It all started in 3rd grade when Lilly had to transfer to a new school because of her parents' divorce. Everything drastically crashed. Her once loving family and happy childhood with everything possible now had changed to a life that must always depend on survival mode. The most absurd part was that her mother decided they were going to live in this new place in a no-go zone. Her fairy-tale-like life had now turned into a hellscape. As the only child of the family and now living with her mother alone, she must help her earn an income even though she was just a 9-year-old who was once her father's princess.
In this new life, she had to wake up at the break of dawn daily to help her mother set up her phone booth, it was a popular small business back then. People would come to use their phones and pay for the service. They run it along the main road. And these were the typical residents there, the Lotus Street: prostitutes, muggers, burglars, pub models, and the most decent ones were sellers. Everything happened too fast that she didn't have time to adjust to anything. All she had to do was moving. Moving with the tears, unsaid feelings and inner scream until they all quieted down and that life became another normal life anyone else could have lived.
Present
November 5th 2025, the chill air started to pay a visit now and then. The smell of fresh baked bread drifted through the wind and reached Lilly's nose. This morning was somehow different from the usual, it was her first day starting her internship in a web development small start-up company. Her stomach growled while getting dressed, somehow getting her hair done was impossible this morning.
"Great! My first day of anything is always messy." Said Lilly in disbelief.
She decided to leave the house in that disoriented look and rushed to a regular bakery shop to get one loaf of bread. Her breakfast was simple and easy, one loaf of bread cut open in half and filled in with some sugar. It was warm, crispy and sweet from the first bite till the last.
The weather and the experience both brought back this memory from the Lotus Street. She remembered that moment back in 2003, October 5th when she had started her first day of school in the neighborhood. The air twenty-two years later and the air back then were the same and she found it unsettling, yet comforting. Her memory overthrew her strength and now she was back in 2003 where it all started.
...…..
"You bitch! how dare you! With my man! You crazy bitch! Go to hell!" screamed one pin noodle seller middle aged woman at her mother. The woman was out of it! She got all violent towards her mother. It was so confusing. Everything was a blur. Lilly didn't realize she was crying and trying to pull that crazy woman away from her mother in front of almost everyone from the neighborhood. The day that she was supposed to start her school and hopefully she could use it as a coping mechanism now had turned into one of the embarrassing moments that would traumatize her until she didn't know how to feel anymore, not in the normal way at least. Everyone was watching and it was as if they were entertained by the screaming and arms and legs throwing moments. Amidst the crowd, she detected a calm stare that distracted her for a good few second that felt like an eternity. There was a boy. He was probably two years older than her. His appearance was regular, but his eyes and stare were as calm as still water. He was about four meters away from the crowd, but his presence was the closest to her, it was as if they were standing face to face. That moment when she tearfully locked eyes with his, the crowd seemed to disappear into thin air. Time had stopped, the world was different until someone hit her on the head with something very heavy. She fell on the ground and everything turned dark. She hoped she died right there.
...…..
"Lilly! Are you listening?!" asked, Mr. Bread. Well, his real name was Yutha Neth, but everyone called him Mr. Bread or sometimes Bread Man because his bread was out of this world. It was very soft, aromatic and crispy at the same time. He was always updating his baking techniques. You would never see him sitting still doing nothing at all. He was always covered with flour. And he even smelled like fresh bread himself. It was just him and his ingredient in that shop, in that world. His shop was one of the sanctuaries that Lilly could always find an escape from her bitter reality.
"Oh, sorry. I was a bit lost in thought. What were you saying?" responded Lilly in a calm tone.
She was in one of those moments again. She was usually chaotic and loud. But quiet at times and today was that day when she was in her silence zone. No one knew why. But Cherry might.
"meow…!" Cherry gave out a gentle and very small meow as if she was asking Lilly if she was doing okay.
Yes, Cherry was a cat and Mr. Bread owned her. But his cat loved Lilly more than her owner.