Chapter 13
1592 Words
Chapter 13
A WEEK LATER
Jayda settles on the blanket she spread on the floor of her one room apartment. She has been trying to get a job since she moved in five days ago knowing fully well that she only has enough to live for just a couple of months in the city coupled with Lucy's needs. Lucy had suggested they sell off Grandma's house but Jayda wouldn't hear it. She only went back to Minnesota to pack a few essentials like her laptop, couple of blankets and pillow, the rest she will buy in bits and then sell off after four years.
She'd been on almost all job seeking platforms looking for any opening whatsoever but the ones she had seen so far require at least a bachelor's degree which she doesn't have. The only thing she learnt and did for a living back in Ely is baking. The skill earned her a job spot in one of the popular confectionaries in the town where she was able to care for herself and Lucy for a long while.
Although she's a bit hopeful because it's only been a few days in the city but nonetheless, she can't help but feel this upsetting feeling in the pit of her stomach. She can't afford to go back to Minnesota and leave Lucy again all by herself fearing something might actually happen this time, if she goes back.
She'd told Lucy that she's living fine and comfortable whereas it's the complete opposite. There's nothing in the one room apartment yet. No bed or tv, just an empty wall and wooden floor.
She clicks on the browser homepage and types a different search word.
"Job opening without a degree in New York" Jayda says aloud.
She scrolls down the return page, scaning through every headline.
One particular site recommend her registering and then wait to be contacted if found fit for a job but who would hire a thirty six years old without a degree? That thought worries her. She had thought it would be easy to get a job in the city, that every thing will magically fall into place for her sake making her very unprepared for the rough start.
Lucky for her, her side of the storey building has a balcony. She decides to take a break from her job hunting spree to take in the night view of the city from the balcony instead. Truth be told, the city has the most nicest views she's ever seen. The bright colourful lights always seem new to her everytime she looks at it. It would have been so much better if she has enough money. She heaves a deep sigh as she brings out her phone to take a picture of the view. ChaseApp which is directly under the camera icon catches her eyes and she quirks up a smile when she remembers Lucy's threat. She clicks on the app out of curiosity and the need to be distracted totally forgetting she initially wanted to take a picture. She sees a couple of hot guys-not men- on the swipe page and then notice that the message icon has a red dot. She clicks on it to find lots of messages lined up in her DM.
"What?"
She goes through a couple of messages feeling too uncomfortable to answer. They are all practically strangers. She cringed at the thought of how despicable someone might actually be in real life while putting up a different personality on the app.
She thinks people who invent dating apps need to be checked into a psychiatric clinic and mentally evaluated because how can someone just wake up one day and decides to make strangers fall in love?
sdavis: I would do anything to live in your heart.
A message pops up from the app and the content makes her skin crawl. Is this supposed to be a pick up line?
Her fingers hovered on her keyboard for a while. She contemplated replying the douche.
Jayda Cruz: What's that supposed to mean?
Sdavis: Your bio ♀️♀️
It took her a few seconds to understand he was merely replying to her bio. Lucy!
Jayda Cruz: Oh!
Sdavis: I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude.
Jayda Cruz: No problem
Jayda almost hit the exit app icon when a new message from Sdavis pops up.
Sdavis: You are very beautiful, Jayda. I hope that's your real name.
Jayda Cruz: What makes you think it's not?
Sdavis: A lot of people don't use their real names on apps such as this one.
Jayda Cruz: Oh!
Sdavis: It says here that you in New York. Where in New York are you based?
Just a couple of talks and he already wants to know where she lives? Jayda didn't need to hesitate any longer and just quickly hit the exit button after having had enough for one night.
She goes back to where her laptop is seating and continues from where she stopped. Her eyes couldn't take the stress much longer so after just a couple of minutes, Jayda fell asleep.
********
The next morning, Jayda decides to give her application a physical approach. She'd quickly made friends with the owner of a coffee shop which is a few feet from her building.
"Good morning Mrs. Mary" Jayda greets as she makes her way to the elderly woman behind the counter.
"Good morning Jayda, How are you?" She responds with a smile almost half the size of a pizza.
"I'm fine Mrs Mary. I'd like to have a cup of latté macchiato"
Mrs Mary and her late husband founded the small coffee shop in their late twenties but since his demise, the shop hasn't been doing well. Although Jayda knows very little about the woman, she doesn't need to be told that the shop needs saving. The interior lacks modern touch, plus the brand as a whole needs to be rebranded.
Jayda takes her seat on one of the empty seat close to the counter.
She brings out her phone to call and check on Lucy.
"Here you go" Mrs Mary place the cup on the table.
"Thank you. How's the business doing?" Jayda asks as she returns her phone back in her bag after noticing that she's the only customer in the shop just like every other time she comes by.
In the little time she'd moved into the neighbourhood, Jayda and Mrs Mary have built a connection to the level that both persons feel comfortable talking about certain personal matters to each other.
"It's only a matter of time before I find a buyer" Mrs Mary replies as she takes her seat opposite Jayda's.
"You're selling the shop?" Jayda asks in shock.
"What more can a old lady like me do to revive this place?"
Jayda had on one occasion listened to the story of how the coffee shop came to existence. It would be such a shame to see it go but then again, she understands the old lady's point of view. At her age with no child, it's a difficult task to keep a dying business running and if she doesn't sell it off soon, it's only a matter of days before it completely shuts down.
"How much are you willing to sell it for?" Jayda asks looking very interested in the sale.
"At this point, I don't mind selling it off for a hundred thousand"
Jayda doesn't have anything close to half of that amount not to talk of the whole. Queens is a very busy place in the city and with the right publicity, Jayda knows she can turn this place to a hot spot.
The problem is getting the money. The only way she can get that kind of sum is via loan and a sum that huge would require a collateral and the only one she has is her grandma's house. One she's sure would only fetch her half the price.
Another big issue she'll have to consider is that buying the property is half the problem, and as soon as she realized she'll need to spend even more on refurnishing the place, her smile of hope slowly transitioned to a sad frown.
"What's wrong my dear?" Mrs Mary asks after noticing her sudden change of mood.
"I'm interested in the offer but don't really have enough money" She takes a sip from her latté.
"You want to buy this dead place?" Mrs Mary asks in confusion.
"Yes. I want to turn it around."
If she can get fifty thousand from the bank, she'd pay half of it to Mrs Mary and use the remaining half to run the business in the mean time.
"Twenty five thousand. Is it okay if I spread the rest in installments?"
"For how many months?"
"Ten at most"
It took Mrs Mary a while to think about the offer and make a decision. She knows she might not be able to secure a buyer because no one seems to actually care about buying the old shop instead, people are building new shops.
"You have yourself a deal Jayda. I'll prepare the papers you'll need to sign and once you make the first payment, you can start running it.
"Thank you so much Mrs Mary" Jayda's eyes swim with joy. All she'll need to do is get that loan from the bank and beg to spread the payment for two years at most. Should be easy.
Maybe things won't really be bad for her in New York.
- Writer
