CHAPTER 2

Maya's POV:

I walked hand in hand with Violet, my angel’s granddaughter and now my best friend, on the streets of New York, the calm breeze blowing through our hairs.

Violet and I met in high school. 

She had such soft features and looked like she couldn't hurt a fly even if she tried. She got bullied for those reasons.

Long story short, I beat up her bully one day and we've been best friends since then.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by loud horns and impatient drivers. 

These streets were always busy as residents were either going to work or heading back home after a day’s work.

I need to get home before my landlady gets back.

The 4 months rent I now owed had been causing Mrs. Bell to camp outside my apartment door every day for 20 minutes, when she gets back from her work.

The wait outside my door was accompanied by banging and screeching.

“Ms. Jensen! Ms. Jensen! I know you're in there! Open this door!”

“You'll leave my house! I'll make sure of it!”

I always held my breath and froze still like ice till she got tired and retired to her apartment. This had been happening like clockwork for the past 2 months.

It's not like I didn't want to pay. I was just broke at the moment.

I'm just 20 and have so many bills to pay, I sighed as I thought about the debts I had.

I had to tip toe around my home and avoid my landlady till I got a new job.

I lost my last job when I punched a customer in his ugly face when he tried to grab my ass.

Serves him right!

I would call myself short tempered. I couldn't help it, people were so annoying.

With the word spreading about my fight, getting another job around has been a struggle.

We turned the corner leading to my street and saw a little brunette girl, she couldn’t be past 10 years old.

Her clothes were rumpled and dirty, and her skin looked like she hadn't taken a bath in days.

Vi gave her outstretched hands a dollar note and I could only smile sadly cause I had no money on me.

The sight brought back memories of when I had to sleep and beg on the streets to survive.

I begged or stole to eat, slept in churches and uncompleted buildings, worked very odd jobs for sketchy looking people.

It was tough definitely, but I knew I had to survive.

Luckily, I ended up at a church and they were nice enough to temporarily accommodate me.

I even attended the high school connected to it.

After highschool, I couldn't stay there anymore as the pastor kept trying to assault me.

No one would believe me if I said anything, so I packed my bags and left.

Violet and her family accommodated me in their home till I was able to rent a place.

I took student loans and scaled through college, barely hanging on a thread as a result of countless sleepless nights.

My jobs as a waiter during the day and babysitter at night finally paid off, as I was able to rent a shabby apartment in an even shabbier area in New York.

No child should have to go through that, I thought sadly as I looked at the girl.

I made a mental note to make and bring some food for her later. 

Vi and I got to my apartment about 5 minutes later. 

It wasn't hard to locate the building once you entered the street, It was the most terrible-looking one in sight.

The building I lived in was deteriorating. The paint was nearly nonexistent. There were probably more weeds than grass on the front lawn and the windows had iron bars over them.

Some may look at this run-down building and think, “inhabitable”. I look at it and think “affordable”.

There were two apartments in the building, I lived downstairs while my landlady lived upstairs. Staying downstairs enabled me to avoid my landlady as much as I possibly could.

The inside was slightly better than the outside — all thanks to me of course.

When I moved in, I scrubbed every place clean and bleached everything in sight. I deemed it sanitary and livable after I was done.

I kept my eyes on my surroundings as I unlocked my door and quickly got inside with Vi, locking it immediately after.

These parts of New York were not safe so I had to be careful, I was also keeping an eye out for my landlady.

I checked the time on my old worn-out iPhone 5, “2:05 pm”. I had less than 2 hours before Mrs. Bell comes banging on my poor door.

Vi sat pretty on my poor excuse of a sofa with her emerald green sundress, She really loved dresses.

She was the girly girl and I was the tomboy in this friendship, I found it cute.

Violet Williams did not come from a poor household, neither was she poor herself. But she never judged or made me feel less of myself.

Vi had asked to help financially multiple times but my pride would never allow it. I kindly decline everytime. I wasn't a charity case and I was fine on my own.

“Is there something on my face?”, Vi asked with curiosity in her tone.

I blushed as I snapped out of my thoughts. Why was I just staring at her?

