Turning Over a New Leaf

Turning Over a New Leaf (2019)

By Stevie

It had been six months since he stood in this same place. By now, the leaves in the trees had turned a faint yellow, falling cautiously on the ground below. There was a slight chill in the air, further amplified by the evening breeze carrying a few small leaves along with it. The sun had begun to set, casting an almost heavenly glow on his medium dark skin. 

He stood at the door, his five-foot-six-inch body almost towering the comparatively small sized door. What was he doing there? The last time he was here things had ended in disaster, why would today be any different? 

In that instant, he felt a sudden urge to flee; to go back to what he already knew, to safety. How strange is it that sometimes even home can become one of the most unbearable places to be. Before he could enact on this idea of fleeting, something caught his eye. 

A large puff of blond yellow hair was seen frantically scurrying back and forth through one of the windows of the Town Hall. “Isabelle’s still at it,” he thought to himself. Any other time, he would have ignored this and turned back. He didn’t need this, and quite frankly, neither did she. Buba turned around, his face flush with embarrassment. Either way, he was going to make a mistake. Leaving Isabelle stranded, waiting for something that wouldn’t come, would destroy him. But to give in to his urges, to toss everything that he had achieved up until this point, was it worth it? 

Gaby would be devastated if she found out. The two had only just begun to move past Buba’s previous affair, and now was certainly not the time to create another incident. And what would the speed running community think of him? After years of training he had finally been able to achieve the SMB 3 Any% Warpless world record with a time that Mitch could only dream about: 48 minutes and 50 seconds. If his actions were to be discovered, it could undermine the faith and trust of his community and all those who respected him. 

Buba stepped away from the Town Hall, his mind feeling as though he had just washed ashore from a shipwreck. After taking a few steps towards the train station, he noticed something odd about the town. Normally, Buba’s Kingdom of Doom would be overrun with weeds, the flowers greyed and brittle after months of neglect. This time however, things seemed… happier. Though fall was in full effect the flowers showed an incredible saturation, reminiscent of his memories before he abandoned the town six months ago. 

Someone had been taking care of these flowers, doing their damnedest to keep them alive. There was no conceivable way that Leif finally took up his role at the town gardener. Sloths typically sleep for 18 hours, and trying to clean up the entire town would be a detriment to the curious sloth’s health. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. “Has Isabelle been taking care of all these flowers?” His heart sunk. He knew that Isabelle was overworked as it is. She could barely keep up with her tasks while he was mayor. Buba had left her in a boat without a paddle, but oddly enough it didn’t show. Perhaps Isabelle was able to take over the job as mayor, after all, no one knew the paperwork and policies like she did. But to be able to do all that and still have time to keep the town looking beautiful? 

He was a monster. She had given him everything she could: efficiency, ambition, affection, and yet he still tossed her aside. “I had to do it,” he reasoned with himself. “I couldn’t work with her anymore. She needed someone better than me. I had my career, my family to think about. I should have never given in to my sexual appetite. Isabelle was the best secretary I’ve ever had, and I knew that romance wasn’t her priority.” 

Isabelle was always eager to please, and while she did value her work, there was always something missing from her life. The small shih tzu would often work twenty-hour days, falling asleep at the desk, papers still in hand. When Buba would find her like this, he would often try to let her sleep, gazing at her innocence. He would look at the movement of her soft belly, rising and falling steadily at her breath. His eyes would then shift to the delicate features of her face. With her eyes closed and a slight drool emanating from her mouth, this perhaps best reflected the innocence she was best known for. It wasn’t uncommon for him to fixate on her lips, often fantasizing about meeting them with his own. The sound of the door closing would often be enough to wake her, and she would apologize profusely for falling asleep. 

The idea of her being overworked and still trying to keep the town looking pristine ruined him. Buba knelt on the ground, practically on the verge of a mental breakdown. As his eyes begun to well with tears, he noticed a rose bush nearby. The roses showed a dark red, with thorns that would almost certainly hurt anyone if they weren’t careful. He felt compelled to grab one and began to reach out. Before he could however, he realized he would essentially vandalize months of meticulous care and upkeep, and decided to leave it be, appraising its beauty from a distance. At that moment, there was only one right answer in his mind; he had to turn back. 

Buba knocked on the door gently. By now, the sun had set, and the stars were becoming more prevalent in the dark sky. The blinds were shut but showed clear signs of light coming from the Town Hall. He waited what felt like an eternity. With that knock he had made his decision, it was too late now. Thoughts began to race through his mind, having no idea how the encounter would go. His knees felt weak. Part of him wanted Isabelle to finally stand her ground, to push him aside just as he had all those months ago. It would certainly make things easier. 

The door opened, cautiously, as though whatever was on the other side was even more afraid than he was. 

It was Isabelle. 

(To Be Continued)