Unexpected

On the broad streets connecting the metropolis of New Haven and the small town called Sea County, a blue pick-up sped down, its every vibration a testament to how long it had been on the road. Sitted in the passenger seat, Meg thought to herself how great the cool water tasted, as she sipped it from her plastic cup, through a straw. Water never felt as good as it did on a hot day. Catching herself thinking philosophically about water, Meg caught herself with a small chuckle, thinking to herself how lucky she had been that day. Though getting rides into town was one of the perks of living in a small town, she was still grateful that she had found one. Just at the point where she would have gone in to get a train, Meg had been lucky to get a free ride with a farmer who had been going to drop off his farm produce in town. He had just dropped off his wife at the train station and as he had been walking out, tall man with a blond beard in his mid-fifties, Meg had been leaning on his vehicle to catch her breath. “Hi pretty lady, need any help?” “Apologies Sir, I just really needed to rest for a bit”. Smiling as he opened the door to the pick-up, he asked more conversationally, than out of curiosity, “Where are you headed to?” “New Haven, Sir”. “Isn’t today your lucky day then? I am headed to drop off my farm produce to some supermarkets there. Come on in”. The ride had already taken about forty minutes and Meg was beginning to feel sleepy till she saw the road sign, white on a green background with black lines on the edges, ‘New Haven’. Having been born in a small town, Meg couldn’t stop staring through the windows, big smile plastered on her face at the sights. She had never seen anything as beautiful. Towering skyscrapers seemed to touch the sky and neon lights painted the streets in a kaleidoscope of colors. There were so many people everywhere at once, both in cars and walking by the roadsides. Holding back a chuckle, she wondered how they were able to walk so fast and yet at individual paces, not bumping into each other. She hugged herself lightly, a young woman in a big town, just another face in the crowd. They eventually got to the supermarket which was the farmer’s destination and she got down after they had said their goodbyes. Hailing a cab to the apartment she had already made a down payment on, she began to make a mental to-do list. She had to put her things in order, she had a new job to begin. Franklin Inc., a large company with a chain of stores and several corporate offices across many states dealt with the interior of houses. They covered everything from gardening, to furniture, to floors and wall finishing. Wondering how she got so lucky to be working in the headquarters, she tried not to look obvious as she looked around the reception. The reception was well-lit, with several chandeliers hanging down from the high deck. The mixed orange and white reflection from the lights, bounced off the white walls and tiles, giving one a feeling of having stepped into a different universe. The portraits placed strategically on the wall, also gave off the beautiful lights. The decor was classic and minimalistic, yet done in such a way that even the reception felt like home. As her name was called, she felt sorry to be leaving the plush cushion she had been sitting on. Having been directed by one of the receptionists, she walked down from the reception to the Human Resources section to complete her documentation. Moving from one office to the other till it was all done, Meg studied the people who were attending to her; men on well-tailored suits and well cut hair and women on stilettos, with well manicured fingers clicking away on the laptop’s keyboards. Both the company and its staff seemed perfect and she wondered how she would fit in. Eventually getting to the last office, Meg was handed the passkey which also served as an ID card. The attendant, a redhead with a name tag that read, ‘Emily’ concluded and told her to resume for a week-long orientation the following day. “Thank you”, Meg said, standing and moving towards the door. Almost like an afterthought, she turned and smiled, thinking it wise to make her first friend. The organization was massive and it would do her good to have someone on her side. “Any advice for the newbie?”, Meg asked, hand on the door knob, smile still on her face. Hands stilled on the keyboard, Emily looked up and down at Meg and smiled condescendingly. “Honey, not just a piece of advice, more like a journal would serve. Have a nice day”. Meg navigated the crowded sidewalks with practiced ease, her steps quick and purposeful. Feeling low after her experience with Emily, she had selected what looked the most presentable and modern. She wore a pair of burgundy pants, white fitted t-shirt, and her only black blazer that had seen better days and finished off the look with black leather loafers. Her long brown hair still in need of a cut, was tied back in a ponytail, and behind her RayBan sunglasses, her eyes held a look of hope and promise.