Chapter 4: Onwards to Work

"You two stop it already. Your dad is already back from inspecting work bases for the contracted houses being built. Go prepare the table. I'll go fetch him."

"Yes~"

"Yes...."

Going to the kitchen wares, I picked up four bowls and passed them to my sister who was placing mats on the table.

She silently receives it and arranges it on the table while I fetch 4 pieces of a spoon and a bread knife.

After arranging the utensils, we silently sat in our respective seats around the table.

My sister sat in one of the two sides near a head seat of a table fitting six persons, usually where our father sat when eating, and parallel to where our mother's designated seat where if it's seated, one is facing in front of the kitchen.

While I sat beside my sister that was further away from the head seat and in my back was the kitchen.

So when if one of them needs something, for example like a cup or a serving spoon or an extra fork, either one of me and my sister stands up and fetch the thing.

After several seconds up to a minute of waiting, we saw our mother clinging tightly to the arms of my father while coming inside the dining room.

"Pappy~?"

"Yeah?"

"Did Mr. Veamen paid you the debt of his son or even a down payment when you visited earlier when you are taking rounds? It's been several months since his son gone missing after asking money for us..."

"You know their situation Ma...We can't just pressure them even though we know the situation with their son has put himself."

"Humph! How about asking about the debts of Mr. Fremas? Isn't the house near completion? He must pay in full before your men finished the work. Or else we'll be put in a tight position again Pappy..."

"I know. I know. We'll talk about it later. Let's already eat! Look, our son and daughter are waiting for us Ma."

Pappy leaves from Ma's clinging arm.

"Wait!"

"What is it now?"

"Where's my salary?"

"Salary for what?"

"Being a housewife."

"What's on the menu today Lina?"

"Eh?... Wait! Where's my money?!"

***

Opening the cover covering the food from flying pests or dust, inside was a big bowl full of hot white viscous porridge.

Besides the bowl full of porridge, was freshly microwave baked made from the same mixtures used to cook the porridge.

"*inhales* Huuuuuu~ That smells great as always Ma."

"Huhuhuhu~ Praise me more Pappy~ Behold my heavenly cooking skills that received praise eons ago when I was at my prime and freshest time."

"When was that time again? Was is it the 1368th Harvest's Eating Contest? Or 1370th? I already forgot about it but I do remember that before I met you, I was already an intern for the government."

"Huhuhuhu~ You were snobby back then. You didn't even give a glance when I passed the bowls to you. How heartless... Listen to your mother, Lina~ Your Pappy always ignores me back then even though I was always smiling at him. Go berate your father for me, Lina! Huhuhuhu *fake cries*"

When I was silently pouring the bowls with porridge while listening to my mom and dad's antics, my sister who was just sitting still finally talked.

"Stop it you two. Were in front of the table. Look, brother is done pouring his bowl."

"Uuu... Yes..."

"Yep."

Sitting down on my seat, I grabbed the knife and sliced the now slightly hot bread into four pieces.

"All done."

"Alright. Then let's pray. Lina, lead the prayer."

"Ok. Dear Monarchs, we thank you for saving our ancestors from the catastrophe that befall them while giving us, descendants, food also made by the descendants that you saved in the past. We offer you our long-lasting respect and gratitude. Please continue looking for us in the skies. We thank our fellow workers in the factory for making this precious food every day. We offer you good health. We thank the delivery man for safely delivering this food to us every day without even perishing. We offer you good health. We thank our mother for always cooking us this amazing and delicious food every day and to our father who works every day for our family to pay wages for our daily needs for us to continue eating and living in this house of ours. We offer you our deep respect, gratitude and wish for you good and long-lasting health......"

"""..."""

Offering silence for a minute, we then started eating.

***

After we finished eating our breakfast, my mom and sister cleaned the table while my father had gone straight to his office.

"I'm heading to the bathroom. Don't disturb me!"

I said that before leaving the dining room to my sister while I head straight to my room to get my towel before I head to the bathroom to take a bath.

"Yeah yeah."

Not minding my sister's nonchalant tone inside the dining room, I just did what I need to do.

Fetching my towel from my room, I then head straight to the bathroom.

"It's going to get cold again. Huhuhu."

***

After taking a cold bath, I had gone straight to my room to get dressed.

Avoiding getting water drops on my floor, I picked up another towel near the door to dry my wet hair.

While drying my hair, I walked in front of my wardrobe and stopped.

I carefully dried my head, face, upper body, and lower body before hooking both of my towels into the two removable hooks placed outside the door of my wardrobe.

Bare naked, I just stared at the handle of my wardrobe.

"Huuuuup. Fuuuuuuhhh..."

Deeply inhaling and then exhaling, I mentally prepared myself for what's going to happen for today.

"... Let's go."

Finally prepared, I opened the wardrobe and picked up the clothing that was separated far away from the rest of my hanging clothes.

Hooking it in the top of the door of the wardrobe, I then picked a boxer and wore it.

Seeing that I am all equipped and armored, I then first unbuttoned then removed from the hanger a somewhat fairly good-looking white long sleeves.

Bringing it to my face if it smells wardrobe or something else, I smelled various parts of the clothes.

"Neck, check. Left armpit, check. Right armp- Hmm?? khun khun... khun khun... Hmm... It's fine, I guess? I'll just put cream in my armpits just in case."

Before I wore the long sleeve, I fetch an armpit cream from a drawer of the wardrobe, opened it, and put some cream in both of my armpits.

"There we go."

Finally free from obstacles, I wore my long sleeves and buttoned the buttons starting from the neck to the button near the hems and lastly the buttons near my hands.

I now removed my black pants from the hanger and wore them over the excess bottom hem.

Checking myself in the mirror from the wardrobe for several seconds before closing the wardrobe after removing the hanger from the top of the door.

I went straight to my computer to retrieve a floppy disk size with a 3 Geopbytes storage full of my files related to work.

I look towards the calendar near my bed.

I smiled a bit knowing that I only need a few months before stopping my work outside and finally do things I have usually done since in the past.

"Fuuuuuuhhh... Today is a good day. I should be happy that I started doing this before the announcement came. Or else I might not know where to get a large amount of Feyys only with my job here at home. Come on, mate. Cheer up! Ei ei ohh! Let's go! Or we'll be late!"

Pumping myself as usual before the start of the day, I hurried downstairs and gone straight to the entrance door to wear my working shoes.

"I'm going out now!"

After I slid inside both of my feet in the cloth connected inside of the shoes, I said a farewell to no one in particular.

I was just saying that to someone that might hear me.

Outside, after closing the door, I again reminded myself that this is only for the sake of saving money.

Nothing more, nothing less.

What I am about to do is purely out of my selfish thought and I blame no one for that but myself.

Walking away from the house, I put on my working face that clearly says 'I'm a professional'.

"Then, let's go."