CHAPTER NINE

At exactly 7:30am, Noah was awake. He had rushed to the bathroom for a shower, and he walked fast to the sitting room. Mr. Cooper kept hissing and peering at him, but Noah shunned it with a repeated greeting. "Sorry, Mr. Cooper…"

"Did I tell you I was coughing?" Mr. Cooper returned, angrily.

"I thought something hit you on your chest, sincerely." Noah explained, as he randomly glanced around a side. "I probably do not have an idea of why you made that sound with your mouth."

"What sound is that?" Mr. Cooper asked him, scrubbing his face as nasty scratches disturbed his face. He realised Noah had to have noticed how he hissed at him.

"It is fine then, sir…" Noah shunned his feeling. "Since you said nothing hit your chest…"

"Nothing at all." Mr. Cooper articulated and continued, his back deliberately turned against Noah by the left. "I hope you even know how to serve as an attendant."

"I am a man, Mr. Cooper and…" Noah replied.

"What does that have to mean?" Mr. Cooper reverted immediately, not mincing words, his voice effusing breaths of anger as he turned his face at Noah. "You are a man, and so what? Does that necessarily mean you are capable of doing what every man on earth can do?" Mr. Cooper didn't stop speaking, and he stood up to Noah — he seemed not to have acted that angrily before, but Noah was even readier to reciprocate the anger in his own mind.

"Whatever it is to you, sir…!" Noah stated, unwilling to render nothing else but all that pained him in his heart — He was unsure about what could happen in his place of work next, since one of his respected friend had confronted him earlier, for the first time which was rude.

"Noah, it is been a while since you've been accommodated here." Mr. Cooper started again. "You have never secured a job."

"Bygones is bygones, Mr. Cooper." Noah reverted, smiling at the old man to restrict himself from being pained by his words.

"True indeed, but…" Mr. Cooper answered Noah, his voice tensed by the response he gave. He was almost speechless. He continued, blabbering. "That means you will resume your work fully, by…"

"Tomorrow, not in the future, sir." Noah interposed, chuckling as he vacated the room in what seemed like fake anger.

It didn't take Noah more than thirty minutes to reach Beltons Mall. He was fast out of the house, his cap hanging around his forehead as he boarded on a bike. He rushed into the building and to his surprise, he met Mrs. Piper, very quickly.

"Come in!" James instructed Noah, calling him to walk straight to Mrs. Piper's office.

"Where can you function, here?" Mrs. Piper asked him, welcoming him with a piece of chocolate cake.

"Any…" Noah tried to say his mind, but words weren't uttered so he calmed down, looked down and smiled, rather childishly. "Anywhere you put me, ma."

"Wonderful to have a humble worker-to-be here, like you." Mrs. Piper appreciated him.

"Thank you." Noah returned, folding his arms, his eyes brightened by the galore and grandeur of what he physically saw in the Mall.

"What is your date of birth, Master Noah?" Mrs. Piper asked him, smiling and spreading her arms around her table.

Noah was shocked about how she didn't frown at him, no matter how he answered dully. He sighed deeply and replied. "I am a February born, ma… 20th; now 30 years of age..."

Mrs. Piper suddenly held her face down with her hands with pity for him, raised it again and asked him to stand up. Noah was almost feeling like he was the manager of the Mall.

"I want you to walk around the Mall with that man in blue." Mrs. Piper directed Noah to the man. His name was James Cole. He was short, so Noah couldn't understand if he was the one, at first.

"That man over there?" He asked Mrs. Piper, directly and unintentionally pointing his hands at James's shiny boots.

"Exactly, James!" Mrs. Piper nodded in a positive response.

"Ma'am, I guess you called me." James answered, looking back and asking her. "Did you?"

"No, actually." Mrs. Piper returned, and said. "I just want you to attend to this gentleman, here."

"Alright, ma'am." James responded politely, calling Noah to come towards him. "There are well many things you need to know about this place before you resume fully tomorrow, sir…"

"Oh!" Noah exclaimed, his lips spreading out in a real and full smile. "I see!"

Noah consciously began to imagine himself in haven. How wonderful would it be for Noah to sit engaged and occupied with duties in his office! Noah touched his tye and smiled, hoping things would completely turn out well for him.

Not only did Noah know much about the duty assigned to him, he also enjoyed his day at Beltons Mall. But, his eyes soon became watery as he was driven home to continue his task, the following day.