Not Enough

"Is this DeliveryToEat?" The sharp, familiar voice rang through the small office, laced with entitlement and impatience.

"Yes, how may I help you?" the employee on the other end responded politely, though already bracing himself for what was to come.

"I ordered food from your restaurant, and one of your little delivery drivers made me wait almost an hour to receive it, and furthermore, he brought it to me cold!" Her voice rose, thick with disdain, as though she had been personally insulted by the delay.

She wasn't satisfied with just throwing the food at Arthur. No, she wanted more. She wanted to destroy him, to make him feel the same humiliation she felt when her meal didn't arrive in pristine condition. The employee could hear the malice seeping through her words, and he knew this wasn't going to be an easy conversation.

"Bear with me for one moment, madam. Could I have the order number, please?" he asked, already navigating the system to bring up the details.

"420-911-69S," she snapped without hesitation, clearly expecting swift action. She wasn't the type to be kept waiting, and certainly not the type to forget a perceived slight.

A moment of silence passed as the man pulled up her details, before recognition flickered in his voice. "Ah, Madam Karen, is that correct?"

"Yes, that's me," she replied with a tone of pride. There was an unspoken understanding in her voice—she was a regular, a special customer. Everyone at the restaurant knew who she was. After all, they had even issued her a golden customer card, which meant her orders were always prioritized, and her complaints were always handled with care.

"Madam Karen, I deeply apologize for the terrible experience you've had with us," the man said, his voice quickly adopting a more ingratiating tone. "Please let me know how we can make it right."

"Hmph!" She scoffed, her anger building. "You can start by firing that boy who brought me the food," she spat, her words dripping with venom. "Not only was he late, but he had the nerve to bring my food cold! And when I addressed him, he was rude—he retorted! What kind of staff do you hire at your restaurant? You either remove him from your team, or you'll lose me as a customer."

There it was. The ultimatum. She knew she had the power, and she wielded it like a weapon.

"Of course, of course, Madam Karen," the employee hurriedly agreed, his voice a mix of panic and servility. "I will personally see to it that he is removed from the delivery team. How could we possibly keep someone like that after the way he treated our most loyal customer?"

She let out a snort of satisfaction. "Good. The sooner, the better. I don't want him delivering to me again, and I expect better service next time."

"Absolutely, Madam Karen," the man replied quickly. "We'll take care of it right away. Thank you for your patience and understanding."

The line went dead with a click, and the employee sighed, knowing what he had to do next.

Meanwhile, across town…

Arthur pedaled through the rain-soaked streets, the cold wind biting into his skin, but the thought of charlotte kept him warm.

His wet clothes clung to his body as he steered his old, rusty bicycle down a narrow, dimly lit alleyway.

The streetlights above flickered weakly, barely cutting through the darkness. The weight of the soaked food bag hung from his shoulder.

The way the rich woman had thrown the food at him, as if he were beneath her, just an object in her way. He hated people like that. People who didn't even see him, who treated him like he was nothing more than a delivery boy.

He needed the money. He needed to keep working, no matter how many people looked down on him, no matter how many bags of food were thrown in his face. He didn't have the luxury to fight back.

After a few more sharp turns, he finally arrived at his destination. A small, dilapidated building, tucked away from the main road. Its walls were cracked and peeling, and the door was old, with rusted hinges that groaned under the weight of time. The building had once been abandoned, but now it was the only place he could afford with his sister.

Arthur got off his bicycle and guided it through the narrow space beside the building, his shoes sloshing in the muddy puddles underfoot. The door creaked as he pushed it open, the sound filling the silence of the alley.

"Arthur?" a weak voice called from inside the small, dimly lit room.

His heart clenched at the sound. It was Charlotte. He hadn't expected her to be awake, not at this hour.

Her voice, frail and soft, carried the weight of her illness.

"That damn sickness had drained her of everything," Thought Arthur.

"I'm here," he replied, stepping into the small room. The warmth of the room hit him like a wall after the freezing cold outside, but it didn't reach the hollow feeling in his chest.

They naturally didn't have the luxury for central heating in the small room in a run-down alleyway, but he bought a portable heater for his sister and made sure she stayed warm, even if that meant he wouldn't be able to eat anything during the day because of it's expense.

"Did… did you get something to eat?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Arthur looked at the soaked, ruined food in his hand. The food that had been thrown at him in disgust, the food that wasn't good enough for someone else. He smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah, I got us some food from DeliverToEat"

"Where did you get the money for that Arthur, don't waste money on me, Cough!"

"Don't worry, the manager gave it to me for free because of my hard work."

"Now wait for me, to quickly wash my hands so I can feed you."

she didn't say anything but the worry in her eyes spoke volumes, even as she lay there, weak and helpless in the small mattress they had dragged into this tiny apartment.

With a sigh, he set the food on the small table beside her bed and sat down on the only chair in the room.

The rain outside continued to fall, the world beyond their door feeling like a distant, uncaring place.