The Emergence of Emma

The Bookshop

"See you later guys!" I tell my mom and aunt Tessa while grabbing a Bagel off the dining table and racing past them. "And where are you off to this early?" mom asks me. "I officially begin my job hunt today" i respond while taking a bite out of my bagel and gesturing to her. "Have some breakfast first sweetie," my aunt adds. I run off pretending not to hear her. I head up the road into the sea of people and feel overwhelmed. I survey my outfit and realize that my worn out clothes are nothing compared to the swanky suits i see other girls wearing. My purse pales in comparison to theirs, marked with "Michael Kors" or "Gucci" designs. The smell of freshly baked donuts caresses my nose as i walk pass a bakery. I look around me and spot mannequins wearing fancy clothes. I continue walking and i catch a glance of a sign with the new spider man movie playing. I smile and start to feel like a kid in a candy shop. Finally i stop, glancing at the sign in a bookshop marked "Help wanted." I examine the place and a see the words "Eddie's Bookshop" on the building. I marvel at how much bigger it is than my local bookstore back home. I think to myself this could be it and smile as i head inside.

Inside i marvel at the huge amount of books inside. A Nancy Drew mystery catches my eye and i glance threw it. The inside of the store was much bigger than the outside alluded to. A cashier hurriedly presses the cash register and tells a lady with an oversized coat before her $14.50. I make my way to her while passing through several people inside. I suddenly hear a voice behind me exclaim "can i help you?" slowly i turn around to see a tall young man before me, his hair as dark as midnight. His hazel eyes glimmering in the light, his rigid face blending perfectly with his delicate nose. " I.. I.. I..." I try to speak but the words just dont seem to flow. "Would love to go on a date with me," he responds as if attempting to finish my sentence while giving a sly smile.

I pretend not to hear him and ask if he works here. "Maybe!" he lets out under his breath. "I saw the sign in the window" i reply while pointing to it "and i want to apply for the job" i finish. "So your looking for a job?" He remarks. "The position for a*****e assistant." "As you can see we're a little short staffed." He adds. "My father is the owner and he used to help out but he has recently taken ill." He says. I take notice of how white his teeth are. "Im so sorry to hear," i reply. "Yes im looking for a job, i would love to apply" I add. He responds by saying that "that depends" and quickly he adds "Are you free tomorrow night?"

Taken a back i think to myself how arrogant and rude he is. I wouldn't go out on a date with him even if he paid me. "Now listen sir, i came here looking for a job not a date." "Clearly i wont find one here so enjoy the rest of your day," i state and then hurriedly walk off. I feel him grab my arm as i walk off and a sensation comes over my body. His hands are warm. I pause for a minute and then turn back around to face him. "I'm sorry!" he says. "Its easy to get carried away in the face of such a beauty" he adds. I blush a little. "Let me tell you about the role," he says. "Its nothing too hard, you dust off the books in the morning, arrange books that have been misplaced by customers, answer the telephone, assist customers with finding books and any other task i may ask you to do from time to time within reason of course." "Sounds like something you can manage?" he asks. "Definitely!" I reply while giving him a confident smile. "Have you ever worked before?" he asks. "Yes sir i spent my summers working in a bookshop before, only they were half the size of your shop" i answer. "Good, you'll fit right in" he says. "And please, call me Matt," he says. "Oh i wouldnt feel comfortable calling you by your name sir," You're my boss after all" i add. "Ok suit yourself" he says. He tells me the pay is $10 an hour and asks me if that is ok. I think to myself that my summer job back home didnt even pay me half of that. "Seems fair to me" i reply. "Be back here at 8am sharp tomorrow." he adds. I reply "yes sir!" and walk out of the store doing my best to hide the enthusiastic look on my face.

I head for home and think to myself how lucky i am for getting a job on my first day of trying. I remember the interaction with my soon to be boss and start thinking that i hope he doesn't hit on me again. I quickly brush the thought aside and get back to the happy enthusiastic feeling. At home i find mom watering the flowers in aunt's garden. She had always had a love for flowers as far as i can remember. There was a time when daddy used to bring them for her. Her favorite was Lillies. A flashback of a rare happy moment of my mom and dad pops in my head but i snap out of it quickly as an image of them having another argument creeps in.

