BROKEN

chapter 2

"Grand ma, why does mother hate me."Layla asked as Mother brushed her hair for school. I could here bits of their conversation from where I was but I chose not to listen or even pay attention.

"don't say such a thing again"Mother said as she bent down to her level raising her jaw up so she could face Layla. If only I could see mother's face, I knew it was going to be sad and probably anger towards me too for how I treated Layla.

"she loves you so much, sweetheart you should never forget that. She gave birth to you. Every mother loves her child very much and you should believe me when I tell you she does. You are the only one she has got and never think she doesn't care about you" mother said trying to make Layla feel better.

"yes grandma" she replied picking up her backpack from the bed.

"now you should go to school, so you won't be late"

"bye grandma" she called out as she left to go enter the bus.

"may the Almighty  be with you my dear"Mother said as she watched her enter into the school bus.

"mother,I am off to work"I  said as I kissed her cheek ready to leave the house.

"take care of yourself dear"

I moved outside as I waited for the car that was going to pick me up. After years of searching for a good paying job at last I recently got this job at a big estate management firm and I still remember how I got it and how much usman, my boss had helped me with it.

**flashback**

"hello miss, are you here for the interview"the man who had just entered said facing me. I had seen the ad on the newspaper the day before and after months and months of searching for a job I had hoped that I got this one because there was so much Bills to pay and mother and Layla needed me. There was no one to help.

"yes, I am. but the secretary said I was late"I answered . I had missed my way to the company and when I got there I was late but I couldn't just leave like that so I had waited to at least explain my self to anyone who wished to listen. I was angry at myself for making such a mistake but then there was nothing I could do but hope I would be given a chance to at least speak to the person in charge.

"please come with me to my office"he added

"please sit" he offered

"thank you sir"

"As I can see from here, you are actually late for the interview but I want to help, can I see your credentials"he asked as I stretched out my hand to give it to him.

"This is very good, I am sure you are going to be of great help to the company"he said as he looked through my credentials and I smiled a bit.

"why would I say no to this, this company needs someone like this. You can start on Monday" he said and that was all. It didn't even take so much time and I was offered the job.

"oh my!! Are you serious!!"I said excitedly as words couldn't escape my mouth. Few minutes ago I had thought I lost the opportunity and now this.

"thank you, thank you so much sir"

"you're welcome, just call me usman" he said with a smile on his face.

*****************
"morning zeenat"Jane said as I walked into the office.

"morning jane"I replied smiling.

"Mr usman wants to see the documents for the apartment"

"okay Jane, I will be with him in a sec"

"Hello, Good morning",I said as I entered Usman's office

"how are you doing zee" he said and did I mention that he also calls me zee.

"I am fine"

"please sit"

"here are the files"

" this is great zee,the layout is awesome and the clients told me they love it"

"Ohh that's nice"

"zee, a company told me they will be establishing a branch here in the city but they want us to find the perfect location and to handle things for them"

"that's great sir"

"I want you to be in charge of this"

"alright sir, I should leave now"

     
********************
I lay on my bed slowly staring at the ceiling, it was a long day at work today. I shifted my head to the side as I picked up the picture that I had hung on the wall next to my bed. it was a picture of me and dad. I stared at the picture as it dawned on me that it had been six years since he passed and how much I still missed him like it happened yesterday. Years go by so fast and sometimes it even seemed like we haven't really lived a day but instead just passed through life. I thought about all the memories we shared and how much of a daddy's girl I had always been right from day one. I could still see how much mother too missed him. Sometimes she went through his things that she had refused us to throw away. I remember how for sometime we always avoided talking about what actually led to his death but I could never get the thought out of my head as i was the real culprit and i would never stop blaming myself. I don't know if maybe someone else in the world had it worse than I did but I knew that the past six years have been the worst years of my life and a terrible one.
      I sat up on the bed as I held the pillow so close to my chest and tears dropped slowly from my eye. Most times I blame myself for his death if only I hadn't fallen in love then maybe, just maybe my dad would have still been alive!!!

I cried quietly as I held the pillow tightly in my hand.