Melting Your Heart

“Diena, why are you so slow?” my boss asked me while she snapped at my face. “Huh”, I suddenly came back to my senses. I looked at her and gave her a sweet smile to avoid the awkwardness. “I’m okay, it’s just I suddenly remember how lucky I am because of you”, then flirted with her just like what I always do to ease her. I hugged her and gave her a peck on her cheek. Yes, my boss is my eldest sister. I saw the shock in her haggard face. At the same time, confusion “Oh, and why is that?” and then she added “What’s gotten into you? Are you sick?” she put her hands on my forehead and put them away immediately when she felt that my temperature was pretty normal. “No, you’re not sick” she stopped and looked at me seriously. She cupped my face with her cold hands. “I get it, I get it, I don’t want to talk about it” she let go of my hand and turned around. I thought she would cry but when she came back she had the plastic take-out food in her hand. “If you’re really grateful, deliver this food. Ryan’s mother was sick so he got off early. You are the only free one here, so it is your turn.” she turned around again and started packing our things. “I will wait for you here, let’s go home together”. I picked up the plastic take-out food and started walking to the front door. When I reached the door knob, I stopped and faced her again to ask “Who should I give this food to?” I asked her with all my serious face. Sister gave me the paper where the name and address were written “Come back early and don’t wander around, it’s getting late already. You’re pretty, but pretty stupid too. Don’t cause me trouble”. “Yeah, Okay, I’m going now”. I rolled my eyes as I walked outside the store. I really hate her for teasing me all the time. Though I feel grateful for her saying I’m pretty, why does she need to add that I’m stupid? Okay sometimes, but not always. Yeah, that’s right, only sometimes not always, thinking that I laugh at my own thoughts. “Guess I’m really stupid” I murmured to myself. Passing the light and busy street, I looked around each restaurant and shop I passed by. There are a lot of famous restaurants near ours, sister Ada and I didn’t have a choice. We really needed a spot back then when we were just starting our restaurant. We only used the stall at first, but who would have thought that people would like and love our food? My sister used the profits to build the restaurant so we would not need to use our small stall anymore. And the fruit is really sweet when ripe. Now our restaurant has expanded. It has reached five branches already in different locations in only two years. Though we have a delivery man, my sister still allows me to deliver take-out food, especially when the address is near our place and I love doing it. It kills my boredom. Our parents must be very proud of us. My eyes got teary thinking of them. I miss them a lot. I was carried by reminiscing our past experiences I didn’t notice that I was at the front of the company. “Wow”, the company is big and bright. It makes me wonder what it looks like inside. “Hey” the guard shouted at me, staring at the plastic I was carrying. I looked at the address and name on the paper which sister Ada gave to me before I left to deliver the take-out. “Good evening Sir, I’m looking for Mr. Tanz, this is the food he ordered to our restaurant”. I made sure that my response was in very respectful words, so by any chance I wouldn’t offend anyone working for this big company. “That’s me” he waved one hand and tapped the table near him. “Okay sir” as I put down the food, I glanced inside the company. It is not the first time I’ve been to a huge company. This one is different from the other. The interior looked so like the castle in the Disney I watched before, the sight chandelier was as bright as daylight making me feel blind just by glancing at it. The ladies inside walking back and forth were wearing fit and neat black uniforms. Their heels can be heard even in my spot. “Thank you” I heard from the guard. “Welcome sir”. It’s hard to look away from the beautiful sight of the company’s interior, but I managed to do it. I was just five steps away from the company when I felt a sudden chill. I hugged myself. It’s getting colder. I should hurry back. I’m tired from working all day long and I also feel hungry. I haven’t eaten anything since lunch. I can’t afford to get sick because I don’t want to be sister Ada’s burden. I’ll be fine after asking sister Ada to cook my favorite lobster soaked with spicy sauce. My sister and I went home together. On our way home, I told her that I wanted lobster, so we passed by the nearby supermarket to buy the ingredients. I will surely eat all my fill tonight and that’s what really happened. I’m so satisfied with the food. “Sister, you’re the best”, I complemented her while touching my tummy. I stood on the chair and I walked in the cabinet direction. “Diena, let’s drink a little tonight”, my sister said after handing me a bottle of red wine. “Why?” “What why?” “Why do you want to drink? Do you have a problem? Tell me.” My sister laughed at me. “Hey easy girl, tomorrow is Sunday. We don’t need to open the restaurant”, she reminded me as she patted my shoulder. “And I have something I want to talk to you too.” I opened the bottle and started pouring her glass, then mine. “So what’s your plan?” she asked. So that’s it. I’m right, this is where this sudden drink will go “I don’t know”. I bent down my head because I didn’t know what to say. “You are not young anymore. You work in our restaurant because you said you wanted to gain experience, so I let you. Now it is your turn to fulfil your promise. You said after 1 year you will find a decent job”. “Working in our restaurant is decent work” I retorted. “That’s not what I mean and you know that. Serving and delivering food is different from what you graduated from. You had better think about that.” She is so fierce when she’s serious. “Okay, fine, I will look for a DECENT job”. I specially highlighted the word decent to piss her off. “DIENAVENUS ” Oh my god, she really got pissed, she called my full name. I hurriedly showed her my sweetest smile, I looked at her with my bulgy innocent eyes and hugged her from the back. “I promise sister. I’ m serious”. I have to calm her down or she won’t spare me. “You better be,” she faced me. “I just want the best for you, you are my only family. Do you understand?” I felt so guilty because after graduating I only think what I want and totally forget about her and my responsibility as her sister. “Yeah, I know and I appreciate it. I love you”, after saying the last three words, I tightened my hug on her. “Go to your room and rest well. Goodnight.” “Goodnight sister”, I bid her farewell. I prepared to run, then shouted “When can I meet your boyfriend?” though we were serious earlier, I still cannot forget to tease her.