"I got a job today mom i tell her." She puts down the watering can and tells me "that's wonderful darling" while stretching out her arms to embrace me. I hug her and feel a familiar feeling of peace. "Tell me all about it" she says while gesturing for us to head inside.

We head inside and i tell my mom about the bookshop, i tell her how the bookshop from our home town could fit inside it twice, i tell her how i could get lost in the sea of books that are there and i tell her that work begins 8am sharp tomorrow. I tell her that my wages were almost twice as much as received at my old summer job. I remind her of my plans to work and save for college. It had always been her dream to see me get a college degree. Growing up she didnt have much and as a result she was not able to go. I start recalling her saving money in a cookie jar in a corner of the highest shelf at our old kitchen for my college education. She did this every evening after she came home from her job at the diner. "Dont you love me woman?" "Where is it?" "I know your hiding it somewhere in here" my daddy yells to my mom. " "I must have misplaced it" she tells him. He shoves her to the ground and begins to reign several blows to her face. With tears streaming down my face from the hallway i yell out "just give it to him mommy" She slowly gets up and takes down the jar and hands it to him. "Now i know you love me baby" he tells her. "This will buy alot of liquor!" he exclaims while dipping his hands into the jar and stuffing several paper bills into his pockets. He tosses the jar to the ground and turns around and gives her a taunting smile before stumbling out the front door. I run to my mom and hug her like there is no tomorrow and as usual i tell her that everything will be ok. I've always wondered why she never left daddy but later on i would find out it wasn't that easy. Suddenly i here a faint voice asking me. "You hungry sweetie?" I jolt back to reality with the realization that i was having another flashback. I must. be having "post traumatic stress disorder" atleast thats what Doctor Phil on television says. I really need to get some counselling therapy one day i think.

"I can hear your stomach growling" she continues. "Its saying feed me, feed me," she says in a baby voice and we both burst out laughing. I hop up from my chair and walk to the pantry where i grab a pack of chips and a can of soda from the fridge. I open the chips and begin eating like i haven't eaten in days. "Slow down Emma" mom says. "If you eat like that infront of a nice boy you'll scare him off she adds." "Well in that case this is the way im gonna eat whenever we are in public" i respond. "Iman Pearson why are you so against boys?" she retaliates. I think to myself that Iman is gone. This is fully Emma now. Iman is attached to so much pain and turmoil. I get up and bolt up the stairs pretending not to hear my mother.

While upstairs i lay on my bed and start to ponder what outfit i should wear for my first day of work. I dont want to wear something too form fitting or too short or else that would surely turn Matt on. He seems to have a liking for me. Unwanted but a liking none the less. In the quiet of my room i start to think about him more. I remember his perfectly chiseled abs, his broad and seductive smile and i remember when he touched my arm how several filthy thoughts began running through my head. "Oh perish the thought" i say to myself out loud. I must remember to keep focused. Ive seen enough of what love can do i think to myself. I shall not be swayed by any man let alone one so arrogant.

I open the closet and pull out an oversized blue pant suit and my black church shoes. I've had them for the past four years but they still look new. That oughta do it i think to myself. I give myself a reassuring smile and go to the bathroom to have a shower. While dressing i hear aunt Tessa's voice in the distance and realize she must be home. Mom must be telling her about my new job i think as i walk downstairs.

"Whats for dinner?" I ask while smiling at aunty. "You decide hun" your mom and i agreed that its your day to cook she says while giving me a cheeky smile. "Great!" "Pizza it is!" I exclaim as i watch them burst into laughter. I ask her where's the best place to order pizza around here and she gives me a number for a pizza place down the road that makes "the best pizza ever" in her words. 20 minutes later we're sprawled out in the couch eating pizza and watching American Idol on television. Aunt Tessa remarks that she could sing far better than alot of the contestants and tries to prove it by belting out a note of Rihanna's song "shine bright tonight, You're beautiful like a diamond on the skyyyyy" she screeches. Mom and i cover our ears and jokingly boo her but she doesn't care. She continues singing pretending not to hear us. We laugh so hard that we end up in stitches. Later on we watch a James Bond movie and mom tells us how back in the day she was way sexier than the girl starring in the movie. "You're still sexier than her now" i tell her. "She's got nothing on you" i say. She smiles approvingly at move as a feeling of weariness comes over me. I bid them goodnight and head off to bed.