Viral Airwaves by Claudie Arseneault

Author:Claudie Arseneault
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Claudie Arseneault
Published: 2016-11-14T16:14:34+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

The bright sign hung above a double glass door, its bold letters bringing attention to an otherwise unnoticeable grocery. Nestled between a fashion boutique and a hardware store, in a street on which shops succeeded one another, Kinsi’s new business had a lot of competition. Henry had glimpsed his old friend through the windows twice, however, chatting with clients as he served them. Here he had a solid line of customers, at last, not a single patron too poor to buy more than handful of instant noodles.

He shouldn’t have come. Ferrea was a ghost town, no longer part of his life. It mattered little how much he longed for a tranquil beer in Paul’s pub. His daily lot consisted of scheming the downfall of the Clarin twins with a mad chemist and a blue engineer. Nothing ordinary there, and he was dying for a pause from all of this clandestine-broadcast and government-overturning nonsense. Seeking out Kinsi might be a mistake, but it was also an opportunity he couldn’t resist.

Henry took a deep breath, crossed the busy street, and pushed through the door. The bell rang but with the constant stream of people going in and out, nobody looked his way. He slipped into the first row, out of the cashiers’ view, and in his haste he bumped into a tall, gaunt man. As he apologized he noticed the pockmarked face. A Plague survivor. Henry wondered if the stranger had heard the broadcast, if he’d follow their radio one day, join them. The other man smiled and wished him a good day in a whispery voice. As he left, Henry allowed himself to slow down and appreciate his surroundings.

This grocery was twice the size of Kinsi’s old one, with a high ceiling and an airy feel to it. Fruits were piled in large baskets, their bright colors dazzling him. No doubt they were fresher than anything Ferrea had offered in the last year. As heartwarming as the stall of glistening cucumbers, carrots, and lettuce was, however, Henry did not linger. He moved to the aisle with instant food and canned soups, where he knew he’d find his trademark meal. Buying anything else wouldn’t feel right. He grabbed an armful and made for the tills. Nervousness had turned his hands into sweaty messes. What if Kinsi wanted nothing to do with him after their fight?

Customers kept Kinsi so busy he didn’t look up until Henry dropped all the noodle packs in a heap on his counter. The grocer’s jaw dropped but no words came out. A flush crept up Henry’s cheeks. He forced a greeting out to break the bizarre tension.

“Hey.”

“Henry!” Kinsi strode around the counter and gave him a tight embrace. Everyone else had their eyes on him now, including Kinsi’s unknown coworkers. Not good. “I’m so glad to see you here, my boy! Tia’s been worried to death since—”

“I know, I’m sorry!” Henry interrupted. The less the grocer spoke of his suspicious disappearance, the better. “Someone visited about my father.

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