CHAPTER 2

When we were seated in the bus I drifted into a slumber... I was really tired."why didn't you just sleep when you had the chance to. Now you are sleeping when you have a place to get to. Anyways, you have less than ten minutes to get to work" she said and I muttered something inaudible even to my ears.

"You should try to look a bit presentable when you are going tomorrow though. Immediately you are done with your shift tomorrow morning, catch some sleep and let's hear there. I really think we should go in the afternoon rather than late evening like we did today, so the man doesn't lie to us about the chief cook not been around anymore."

Her words weren't quite put together in my head, they were hazy. I really needed to sleep... And eat too. Mario tapped my shoulder sharply.

"We really must meet with one of them tomorrow, either the chef or the manager"

"We don't even recognize any of them except we are told and the person supposed to point them out apparently doesn't want to, so our chances of meeting with either of them is a zero to none.. Okay.. I think I should just go with what that man at the entrance said okay.. I obviously don't have the requirement"

"You do know that there's nothing like that right. It's not like you are auditioning to be a model, the only requirement in this situation should be your culinary skills and definitely not your looks and trust me Chantel that man is a huge jerk for saying what he said.

Someone gave him a chance and thats why he has that opportunity so why would he say something so mean? Whichever way, it doesn't matter okay.. Just look on the bright side. We are gonna get this job so stay strong, if you need to grab a book at the mall overnight to know more about cooking then you should make sure you do that because we are so getting this job"

I've wished a lot of times that I should at least have half of her optimism, it would do me a whole lot of good but then she isn't forcing it. It's just her nature and I think she's lucky to have that in her.

"I'll alight here" I called out to the bus driver. "Thanks Mario. Tomorrow then." She smiled and I smiled back and quickly walked out of the bus to start working.

If only I could secure the job, life would really be easier.

***********************

"You know you are a bit late right?" My boss said immediately I got to the mall.

"I'm so sorry, I had an emergency" I said as I slipped on the apron and moved to my position as fast as I could. "You mean an emergency like you lost an arm or a leg because as I can see you are totally complete Chantel, what kind of ridiculous emergency could that have been" i would have been shocked if I didn't already know that I had the most ruthless boss ever. Women were usually wicked whenever they are placed in positions of authority. Guess it's a defense mechanism we pick up so others don't take advantage of our feminity. We bully the bully first before they bully us, I was developing a thick skin for her harsh statements already.

"I'm really sorry ma". I said again and started calculating goods for a customer. "Only if you know you are tired of working here should you do that next time. I merely nodded and continued working.

If there was one thing I enjoyed about working night shifts, it's the irony it came with... I never did work except on rare occasions when some smokers came for some packet of smoke in the middle of the night or an asthma patient needed a new inhaler... And to crown it all my pay was more than the person who worked day because it's believed that I loose my sleep. This is actually the time I sleep best, I have a favorite reclining chair already.

My boss goes home by 9:30 pm or sometimes 10 and then...the sleep ultimately commences.

This night though, I've decided to be productive by improving on my culinary skills so immediately there's no one else in the store and there are no customers, I head to the magazine rack and read on till I eventually sleep off on the reclining chair. I think reading on that chair was a bad idea from onset.

The brightness that filtered into the room was what woke me up, I check my little cell-phone and find out that I've slept for hours. It was 6am already. I should be leaving for home very soon. The person taking the shift from me would be here soon.

Knock knock knock..... Oh.. He's here already. I quickly gathered up my things, explained the account of the previous night sales to him and left for my house. Thank goodness my boss gave me some money last night before leaving, I don't have to worry about breakfast or possibly lunch. I purchased a giant sized bread and some eggs at the mall where I worked already. My stomach was literally whistling for joy.

I quickly raced home as I couldn't afford to waste anymore money on transportation, I needed to save up to go back to the restaurant after I take a short rest till noon.

My siblings had not yet gone to school and they looked very delighted to see me.

"Mum left us some bacon and eggs, but we already had that yesterday. We want some bread instead" Jade complained and Rita frowned.

"I've told you to eat what you have jade" she scolded as she stuffed her mouth with eggs.

"Don't worry... I got you" I said with a pained smile as I pulled out the bread and eggs from my large and unshapely bag.

The happiness was evident on even Rita's face. "Mum went to work already?"

" Yeah..  She said she got a job at some factory yesterday. Was told to resume early this morning. I think they refine milk or something. Don't know much though. She left early anyways"

I merely sighed. I've gotta sleep okay, just go to school and be good" I said with a smile as I kissed their forehead and I wabbled into the bedroom and crashed on the bed.

*************

I took the keys form him with a bright smile on my face as I looked at the new car. It was a shiny black brand new car. My favorite color.

"Thank you very much daddy" I said as I hugged him tightly. "You really don't need to thank me so much Chantel, I promised to give it to you as soon as clocked eighteen as far as you can pass your driving exams and that you've done already so you rrally don't need to thank me okay.. " He concluded with a bright smile, my mum was grinning from ear to ear too at his back. He had just gifted her a car too some days ago hence the reason for the much joy.

"After you get into college,I promise you a bigger car. Just make sure to be a good girl that you've always been and graduate in flying colors."

