CHAPTER 5

"So you say that you want to work at my dad's restaurant?" She asked me as soon as we found a place to seat. "Yes I do. Thats what I've wanted in a long time now. Just a chance to prove how good I could be in my culinary skills. How well I do in the kitchen" I responded smiling as it sounded very true to my ears even. She looked me squarely and asked again.

"Are you sure that's the main reason you want to work with us?... There's nothing else? Just the culinary skills and all" I looked at my toes and played with them for a while before speaking up. I really don't know what to say right now. The truth or I should face it and pretend it's just all about the cooking. Of course I loved to cook but to be very honest I'd rather be in school sitting for some weird exam or test that I might have no idea what to write than cooking away my time but wgich options did I have in this situation. I had to do what I had to do.

"Actually, it's not just about that. I love cooking truly but then I honestly need the money I'll be getting." I said with my shoulders dropped. I sure didn't like the idea of having to share my financial problems with a stranger, but then this wasn't just any stranger. She seemed to me like a stranger who could change everything about me for the good. She also appeared and acted quite nice for a stranger.

"Hmn... She sighed. Thank you for telling me the truth about the situation. I'll make sure your get the job okay?"

"But then come to think of it, we seem like we e the same age. I'm 18, how old are you?" I smiled a bit before responding. She was surely to humble and I now know that searching for her all that period was worth it after all. She was a rare person. Riches and humility don't quite combine well most times.

"I'm 18 too. Just clocked 18 last month."

"Wow, that's great. We should celebrate together next year then" She said and I laughed out loud, I really didn't see that happening ever. There were no calculations to be done.  She was simply top rich for me and I was poor for her and that was that. I won't let myself daydream and think that this flawless skinned girl would actually want to build a friendship with me .

"You should be in sxhool right now then...isn't it".

"Oh yeah...I should"

"Then why not? Why are you here right now ? Are you having holidays in your school today or something?" "I opened my mouth slightly as that caught me a bit offguard because i hadn't expected that she would ask me a a question like that at all.

"I'm actually not in school. I had to stop after junior year because paying tuition seemed very hard already" she looked very sad and I almost apologized for what was supposed to be my own misery .

"What do your parents do?" She asked and i guess she noticed the way my countenance changed immediately because she just blurted. "I'm really sorry about them, I shouldn't have asked at all. I'm really sorry " she said as a tear escaped her eyes. I didn't know that my expression was that bad. "It's not like that okay" i said as I tried to smile. She really think that I've lost my parents.

"I still have both parents, it's not as bad as you think okay.. I'm actually not an orphan and I have siblings even but then my mother isn't educated and used to work menial jobs to feed us until she lost two of her fingers in an accident and since then she's been staying home" I explained as I watched her face comfort from releived to sad and if possible sadder.

"That's very sad to hear and I'm very sorry about everything" she said again. "It's okay. Thank you " I said and attempted another smile. She knew I was faking it though as she didn't return the smile.

"Er....what about your dad? At least he should be in the picture right?" I tried not to make my facial expressions so terrible so she doesn't think the worse anymore.

"He's serving time. He was framed for fraud and he's doing time for two years . " I concluded with a long face. The expression on her face showed that she didn't quite belief that my dad was framed. He could have been a fraudster for all she cared. I dont blame her for not believing anyways because if the people that mattered at the time he was been sentenced which were the judge and the police officers, he would be at home with us right now and not in jail.

"Hmn... So you want to work with my dad?... You know that you won't be taken I'm this way right? First of all your dressing matters a lot. It's a high class restaurant of course which I'm very sure you are aware of and no one would want to ruin that reputation by employing someone dressed.... I'm sorry... In this manner. We won't want a situation whereby a regular customer would see you outside and would not want to patronize us anymore because of the way his supposed server or cook looks like outside the restaurant. Our reputation matters to us a lot because it takes a lot of years to build and just seconds to demolish"

I sighed loudly. I really didn't know what to say, I was totally tongue tied. This certainly wasn't what I had been expecting at all. A nice rejection? I tried to hold back my tears.

"But then I'll assist you okay... I offered to help not because I know you from anywhere or even trust you but because I feel that for you to even search for me this much and it's not to ask for money then you must rrally need my help. I'll help you get the job. But first not with these torn clothes okay..."

"Thank you very much " I said overjoyed."Please you need not worry about the clothes, I've actually got better ones at home plus this one isn't even torn" I said smiling.

"Really? It isnt torn? It looks torn to me. Or maybe it's just too faded and I bet the other ones look almost alike. Whichever way, I'll just pick out some for you from my closet and when you start earning you sure can buy some more yourself" I really was too glad to talk.

I just simply stared at her smiling stupidly.

"I'm glad I met you today " I finally said.

