and this street ahead looks very interesting indeed” Alex replied, as she moved forward nodding a ‘Hello’ to the small wiry man, who was placing armfuls of freesias into the large buckets along the front of his stall. He touched his worn brown flat cap at her as they moved past, and watched the young girl as she began to walk towards Church St. She was petite with narrow hips and broad shoulders, He admired her head of shining black hair that fell down to her waist, the sun shone onto it giving it the sheen of a raven’s wing as she moved beyond the shadows of the building.
”A new girl in town.” He thought to himself. And no doubt up from the country.
* * *
To be continued.
