a gift from the heavens

crazy cat lady

22st December, 2018
7:00pm

The sun was lowering slowly as I sat on my porch, coffee in one hand and my other beneath my thigh to keep it warm. I took turns to swap hands but soon enough the coffee had warmed me enough so held my cup with both hands comfortably. I liked to stay out here most days, just watching the clouds go by. My neighbourhood was a quiet one of solace, though my Father often said the silence was eerie. I had always found it peaceful out here.

"Noor!"

I snapped my gaze to the front door as my Father stepped out with his bare feet.

"Yes Baba?"

I watched his look of disapproval and thought about what he was upset about. Was the soup I made too bitter?

"Where did you put my shoes, the Oxfords?"

My eyes lifted to the sky in thought of where I could've placed his shoes. He had a work dinner tonight and he had been sure to let me know just so that I could help him pick out an outfit. He said that keeping up appearances was important, even though he hated most his colleagues, this dinner was important for his 'work rep'.

"I put them in the cupboard beneath the stairs, aren't they there?"

"Well if they were, I wouldn't ask you..." he muttered as he turned back around and left the door open.

"Come and find them for me, I don't have time."

I quickly stood up from the swing chair and put down my coffee on the small wooden garden table beside me.

"Coming!"

The house was sparkling clean that day, as I'd spent the whole morning cleaning on the first day of Christmas break. I had been neglecting the house whilst studying and Baba had done all the cleaning he could whilst I was busy. Though admittedly, he couldn't clean very well, he did try and that made me feel guilty for not taking out enough time to help him around the house.

I searched for fifteen minutes to find his shoes, as he taunted me for having put them away in the first place. I apologised and soon found them under the coat rack behind the front door.

"Now I'm late, thank you."

I heard a sigh as he wore his shoes and headed out the door.

Timid and ashamed, I scratched my neck and muttered a goodbye. I hoped his colleagues wouldn't mind his late arrival, or else it would have been my fault.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I let out a deep sigh and headed towards Baba's study, where he kept his laptop. I opened up my email and realised I had gotten a response from the coffee shop I had applied at; Aroma. Quite a fancy name, and I would be lying if I said the name hadn't drawn me to the job place. I had visited the shop once before on my way back home from University and there were an array of emotions experienced as I walked in, to say the least. The vibe in that place was no joke, perfectly thought out by a craftsman throughly experienced in aesthetic and joy.

I had been applying for jobs ever since I started University, only because Baba said paying for my tuition would be too expensive. One option was to not attend University at all, and that was not an option for me. I had dreamed University my whole life, and made sure it would happen. So with a loan, I decided to work part-time to earn money that would go towards my daily commute and food expenses. I didn't want Baba to pay for anything, or else I would never hear the last of it from it. I didn't blame him though. We were struggling financially and I didn't want to make it worse.

I clicked on the email and jumped out of my seat to see I had been offered a job the next working day. I guess my CV was impressive enough to skip the interview process. After dancing with ultimate relief that I had gotten a job for this Christmas break, I realised the next day was Monday, my stomach suddenly flipping at the thought of something going wrong on my first day. This wasn't my first job, but somehow the idea of a new place, with workers that already knew what they were doing and a completely new environment scared me.