“Nope, your face is as perfect as ever”, I smiled cheekily as I made my way to the apartment bathroom.

I caught her rolling her eyes, with a small smile on her thin lips, before I shut the curtains demarcating the poor excuse for a bathroom.

My reflection looked back at me as I stared at the only mirror in my apartment; I had beautiful chocolate skin, with my wild curly black hair looking like it needed some love and care, bags were visible under my hazel green eyes from not getting enough bedtime, and my curvaceous body looked malnourished in some places. 

I made a mental note to wash my hair before I went for my next job interview, I needed to look my best as I was in desperate need of employment.

At the thought of a job, I quickly peed, washed my hands clean, and washed my face.

I met Vi lying down on the couch and looking at one of my paintings in awe and amazement. 

It was a painting I made last month of an island with vibrant blue skies, a calming sea and an abandoned boat sitting next to it. Beautiful green palm trees scattered around the environs putting together a serene and aesthetically pleasing view.

Painting was a form of getaway from reality for me. I could envision and create any image I wished for, regardless of what I was experiencing in my fucked up life.

“Maya, this is so beautiful “, my best friend never fails to praise my paintings when she sees them.

“Thank you Vi”, I smiled with pride and sat next to her.

I'll be an extraordinary painter one day, I just know it!

“You can take the painting with you if you want, I don't mind”

“Really?!?” , Her blue eyes were the size of tennis balls.

“Of course Vi, I'll just paint another one”, I said while laughing, Vi could be so cute sometimes.

“Thank youuu, You're the best Maya!”, she jumped to give me a hug and I instantly melted in it. Her hugs were so warm.

“Even though your hugs are the best things known to mankind, I believe we should face what we came here to do”, I pulled away from

the hug and looked at her with a serious expression.

I needed to get a job before the end of this week or I would have to go back to begging on the streets.

Or I could work as a stripper.

Vi understood the seriousness of the issue and instantly pulled out her Apple laptop from her tote bag, Its shiny appearance almost made me drool — almost.

She searched “available job positions” in the G****e search engine, her red nails tapping on the keyboard patiently. I had terrible Wifi in my room so I wasn't surprised it was taking so long to load.

When it finally loaded, Vi passed the shiny laptop to me and I carefully placed it on my lap.

I began scrolling down the page and browsed through the available jobs.

I repeated this process until my eyes started to hurt.

“Ugh! This is going to take forever!”, I thought as I massaged my throbbing eyes.

“Maya, look!” I heard my best friend excitedly yell from next to me.

I opened my eyes to see her pointing at a job opening at the bottom of the screen. I scrolled down to get a better look at what was getting her worked up.

POSITION AVAILABLE: PERSONAL ASSISTANT

BUSINESS: ARMANDO CORPORATIONS

SALARY: $500 Monthly + FREE APARTMENT

click here to apply for this position…

My eyes widen to the size of golf balls as I read through the job opening. $500 monthly plus a free apartment?!

Could this be a prank? Is this real? 

I pinched myself to confirm if I was in dreamland.

Ow!

The sting on my right cheek confirmed that I was in fact not dreaming.

I looked at Vi with wide eyes and my mouth agape, “should I go for it? I'm scared, what if I don't get accepted?”

My head bobbed forward as Vi whacked me hard.

“Hey!”, I glared as she smiled at me innocently.

“Sorry I couldn't help it, you were speaking nonsense”

“If you don't apply for that job right now Maya, you'll not like what I'll do to you!” 

I stared in shock at sweet Violet. When did she get so aggressive? I was probably rubbing off on her.

I smiled and hurriedly applied for the once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity.

I said a little prayer to God and hoped for the best.

This job could solve all my current problems. 

I would be able to pay my overdue rent, other debts and I would still be getting a free apartment to stay!

I was left in my thoughts as Vi packed up her laptop and belongings, ready to leave.

Would I be able to get the job?

How would I survive if I didn't? 

These thoughts caused my worry to return even stronger. I feared for my future.

I would just have to wait and see then. 

Oh God, please help me..