The Deal

CHAPTER 2

Her eyes snapped open right before dawn. She tried for a few hours to continue dreaming, but it was in vain, so she had to get up. She sat up on her bed, her tummy growling, she stood up and opted to get a quick snack. Leaving her room, she strolls quietly to the kitchen which is immediately after the walkway with a dim light overseeing the walkway which is right in front of her room. She avoids making any noise to avoid waking her mother who is in the room right next to hers. She strides into the kitchen, rummaging around empty pots and drawers, opens the barely empty fridge, and pulls out from the top compartment the leftover chocolate cheesecake that was brought home yesterday. She cuts up a slice and slips it into the microwave on the tabletop right next to the fridge.

The microwave hums, and before it's about to beep, she takes out her cheesecake and grabs a fork from the drawer exactly below the microwave. I pulled out a seat in the small dining area which is right in the middle of her kitchen. The dining just consisted of two chestnut-colored wooden seats, for herself and her mom, a round wooden chestnut-colored table with a burgundy-colored tablecloth.

Eating silently and staring into nothingness, my mind slowly drifts to the past, to how perfect life was; to how happy my family was. The sound of my alarm clock takes me out of my dream world and back to reality. I suddenly realize that I didn't put off the alarm. Getting up and dashing through the hallway, I rushed to my room with the door left ajar. I scurried into my little lilac-painted room and my eyes landed on my mattress which crinkled up and was on the extreme right and by the left side was my small wooden two-drawer side stool where my alarm clock and phone were laid.

Sighing the little time in my imagination hadn’t been so little at all, ‘6:00 am’ the time read. I rushed over to my turquoise-colored wooden wardrobe which was on the extreme left of the room, accompanied by a shoe rack beneath and a full-body mirror. I frantically dug through my clothes in search of a particular pair. “Finally”, I sighed thinking I wouldn't find it. I stared at the v-neck satin velvet blue long-sleeved blouse and a pair of beige tailored trousers. I toss them onto her bed and haul out her best set of jet-black stilettos. I smiled and rushed over to the toilet, which was on the extreme left of my mom's room, with my towel in my hand.

Feeling thousands of emotions rush through my mind, I brushed them away and hopped into the shower for a swift bath. I step out and collided with my mom, “Oh s**t-sorry mom. I didn't see you there, good morning” “Careful please, today's the big day I can see,” she said with a tone that conveys so much enthusiasm, while she had both palms on my cheeks. I feel the nervousness creeping in, “I hope it's gonna be nice”. My mom's look reverses into a frown, and she smacks me while letting out, “Of course, it'll be nice” she expressed, placing a kiss on my cheek. I say thank you and rush into my room, swiftly transforming into my clothes on the bed. Stepping in front of the mirror, I take a glance at myself and observe how my trousers lightly hug my hips and the blouse shows my curved bosoms, accentuating my shape. I look further and opt for a minor makeover. I fetch my makeup kit from my bedside drawer, and I apply mascara, eyeliner, and lip-gloss. I let down my hair from my airtight cap which I got from the salon where I got a silk press when I left the bakery. I comb my hair and straighten it for a little finishing.

Getting out of my thoughts, I pick up my bag with my documents and head to the kitchen for a little snack. I take out the orange juice, pour some and set it back in the fridge and microwave some cheesecake. I rushed for my breakfast and headed out of my apartment, which was on the first floor of a three-story building filled with noisy and nosy neighbors. Getting out of my building wasn’t an easy one. I walked past my house and spotted Mr Varun, our old Indian neighbor who likes to stay on his porch every morning. “Good morning Mr Varun”, I greeted him with a small wave. “Namaste, my child”, Mr Varun replied, he always called everyone ‘my child’.

I hurried to the bus stop which is a stone's throw away from my house. Getting my phone from my bag, I check the time, “6:50”. I wasn't late, I said to myself, because the bus comes around by 7:00 am. I got to the bus station and saw an annoyed man pacing back and forth while arguing on the phone with his wife about her wasteful spending despite his low income job, a young girl who was sleepy, and her mom seated and an officer standing while checking the time on his watch. I sat on the bench right next to the girl and greeted her mom. I took out my phone to check the time, ‘7:00 am’. Suddenly, I hear the sound of the bus which stops right in front of me. Letting out a sigh of relief, we all got in, all heads turned to the man who was still on the phone with his wife, but this time the conversation was more heated. I made my way through and took a seat between a young boy and a middle-aged man. The next 10 minutes passed like a blur due to the numerous thoughts I had going through me as I arrived at a large building with the words, Trane Realty Solutions.