CHAPTER 1 - FRESH START
POV DAWN
I wish there was a restar button for life that said ¨hey press me lest try this again and make better decisions in life¨ But heres no such thing so here I am at a new city living in my SUV posting and handing out flyers in front of a diner promoting cleaning services with my contact information. It was the only job I could do that wouldn’t require child care for my 1 year old lets just say I am uncomfortable leaving her with people I dint know and to be honest I had trust issues lets blame that on father abandonment issues.
I have a Bachelor's Degree on Business administration management and experience so managing my small cleaning business would not be so hard. On the plus side I was really good a cleaning it kept my mind on the present on whats really important.
¨Mama! Mama!¨ My daughter Aria brought me out of my train of thought.
¨Aria¨ I answer
She looks up at me and smiles and stars waving and the people passing by or entering to the diner. Some waived back at her and took my flyers others just completely ignored us. I was just glad she was still her sweet little self and this changes dint affect her at least not yet and I would do anything to keep it that way.
That’s why I was out here I needed at least one house to clean and be able to rent a room in a motel and restock on food. Don’t get me wrong I had savings but those where for emergency I could make do. As long has we where healthy, clean, and fed I would make do.
In the back of my mind something told me we where being watched. I looked right and left making sure then looked inside the diner and there’s was this elegant older woman looking at us I just smiled and kept talking to Aria.
Out of my peripheral vision I see the woman walking out of the dinner then up to us I really hope she was kind. Older woman had old and strong traditions and a strict way of thinking and would sometimes make rude comments to which I politely and respectfully had a comeback. Years of customer services and management make you build a back bone and not tolerate any disrespect.
I see her coming straight to us Aria is already waving at her showing her 4 little upper front tiny milky withe teeth and out of nowhere says
¨Nana ¨
After this she points to herself with both hands and then extends her arms so that they lady can grab her.
Instantly this broke my heart and I correct her.
“Aria that’s not Nana”
By this point the older woman was in front of us. I got the opportunity to really appreciate her beauty she was old but she dint look weak in fact she radiated power. Her skin was flawless her gray hair was well styled, the little make up she had only highlight her beauty. I know for a fact she was wealthy it was not only her clothes that gave it away it was they way she carried her self. All that and still she had so much hardness in her expression like she had to work very hard and had to do very difficult things thru out her life. But for a moment when Aria called her nana her beautiful green eyes soften.
¨ I apologies for my daughter I guess you reminder her of her grandmother ¨
I said with shy smile. It was all I could say as a handed her a flyer. The woman looked at the flyer then at my daughter and without ever parting eyes with Aria said;
I will pay you daily $200 daily, I have a small guest house with all appliances installed and basic amenities are covered. It has only one room would that be a problem?
I was shocked and I think m body went into a short circuit I could not responde. It was great don’t get me wrong but what would that mean. Did I have to kill someone or clean up the mess after the killing happens. To say the least I was not use to this generosity and my trust issues where not helping. So I gather my self out of my own mind and took a breath I dint realize I was holding and asked away.
“ It is not a problema no mam’m at all. But with all due respect I have some question.. How many hour per day would you need me What types of chores do you requires? You do understand I am a single mother and Aria is with me all the time? ” I kept rambling on and on like like a maniac I appear to be.
To which she just laughed at me literally chuckle and said
“Oh darling I know your single no honest man on there right mind would let you be out here on the autumn cold handy out flyer. Look all I need is daily chores to get done I don’t care it it takes you 1 or 8 hours as long as there done you will get paid. I live alone so I don’t mind the little one roaming around the house. Any more questions?” She said with arched eyebrow.
“No mam’m” I said even do I did have questions
“Good. Now you can stop handing out flyer now” she said wile grabbing the ones I had left and throwing them in the trash.“This is the address” she handed me a card with the information “Dinner is at 5pm don’t be late and my name is Elizabeth dot call me mam’m I already know I am old. By little one” And just like that the old elegant bossy woman left me dumbstruck.
Aria kept waving and screaming her goodbyes to Elizabeth.
I literally had to shake my head a little. As I looked at the card I was feeling so great-full. I just had to keep my guard up do a good job and keep the job because this was heavenly sent.
I went in the dinner to buy some food for Aria and me. Thank the manager for letting me hand out the flyers outside the dinner and went to our 2016 SUV packed with all of our stuff and memories. I quickly organized a few boxes place Aria in her car seat, searched in my phone the address and place it the dash mount.
To fresh starts not staring so bad.