Safe In Your Sound

Chapter 5: Hope

I got the job!

Applying for it was easier than I thought. I got hired after answering a few simple questions about my family background and my skills. They manager told me that I can start working the next day which is what happened.

This is my first job - after I left my position in our company, that is - and I am more than excited to start working for the day and I think nothing can make me feel otherwise.

"You work here?!" I blurted out with wide eyes, staring at the man standing by the door of the personnel room.

I was putting my things inside the locker that was for me when the door opened and revealed Orly in his usual blue polo shirt. Only now did I realize that it was the uniform of this hardware store and I'm also wearing the same one right now.

He seemed as surprised as me though. Both his eyebrows were shot up and his mouth slightly dropped open when he saw me. And before any of us could speak, the door opened once again and a woman came in with the same uniform as ours. I guess she's one of the saleswoman here just like me.

The newcomer exchanged glances with Orly before giving me her full attention. "You're Erica, right?"

I slowly nodded. "Yes, I am."

"I'm Tanya. Follow me after you're done. I'll be giving you a brief round in the store," the woman said and looked at Orly again. I was about to look away when I saw her hand slid down the man's arm as she smiled meaningfully at him and winked before she left the room.

I guess they do the same kind of flirting here.

"If there's anything else you need, you can just ask me," Tanya smiled after she explained to me everything I need to know, the store sections and where the stocks were and when I need to check the inventory.

She left me alone to go back to her post. I was on the second aisle of the store with the list of inventory on hand. On my first day, it was what they asked me to do. Counting and tallying are my bestfriends when I was in college so everything about this kind of job is a piece of cake for me.

The only hard part is when I need to crouch down to check those on the bottom shelves. Good thing, we don't wear skirts as uniforms.

It was what I did the whole morning. No. Actually it was what I did the whole day. I never thought working on the inventory would really take a lot of time. During my on-the-job training, I was assigned in the office and only requires paper works. Now, I'm not sure which was more difficult: sitting all day working on papers or walking all day counting locks, chains, knobs, bulbs and etc.

There weren't that much customers but there were a lot of pending deliveries. My first day was a handful. And the next days were the same too.

"Do you need help with that?" Orly spoke behind me. I looked at him over my shoulders as I carried a box of LED light bulbs.

His brows were creased as always and sometimes I wonder doesn't his forehead get strained by always having that expression?

"No, thanks. I can do it myself," I refused, recalling quickly the first time he helped me. But this is not the first time I refused him though.

For the past few days, I always hear the other girls asking for his help with either carrying or reaching something on the higher shelves as if he was the only guy in this store when there were actually three of them. Well, one of them is the security guard but still there is another man available around here.

One time when I was at the storage room looking for a certain kind of screws a customer was asking for, he entered the room and saw me. Right at that moment, my eyes found what they were looking for but the screws are on the high shelf.

I tried reaching for it, tiptoed and extended my arms but I only got to touch the surface of its box. Without a word, he stepped in and took the box before he handed it to me with a smug smirk which annoyed me and ruined my mood for the whole day.

That was the last time. And I said, the very last. His other attempts of helping me, I turned it all down.

While the other girls seemed to be trying to get his attention, I would just stand there and watch them and be amaze at how these ladies were very fond of him. And it looks like Orly was very used to it. Maybe that was why he is so conceited with himself. He assumes everyone needs his help when clearly they were just trying to flirt with him.

But that wasn't the only thing I noticed. From the beginning, I thought that he and Tanya seemed very close. Sometimes, I would catch them talking inside the personnel room alone and other times at one corner of the store where no one barely goes to.

Lucas's words echoed in my mind that he's friendlier than what I think. So is this what he meant by friendly? It's more like flirty.

I was going through the boxes that will be delivered today and Orly had just finished with packing the last box. I scribbled something on the clipboard before I looked at him again.

The way he stared back at me somehow was insulting. He was still kneeling down in front of the box with a tape on hand while I was standing a few feet away from him, holding the clipboard.

I don't get why he always have to look at me that way. Ever since we met, his eyes never seemed to changed expression whenever he sees me like he is always judging me from head to foot. I rolled my eyes before I left him alone.

"Is he still working in that fast food chain?" Vina asked, the cashier of the store. We were on break and stayed in the personnel room when she asked Tanya.

I was sitting with them, enjoying the milkshake we bought outside and tried not to listen to them but that was kind of impossible. I know they're talking about Orly because out of all us, he seemed to be the only one who only works halfdays on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, and does not work during Sundays.

"Hm, I think so," Tanya replied. My eyes accidentally met hers and she smirked as if an idea just popped to her mind.

She put her milkshake down on the table without taking her gaze off me. "So, Erica, you live in the same compound as Orly right?"

I blinked at her question and was a little puzzled as why she's asking. Nonetheless, I nodded.

