the Poplar and the Gothic

5.

~The two paths were dividing in the woods and I... I took the one less traveled. - Robert Frost~

Kai speeded up and went through the yellow light one more time. He didn't hasitate for doing it tenth time in last ten minutes.
"Where would you like to go?" He asked.
"I suggest a supermarket because I'm very hungry. When I eat I may be able to think again." She smiled, looking at the map of Milan she found on the Internet. She expected to quickly find a supermarket nearby.
Kai turned abruptly and parked his car next to a tree by the road in Porta Venezia, where he found the only parking lot in the entire city.
It really is a metropolis when you can't find a single parking lot in 10 minutes at 12:30 h. -Kai thought.
"Did you find it?" He exclaimed as he opened the bacl door to take his belongings. There he found his backpack and wallet.
"I did." She answered as she took her backpack out and closed the door. He locked the car and then joined her in running across the street, ignoring the crowds and angry drivers. "There should be a supermarket at the end of the street."
Few moments later, they came to a large Esselung object, just as Via had predicted.
Both of them ignored baskets standing near the entrance. They picked so many things that both of them had arms full of food and other supplies. They barely reached the cash register and abruptly dropped things on the conveyor belt. They bought two small loaves of bread, a packet of already sliced salami, a couple of avocados and peaches, some small tomatoes, a strawberry marmalade, a little bit of cheese and a lot of water.
Vivian was trying to find homemade, non-imported products and those without plastuc packaging while shopping. Kai, on the other hand, remained consistent with his vegeterian habits.
They were quietly waiting for the long row in front of them to be shortened.
"Do you like watermelon?" Kai suddenly asked.
"Yeah, I do." She replied questioningly, turning around to where he stood. He then took few steps to a large wooden box full of watermelons. He bent down, picked a small one and leaped toward Vivian.
"I have no idea how we're going to get all of this to the car, but I know we're not taking bags." She srugged with a smile.
"There are some boxes." Kai noticed a large wall made out of glass and a shelf full of different kind of cardboard boxes.
The cashier didn't speak English.
While Vivian was paying, Kai quickly found a right box and packes the food inside. He then headed out of the market, leaving Vivian and the mistress alone. While waiting for her outside, he had 30 seconds to light a cigarette before she came out.
"I think it would be nice to agree on a cost-sharing. I have an idea."
He put the box under his left armpit and moved the cigarette to his mouth with his right hand. "You can pay for the food and tickets, and I can pay the gas and the toll. Deal?" He asked at the end.
"Deal." She agreed, carrying a little watermelon in her arms.
She knew very well that the deal wasn't fair. The tolls and gas cost a lot more than food, but she didn't have much money so she coldly agreed to it. If he is willing to do it, so is she. He would drive even if she wasn't with him.
"You want to stay here or find some nice park to eat?" She asked when they find the car.
"We can go to the park." He answered. "We just need to find it."

***

On the other side of Europe, Aurelia was grocery shopping.
"It's not a shampoo Lillian, it's the hair balm!" She yelled at her younger sister in an almost empty supermarket. "You could have looked around a bit, you know."
The tiny brunette furiously turned around and walked back to the shelf with shampoos and conditioners. Ever since her sister broke off her longstanding relationship because of a fraud, she could only describe her with 'she's not herself these days'. Lillian didn't try too hard to understand her sister or her condition because she knew that Aurelia wouldn't even notice the change of hers. Lillian was to busy with her life. She was 17 and failing to make real friends. She hung out with the whole school, just the way popular kids do. She had a boyfriend for a long time but was smart enough not to let him make a baby in her womb. That's more or less the only thing she didn't let him do. Pierce was a nice guy, but only in her eyes.
"You could retrain yourself a bit, you know." Noticed the tall blond fifteen-year-old leaning against a shopping cart.
"Dorian, the fact that I allowed you to  come with me doesn't mean you have to make fun of me. If everyone minded their own business and did them right, noone would ever be bored in life." She said coldly not even looking at him. "Go get some juice now."
Dorian walked to the shelf on the other side of the market.
He shared Lillians opinion, though it was very unusual. He never got too close to anyone in the family except Vivian and Victor, but since they weren't home at the time he had to find some other kind of fun. At home, it was all the same. They don't talk to each other except for "Hi!". Then comes the forced "How are you?" Or "What are you doing?". The answer is always "I'm fine." or nothing - depending on the question. That is where the converstaion ends if the interlocutor isn't nice enough to ask "And you? How are you?". He knew his family members very well. He always knew what to expect. Aurelia e. g. she never asked back. He gave up after a few tries. That same thing happened with the half of the family and so they slowly estranged, as if they weren't family.
On the other hand, it didn't seem like that way of living bothered anyone, and Dorian got used to it.
"Here you go. What else do you need?" He left the juice in the cart, looking for shampoo or conditioner - whatever it is - in there, hoping that Lillian has finally found the right thing.
"Just be quiet." Said the older sister and pushed the cart toward the cash register. Dorian looked to the left and saw Lillian leaning against a shelf looking at her phone. Then he extended his arms asking himself what had he done wrong.
"Eh, you don't care. She doesn't even know what she likes and what she doesn't," Lillian said, patting him affectionately on the shoulder.