Chapter 14

Working doesn't look that bad. Sometimes it is tiring because you have a lot of utensils to work on in a shift and by the end of the day, your hands are all white and pale, sometimes they are just numb and they can't feel anything. I try to think of ways to keep myself safe but turns out washing dishes is the only thing that is going to keep me safe. I am still getting paid the same fifty dollars a day which is not enough to get a house somewhere. I tend to move from one shelter to another, this helps to keep everyone away. Josh hasn't come to look for me, I doubt he will.

"Hey, young lady, today you will be taking orders from the booths, someone else is going to wash the utensils." my boss shouted from the window. I lift my head to look at him. I didn't know that I will have to serve people today. I think that is something that I am not ready for. Facing people out there and serving them, taking their orders? I am very clumsy and I might throw everything on the floor without noticing it. I look around at who is going to take my duty for the day but I can't see anyone. I want to protest but I have never known how to.

A book and a pen are placed in my hand, I change the apron and put on a white one. I don't know if I am ready to start the service part but I hope I will make it out. I fear that this might mark the end of my working here today.

"Why are you still standing there, chap, chap, get to the booths, the customers waiting!" My boss startles me from my trance and I lift my feet to walk to the booths to try and take orders from the customer. Most of the customers are college students because there is a university just some meters away from the place. They are also preparing to close their campus for the Christmas holiday. They are sitting in pairs or groups. Girls hold hands with the boys while the boys are looking at them. Do I envy this? Yeah, I wish this is how my life was, I wish I could just sit around and hold someone's hand and forget that I am just an eighteen-year-old girl who needs to work hard in life.

"Hello, are you ready to order?" I asked trying to sound confident but deep down we know that I am not confident, I might break anytime in front of them. They turn their heads stopping their conversation to look at me. My hands tremble a little on the small notebook but I try to hold it firmly to avoid messing this up.

"Please, serve them some tea, eggs, and some pie for the ladies," said the gentleman who looked like their leader. That didn't go bad, I wrote everything down and walked back to the serving center to give the order. Taking orders was hard. You had to walk from one place to another. It's not like washing utensils, sometimes you can breathe fresh air outside, watch as the skies turn blue, and even hear the chirping of the birds away from the different aromas that hit my nostrils making me full even before I get to eat.

"Vee, table eight!" my workmate shouts, and my heels turn towards table eight. I was so focused on the notebook and the pen to look at the customer.

"Excuse me, what would you like to order?" I asked as I write the number of the table and wait to write what is going to be ordered.

"I would love to order you back home!"

I lifted my head from my book and look at the person in front of me. My hands became stiff and I could feel every part of my body become cold. "Josh?" What is he doing here? I want to run away, jump, leave the place and never come back. I look around to check whether my boss is looking at me the same way he preys on us to see who he is going to fire next.

Who even told Josh where I work? Don't tell me that he has some microchip inserted in my body to know my every movement. His eyes are red and he has some dark circles beneath them. So he has not been sleeping or he has been drinking?

"Are you listening to me, I want you back home with me, why did you leave?" he low_shouts while trying to act all cool. So, he doesn't remember he ordered me to save myself? I was trying to save myself from everything but look at me now, he has found me, next, will be dragging me out with my hair the same way he pulled me and dragged me across the floor. I don't want to go back, I feel safe here, I work, I don't get to be shouted at, and I get to do my things, though I depend on the goodwill of the shelter for clothes.

"I am working, can't you come in another day?" I try to sound polite since he is a customer, a customer who gets to growl at you and tell you what you don't want to hear. I might as well listen to his grunting.

He hits the table with his fists and looks at me with disgust. He looks around the place and then lays his eyes back at me. "You call this working? The way you move your body from one table to another? The way men are out here looking at your ass and you shamelessly want them to see your breast as you place the pie on their table? Is that work or you are trying to seduce them into thinking that you can get extra cash by selling your kitty??"

