WITHOUT YOU

CHAPTER 7

TOTALLY NOT EDITTED, TO BE EDITED TOMORROW

My alarm goes off at exactly 5:30 in the morning, and I groan as I lazily grab the phone from the nightstand with my eyes still closed.

I am battling whether to snooze it or wake up. I know I should wake up and help mum with some chores, but I reach for my phone and snooze the alarm anyway. I know I shouldn't be going back to sleep, but a little rest isn't that bad. Is it now?

I pull the light duvet and cover myself completely; I am almost drifting to sleep when the annoying alarm bursts out again. I cuss and reach for my phone angrily and dismiss the alarm. I stay in bed for some minutes doing nothing. In particular, my mind is blank, and I don't feel like I want to wake up.

I didn't get to do this in Grammy's house, and her rules are simple; you wake up, or you wake up. I had to help her manage her small restaurant whether I liked it or not.

Lazy girl, wake up and help your momma out.

I am not lazy, and can't I sleep? I only came here yesterday, and I am very tired, of course.

I am forced to wake up from the warm bed. I could continue sleeping, but I don't want to appear lazy, and it is my first day here, plus I have to help mama out. I am used to waking up early, though.

I make my bed and walk lazily to the bathroom. I am grateful that the boss was generous enough to give us a room with a bathroom. It is mum's room actually, but it is big enough for the two of us, the bed is also bigger to accommodate two.

The bathroom isn't that big, but for a servant's quarter, it is enough. I turn the shower on, and I stand under the warm water, singing one step at a time by Jordin; I don't make any attempt to scrub my body; I want to sing and enjoy the warm water first. I start cleaning my body with the not so soft bathing towel, and I don't take more than five minutes. I am not the type who stays in a bathroom scrubbing for hours, it is either I spend time in the bathroom singing, or I take less than five minutes in the shower.

I don't have many clothes, so I wear black pants and a pink chiffon top and walk to the kitchen.

"You are up early," mum comments.