Destiny Rising

Chapter 5

Once I was back in the kitchen, Kiara and Jasmine swiveled on their stools to look at me.

“What?” I asked, pushing away from the door and walking to the fridge.

“You’re blushing” Kiara replied, pointing at my face with her spoon.

“Am not” I said, pulling open the fridge and peering into it before pulling out a container of Strawberry yogurt

“Oh, you totally are”, Kiara retorted, standing up and taking her bowl to the sink “Anyways, I gotta bounce before your dad fires me.” Kiara worked part-time as a waitress at one of my dad’s cafes. That way she could help her single mom with the bills and groceries and save up for college. My dad says she’s a hard worker, but really needs to work on showing up more than 5 minutes before she’s supposed to start.

“Alright. Have fun at work.” Jasmine said as she sipped her orange juice.

“Oh, tons of fun with the nimrods I work with,” Kiara said, rolling her eyes as she left the kitchen to go grab her bag from my bedroom.

“How about you?” I asked Jasmine.

“Sorry, I got a call from my work while you were outside, they need me to come in and cover a shift. So, I’m getting my mom to come and pick me up soon.” Jasmine replied apologetically. Jasmine worked part-time as well but at the local Foodland. She’s one of the cashiers and actually enjoyed her work and her co-workers. Also, her bosses sound extremely nice and friendly to everyone.

“Oh, okay then,” I replied as she stood and set her dishes in the sink.

“I’m just going to get my stuff,” she said.

“Alright,” I replied, looking down at the container of yogurt I was still holding in my hand.

“Later losers” Kiara called from the front door as she left.

“Bye Sapphire”, Jasmine called shortly after. Sighing, I put the yogurt back in the fridge and looked around the empty kitchen. Somehow, I ended up walking over to the sliding back door and glanced out to see Michael working in the back garden pulling weeds. I couldn’t help but stare at his back as the muscles moved under his shirt. Suddenly, he sat back on his heels, wiped his forehead with a rag, and turned slightly so I could see part of his face. Backing up suddenly, I backed up right into the corner of the kitchen table. Rubbing my now sore butt, I decided to be nice and make some iced tea for Michael. I brewed some tea and dissolved a little sugar in it. I set the pitcher in the fridge to chill as I sliced a lemon for it and went to the freezer in the garage for some ice. Pulling the pitcher out, I stirred the ice into the tea before adding the lemon slices. Finally, I set it on a tray with a glass of ice and a couple of bars of lemon squares on a small plate. Taking a deep breath, I placed the mesh food cover over the tray and wrote a note before gently lifting it. Carrying it very carefully, I managed to get the sliding door open and shut behind me. I took a quick peek around when I got to the top of the stairs and didn’t see him. So, I hurried down the stairs, set the tray on the patio table with the note propped against it, and hurried back upstairs and into the house. I tidied up the kitchen before heading downstairs to tidy it up from last night. I put the pillows back on the sofa and loveseat and folded the blankets back up and into the linen closet. I was just walking back to the sofa when the ring that had belonged to my great-grandmother slipped off my finger and rolled under the sofa.

“Damn,” I muttered to myself as I dropped onto my belly and peered under it. Seeing the ring, I stretched out my arm under the sofa to try and grab it. “Got it,” I said as my fingers closed around the 96-year-old engagement ring and pulled it out. As I started to stand, I noticed 3 small round burns on the carpet. They were about the size of a fingertip or cigarette. Looking at them, I ran my fingers over them, but nothing came off the carpet onto my fingers. “Weird” I muttered as I stood and felt my phone vibrate in my sweater pocket. Pulling it out, it was a text from Troy telling me he couldn’t pick me up for dinner. I would have to drive myself. Sighing, I shoved my phone away and headed upstairs to shower and change before going to my dad’s café to pick up the bank deposit. I showered quickly and just pulled my wet hair into a simple low-side ponytail. I dressed in white shorts, and a light blue button-down shirt and paired it with a pair of brown and blue wedges and a white blazer. Then I grabbed a black purse to toss my wallet in, while I put my phone in my pocket and grabbed my keys. I came downstairs and stopped in the kitchen on my way to the garage to grab a can of Arizona and a straw. Glancing out the back door I saw a tray on the deck table. Curious, I slid the door open and walked over to it. The mesh cover was still on it, but the iced tea pitcher was empty and clean, as was the plate. There was also a note with my name on it lying on the plate. Opening it, I saw it was a note from Michael,

“Sapphire,” it read, “The Ice Tea and Lemon Squares were very thoughtful of you. But not wanting to be disrespectful of our elders, I took them over to your elderly neighbors and shared your delicious snacks with them. They are very kind people whose own children don’t have the time, nor do they make the time to assist them with tasks they find too difficult. I hope you don’t mind my sharing the snacks, but I just thought it was the right thing to do. Michael.”