Josh has never thoughts of anything good about me. How will I be serving the customers and acting like I am trying to seduce them? I don't even have a cleavage and my t-shirt is covering my whole body. The issue of seducing customers has never crossed my mind ever since I started working. Why would I ever sell my body to get money? Thinking of that, it looks like a lucrative job.

"Did you listen to what I said, we are going home?" he shouted trying to make everyone know that I am a bad person who doesn't deserve to work there. My boss hears the noise and quickly walks in, he founds me standing with a pen pressed on the book making holes in it and my hands are sweaty.

"Sir, is everything okay?" asks my boss. I widen my eyes and wait to listen to what Josh will say.

Josh looks at him and shakes his head, I breathe in a sign of relief but the next words that come out of his throat make me want to slap him across.

"My wife here is cheating on me with the customers and doesn't want to come home. She left me but I love her, I came to ask her to come home, but she is refusing. Is this the type of employees you employ?" What sort of stupidity is that? Why would he say that I am his wife? Since when? You don't rape your wife and leave her or you don't slap your wife! Everyone looked at us and I felt embarrassed. I didn't want my workmates to look at me like that.

"Go home you fucking cunt!" shouted one man.

"You are not shameless to leave your husband who loves you! Women!' shouted another man.

The whole place was now pointing fingers at me. My boss turned his attention to me and raised his brows. I was ashamed to look at him. I quickly rushed out and started running in an unknown direction. With a notebook still in my hand and an apron on my body. I didn't know where I was going. I hit two bodies and they held my hand arm covering my face before dragging me to the car that was waiting by.

I want to cry, protest, and call Josh's name but I know that is useless. I should have stayed with Josh and agreed to go home but that was not the case because my body was sandwiched between two strong bodies. Our vehicle came to a halt and I was dragged out of the car. The black clothing was thrown out and I was left in the middle of a dark room. I heard a screeching of a wheelchair and I looked in that direction. The figure was being wheeled on the wheelchair and had its head hanging in one direction. I was afraid that maybe the person was dead and I was next. The way the body looked lifeless in the wheelchair, the light was switched on and I could see the person, Kendra. I rushed to look at her, her head was hanging on one side and her body was pale. "Kendra, Kendra, look at me."

"You see what you've done to your sister?" came a voice from an unknown direction. The voice was echoing all around and I couldn't figure out the person. I turned around but the lights were too bright hat they dimmed my vision.

A loud laugh was heard, it echoed in the whole room, making me afraid as the content in my stomach churned while jumping up and down. Maybe that was just my imagination and that was not happening g in my neck.

"Vanessa, Vanessa, you know, like a sister you tend to be loving, compassionate, and happy for your older sister, look at her now, she is broken, weak, and can't do anything, how can you help her?" asked the voice.

I wanted to say something but words were stuck in my throat. I turned around and around to look for the source of the voice the lights were suddenly dimmed then turned back on, "gotcha!"

"Jeez, Kendra," She was standing by me looking healthy. I looked over at the wheelchair and the person sitting there but there was nothing. She smiled and looked at me. I haven't heard from her in a while and I was afraid to smile back.

"So, you hurt me but couldn't even write a, 'get well card?" she asked. I looked at her wondering whether he could have even read it. I messed up big time. I wanted to say anything but I looked at her and let her speak. When she didn't say anything, I opened my mouth.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to, your hand was up in my breast and thighs and I hated it!" I said to her while nervous. I knew that was the lame thing to do.

"I forgive you."

"Just like that?"

"No, I need you to be my surrogate, help me carry a baby because. You ripped my womb apart. After that, you can get your university education and everything you want."

"I can go to university?" my face lit up. I was happy that finally I can go to the university, get my degree and get a job. The only concern was the pregnancy, why would I get pregnant for her? What if it fails, could she kill me?

"Can I think about it?"

"No, because that is the only option you have, or do you prefer death?"