Heaven - Mark Lee

- 4

Rushing around her room, digging through boxes she hadn't put away yet, Heejin began pulling out various different items.

It was about 30 minutes before she had to leave for her new school. Her last week included her just sitting around her bedroom solemnly.

All her furniture had been moved in, but the boxes of stuff still stayed stacked in the corner of her room.

She didn't have the energy to look through all of them and put them away- which proved her current situation difficult.

Head deep in a box as she rummaged through the various little trinkets and random articles of clothing.

"Ah ha!" She pulled out her backpack and one of her jumpers she had been searching for and quickly threw it on.

Shoving in all her books and her pencil case, she made her way down the stairs to the kitchen table where her parents were already sitting.

"Nice of you to join us, finally," her mother said and she quickly apologised, tucking her hair behind her ears before placing her hands into both her parents open palms and closing her eyes.

"Bless us, O God. Bless our food and our drink. Since you redeemed us so dearly and delivered us from evil, as you gave us a share in this food so may you give us a share in eternal life. Amen."
"Amen," she follows after her parents prayer before opening her eyes and beginning to eat.

"So, darling," her mother started and Heejin looked up at her mother after placing another bite into her mouth. Eyes watching as her mother looked towards her father and gave him a gesture with her head towards the girl.

Her dad rolled his eyes and cleared his throat, "Heejin, we think it's about time you get yourself your own job."

Her eyes widened at their words and she swallowed quickly, "huh?"

"Heejin, manners," her mother scorned.
"I'm sorry, I mean pardon? A job?"
"Yes a job darling. We're in a big city and you're old enough now to get yourself a job. Start paying for your own things."

"But we just moved here, can I not have a few weeks to just settle in?"
"And let you get accustomed to not having a job here as well?" Her mother criticised.
"We expect you to have a job as soon as possible. We are done supporting you and your silly little purchases and your fuel money. You can start paying for stuff yourself, you are 17 after all."
"But-"
"Don't talk back to me, this is the end of discussion," her father spoke sternly, eyes glared into hers until she looked away.

"We expect a job within the next fortnight," her mother concluded, dabbing the side of her mouth with a serviette before taking hers and her husbands plates to the sink to wash up- leaving Heejin slumped back in her seat in disbelief.

A scoff left her lips as she thought about how difficult it will be to get a job, she didn't even know the route to her new school, let alone any place willing to hire.

She abruptly stood from her seat, making the chair scrape against the wooden floor, she picked up her bag and threw it over her shoulder.

Not bothering to look back at her parents as she called out to them, "bye mum, bye dad."

The muffled yells of their voice from the kitchen wishing her a good day was the last thing she heard as she left the house.

The spring breeze met her skin with soft swirls as she stomped down her driveway to her car.

Throwing her bag into the passenger seat and slipping into the drivers seat, she pulled up her maps app and pushed in her schools address, pressing start and pulling out of the drive way.

A vexed sigh left her lips as she began her descent to her new school.
"A job? How am I meant to get a job? I know like two people in this whole God damn city."

She looked over at her phone to see that she was nearing her school and when she looked up she was met with a large, three storey building and her mouth dropped.

Pulling into the car park with her mouth gaped, she looked out her passenger window at the school. She definitely was not in the country side anymore.