Staring at the note, then over the fence to McArthur’s backyard, I did feel bad for them. They were such nice people who didn’t deserve what they got from other people, especially their own kids never coming to see them. I’d have to do something nice for them soon, but first, I really did have to get to my dad’s café. Grabbing the tray, I headed back into the kitchen. I left the tray on the counter and shoved the note into my purse, then grabbed my Arizona and headed into the garage. Locking the door behind me, I pulled my sunglasses down over my eyes and slid into my car. Then the engine started as the garage door opened. Turning on the radio, I let the music wash over me as I drove out of the community and towards downtown St Thomas where my dad’s café was located. St Thomas is a small city located in Southwestern Ontario, surrounded by picturesque towns and a short drive between the shores of Ontario, and in the past years, it has been trying to recapture that fame. They have even refurbished the L&PS rail corridor and are now running a train between Port Stanley and St Thomas. The city even renovated the Canada Southern Station (CASO Station) to join the North America Railway Hall of Fame. Its space is now used for various events and functions. As I drove down Talbot Street, I couldn’t help but look around at the only place I’ve ever lived and known as home. It may not be considered a small town by the standards of size, but to me, it’s been feeling smaller and smaller every day. I wanted out so badly and have been looking into schools far from here to attend after high school. Walking into the café, I waved to Kiara as I headed to my dad’s office.

“Hey Bud,” a male voice said when I stepped into the kitchen. Taking off my sunglasses and turning towards the voice, I saw Timothy Thompson working the dishwasher. Timothy was a 36-year-old employee who has worked here as a dishwasher since the café first opened in 2002. He’s always treated me like a little kid he can bug, instead of his boss’s youngest daughter.

“Don’t you have anything better to do than bug me? Like, work maybe?” I said, crossing my arms across my chest.

“Ya, but bugging you is fun” he replied as he adjusted his Toronto Maple Leafs hat over his balding head.

“The only reason I’m going to ignore that today is because I’m in a rush, and you really should stop talking to me like that since my dad made me a Manager,” I said, moving towards the stairs that led up to the offices above the café.

“So, what are you going to do if I don’t?” he challenged.

“As tempting as firing you would be, my dad wouldn’t go for that since you’ve been working here for 12 years. So maybe cut your hours or overload you with more stuff to do.” I mused as I walked up the stairs. Reaching the top of the stairs, I turned down the short hallway to my dad’s office and knocked lightly on the door.

“Come in” my dad called through the door. Opening the door, I peeked in and saw him sitting at his desk typing away on his computer.

“Hey Dad,” I said, stepping into his office.

“Oh Sapphire, it’s just you,” he said, glancing up from his computer.

“Um ya, who else did you think it would be?” I asked as I dropped into the chair across his desk from him.

“Nobody. Now what can I do for you?”

“The deposit. You asked me to take the deposit to the bank this afternoon for you.”

“Oh, right. Just a moment.” He said as he clicked a few things on the computer and the printer came to life as a few pages came out. Then he went over to the large safe in the corner and proceeded to open it. Once it was open, he reached in and pulled out the bank deposit pouch. Slamming the safe door shut, he spun the dial and returned to his desk. “Here you go,” he said, scribbling his signature on the sheets of paper from the printer before folding them and tucking them away into the pouch.

“Thanks,” I said, taking the pouch and tucking it away into my purse. Since my dad was obviously distracted, I just silently left his office. I was just shutting the door when a man appeared at the top of the stairs. He was tall and looked to be about my dad’s age. He had hair as black as a raven’s wing and slicked back, he was also wearing a well-tailored black suit. Complete with a black tie and a black button-down shirt. As he walked down the hall, he walked with a confident stride and didn’t even seem to notice that I was there. But as I walked past him in the hallway, the hair stood up on the back of my neck and I felt as if I knew him from somewhere. Which was impossible, because I’d never seen him before in my life. Shaking the feeling off, I headed back downstairs to the kitchen. I waved to Timothy as I passed through the kitchen towards the dining room, grabbing a chocolate chip cookie as I went. As I was walking past Kiara on my way to the exit, I caught a whiff of smoke coming off her. “Kiara, we need to talk. Now.” I whispered into her ear.

