The Old Plant Shop

I hate advertisements.

As I walked up and down the streets of San Francisco, bright lights caught my eye. I abruptly stopped in place, staring at a neon sign hanging from what seemed to be someone's old plant shop. It was so bright that I could only decipher a few words: 'Time..Exploration..Affordable'.

I thought about the words Time Exploration. Would this mean I could go back in time? I thought about my dad who had passed away in the 2049 California Earthquake. It was around twenty seconds until I was jolted from my thoughts by a man who poked his head out of a dusty window. I yelped in surprise, jumping back a few feet. He looked like an ordinary business man. His white sleeved shirt was well-pressed. His tie formed a perfect black bow. The black tuxedo he wore was the only piece out of place, covered in sawdust and particles.

"I saw you staring at our sign," he said casually, hanging his head out of a dusty window. "Wanna come in and take a look?"

I probably would've just cursed at him and walked away, but that idea of seeing my dad again made me pause and think about my decision. I took a deep breath. First thing's first. "What is this place? Who are you?" I asked.

The man took a deep breath. "Listen, kiddo. You gotta walk in here to see. This place ain't for public ears to listen to, got it?"

He opened the front door, which creaked as if it hadn't swung that direction in years.

"As for who I am, I'm just an ordinary man. Name's Bradley Yao. Pleasure to meet you." He stuck out his hand, which I declined. I didn't know what to do at this moment. He said once again, "You wanna come inside and take a quick look?"

I didn't buy it. A man popping his head through a window and offering me to enter his building was too sketchy. My mother's warnings echoed inside my head. "Don't go into dangerous places on the road, you could kill yourself," she always scolded me.

Once again, I was lost in my thoughts and was jarred back to reality from the loud snaps of the man's fingers. People were now staring at us from all directions.

He sighed, and leaned forward. "Listen, okay? I can't talk with you any longer. Take this business card," he handed me a dusty rectangle of thick paper, "and contact me whenever, alright?"

I didn't know what to say, so I nodded my head, and walked away. As soon as I was out of earshot, I put in my Airpods 39 Pro, and selected my first playlist. I put my phone back in my pocket. Despite the joyful tunes, I couldn't get our conversation out of my head. Thoughts swirled like an infuriated typhoon in my brain. What did the sign mean by "time exploration"? Why does this Bradley Yao want my attention so much? Who even is this man? I shook my head, trying to get rid of the thoughts that kept pestering me. Before long, I had made it back home to my apartment. I nodded to the front desk manager, and rode the elevator up to the 138th floor. It was already late at night, so I slumped in my bed and went to bed.

I couldn't sleep. I laid in bed, sheets covering every part of my body except for my head, and I was feeling dreadful. My mind kept drifting off to the dusty shop. I whipped the covers off the bed and shimmied back into my pants and a t-shirt. My mind spun. I didn't even realize I'd left the house until I stood in front of that buzzing neon sign and my eyes lit up: "Time...Exploration..Affordable," I mumbled to myself.

The door to the shop creaked open. The sleeves of the formerly crisp shirt were rolled up like Bradley Yao had gone to work after I left. He smiled, flicked the light on in the shop, and motioned for me to come in.

"I figured you'd be back," he said. "I'll make some coffee."