Jobless

Another day, another tussle, Maisse thought as she dusted her coat and placed it on the book behind the door. This was the third month she was working for Ms. Simmons and she was already getting tired of her complains and naggings. Ms.Simmons was always complaining, Maisse figured out it was why her employees never lasted more than a month. It was always one thing or another.

"Maisse! You did not dust the trinket!" Ms.Simmons squeeky voice would be heard through her office door.

"Young girl, the books are not well arranged! And I need my coffee, right now." The voice would shout again.

Maisse was tired of being shouted at. She had wanted to quit within the first month but could not because of the situation at home. She needed the job for her family. Emily and Emmy, the twins, needed to stay in school and their father could not do that. In fact, he did not care about any of them. The last time Maisse had talked, really talked to her father was when they had bumped into each other at the funeral of Uncle Bob. Uncle Bob was her father's youngest brother.

They barely saw each other, Maisse and her dad. They never had any tangible relationship. Of note, the death of Maisse's mother cemented the distance between father and daughter. She knew her father loathed her because she had not been born a boy. Her father had wanted a son so much that Maisse spent the first three years of her life wearing only pants, this stopped only after she joined preschool. The few times he walked or spent time with her, he referred to her as 'My son'. He was in denial for some years but when the reality set in, he discarded her like some pesky fly. He never looked at her twice even when Maisse tried so hard to please him.

He hated his wife for giving him a girl for a first born. To avoid both Maisse and her mother, he began gambling and spending almost all his time in the pub. The twins were conceived as a result of one drunken night. When Maisse's mother broke the news to him, he was elated and started coming back home early. This ended when Maisse's mother gave birth to twin girls. He was not able to rant or hate on her because she died soon after birth.

Maisse shook her head to stop herself from thinking about her family. She needed to concentrate less she breaks something and loose her second job. The first one barely covered the rent and food. Her sisters were home alone since she could not afford a babysitter at the moment. She was proud to have completed her high school, it allowed her to get menial jobs. Even at twenty four, her dream of going back to school had not yet died. She wanted to pursue something in history. She had had to shell her dream to educate her sisters.

Her sisters believed in her, trusted her and looked upto her for everything. To them, she was the only one who could get them out of trouble or help them, she was their ride or die. And so she had to do everything right by them. They did not know their mother and barely saw their father, Maisse was all they knew.

She was so preoccupied with them that she did not have the time for a boyfriend. At her age she had never even gone on a single date. Boys in her high school barely talked to her. They considered her the opposite of a social butterfly. In school she was always reading, either in class or the school library. She never attended any party thrown by the popular clique in school, either because no one ever invited her or because she cared less about the parties and had no time to socialize with anybody apart from her little sisters.

It did not bother her though, relationship and love would come at their own time. Despite her parents rocky relationship, Maisse believed in love. She had read about great love stories in the library books. One day, she had promised herself, she would meet the love of her life, and they would live happily ever after. She would adopt her sisters as her own and they would be a great and happy family. For now she had to scrub a little harder, arrange everything in order to avoid being shouted at or chased or sacked.

Her first job was serving dinner at the small diner in the town square. It was really not a popular diner as most people preferred the other diners to this one. It was an old diner that served soup and bread mostly, most of the regular customers were old like the owner, Mr. Prisley. It seemed like they were either patronizing him because he was their long term friend or they were used to the routine. New diners had sprung up around the town and most young people preferred them.

Maisse loved working at the diner. Old Prisley allowed her to eat dinner for free. Sometimes she tagged along her sisters who were fond of him. He was like their grandfather, even Maisse loved him. His wife was the first person to ever gift Maisse and the twins on their birthday. They had been sad when she had gotten injured on a road trip and could barely move now. Maisse sometimes helped take care of Mrs. Prisley when her children were unavailable.

Maisse whistled as she continued working. She was anxious as Mr. Prisley had told her and another worker that he had some news to tell them today. She did not know what he was going to tell them and that made her worried. She just hoped that they were not going to be sacked, she really needed that job and Old Prisley was good to them.

Ms. Simmons entered just as Maisse was putting back the shiny globe.

"Don't let that fall, or I will have to deduct it from your salary." Ms.Simmons squeeked.