“About what?” she whispered back as I walked with her towards the counter that separated the drink station from the dining room.

“Something important” I replied cryptically.

“Well, it’s going to have to wait. I’m busy.” She said

“Kiara…”

“No. Just because you don’t have to work for a living, doesn’t mean we all can. I need this job and I can’t afford to screw it up by leaving on a whim just to talk to you.” She hissed in quiet fury as she filled her drink order and set it on a tray before turning to me with fire in her eyes. “Now if you’ll excuse me Miss Tallulah, I best be getting back to work.” And with that, she grabbed her tray and brushed past me, headed back onto the floor, and left me standing there.

“Fine” I muttered, seething with rage over what she had said to me. I clutched my fists at my sides when I heard shouts and a crash from the kitchen. I rushed into the kitchen just as my dad came down the stairs with that man, to find Timothy sitting on the floor in the middle of a huge pool of water surrounded by broken dishes.

“What happened here?” my dad asked.

“A pipe burst”, Richard, one of the cooks, said as he helped Timothy to his feet.

“How?”

“I don’t know sir. I was just walking by with a load of dirty dishes and suddenly a pipe burst, and the water hit me. Causing me to drop the dishes as I slipped.” Timothy said as he stood, covered in food from the plates and soaked through.

“Somebody take Timothy to get cleaned up and we’ll try and get the water shut off and cleaned up.” My dad said, looking up “Oh, Sapphire, you're still here.”

“Um, ya, I was just on the other side of the wall when I heard the noise back here,” I said.

“Well, you should probably get going then. We need to get this cleaned up” he said as he rolled up his sleeves.

“Alrighty then, good luck with that and I’ll see you tonight Dad,” I said, backing up towards the door as that man looked at me for the first time. I was creeped out by the way he looked at me too, like he was somehow looking right into my soul. I shivered as I turned around and rushed right out of the café and into the sunshine. I stood outside for a moment while I took a deep, calming breath and let the sunshine warm my bones. Then sliding my sunglasses onto my face, I walked to where my car was parked and unlocked it. In a hurry to get out of there, I shoved my key into the ignition as I dropped into my seat. Turning the car on, I put the top down, pulled out of the parking lot, and headed towards TD Canada Trust. While I drove, I couldn’t help but think about all that happened at the café. First the man and his penetrating stare, I couldn’t help but shudder even just thinking about it. Then there was Kiara and her attitude, which I totally didn’t understand. I mean, she was perfectly fine last night and this morning before she left. So, what could have happened since then? Finally, there was the pipe bursting in the café’s kitchen after what happened with Kiara. Those pipes were brand new, so how could they have burst? I mused those things over and over in my mind as I pulled up to the bank and parked at the curb. As I put the top back up, I rummaged through my purse for some lip balm. Finding my Strawberry Eos, I unscrewed the lid and applied it. Peering at my pale reflection, I managed to force a fake smile as I noticed my less-than-happy face. Sighing, I shut off the car and grabbed my purse with the bank deposit pouch before getting out and striding into the bank. After leaving the bank, it was 2:45 pm, so I decided to go home and swim some laps to relax. While driving home, I blasted my music to keep my mind free of any thoughts that might seep in. Pulling into my driveway, I turned off my car and leaped out. Unlocking the front door, I burst in and slammed the door behind me. Bounding up the stairs, I made it to my room within 1 minute. As I shut my room door, I tossed my purse on my bed and pulled my phone out of my pocket. Walking across my room to my desk, I plugged my phone into charge before stripping and pulling a dark forest green bikini out of the chest of drawers and on. Then I headed into the bathroom to grab a towel and apply some waterproof sunscreen, after heading downstairs and out the backdoor. I hung my towel over the rail of the deck and pushed the button that controlled the roller for the pool cover. After doing some quick stretches, I walked down the steps at the shallow end into the coolness of the water. Taking a deep breath, I launched into the lap, letting the water wash over me as I kicked and pulled myself through it.