Buttercup Cafe
Just south of Barton Town, in the world of Gaia, stood a little village called Amber. The many flowers that are spread throughout Amber consistently grow vibrant each and every spring. A young girl and her mother lived in one of the small houses that scattered the area. Every day, the young girl plays in the flowers and brings one home to her mother.
“Rina,” Alley said to her daughter as she handed her a small flower of the purest blue. “It’s so Beautiful!”
“You’re welcome, mom,” Said Rina, who took a seat next to her mother and began to braid her long brown hair. Even though Rina was much older now and her body was starting to take shape, she still loves flowers and continues to give Alley a flower every day.
“Oh! Could you please bring me one of your blueberry muffins?” Said Alley as a flash of excitement shot across her pale face. She had been terribly sick for a couple months and her body had turned quite frail. The beautiful features of her face that were once glowing with life have deteriorated, leaving behind a sharp outline of her cheekbones.
“Absolutely!” Rina said and immediately stood up to get her one. Alley had always loved to bake and taught Rina all of her recipes and baking secrets. Over time, Rina was able to bake almost as well as her mother.
“These muffins just keep getting better and better, Rina. I am very proud of you.” She said. After she took a big bite of the muffin, she set it back down on the nightstand next to her bed and smiled at Rina.
Rina furrowed her brow as she tried to understand why her mother was looking at her that way. They stared into each other's green eyes for a while until Rina smiled back and said, “Well, good night. I hope you sleep well.”
The next day, Rina began her morning ritual. She walked outside to water and gather some of the flowers around her house. Again, she chose another flower to give to her mother. This time it was a bright, yellow buttercup.
“Good morning, mom!” She said as she walked inside her mother’s room. She placed the flower on the nightstand along with one of the blueberry muffins she baked and sat on the bed.
"Thank you, dear," Alley whispered as she lay still in her bed.
“Oh, are you still sleeping? I’ll leave you alone for a while, then," Rina whispered as she stood up and walked out of the room.
Periodically, Rina would check on her mother, yet the muffin and the flower always seemed to lay untouched. As night approached, Rina felt very uneasy and anxiously walked into her mother’s room. Her eyes opened wide and sweat formed on her brow as she slowly reached her hand down to her neck. There was no pulse. Rina’s eyes welled up with tears as she peered over at the stale blueberry muffin and wilted, yellow buttercup. Rina had realized that her mother’s sickness had taken her life away and now she would be alone.
The town had learned of her mother’s departure that same night and a good friend of hers had proposed that Rina should stay at her place since she had nowhere else to go and no other family. However, she always denied every offer for fear that she might spread the virus that killed her mother.
A week passed and Rina continued to live in Amber by herself without an income and her food supply was growing short. She honestly had no idea what she would do. One day she received a package at her door. Inside the package was a large, brown, leather sack with a draw cord string opening and a letter. Rina sat down at the kitchen table and slowly opened the letter.
“Rina,” Alley said to her daughter as she handed her a small flower of the purest blue. “It’s so Beautiful!”
“You’re welcome, mom,” Said Rina, who took a seat next to her mother and began to braid her long brown hair. Even though Rina was much older now and her body was starting to take shape, she still loves flowers and continues to give Alley a flower every day.
“Oh! Could you please bring me one of your blueberry muffins?” Said Alley as a flash of excitement shot across her pale face. She had been terribly sick for a couple months and her body had turned quite frail. The beautiful features of her face that were once glowing with life have deteriorated, leaving behind a sharp outline of her cheekbones.
“Absolutely!” Rina said and immediately stood up to get her one. Alley had always loved to bake and taught Rina all of her recipes and baking secrets. Over time, Rina was able to bake almost as well as her mother.
“These muffins just keep getting better and better, Rina. I am very proud of you.” She said. After she took a big bite of the muffin, she set it back down on the nightstand next to her bed and smiled at Rina.
Rina furrowed her brow as she tried to understand why her mother was looking at her that way. They stared into each other's green eyes for a while until Rina smiled back and said, “Well, good night. I hope you sleep well.”
The next day, Rina began her morning ritual. She walked outside to water and gather some of the flowers around her house. Again, she chose another flower to give to her mother. This time it was a bright, yellow buttercup.
“Good morning, mom!” She said as she walked inside her mother’s room. She placed the flower on the nightstand along with one of the blueberry muffins she baked and sat on the bed.
"Thank you, dear," Alley whispered as she lay still in her bed.
“Oh, are you still sleeping? I’ll leave you alone for a while, then," Rina whispered as she stood up and walked out of the room.
Periodically, Rina would check on her mother, yet the muffin and the flower always seemed to lay untouched. As night approached, Rina felt very uneasy and anxiously walked into her mother’s room. Her eyes opened wide and sweat formed on her brow as she slowly reached her hand down to her neck. There was no pulse. Rina’s eyes welled up with tears as she peered over at the stale blueberry muffin and wilted, yellow buttercup. Rina had realized that her mother’s sickness had taken her life away and now she would be alone.
The town had learned of her mother’s departure that same night and a good friend of hers had proposed that Rina should stay at her place since she had nowhere else to go and no other family. However, she always denied every offer for fear that she might spread the virus that killed her mother.
A week passed and Rina continued to live in Amber by herself without an income and her food supply was growing short. She honestly had no idea what she would do. One day she received a package at her door. Inside the package was a large, brown, leather sack with a draw cord string opening and a letter. Rina sat down at the kitchen table and slowly opened the letter.
Dearest Rina,
The sickness your mom had was due to her own weak body. You’re immune system was much stronger than hers. Her time has passed and, let me tell you, it was not wasted. She did everything she could to be a good mother to you, Rina. However, just because your mother’s story has ended doesn’t mean that yours must as well. You need to live on, and keep her spirit alive inside of your own. With this money donated by the very charitable residents in Amber, I’m sure it will give you what you need to live the life your mother always wanted for you. Of course, what you want to do with the money is all up to you.
It’s your move - with 50,000 gold.
A tear dropped down onto the paper as it shook in Rina’s trembling hands. The words repeated in her head a thousand times as she tried to grasp the reality of the situation.
“I don’t understand,” She sobbed, “Why would the local residents do something like this for me?”
She reached for the leather sack and pulled the string. The brilliant, shiny gold spilled out of the bag and on to the table. Rina then bowed her head to the table, smiled, and cried for the rest of the night.
A few days after the package had arrived, Rina awoke with a completely different attitude. She walked into the kitchen and saw the sack of gold and the letter that lay untouched since the night she received it. Tears welled up in her eyes again as she ate her oldest and last blueberry muffin.
After a full two weeks of living by herself, she was finally confident enough to walk outside of the house. With the leather sack of gold slung around her shoulder and the letter, which was tucked away in a pocket of her white dress, she stepped out the front door and shut it behind her. She closed her eyes and bent down to pick a flower. The color of the petals was bright yellow and it seemed full of life. It looked just like the last flower she had given her mother before she had died. It was a buttercup.
“My life will be different from now on, thanks to the people in this village,” She said to the buttercup as she thoroughly examined it. She looked up and noticed her neighbors sitting on their front porch. They smiled at her and nodded as if they were acknowledging the leather sack of gold slung across her shoulder. Rina smiled back, bowed to the village of Amber and said to herself.
“I’ll go to Barton Town and buy a place. It will be a flower shop and bakery dedicated to my mother and to everything she has taught me. It will be called Buttercup Café.”
