When Love Finds You

“If someone had told me that the stranger I met while working would mean so much to me today, I would have called it the biggest joke.” --- "Just a minute more sleep, then I'll be up," Sandra mumbled in a wakey-sleepy voice as her alarm rang to wake her up. It was already 6:00 am, her usual wake-up time. "Oh, you wicked noisy thing, why won't you just let me sleep?" Sandra said, rubbing her eyes as she got up and turned off the alarm. She tidied up her room as she made her way downstairs to wake Mitchell and Daniel, her only siblings whose schooling could be afforded. "You both get up from there, go bathe and get yourselves ready for school. I won't be waiting for anyone today!" she said loudly and pounded on their room door as she made her way to the makeshift kitchen to make breakfast. This had been her routine ever since her mom died; she had been forced to grow up fast and take care of the family. She quickly whipped up breakfast as she listened to music on her phone—music, her only comfort in her chaotic world. Ever since her mom died, it had been the lyrics, the beats, and the sound of the piano her mom left that had been keeping her going. She hummed and sang along as she set breakfast on the shaky table in the living room. She went ahead to call Emma, her other brother, and then went into her father's room to call him too. "Good morning, Papa," she said. "I have made breakfast; come, let's go and eat. Let me help you." She helped Jackson, her limping father, to the living room. Mitchell and Daniel also came down, dressed neatly in their uniforms. The smell of freshly made breakfast filled the air as they took their places around the shaky table. Slowly but surely, the family was coming to terms with the loss of Maryann, their mother and ultimate breadwinner, as they slowly learned to smile again. Sandra, fully aware that the breakfast would be insufficient, took a few slices of bread and made to leave. "Oh my God, I'm running late, and I haven't even had my bath; I need to go now," she rushed out to the bathroom. Her father sighed heavily, fully aware of what she was doing but seemingly powerless about it. Sandra came out again, all dressed up for work, and by then, everyone was done with breakfast, and the table had been cleared. "Since you both aren't eating, go and get your bags; let's leave. The café opens by 7 am, and this is already 6:45 am. Oh my God, I'm really going to be late, and then I'll be sub-charged," she called out to Mitchell and Daniel, rambling on without even realizing how old that made her look. "Calm down, sis; we are here," Mitchell, her sister and the youngest of them all, said, and with that, they stepped out to face the world. Sandra and her two younger siblings had to work for a while before being able to get a cab—well, a tuk-tuk to be specific, as cabs were a luxury they couldn't afford. "Arggh, my day is turning out so bad before it's even started. How could I be so late today?" she began rambling, seemingly now a habit. "Now my salary is going to be deducted... my baby salary," she added, feeling extremely aggrieved. The tuk-tuk stopped at the junction leading to Mitchell's and Daniel's school. They got down and waved Sandra goodbye. "Bye, Sis, have a great day," Daniel said. "Bye, Sis, and cut down on the ranting, or you'll grow wrinkles," Mitchell said with a childish giggle. "Bye, and off with you both," Sandra said, waving her hand in playful frustration. The tuk-tuk went on for some time, as the café was situated quietly in the bustling part of town—the part with the tall buildings and large structures that always left Sandra staring with awe and something else, something bigger. Sandra got down from the tuk-tuk and rummaged through her bag for her worn-out purse to pay the fares. It wasn't that she couldn't buy a new purse, but that she knew fully well what would be sacrificed to get that purse. She hurriedly paid the fares and made her way to the café in a run-jog. She carefully pushed the glass door of the café, which already had the closed sign changed to open, meaning she was late. She made her way to the staff room to get her apron and start working. On getting there, she received strange stares from her colleagues. She wasn't sure why they were looking at her like that, but she still raised her head and, with quick but steady steps, moved to the apron rack. "How does she think she is coming so late and walking with her head so high, like she owns the place?" "Exactly, does she know how many people she has kept waiting?" "Just because she's the only barista here, she thinks she can do whatever she pleases," her colleagues gossiped. She took an apron and started to wear it when Julie, her friend in the café, came to her. "Sandra, why are you so late today?" she said softly. "Everyone is talking about you." "That's their business; they can talk for all I care. Is there anyone among them who's never come late? Acting like it was purposeful."As for me, I don't like what I hate," Sandra said calmly, with a touch of girl sass. Julie burst out laughing. "Girl, who likes what they hate? You are so funny." Sandra swiftly made for the counter, where she immediately started serving customers. In no time, the long line waiting for their drinks and coffee was attended to, but that didn't mean Sandra got any breaks—because the customers just kept coming. As it got close to closing time, Sandra was more free, as there were only a few customers in the café now, so she decided to play some music on her phone. But just as she turned on her music at a low volume, she received a call from her siblings' school. "Hello, is this Miss Sandra?" the voice from the other side asked. "Yes, it's me... is there any problem?" Sandra asked, already feeling scared and anxious. "Yes, Miss, we need you to come to the school immediately... your—" "Yes, sir, just wait a moment; I'll be there," Sandra said in a shaky voice, almost sounding nasal. She immediately clocked out of work, much to the anger of her colleagues. "She came so late and she's leaving first." "This girl's confidence baffles me," they vented amongst themselves. Sandra rushed out of the café in her disorganized state. As a result of the tears in her eyes, she bumped into a young man. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said hurriedly and left, hailing a tuk-tuk to be on her way. Unbeknownst to her, she dropped her wallet.