"Yes ma'am." Maisse replied as she righted it.

"Have you cleaned my office?"

"Yes ma'am." Maisse replied again. Those two words were the only words that never made Me. Simmons angry or agitated. When she had joined her, there had been two other girls working there. They were now off for college and that was why Ms. Simmons had needed a hand. The two girls barely spoke to her as Many. Simmons did not tolerate lazying around as she put it. The only thing they did was show her around the place. Massie quickly learned to mind her business and do her work. The wage was not that great but she had to manage. She would have gotten a third job if time permitted her, but she could only do too much within 24 hours. Ms. Simmons walked around and started supervising the area.

"Not that bad. Now be a good girl and go get my coffee." She said as she opened her office door.

"Yes ma'am." Maisse quickly wiped her wet hands on her coverall, took the coins Ms. Simmons had placed on the counter and went out. The streets were busy. She waved at the paperboy who sold old newspapers next door, smiled at the old watchman by the door of the coffee shop. He tipped his hat as a response. Maisse collected the coffee and headed back to the shop. Ms. Simmons was going through the record book.

"Have we had any customers?" Ms. Simmons asked as Maisse put her coffee on the table next to her glasses.

"No m'aam. No customers." Maisse replied.

"Okay, go make yourself busy. The sales have been low. Do something about it or I will have no choice but sack you." Ms. Simmons threatened.

"Yes ma'am." Maisse left. How was it her fault that the sales were low? She only sold what was on the shelves. Ms. Simmons had refused to stock citing that she was waiting for the thanksgiving holidays which was a month away.

Maisse sighed as she watched Mrs. Peppa enter. Mrs. Peppa was Ms. Simmons best friend and she had an ugly temper. If she was not complaining about her neighbors, she was badmouthing her in-laws. It was going to be a long day.

Finally the day was over. Maisse removed her coverall and took her dress from the bag she always carried with her. She knocked on Me. Simmons door to let her know that she was leaving.

"Just place the key where it should be and turn the sign to closed. I am too tired to deal with anyone today." Ms. Simmons shouted from inside. She was always tired. The store was small that she could handle it herself but she was too lazy to do that. It was an inheritance from her aunt and from what Maisse had heard, she was just keeping it float to please her grandfather who had vowed to give her an inheritance only if she kept the store float for two years.

"There you are." Old Mr. Prisley said cheerfully as he spotted Maisse at the door.

"Sorry I am late. The babysitter was occupied today so I had to tag my sisters along. I hope you don't mind." Maisse said as she kissed Old Prisley on the left cheek.

"I really don't mind. In fact today there is no work for you."

"I am sorry? Did I do something wrong?" Maisse asked, panic in her voice.

"Not you. It is me." Old Prisley said.

"What do you mean by it is you? Are you sick?" Maisse asked as she laid a hand on his temple. The twins had made themselves comfortable by the fire.

"I am doing okay."

"Then what is wrong?" Vik, Maisse's workmate asked from the kitchen doorway.

"I am retiring." Old Prisley said.

"But you are already retired." Vik said. Old Prisley had served at the army.

"That is true. I meant to say that I am selling the dinee. For the past few months we have not been making any meaningful profits. The new diners have taken over. I also want to spend time with my wife before she leaves this world. The doctor said there is nothing they can do about her chest. I want to stay close to my children and spend some time with them."

"That's..." Maisse could not find her voice. Vik just stared at Old Prisley.

"You don't have to worry Maisse. I will give you something to help pay for your rent for the next three months as you look for an alternative. I am also going to talk to the new owner so that he can employ you. I do not know what he is going to build in this place, but I know he can help you find something Vik." Old Prisley consoled them.

"We, I don't want you to retire sir. Who is going to take care of us?" Maisse asked, tears starting to fill her eyes.

"Come here." Old Prisley hugged her. "You don't have to worry, you are always welcomed at our house. There will always be food waiting for you and the twins."

Maisse knew that Old Prisley considered her family. However, she did not want to depend on him and his family entirely. She wanted to work for her food. What was she going to do now?