"It's okay, let's leave now okay... I'm done for the day, I'll call my driver to pick us up so we can get the clothes and then by tomorrow morning at 7'am sharp you should come over to the restaurant because I have a class by 7:30 and I can't afford to miss it" she concluded and brought out her phone to dial the number of the driver I guess. She really was the most nicest rich fellow I've ever met.

she then took me to a room at home and then the room was the biggest place I've ever seen in my entire life. Just her room was bigger than the whole house I and my younger ones lived in, And then her work in closet was so so big. I had only though things like that existed in movies alone.

"Chantelle why don't you just drop your bag and pick up whatever you want"she said to me immediately we got to our room and I was overjoyed. I really wasn't expecting to be the one to choose what I wanted by myself. She was literally given me an open cheque and I had to choose what I wanted, at the same time I had to make sure that I wasn't too forward as it was the first time. Whichever way I couldn't contain my excitement.

"Thank you very much for this opportunity Sharon I'll be forever grateful" I said to her smiling from ear-to-ear.

"You know giving you this opportunity isn't a problem just don't blow it, I've had a lot of people that I did this with and they didn't end it well. But I'm just trying to give a second chance and not believe what people say that everybody is the same. In essence just don't blow it, I have no friends actually but if you are good to me we could end up be friends who knows?you know we are the same age and we're in the same class as well we also wear the same size we could even go shopping together sometime but then getting a friend for someone of my calibre is really hard because most times they just want me for my money and that makes life a bit lonely for me. And trust me getting a boyfriend is harder, why am I even opening up to you already? I guess I'm just lonely I can't help it but up to everybody around me. Most times people tend to use against me but I hope this one doesn't end up the same way" she sighed and opened up her wardrobe

I quickly selected some of the clothes that didn't look too expensive but then she made sure she added some more to the bundle she had told me that I'll be taking just a little clothes but I ended up going home with a bag full of new clothes. I guess she couldn't help but be nice after all it was probably in our nature whether she was meeting the person for the first time or not. I would like to be friends with someone like her and remain friends if possible of course not because of her money just like she said her past friends are done but because of her nice and kind heart. Getting the job was still a priority anyways and I must make sure I get back here by 7 a.m. tomorrow morning.

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I stopped over at Mario's place to share my experience about Sharon with her moreover those clothes I couldn't take them all. She looked dumbfounded when I explained everything to her she was surprised and happy for me but when I mentioned the part of Sharon wanting me to be friends with her expression changed a bit. she tried not to make it too obvious but I couldn't help but notice it, she was my friend after all.

"You know you are my best friend forever right and I really can't do without you" I said to her so she would be sure that I really did love her.

"Of course you have them go to choice but to stick with me anyways" she said and smiled. She insisted on not  having any of the clothes I brought in from Sharon, I left with them and tried to get a good night rest. I had a mission to accomplish the next day and any little mistake could certainly blow it all off and I couldn't afford to make any costly mistakes after coming this far. The job was totally mine to get.

I looked over to where my mom laid and should looked very peaceful I really wish this would happen every time, I wanted this for my family and I would do my best to make sure it happens.

I glanced over to where my siblings laid and saw how they looked sleeping as well,  I would try my possible best and make sure I don't disappoint my family

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As early as possible the next day I made sure that I was at the restaurant already, I even made sure I was there before 6:30. I didn't bother to wake any of my family members before heading to the restaurant. I just quickly put on one of the clothes Sharon gave me the day before and headed there as fast as possible and just as she had said she was there waiting for me. I was more than elated that was getting the job finally.

When I appeared from afar she smiled at me and at the entrance I met the uptight man, he didn't want to allow me entry before but Sharon waved at him to allow me come in. He's really a callous man. I had been a bit scared that she was going to deny me when I came for you real deal but I guess everyone wasn't like that anyways. I couldn't just conclude that everybody was the same just like she had said.

"Hello miss Chantel good morning how is your night?" She asked with a smile on her face immediately I got to were she was. "I'm doing very good Miss Sharon in fact I couldn't be doing any better right now" i responded grinning from ear to ear.

"You are quite on time" she said to me as she offered me a seat.

"Mr James, this is our new cook and I would what you to have her tested and employed before the end of the day" The Mr James looked at me and smiled brightly. I quickly stood up to greet him. "it's okay Miss Sharon, I'm on it already" I couldn't help but grin widely. "Let's go" he said as he led the way to a place that looked like the kitchen. I quickly mouthed a thank you to Sharon and followed him.

The kitchen was certainly bigger than I had expected it to be, I had fantasized a very big kitchen with all sorts of ingredients and all but certainly not this big. I guess that's why the restaurant was one of the biggest in the town.

"So what are the basic dishes you can make?" Mr James asked me and I listed them all, he looked very amazed.

"Have you worked in a restaurant before?" He asked and I smiled because I really that I had impressed him. "Yeah, I used to do part-time at a stop over restaurant some months back"

"But hope you know that this place is more than just a stop over restaurant, it's a lot more bigger than that." "I'm very much open to learn more things" i responded with a smiling face. I wasn't just smiling because I wanted him to have a good impression of me but because I literally couldn't stop smiling, it seemed surreal that I was finally getting employed here. Things looked like they were going the right way for me already.