Chapter 13

She was in her school. A white leather bag in her hands which were by her side. She had a spot face walking to her locker. Inserting the key in it trying to unlock, she hoped for a xoxo written with red lipstick on her locker mirror. But there wasn't any. Weird.

Taking out a spiral notebook and her blue gel pen, she started writing an absent note. Wanting to apologize for today's absence. She knew Georgia would let her in with the piano classes. Maybe she'd meet her xoxo there. She told herself finishing the letter.

Walking into the pale vermillion corridors with abstract and doodled paintings of the students with wonderful colors and talents. The corridor she was walking in had her art on it. A dreadful lioness in pain locked in the prison surrounded by all the deadly weapons ever introduced fighting for her freedom. Animals only attacked when they sensed danger or when they were hungry. Locking them up was just as unfair to them as it was for a human to be locked up in a world full of unjust souls around.

A dull bliss dressed her face. She knocked the thought out and walked ahead to the end of the corridor the entrance of Mr. Johnson Peters' office. Nervousness overcoming her gut but she didn't let it take the control.

"Sir, May I come in?" she said after knocking on the door. "Mm." He said. The tone looked busy. She stepped in. the big office was designed with Reina's paintings. Reina was there art teacher. One of the paintings was hers. Lots of colors mixing up to give a black whole eating them all in. it wasn't a 'magnificent' painting, but her work was.

"What is it, Miss Qureshi?" he asked, signing some papers. His laptop was opened.

"Sir, I was in the hospital today morning, so I couldn't attend the school, but I am good now, so I was going to Piano classes before submitting the absent note." She placed the note under his marble stone.

"Anything else?" She scratched her nails. "No. I should make a move." And she was heading out when the phone rang. Mr. Peters rushed out after hearing it. His face changed colors. He pushed the receiver back and exited the room. She watched him go out and decided to make her move.

She walked to the laptop and the signed papers.

The signed papers read something about plastic surgery. She took an image of the papers and then her eyes went up to the computer screen. She scrolled through the screen. Her eyes simultaneously looking out for a catch up with someone. "Hiring a baby sitter." Before she could examine the page, she heard footsteps and immediately she ran back from the other door out to the hall.

Normalizing herself she was thinking about a lot of stuff. She brushed her hair and let them fall over her shoulders. A lot of thoughts were racing inside her mind. She breathed in and pushed the hall's door open.

Xoxo was inside among the other kids. She turned and looked at her entering. Her leather bag round her one arm, she walked with a calm and spot face.

She walked to her and hugged her. She was crying. Xoxo. It was Karina of course.

"Hey. What's going on? Why are you not okay?" she pulled her in. she definitely did not expect this.

"My mother. She was in Amberg with my Gran. But my Gran, she passed away." She cupped her mouth to stop herself from making a noise, but reality can't be changed.

"Omg, Kay. Why did you not message me? I am sorry, Kay. It's gonna be okay." She comforted her. "Why didn't you go to Amberg?" she asked while taking a seat.

"I am going this evening." She said. She was really upset. And of course Minha decided not to tell her about Taimur or her stroke attack. Georgia came in and she seemed to be already known about Kay's Gran, so she let her go. They hugged each other and she left. Minha felt a burden on her chest for a secret she really wanted to share.

She went home after the classes. A lot of it was on her mind. She walked to the Bakery. Gran, like always greeted her with a smile. And Gale, the cat, jumped on her.

"Two veg rolls please." She said while holding Gale in her hands. Which reminded her of Ally. The poor dog. Gran gave her the rolls and she gave some of it to the cat who seemed delighted.

"So Gran. I have a question." She said after giving her 'question' a thought.

"Of course, dear." She was now interested.

"How do you, umm, bring down a strong person. Like the one with fame and all." She made it sound general, though it wasn't. And Gran knew her well. She squinted her eyes.

"What? I need an advice with my writing journey!" she defended herself. Gale roared at her. Thank god, this cat can't speak. She thought and smiled at him offering him more roll which he was glad to take.

"Hmm, people with power are mostly know how to control you because they know your weakness. And they keep theirs in hidden treasure box. So, you need to know their weakness first." She said, packing sandwiches for someone.

"You mean blackmailing." She laid it out.

"Yeah. And then you go with bringing own their empire. Their loyal workers and money." She said with the same distrust tone as if she was trying to read her mind. Her mind, who was standing effortlessly against the counter feeding Gale with her. "One more please. Your cat ate half of mine." She said. Gran snorted and bought one out of the oven for her.

"Gran?" she asked, now involved in unpacking her roll, and seemed to be lost somewhere else.

"How do you know you can trust someone?" she asked. Gran was disappointed.

"You have the feeling in your gut. If they don't act out of way. Like so special or naïve in a different manner, out of order I mean, they open up to you, tell you why they are gonna take a big decision, you know they are trust worthy." She was just about 6 inches away from her now, observing all the colors go and come on her face.

"What does the feeling feel like?"

"Being sure of something. When all the things make sense."

"Like?"

"Like, not doing what Minha Qureshi is doing right now. None of it makes sense." Gran humped and looked at her in dissatisfaction. "I did not become a Gran immediately after I was born." She said.

Minha pursed her lips. "Hm, I get it. I should go." And she handed her the penny and ran out of the bakery to her apartment.

Dressed in an orange dress, covered in a white feather jacket and a red bonnet above her head, she pulled out the file about Mr. Peter's information and started going through it.

His name, his fake ID, his scandals and his works for the schools and white people.

Following the page order, there was a brief paragraph talking about his only daughter, Zoe, who lived in Munich somewhere hidden from the people. She was a 7 year old girl. Her features were soft, but…

She was black.

A question came up in her mind: why is Johnson Peters evading the black people's business when his only daughter was black?

'Hiring a babysitter.'

A heading flashed in her mind.

"You mean black mailing?"

A conversation talked back.

"He is being paid for this work and someone who pays him must have an agenda against the black people. Which is do not let them conquer their land." Someone said. A smirk appeared on her face.

She took her laptop out and googled the exact words of Johnson Peters document on Google. And there, she found a request for babysitter. Excitement engulfed inside her. She clicked on it. And signed up for the job without thinking another time. The last line on the document said, she should wait for the call.

And she did. After 30 minutes, they called. It was a lady.

"Hello?" she said, pursing her lips.

"Miss Minha?" the lady said.

"Yes, it's me." She said, supporting herself with the door knob.

"You signed up for the job. We would want to ask you a few questions." The lady talked business. She agreed. They asked her for her experience, and she told them she had babysit three young kids before. At last, they agreed for this job to be confidential and asked her to come and sign for the papers to start her work tomorrow. And then the call ended.

She needed to go to the Veterinary and do her last job there and convince Sam to cover her shifts at the Veterinary Institute until her life restarts.