"Then you probably know whoever he is living with?" she asked expectantly.

"What do you mean? Does he have a wife? I thought you're his girlfriend?" I probed, thinking why would she ask such thing when she's his girlfriend. I was confused but became even more confused when Tanya and Vina bursted to laugh.

"So you're not dating him?" I asked carefully, now embarrassed because they're laughing at me.

"Gosh you're such an innocent girl, Erica," Vina remarked but I doubt if it was indeed a compliment. And innocent? I lived in the city where innocent isn't even in the dictionary.

"Forget it. I don't think you know anything at all," Tanya said. Now, that wasn't very pleasing to my ears.

I'm kind of torn whether to ask them what they wanted to know or just let them be since I don't really have nothing to do with them and the person they're curious with. They did not try to ask me anything since then.

Days felt like days here. Back then, I always feel like time is moving so slow as if I'm waiting for the whole year to end. Maybe because I'm living the way I wanted, time ran differently.

It's almost closing time on a Friday and I was arranging my things inside the workers' quarters. I was the only one in the room so every noise is very clear to my ears. I was looking up something in my phone when I heard a loud thud on the door of the washroom.

I looked up from my phone and waited if someone will get out from there but no one did. I brought my gaze back to my phone. I'm going through the internet for some news about my father, if there's any 'cause I doubt if he would let my disappearance be known to public.

Not even a minute had passed when I heard yet another weird sound. This time, it was a raspy moan of a girl. Not only that, I also heard a man groaning.

My thoughts of my father were overthrown by what I'm hearing. Their wails were piercing through the walls of that small room and it's making me uncomfortable.

Knowing how to respect their privacy, I packed my things up before I could hear more. I was about to open the door to leave when I heard the woman's voice once again.

"Fuck... faster... ugh..." That raspy and sexy voice sounded like Tanya. No, it is Tanya.

I left the room with a heated face and almost bumped unto Vina if I hadn't looked up.

"Are you leaving?" She asked, staring at my bag.

"Yes. I have things to do at home," I excused.

"Okay. But have you seen Orly? I need him to move some things to the storage," she asked which got me a little off.

Orly?

Then my mind flew back to Tanya's voice and what was happening inside the washroom. I'm certain he's with her in there.

"No, I haven't seen him. But... I'm sure he's just somewhere..." I said slowly. She looked at me for a moment before she nodded and let me go. I casually bid her goodbye before I left.

When I got to the compound, I saw Lucas outside with Grandpa Pol and... a little girl? Curious and a little amused to see a young girl as if it was my first time, I went to them. Grandpa Pol and the girl were talking, seems like she was telling him a story. Lucas was the first one to see me coming and stood up to greet me which also got the others' attention.

"Ah, there she is!" Grandpa Pol exclaimed when he saw me.

My gaze found the little girl who was also looking up to me with twinkling eyes and lips curved up to an excited smile. I looked back at the gentle old man.

"We've been waiting for you. By the way, this is Hope," Grandpa Pol introduced the young girl. I turned to the girl and crouched down to level with her gaze.

"Nice to meet you, Hope. I'm Erica," I beamed and held out my hand.

She looked jolly and shy at the same time as she stared back at me. Her small hands slowly reached out for mine and we did a cute handshake.

"Nice to meet you, miss Erica," she said in her small voice.

"While she was playing earlier, she noticed that the house you're living in did not have the same lock as it did. She got curious about her another neighbor so I told her about you. She was really excited to meet you when learned that you're a girl too," Grandpa Pol chuckled softly.

My eyes never left the girl who seemed really shy now in front of me. She can't even look at me.

"Grandpa Pol is so talky," Hope murmured and pouted at the elderly making us all laugh to her cuteness.

"So, I guess you wanted a new playmate? Is that it? You want me to play with you instead?"

She turned to me shyly before she slowly nodded. "I've been playing with them for so long and until now they still don't know how to play with fun."

"Oh wow! Says the one who doesn't like to play with me because she says building blocks are boring. You wanted me to buy that game but now you say it's boring," Lucas playfully butted in.

Lucas and Hope exchanged cute banters while I and Grandpa Pol only watched them. I can't take my gaze off the young girl and somehow her eyes were kind of familiar to me, like I've seen the same one before one. I can't help but be curious too and thought that grandpa didn't have any granddaughter.

But before I could even ask, Hope suddenly got off from her chair with a huge smilebas if very glad to see someone. The two men didn't seem faze at her action. Hope ran and all I could do was follow her through my gaze.

She ran towards a man who had just gotten off the tricycle and to my confusion, I saw her running to Orly!

"Papa!" Hope called and immediately wrapped her arms around Orly's torso.

My mouth fell open at the sight and to what I just heard.

"She's Orly's daughter," Lucas uttered beside me which confirmed what I was thinking.