3 The first customer

A week had passed.

For this whole week, Arun and Myako cleaned up the clinic thoroughly. There was not a bit of dust left inside, everything was clean and usable again.

It took a lot of effort, and a little money, too. Since there was no more equipment at all, it had been necessary to buy some supplies. Arun had looked at his house and his accounts : he clearly did not have enough to pay for everything.

So it was his assistant who kindly offered to lend him something to renovate the clinic, the time he can repay it. Without her, he clearly could not resume his activity.

* Ding *

It was the big day today, and the young man made sure for one last time that the bell was working. Everything was in place for the opening. With a smile on his face, Myako was standing behind the front desk, ready to greet customers.

However, things had not gone as well as in Arun's dreams.

The hours passing by, in the street passed dozens of people and pets. But no one stopped at the clinic all day.

By late afternoon, when the sunlight had turned orange, Arun dropped himself into the seat next to his assistant's.

"It's not possible... There must be people who need a veterinarian, right?" He sighed.

Myako also looked less cheerful than at the beginning of the day.

"Yes... maybe they think it's still closed?"

"It's impossible, we changed the sign of the clinic..."

They had worked so hard to renovate everything! Why did not anyone come? Arun and Myako had done their best to do things quickly, relentlessly, to repaint the walls, to replace the supplies that were missing ...

But no one decided to cross the front door.

"I think it's over for today..." Myako said, dropping her head in her arms on the counter.

Suddenly the doorbell rang. Arun jumped up, while his assistant almost fell from her chair in surprise.

It was almost time for closing... But no matter! If it was someone who needed him, he would help him at any time of the day!

The door opened and a little girl tumbled into the hall, hopping happily. She placed her admiring eyes on the new walls of the entrance, her mouth wide open.

"Woaa! Everything is clean and beautiful!"

It did not take long for Arun to recognize the child. It was his first client, the one he helped last week. Her pet was soon to return to her suite, as massive and imposing than last time.

"Nice to see you again, vet, sorry to have to come back when you've helped me a lot already..." The dog's voice echoed after the girl's voice, audible only to the young man.

And as he approached the new customers with a smile, a third person finally entered, grabbing the child to carry her in her arms. She was a more mature woman, with certain charm. She had long black hair running down her back, and her graceful and elegant figure was enough to make Arun a little nervous. He did not expect to see someone so beautiful here.

"Come on, Akana, I already told you we do not run in crowded places!"

"Yes mum..." excused the girl, who had not lost the gleam in her eyes.

"Welcome, can I help you?" Arun finally asked, putting a hand on his hip to support his posture.

The woman rested her daughter on the floor, taking out a finely realized fan. Arun took the opportunity to examine her clothes a little more. She wore a short summer dress with dark tones, but with good quality fabrics. The finishes on the buttons and ornaments suggested that it was not the kind of dress that everyone could afford.

"Hello, sir, I'm Akana's mother, if you remember from last week's incident. She told me that you had taken care of her pet and even moved in person..."

"Yes, it's nothing! I could not leave someone in need when I had the means to help..." The veterinarian replied a little embarrassed. He had simply acted as his conscience dictated.

"I could'nt have not come in person to thank you too. I do not know how it would have ended without your intervention, but I'm glad everything went well." The woman bowed politely to the vet, who rubbed his neck, embarrassed.

"I could not decently leave your daughter and her dog like that, so you do not have to thank me!"

The woman looked up, and smiled at Arun nicely.

"My name is Lami." She presented herself, reaching for the young man.

"Arun, nice to meet you!" He squeezed her hand energetically, giving her a welcoming smile.

Myako, who had been silent until now, woke up suddenly, as if she had just realized something.

"That's it, I remember!" She glanced at Lami.

"Lami Granterra, you are the wife of a former minister!"

Arun looked back at the elegant woman who had entered her clinic. He understood better why she looked so refined, and was so well dressed... Although he knew nothing about politics in this world, he suddenly realized the importance of the person he had in face of him.

"Hihi... Looks like I'm recognized." She laughed softly, hiding her mouth behind her fan.

"Yes... Your husband left the government since a few years, but I still remember. I was a little younger, but I do not have such a short memory." Myako continued, finally approaching.

The assistant crouched next to Akana to greet her too. Who would have thought that their first client would be the daughter of a minister?

"Excuse me, I did not know who you were..." the veterinarian apologized, more embarrassed than ever.

"Once again, it's me who must thank you. Call me by my first name, whoever I am, it's you who helped my daughter, not the other way around!" She said with a smile.

Arun took the opportunity to regain his composure, letting his client take his marks. Akana and Myako were chatting like two friends, and Cha-cha the big dog was laying on the cool tile floor.

"When I think about the state of this clinic... it's a real change!" Lami said while walking in the entrance hall. She had bad memories of this place, but everything had been redone.

"It must have taken a lot of effort..."

"Yes, it was not easy, but we were motivated, and now that everything is ready, we will be able to resume the activities!" Arun said enthusiastically, before looking down at the floor.

"That said, we opened this morning, but you're the first client to enter the clinic..." the young man added with a little pity.

Lami turned to him with a satisfied look on her face.

"Considering the reputation of this place, no one will come!"

Arun froze as he heard the words coming out of the woman's mouth. The reputation ? What had the old Arun done, so that no one would want to consult him?

"What do you mean ?" Said the young man, interested.

"A few years ago, this clinic was one of the busiest in the city. But it quickly became unpopular when more and more people complained about the cleanliness of the premises, and the incompetence of the former veterinarian... " She explained calmly.

"Some even said that he made pets even sicker than before! That is to say."

Decidedly, the old Arun had nothing to please. He wondered why, while he had all the knowledge necessary to practice his profession, everything had become so bad.

"But given your skills, you have enough talent to make this clinic one of the best. You only have qualities!" Complimented the woman kindly.

Arun looked away, a little embarrassed by all these compliments.

If he was beginning with such a handicap, he would have to double his efforts to make the clinic popular, and bring back the customers who had left. It was far from won...

"Although it may be difficult, I will do everything in my power to make this clinic a place where people can come and treat their pets with confidence!" Arun threw with determination.

The woman approached him, laughing sweetly. This young man had everything to succeed, and if she could do anything to help, she would. That would be her way of thanking him.

"You know, maybe I can do something so that you have more clients quickly... Certainly, my husband is a former minister, but I still know some important people..."

Arun's face lit up in front of such a miracle. It was as if God had given him all the luck of the world! The young man bowed more respectfully than ever, grateful.

"I would not know how to thank you if you could do that for me! I do not need anything else."

"Hihi, no problem, take it as a thanks." Lami replied with a laugh. "I believe in you, young vet. You are a good person."

While everything was going well, there was a thud in the clinic hall. Cha-cha, who was quiet and silent, had suddenly fallen to the floor, unconscious.

Akana rushed to him crying, clutching his hair, panicking.

"Cha-cha! Cha-cha answer me!" She sobbed.

"Oh no, I spoke too much... I came to thank you, but also to ask you for help again, Arun..." Lami crouched next to the canine, which was breathing loudly. "Since this morning, Cha-cha is not doing well... I do not know what's wrong, but I was hoping you could look at it! I did not think it was going to get worse..."

The sudden change in the health of the pet had altered the calm of the woman. The vet could not sit idly by, especially in front of such an emergency.

"Do not worry, I'll heal Cha-cha!"