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Chapter Six: Languishing in Time's Constraint
11: 48 P.M
Prior to rushing into Constantinople's usually busy marketplace, he made sure to check the time. Benjamin slapped his hand on his face and groaned; time obviously was not on his side. Twelve minutes was left of the fourteenth day of the tenth month, the sixteenth birthday of Olette. His face sweating, he realized that he had to hurry up and so off he ventured into the marketplace, hoping that someone was awake and had their shop open so that he could purchase something and head back home to her and his friends.
Just when his luck seemed to run out, he managed to find a shop still lit, a contrast to the remainder of the market square's closed venues. Benjamin felt like hopping around the empty square and screaming in absolute glee but time was constrained enough as is and was pressing against him by the second, he ran into the shop and immediately banged on the door. Several minutes had passed and his attempts at bringing out the shopkeeper came to naught and the youth was about to leave when the door began to open...
"I'm coming! I'm coming!" shouted a voice from inside.
Finally...I was about to think nobody was around. He sighed, relieved a bit that someone was coming.
Benjamin backed up from the door. Several seconds passed when the door was slammed open entirely and from a safe distance, he heard some unintelligible grumbling from inside the lit venue and here comes out an man in perhaps his mid forties to early fifties although time took its toll on the individual. His hair was short and black although a bit gray on the sides and made into a ponytail. In contrast aside from one or two wrinkles, something about him made him have this youthful vibe. Even if he did look like an old geezer and those scars, the youth wondered what caused them.
"Excuse me sir." mumbled Benjamin causing the merchant to look down on him. Eh. He looked even older than first realized and those yellow. "I'm sorry if it's late and everything but it's a special occasion tonight and I don't have much time to chat and bargain on anything so if you're nice, can you let me go inside your shop and have a look around your store so I can find something to buy?"
Time was short on him; now less than seven minutes until Olette's birthday would end and if they haven't started searching for him, his other friends were hunting him as he spoke or thought. He immediately went inside the shop and searched around, hoping that the merchant would have something remotely feminine, preferably something foreign or at least sounding exotic. He preferred to spend his time looking around the small store for the perfect gift for Olette, if such a thing could exist but considering time not being on his side, he had to get at least something for the brunette.
But what? There's nothing here that I think she'll like...
Benjamin sighed and lowered his head, wondering what would be a present she would like. It was no easy endeavor considering the time constraint and lack of feminine products. He cursed at himself, searching the shelves at each aisle for a present but ended up finding nothing but cod liver oil which the old merchant seemed to have a lot of for some strange reason. But anyways, Benjamin searched and searched for that minute and then approached the counter, spotting an oddly-changed fruit behind the merchant
Hm. It took the shape resembling that a star and looked
"That cost's ten thousand gold munny. Take it or leave it." said the merchant, yawning and scratching his eye behind the counter. " It's midnight for crying out loud. Just buy it so I can go to sleep!"
Gulping nervously, Benjamin rubbed the back of his head. "It's that much munny for it?" He knew enough from the merchant that the fruit was extremely rare, supposedly grown in some obscure island in the far Orient. But come on, he seriously has to be pulling my leg. He remained steadfast that no reason gave enough justification to charge ten thousand munny for just a fruit. "You can't be serious! I understand that it's late but come on! Be reasonable! I'm just a kid for Christ's sakes!" Benjamin pleaded, grabbing the merchant by the collar and shook him violently. "You're expecting me to spend a fortune on that?"
"..."
Oh dammit. Why was he asking himself a stupid question? Of course, this jackass was going to make him spend an entire fortune on it. Benjamin honestly didn't want to waste it, all those gold pieces he acquired during campaign on a supposedly rare fruit and more although it would be for someone he cared dearly about. Olette. He had to purchase something for her. It twas her sixteenth birthday and a present, even if it was and sounded as ridiculous as a papou fruit would make her happy. And that does matter...right?
Hm... Thinking about it, he nodded his head in agreement. It does to me... thought the youth, placing his hand over where his heart beated. It would be the least what he could offer; happiness in exchange for everything that she's provided to him to emotional support to just being there for him and making him feel oddly nervous and happy whenever she's around. Specifically, it was an odd feeling felt in his stomach that the brunet felt each time he met her.
"So are you going to buy something or not?"
"That depends on something." Benjamin remarked. "Are you going to drop the price or what?"
"As if but come on, you're talking about a special fruit! How could I let go of something as precious to me as this thing!" retorted the merchant, remaining defiant in his determination to charge him full price for it. He wasn't ready to part ways, unless said fruit was exchanged with some monetary compensation. Money compensation as in lots and lots of munny coins. The merchant wasn't no imbecile; he was going to charge the fruit for all that he believed it was worth. "It's plenty rare and from what I know about this thing, it makes the destiny of the people who share it interwined forever. It's a nice way of getting hitched."
"Oh I don't know-" said Benjamin, sounding sarcastic, as he raised his clenched fist. "-because if you're going to keep me from buying a present, I'll make sure to take it from your cold, dead hands, old man! If I were you, I would be a nice old geezer and give the kid that paopou thing!" Benjamin wasn't the violent nor aggressive kind of person but if it mean he could have a chance at buying it for Olette, shouting threats to some old geezer was worth the effort. Especially if it meant seeing her smile...It would feel nice giving her the present.
"As if. You can talk all you want but that won't change that you don't have enough munny, does it?" said the merchant, remaining unfazed by the youth's poor attempts at threatening him. In fact, he seemed to be having a good laugh about the whole situation. "You know what, sourpuss? I feel almost bad now so consider yourself lucky that Vexen's not around here calling the cops on you and I'm willing to make a compromise that I'm sure will make us both plenty happy, okay?"
"You're going to do that for me?" asked Benjamin in complete disbelief.
"Sure." The old merchant raised an eyebrow, or at least it seemed like that with the eye-patch that he wore, noticing an object worn over Benjamin's slim neck. "Nice necklace."
"Huh? Oh you mean this right here?" His cheeks blushing scarlet red, Benjamin glanced down at his necklace before staring back up at the old merchant. The stories and memories experienced can this seemingly simple trinket could tell in the time that he's known her. Be it the time last month when they ditched the army and went to Acre to spend the day shopping at the Italian trading communes stationed and other countless occasions. "I got it as a very gift from someone. A friend or rather put it, a special friend. I came here because tonight is her birthday and I wanted to return the favor for everything she's done for me." He smiled, feeling good as he thought about the good times spent. I need to head back soon.
"You sound pretty close to her, kid." said the merchant. "Sounds like a catch."
"I guess you can say that." Benjamin said, smiling happily as he held the special item in his hand. "I remembered when she gave this to me."
Nodding, the shopkeeper crossed his arms, taking a look at the paopou fruits behind him before returning his gaze to the brunet. “Sounds like a pretty good friend you got there. If I were you, I wouldn't let that girl leave my sights but what do I know? I have no heart." He chuckled a bit. "I don't exist for that matter."
"Look I'll be nice to you and charge you one thousand gold munny." He paused himself but made sure to silence the brunet from speaking. "Consider it a stand-up fee, kid. I expect you can cough up the rest later on when you're able to afford the rest." He pulled Benjamin's hand, forcibly mind you, and placed his own hand on top, then let go. "Keep the merchandise. I didn't want it anyways."
"Really?" questioned
Fin
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