That night she tossed and turned in bed, sleep was not forthcoming. She was worried about the house. What was going to happen when the three months were over and they had already exhausted their rent? Where was she going to get money seeing as her father was incapable of taking care of them? She had to find another night job as soon as possible. Maybe she could ask Old Prisley for the buyer's number so that she could talk to him personally. She had to do something.

Seeing as she was not going to get any sleep, she stood up and went to prepare her sisters for school. She would use part of the money Old Prisley had given her to pay for their school. She was putting milk into the oatmeal bowl when her father arrived from his drinking spree. He always had money for beer but never had a single coin for his children's fees.

He looked at her up and down, sneezed, went to the cupboard took a cup and poured himself all of the milk from the bottle he had snatched from her.

"Papa, I was using that." Maisse said in a small voice. She was always afraid of him.

"Do I look like I care?" He sneered. "You eat too much in this house." That was a weird thing to say seeing as he never gave her any money for food or shopping. "In fact, be ready to leave this house in two months time." He said as he threw the now empty milk bottle in the sink.

"Sorry, huh?" Maisse asked, shocked.

"I said you are leaving this house in a month. I have already negotiated with him."

"Him? Papa, what are you talking about?" Maisse asked.

"The man who is supposed to marry you. I have already used half of your dowry so you'd be wise to do as I say because I am not refunding anything."

"Papa! How could you?" Maisse cried out.

"You are of no use to me here, so I decided to marry you off. I need the money more than I need to see you roaming around this house. Besides you are too old to stay in your father's house."

"Papa, I am the one paying for the rent!" Maisse cried out. It was weird that she was being chased out of the same house she was paying rent. Had her father lost his senses?

"I don't care. You will leave and get married to the man I have chosen for you. No arguments. I can pay my own rent, I have the money." Her father scoffed.

"What about the twins?" Maisse asked her retreating father.

"You can go with them. I do not have time to take care of those little rascals." Her father threw as he banged the door.

Why was she putting up with him? She could report him to the authorities for neglecting the twins. Problem was, the twins would be taken by the social workers or to a foster care if they do much as found out that she could barely afford to feed them despite being over eighteen. She had to find a solution to all these problems. Old Prisley was selling the diner, the money she was getting from Ms. Simmons was not enough and she definitely did not want to get married to some stranger her father had sold her off to. She could run off with the twins, go to a far away place, away from her father. But where was she going to go with two kids without enough money?

Maybe she could talk to the new owner of the diner, beg him for a job. Old Prisley could not pay her after closing the diner. He depended on his children and she did not want to be a total burden to them. She went to wake up her sisters in the room they shared. It was a tiny room with a double-decker that the three of them shared. The twins slept together on the lower bed while Maisse slept on the upper bed. Sometimes when she was too tired to climb up, she would sleep on the rocking chair that her mother bought before she died. It was a comfortable chair, she had been saving for it from the moment she knew she was going to have twins.

"Is it morning already?" Emmy asked as she rubbed her eyes.

"Yes. I need to get you school before I head out to Ms. Simmons. Up you go, both of you." Maisse said as she lightly tickled Emily.

"I don't want to go to school today." Emily grumbled.

"You have to Emily, otherwise you will not go to the next class. Do you want to remain in the same class?" Maisse asked her.

"But...but you said we could go see Me. Simmons shop." Emily complained again.

"Yes, I did. I have really worked hard to finish paying your school fees. Also Ms. Simmons apparently does not like it when small kids run around her shop. I promise to buy you your favorite ice cream during the weekend." Maisse promised.

That got them up very fast. Despite not getting it regurlarly as they would have loved to, the girls loved ice cream. Maisse treated them once in a while when her pockets allowed. Emmy's favorite was chocolate while Emily preferred vanilla. The ice cream shop always had a small discount during the weekends for kids. Maisse always tried to buy her sisters some treats every month, but it was difficult. Most months they barely had food to eat. The food stamps never lasted the whole month and sometimes Maisse had to take them to the diner just for them to eat something.

"We are done." Emily shouted from the bathroom.

"Good, now come and put on your clothes." Maisse wanted to rush them before they started fighting about something as mundane as who is the first to get out of the bathroom. They were petty like that but she loved them all the same, they were her life.