4~ A huge breakthrough

DELIA

Sometimes, I just wished to be a stone; a gigantic boulder. I didn't have to breathe, or move, or think, or say anything, or have a fucked up job with crazy people around, I didn't even have to get married. Hehe. 

I would just stay idle in one place, under winter, and spring. 

I lay on my bed that morning almost like a stone. I didn't do anything except blink when urged to. I tried staring at the wall but my watery eyes wouldn't let me. 

I had stayed up all night thinking of what to do. The jobs around didn't pay well and my only source of a well-paid job was ruined by a crazy bitch who thought I snatched her boyfriend. 

For goodness sake, I didn't even know the guy, to begin with. I was just an attendant, attending to people, and that was all. NO MEN. 

I managed to roll and when I did, my full body landed on the wooden floor and I hissed in pain. 

So much for being idle. 

I got up and sat back on my bed. I turned to my nightstand and unplugged my charging phone. I hadn't talked to Devin in some days and since he didn't call, I guessed he was very busy. I pressed the power button just to be welcomed by a notification; a new mail. 

'That's new.' I thought and stood up. I bled to the bathroom, picked up my toothbrush, kissed it with some toothpaste, and introduced it into my mouth. While brushing, I decided to check the mail. 

I double tapped on the mail icon and it directed me straight to the mail. I was so busy with my perfectly white teeth that the phone dropped from my hand into the wash basin. 

Dang it. 

As I was about to pick it up, I saw the subject of the mail; Elrod Group of Companies. 

Huh?! 

What could they have possibly sent me after pending my application for over a year? Maybe a rejection mail? I wasn't certain. Or they were giving suggestions on other jobs to take on?

Just check the damn message, silly. 

I picked up the phone and clicked on the message. 

"Dearest employee, we would be glad to inform you that your application has been successful----" I screamed without reading to the end. I scanned through and saw I was due to start the job in two days. 

My joy knew no bounds as I let out another round of screams and ran around the house. My mother dropped whatever she was doing in the kitchen and met me in the dining room. I showed her the message and we ended up screaming together. 

"What's all the fuss about? I'm trying to get some sleep here and you ladies are preventing that." Kiki complained, rubbing her eyes. 

"I swear, I'm gonna bring down the house tomorrow," Eva said grumpily and collapsed on the couch. 

I ignored them and put up a serious expression. 

"What? Why the long face? You just landed a fucking huge paying job and instead of you being happy, you're frowning." 

"Really? A huge paying job?" Kiki and Eva rushed to my side and embraced me. 

"How huge? Five hundred thousand dollars? A million dollars? Oh tell me, sis, tell me." Kiki shook my stiff body ecstatically and I couldn't help but imagine the disappointment on her face when I shoot the bad news. 

"I'm so happy for you, big sister. Now, we're going to be rich and no one will ever trample on us again." Eva placed her head on my shoulder. They were happy, I felt it. My mom seemed proud of me, and I felt it too. 

"I'm not going." I sighed dejectedly and headed for one of the couches, walking a someone who just did a 24-hour job and never got paid. 

"WHAT?!" I could feel the deadly glares they were dishing out and if looks could kill, I would have died that instant. 

"I said I'm not going," I repeated sternly. We're all the way in California and my 'job' is as far as Barbados. You expect me to leave you guys and go that distance? Not working." I finalized and plonked on the couch, folding my hands and pouting my lips. 

"Dear," my mother called out softly and sat beside me. "I understand how you feel. I mean, you literally grew up around your family. And no matter how broken and messed up we are, we're still family." She said softly. I looked at my sisters and found them nodding. 

These girls would do anything to make me go get the job - the love of money. 

"But, don't you want to make life better for this family of ours?" 

"You know I do," I cut in. "I really do." 

"Then, go get that which is rightfully yours. From your pay, no matter the distance, you will be able to make us happy and at the end of the year, you can come home for Thanksgiving and Christmas." She stroked my hair and hummed. 

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, Delia. Grab it or else, who knows? The next to come might be the worst. Yeah?" 

"Yeah." I nodded and stood up, stretching as though I had just woken up from sleep. 

"I have to reply to them and know of the arrangements they've made for my accommodation." 

"So, that means you're going?" Eva asked, sounding unsure. 

I looked intently at her. 

"Uhm... Yeah. I just mentioned accommodation, so that means I'm going." I replied. Her question seemed dumb to me but I tried to answer in a none offending way. 

The girls screamed, so loudly that my mom and I left the entire room for them to jubilate. I went to the room and brought out my laptop. I was able to reply to their message and I got a reply after five minutes. 

They seemed desperate. Or maybe it's just my imagination and that was how the system worked. 

**** 

After spending almost my entire day in my room, diluting the rules and regulations of the company, the manner of conduct, and my job as the personal assistant to the CEO, I decided to take a break. 

Who knew there was this much stuff to know? I could have learned all of these if I was assured I would get the job but no, they decided to wait two whole fucking years to give me the job. 

I applied there in California two years back when there were slots opened and being a decent graduate of the business administration department, I was sure I would get the job. Later, I heard they relocated and that was the last of it. Every other place I applied to declined my request and that left me to menial jobs until I met Bruce. When he disappeared, I went back to my menial jobs, and now, this. This huge breakthrough. Somehow, I wanted to think it was all fake and unreal but gladly, they were authentic. 

I shut down my laptop and changed into comfortable clothes. 

I was going for a walk after a long time. Might be my last walk in my little town so I planned on savoring every tiny detail of it. 

I got to the park and sat on a bench. What caught my attention first were the swaying trees. 

The trees, so caged yet so free. Dancing with the wind but never moving with it. Standing so tall, yet so invisible. 

I looked at the children running and falling about. They seemed free and cared less about anything in the world, except for their candies and toys and probably, their friends and family. 

I wish I never grew up, I wish I had remained a child forever. I grew too fast, having seen my mom and dad brawl every day and taking the family upon my shoulders at the age of ten. I wished I was never born.   

I felt a light flick on my shoulder but I paid no attention to it. Could have been one of the kids running or anyone hitting me by accident. 

I felt it again and I turned. I didn't see anybody. 

"Weird," I mouthed and focused back on the trees. 

"So, you couldn't even investigate such a small mystery you call 'weird'. I'm disappointed." A voice came and my body froze on that spot. 

It couldn't be.