*Chapter-2: Bakery Shop
1465 Words
Melissa's POV:
I yawned and stretched my arms over my head to relax my stiff body. I opened my eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun falling on me from the window. The rays of the shining sun was brightening the light grey walls of my room, which calmed my senses.
Calm mornings were the most longed thing for me four years ago. I would either wake in pain from the last night's beating or with the upcoming hits of my father.
I shuddered from the painful memories and decided to get up and be ready for my bakery.
I did my morning rituals and dressed before living my apartment. I was wearing a floral skirt with a black blouse. To complete the outfit I had put on a black leather jacket with white converse.
I was walking on the side path of the street, taking in the fresh morning air. The neighborhood where my apartment had situated was a really peaceful and quiet area. My bakery shop was two blocks down the road from my apartment building, so I would walk there daily.
There was a park on the way to my bakery near the apartment building. It was really nice to saw happy families, enjoying their time together. The thing I could only wish for.
When I reached my bakery shop, the bell hanging above the door chimed as I entered.
"Good morning, Mel!" Sofia chirped as she greeted me. She was my best friend and my co-worker. She would always open the shop before my arrival.
"Good morning, Sofia! How's your mother now?" I asked, immediately remembering about her mother. A grim expression instantly darkened her beautiful features. I didn’t like it even a bit.
"Yeah, she's fine now. Doctors said that they have to perform surgery soon." She said in a low voice. I felt a pang at my heart when I saw her sad face and walked to her squeezing her shoulders in an assuring way. I couldn't bear to see always smiling and cheerful Sofia like this.
"Hey! Don't worry. How much do you need for the surgery?" I asked. She lowered her head and started looking anywhere but me.
"Thanks, Mel, but you really don't have to do this. I-I will find a way. You are already paying her hospital dues." She said embarrassed. A scowl masked my features as I looked at her pointedly.
"Don't say that. She's a mother figure for me too. So, don't say such absurd things. I will visit her in the afternoon, so you should better take care of my bakery shop, okay?" I said playfully, which was enough to put a small smile on her face as she nodded. That was it. I didn't like to see the people I love in despair.
"Thanks." She said again. I just shook my head and pulled her in for a hug, we both smiling contentedly. After that, I went into the kitchen to start the day.
I baked a lot of cakes, cupcakes, biscuits, cookies, and other things a bakery shop should have. Baking had always taken away all my worries and grief. It made me feel happy and content in that moment of my life, where I could feel normal and loved. Sweets just had that effect on me.
"Okay, Sofia! I have prepared all the orders for today and the things to put on the display. I'm going to the hospital now. Will you be okay alone?" I asked, worried because she had been getting along so hard with both, work and taking care of her mother. I suggested taking care of her mother for tonight, so that she could take some rest.
"Yeah, it will be alright. Thanks again, Mel." She smiled at me apologetically, which caused me to groan in frustration. She just giggled, covering her face with her small hands.
"Ahh! Stop with that thanking. You are making me embarrassed." I said, pouting unintentionally, on which she giggled more and I couldn't help but to smile at her goofiness.
"Bye!"
"Bye!" I waved, walking out of the shop. I took a cab and went to the hospital where Sofia's mother was getting the treatment.
She had kidney disorder, so she had to come for dialysis on a daily basis. But now, the doctors had told her for a kidney transplant because both of her kidneys were completely disabled.
We had already applied for a donor and there were bright chances of getting one this time.
"Hello, Jennie! How are you feeling?" I asked, when I was seated on the chair beside her bed. Her beautiful eyes turned towards me from the scene out of the window and she smiled brightly on the sight of me.
"Oh, Melisa! I'm fine. I was waiting for you. How was your day, love?" She asked cheerfully, as always. This was the thing I loved the most about her. No matter how much pain she was in or how much difficult it would be for her, she always made herself seem strong and firm. The reason I admired her.
"As always, tiring." I gave her a smile, that she returned gladly. At that moment the doctor stepped into the room and gave me a kind smile before looking back at the board in his hands. He walked near the bed to check on Jennie and I stepped aside.
"Hello, Ms.Jennie. How are you feeling today?" The doctor asked, whilst checking the board that was in his hands.
"Yeah, much better now," Jennie replied, looking towards me, whilst smiling.
After the checkup, I walked outside with the doctor to his office to get updates about any donor.
"Ms. Melisa, we have good news for you." The doctor said, settling on his chair. It brightened my worried expression.
"Really? Did you find a donor?" I asked, hopefully as he nodded, but his expression was telling something else.
*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*
Jennie was sleeping now, so I decided to grab a coffee from the cafeteria. I bought the coffee and began to walk back to her room, but my mind was still stuck at what the doctor had said.
** "Did you really find a donor?" I asked as a smile was grazing on my lips, hope lightning my mind. He nodded, but his facial expression was telling something else.
"What's wrong?" I asked, when anxiety again consumed my senses. My hands clenched subconsciously on my lap. He heaved a sigh and looked up from the file that he was analyzing.
“Well, the situation is that although we have found a donor the chances of her successful transplant are not so high. The condition she is in right now, most patients’ body don’t accept the transplant and it could lead to death." He said, on which tears prickled my eyes. The thought of Sofia made my heart to ache. The thought of how hard she was working to save her mother stabbed like a dagger in my chest.
"But there's a forty percent chance and the operation would be expensive." The doctor said, and hope again twinkled in my eyes on hearing his words. I would do anything for Sofia and Jennie. They are the family I would have never gotten and I could do anything for my family.
"Don't care about money; just make sure to safe her," I said, immediately and the doctor gave a nod. **
My thoughts were interrupted when I bumped into something......or someone hard. All my coffee was splattered on the person and I gasped in surprise as my eyes widened.
"Ahh! I-I'm really sorry, I wasn't looking." I said, whilst whipping the coffee from the person's coat with my handkerchief. Don't ask me why I had that. It's just felt convenient when you work in kitchen most of the time. When the person didn't reply I looked up to see if the guy was alright, but was struck with warm chocolate brown eyes that were staring at me unblinkingly. We stood still, looking intensely in each other's eyes, when someone from behind him came running.
"Boss, are you okay? Woah! What happened here?" He asked, as he saw all the coffee splattered on his Boss. I was quickly brought out from the daze and faced the man who had appeared now.
"Sorry. I didn't see him coming. I-is he okay?" I asked, because his Boss was still standing like a statue, whilst staring at me.
"A-ah! He will be okay. You can go now. Thank you." The guy gave a small smile. I nodded awkwardly, glancing back at the still-standing man one last time before making my way back to the room.
Jennie was still sleeping, so I sat on the couch in the corner, beside the bed. The thought of the man from earlier popped in my mind, the image of his warm eyes flashed through my mind.
I quickly shook my head, reminding myself how much a man could hurt me.
And with that sleep took over me.
- Writer
