CHAPTER 3
1264 Words
My fingers wrapped around the watch as I raised it in the air. My eyes scanning over it.
“This was what he left behind” I said as I narrated the entire story to my best friend mia.
“Oh my freaking raspberries!” Mia squealed. She grabbed the watch from my hands, her green eyes scanning over it “do you know how much this cost?”
“I have no idea but I’m sure it’s gonna cost a lot”
“Definitely” mia laughed in excitement, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder.
“Savannah” my boss called from the counter”I’m not paying you to chit chat with customers” he sounded irritated .
“I’m coming Gabe. Just a sec” I yelled back
Gabe was a grumpy old man in his seventies, but he was sweet. I’ve been working for him for three months and besides his grumpiness he was a great boss.
I haven’t had a job for longer than three months, which probably meant that I would be quitting soon. Gabe would be devasted, I was his prized customer. My looks tend to draw customers in.
“Mia, could you help me to sell the watch?” I pleaded
“Yeah sure” she said absentmindedly, her eyes still scanning over the watch in awe. “It’s so beautiful and shiny” she breathed
“Thanks” I said with a smile, getting up from my seat.
Mia suddenly held my hand “what are you doing after your shift? There’s this new place that opened up three blocks away and I wanna try it.”
“I can’t mia. I have another job”
“What about after that”
“Mia” I called, giving her a look that said ‘we’ve been through this before.’
She scowled “when are you ever gonna live your life. You’re twenty five for gods sake Savannah”
I sighed “I have to take care of my mom and you know I don’t have a college degree to get good job so….”
“I know, I know” mia exhaled “but it’s just, sometimes I want to hang out with my best friend. Just the two of us. It’s been so long since we did that and I miss you”
My chest tightened at the thought. The last time mia and I hung out was a year ago. Now, I just try to fix her in-between my shifts like an impromptu meeting.
“Maybe if I had a more stable job then we could hang out more” I shrugged
“SAVANNAH!” My boss yelled making me jump in fright.
“We’ll talk later” I said quickly before rushing to the kitchen.
“I am so sorry Gabe, I….”
“Your lunch break was over ten minutes ago”
“I know….but it’s mia. You know how she is” I flashed him a toothy smile.
His shoulders visibly relaxed “if you weren’t one of my most prized employees, I would’ve fired your ass”
I fake gasped “I’m your most prized employee”
Gabe shook his head “get back to work Savannah”
I grabbed my apron “aye aye captain” I gave him a salute and sauntered off to my my spot.
By the time I got home, my entire body was exhausted.
I had juggled five different jobs today despite not having to go to the strip club.
“Mom I’m home!” I called out but I got no reply.
I took off my shoes and rushed to the living room.
“Mom!” My voice cracked. A feeling of slight panic settled at the pit of my stomach.
“Anna? Is that you?”
I let out a sigh of relief as I heard the sound of her feeble voice.
She was in the kitchen.
“Mom you got me worried.” I dropped my bag on the kitchen aisle “I told you to always answer when I call”
She rolled her eyes and pulled her shawl closer around her shoulder “I’m fine anna. I just wanted water”
I stared at her as she spoke. She looked so weak and sickly, a contrast to the woman that raised me.
She had been strong and healthy. Now she was……..dying. No Savannah. Don’t think that.
We were too poor to afford good medical care and all I could do was work my ass off to pay for the cheap nurse that comes in twice a week. But still with that, I was still struggling to pay.
I really need to sell that watch.
“How was work today?” She asked. She was trying to make a light conversation but I just couldn’t.
“Mom you need to be in bed. Remember what the doctor said, you need…..”
She cut in before I could finish “Bed rest, I know.”
“Did you take your meds today?”
She always forgets to take them unless I called to remind her. It was like she has a death wish or something.
Hey silence made me pause as my eyes widened in horror “mom did you take your meds?”
“Stop being grumpy Savannah. I took them. All of them” she exhaled sharply “you’re as grumpy as your father”
The air suddenly shifted. We never spoke about him. We never uttered his name. He was an asshole that deserved hell.
I blinked back the memories that came flooding back “I’m not like him” I said bitterly
My mother stiffened, finally realizing what she had said. Her eyes were filled with pity as she stared at me.
“You’re nothing like him Savannah” she smiled showing yellow teeth.
Her bony hands trembled as she caressed my cheek in a loving manner “you’re nothing like him” she repeated. More to herself than to me.
I leaned into her touch as I closed my eyes. My mom was the only family I had. She was everything I needed.
Even though we’re poor and could barely afford dinner sometimes, I’ll still choose her. Even though I detest living in a shabby apartment and I sometimes wonder what life would have been like if my father was here. I would still choose her.
The sound of my phone vibrating startled both of us. I brought it out of my pocket to see that it was mia calling.
“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?”
I moved the phone away from my ear as the sound of Mia’s voice almost tore my eardrum.
“Hello to you too mia”
“I’ve been trying to reach you since five hours ago. Didn’t you get my text?”
I scrolled through my phone to see that it was on DND I turned it off and a dozen notifications flooded my screen.
“Sorry, I must have butt dialed it into DND” I smiled sheepishly
She groaned in annoyance “whatever. So are you in?”
“In on what?”
“Read. The. Damn. Message Savannah”
I tapped on the messages, scrolling through them one by one. And then…..
My eyes widened when I read it.
Most of them were about mia telling me to pick up the phone, but one of them stuck out the most.
YOU’VE SUCCESSFULLY PASSED THE APPLICATION PROCESS. KINDLY BEGIN WORK BY 8AM TOMORROW.
Application for what?
- Writer