I looked around and a blonde, blue eyed guy who didn't even look real walked up to me. "Hey Chantel, now that you've got a ride ...we could race together sometime yiy know ... A couple thing" he said an d flashed a smile that almost blinded me momentarily.

"Couple's thing? We are a couple?" I asked with raised eyebrow as he slung his hand over my shoulder. I looked around and my parents were no longer there. " where are my parents?" I asked almost panicky

"They just gave us a little we time and then...of course we are a couple. We've been dating since junior school remember"

"So ... Like my parents are aware of this relationship?"

"Of course they are. What do you think?"

He pulled through my hair and let it tumble and I noticed I was blonde. Then jade came to tug at my dress.

"Chantel...I'm hungry.." I squeezed my face a bit. "Hungry?? I thought we were rich..."

He tapped me,this time a bit harder and I jerked awake. So I had been dreaming the whole time. I sighed loudly and saw malcom pulling at my dress.

"I'm hungry"

"Isn't Rita gonna make you something to eat?"

"She's been busy with her school books all day" he responded with a frown.

I looked at the time, it was past twelve already, I quickly jumped on my feet and ran to prepare to go back to the restaurant. After feeding my brother of course... And eating a bit myself .

I quickly headed to the bus stop and caught a bus in no time, getting a bus was getting easier these days. I guess they were a lot more now. I thought about calling Mario on my way there but then I didn't want her to witness my rejection the second time, she'll probably flare up this time around. On getting there, e man had stood by the gate already. He looked like he had been expecting me all day. His eyes take over me and I felt so open, I wished I had borrowed a dress from Mario and maybe brought her along. She always has the right words to deliver at moments like this. I felt so tongue tied.

"Came to see the cheif cook again?"

I merely nodded. My tongue wasn't free yet. Maybe if he allowed me meet with them though, I might be able to talk then. "They are not back yet and I totally have no idea when they would be so you shouldn't check back tomorrow again. Maybr in the next few months you know. They probably went on some major trip around the world"

"The both of them at the same time??" I asked with obvious puzzle on my face

"I guess it had to do with the cafeteria then." He said coldly and I walked home. I might as well save the bus fare if I wouldn't be getting the job.

Immediately I got inside the house my cell phone rang.

"Hello.... Yeah.... Hospital??why ?? ......I'm on my way.....immediately..... Yeah...now"

Now I was glad I saved the bus fare earlier. My mum just called me that she got into a terrible accident at the factory and she was in the hospital. I tried not to panic as my brain started providing every worst scenario possible. Tears were rolling down my cheeks already as I hurriedly locked the door back and raced to the bus stop.

************

My mum had two of her fingers on her right hand totally severed. She had mistakenly placed them where she should not have on the machine. The main problem right now was that she hasn't even been paid for the day when it happened. She was only given the pay of the day because it happened. I cried so much that my whole body shook. They also took care of the hospital bills.

She was discharged that day and I felt like a part of me had been ripped off when I saw my mum crying again. She was crying for a lot of things, she was almost useless now... She couldn't do just any work and she wasn't even educated so that made the limits tighter. I sobbed that day, for my mom, for myself and for my siblings. I sobbed for all of us..

We a slept off in the living room after we were done sobbing. We had used the money paid mum from work to transport ourselves home and get a little other things for her to eat and use her drugs, it hadn't occurred to anyone of us that we were gonna need food the next day. It hadn't occurred to me that I was supposed to go for my night shift either.

Nobody talked about eating anything because it seemed inappropriate when our mum was still nursing her wounds but then my siblings refused to go to school. They claimed it was because of mum and they wanted to take care of her but we all knew that it was because no one wanted to go to school when it was evident that there was nothing to eat now, in school or when they even get back from school.

We all continued minding our business and looking at each other like nothing was wrong until Jade started crying and whining that he was terribly hungry. Rita was going to tell him to keep quiet but I guess she put herself In his shoes and kept quiet.

We quickly gave him what was left from mummy's meal the previous night but apparently it wasn't enough because when it was just 2;00pm he started crying again. I knew that I had to do something about it.

Mum hadn't even used her drugs and I'm pretty sure she was in a lot of pain.

I sent a text to Mario and in minutes she came with pancakes and some other side dishes I didn't recognize. My major meal for the past few years was just bacon, bread and eggs. They were the cheapest.

I thanked her profusely and knew I had to go back to that cafeteria. The man at the entrance was truly been am asshole, for Pete's sake they hadn't even taken off the poster calling for recruits yet!.

I had to walk to the restaurant as I had exhausted everything with me and I didn't want to have to beg Mario again. On getting to the cafeteria I met someone else at the entrance and I was very glad

He seemed very nice as he even curtseyed while greeting me, not minding how I was dressed. I explained everything to him and told him how important getting the job was to me. He then explained to me that no one would take me to work in this kind of high class restaurant dressed the way I was and that I truly didn't have the qualifications to get the job.

But there was a single clause he added that gave me a bright ray of hope. He said that if I could meet the daughter of the owner of the place... She's the nicest person in the world and the closest to her father so she would fix me a spot in no time. I went home elatedly without even asking how I would see the daughter. I must be really stupid.