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1157 Words
The chill in the wind was a contrast to what she was accustomed to. The blinding city lights and buildings that reached the heavens made her town look like an insignificant pebble; the swarms of people filling the streets and the vibratos of engines occupying the atmosphere were nothing like she had seen before. She felt fear and awe at the same time, each one fighting for dominance as she took in the view.
She had just moved to the city; well, more like escaped to the city. She knew an old friend who lived in an apartment not too far from the train station. She held the address tightly in her fist, the only thing she carried, with a twenty dollar bill, the clothes she wore on her back, and the necklace she cherished more than anything in this world.
She hailed a taxi and showed the driver the address on the crumpled paper.
She couldn’t stop staring. She had read about it in books, but the words in no way did justice to the beauty before her.
The city was so colorful, so different. There were buildings that looked like art pieces, some looked like they could only be found in one’s imagination.
She was so lost in the view, she didn’t even realize the taxi had come to a halt 5 minutes ago.
She offered the driver his pay and walked into the apartment building before her.
It took her about 10 minutes to find her friend’s apartment. And it took her another 10 to finally ring the doorbell.
There was this nervous cloud that overshadowed her at that moment. Should she turn back? Turn back to what exactly?
There was nothing left for her in that town, all that waited for her there was death, or something much worse.
The door opened and she was greeted with a stranger. She had sworn she got the address, it was the same one Paula sent her a year ago, unless she moved.
Why didn’t she think of that?
“I’m sorry, I got the address mixed up” Aria offered a nervous smile and was about to walk away when this stranger called her name
“Aria? What are you doing here??” A mixture of shock and confusion was evident on this stranger’s face.
“Paula?” Aria asked in disbelief. This couldn’t possibly be Paula.
The Paula she knew had long black hair, a wide nose, and a slender build - this person standing before her had bright red bob hair, a tiny button nose, her breasts seemed to be gasping for oxygen in her tank top, threatening to tear through any minute now and there was absolutely nothing slender about her curves.
“Come in” She gave way to Aria and once again, Aria was in awe.
The living room was bigger than her whole house. It was classy, and artsy light fixtures hung from the ceiling. There were several art pieces hung on the wall, mostly abstract. The furniture was soft and welcoming, with a round coffee brown center table, accentuated by a long white velvet sofa. The rug was a darker shade of brown, it reminded her of the wool of the sheep she used to cater to.
“You should have told me you were coming, I would have prepared for your arrival.’’
Paula didn't expect her to come all the way to the city- ever. There was a time she tried persuading her, but Aria was always hard-headed, foolishly clinging on to the brainwashed culture drilled into their heads - and that was 6 years ago.
“It was an emergency, I couldn’t wait to send a letter that’ll take you weeks to respond, it would have been too late.” She had wasted another second, she would be a corpse drowning in a river by now.
Paula knew she wouldn’t come all the way here on short notice, she knew something was wrong. Aria was not the kind to make rash decisions without much thought. For her to leave the town, something must have happened. Something really bad.
“Can I stay with you? You know, until I get on my feet, I’ll cook and clean and get a job, I promise, I won’t cause any inconvenience.” Aria’s voice was full of plea and desperation. She didn’t know anyone in the city but Paula, she was her only hope right now.
The desperation didn't go unnoticed by Paula. Should she ask? Should she pry? Aria was even more stubborn than a mule. And if she didn’t want to say anything, there was nothing Paula could do.
She sighed, “Finding a corporate job is out of the picture, you don’t have a degree, but there’s an opening at the place I work…if you’re interested.”
Aria was filled with joy. “I worked as a waitress part-time back home, along with tending to the sheep, I can work as a cleaner, a help- anything. I’m ready.”
“Alright, alright. I’ll take you with me tomorrow night-“
“Why at night? I’ll be ready in the morning.’ Aria was confused, she thought interviews were only done in the morning. Coming at night would only show lateness and poor time management.
Paula chuckled. “Because Clubs only open at night, sweetheart.”
“A club? You want me to work at a club?” Aria was flabbergasted, she could not believe Paula could subject something so despicable to her.
“If a club is too ‘dirty’ for you, then you’ll have a problem with me, because I work there, as a stripper.’
Aria’s mouth was half agape, her face froze in shock. Paula was a stripper??? Showing off her bare body to the public eye for money?? Where did she bury her dignity?? Her pride??
She wasn’t like this 6 years ago. Yes, she was very outgoing and always had an eye for glitter, but this? Aria never saw it coming.
Change was inevitable, but this was just too drastic.
“Look Aria, if you want to survive in this city, whatever you think you know, throw it in the gutter.” Paula knew that all too well. When she first came to the city, she didn’t plan on being a stripper. She wanted to act, to be in the spotlight… but reality and dreams are two separate worlds, and floating dreams will not put food on the table.
Aria was speechless for a moment, an internal battle taking place. She had to choose between the morals her mother instilled in her or her survival. She could not go back. Once she left that town, it was a one-way trip, and she plans on keeping it that way.
“I’ll do it.” Her voice was firm but her heart trembled.
The city was truly nothing like the books had painted out to be.
- Writer
