CHAPTER TWELVE
Sassah woke up earlier than her usual time. Even though she tried going back to sleep but she couldn't, that caused her a headache.
"Damned it! What's wrong with me?!" A mischievous voice whispered inside her. "Everything…" She rolled her eyes and stomped to leave the bed. She went outside to the balcony after putting a white robe. Sunset. A beautiful orange light that seems kissing that day goodbye. Its shades spread like a contemporary art and became a temporary background of the always busy business central district in the Big City. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, calming her troubled nerves. It's very rare for her to see this kind of sight, the other source of light; only the morning light gives color in her gloomy world since she's now a night owl who sleeps all day.
She breathed in and out for a little while before she fed Charlie black and went inside to turn on her small television and enjoyed her favorite café Americano. "Lacking sleep…. I'll surely be a dead zombie later."
*********
Red visits his mother after settling Benny's matter. He brought a dozen of white roses for her mother as these are her favorite flowers. But, he saw his father taking his mother for lunch.
"Would you like to join us, Red?" His father invites him.
"Thanks dad, just enjoy your lunch. I remember visiting Rick today."
"What's up son?"
"Hi Mom, I'll visit Rick today. I saw a woman who suffered things like him… depression?"
"Oh, a woman. Is there someone with her?"
"It seems she's alone."
"Son, tell her the main advice to fight depression. Have you talked to her?"
"Yeah, I was just got ignored"
"Oh, noh…. Tell her to talk, complete eight hours of sleep, eat good foods, breathe a little more, do yoga or meditation." Dr. Alexandra said with a very understanding smile on her pretty soft face.
"Is she someone we know? Elizabeth?"
"Elizabeth? No mom, she's a new friend. She's Benny's neighbor." He explained.
He took a deep breath. He wanted to talk to his mom and talked about how to help the woman but he's always uncomfortable talking to his father maybe because of their differences. After the exchange of a few words, he went home to take a little rest. He woke up due to thirst and it was getting dark outside.
His house is located in the most expensive subdivision in the country where the city and sea meet. From his luxurious balcony he can see the comforting sunset and feel the oceanic breeze that calm those pressured nerves inside him.
*******
Next morning, sassah went home more haggard than she always is. She had a bad shift when she confirmed a particular sale, the customer asked her some technical thing and luckily all the technical support team were either on the phone or on break. She can put the client on hold for a minute or two but the client was so demanding that's why she courageously asked the client's concern and found that the client's problem was only the computer power supply was off. He bought a new extension socket and tried to plug in the computer's power box but forgot to turn it on. All he thought was that there's a problem with his computer.
Her team leader found out and sent her to the training for technical support and was recommended for reassignment. She's working in the leading computer company in the country who sell all computer related aspects from software to hardware.
She looked haggard because she needed to complete that shift before sending home while she will join the training on the next day and that will be after lunch today. The training will start from that day and will last for 2 weeks with a time slot of 1 – 10pm. That's look suicide.
Sassah saw Lina, her old neighbor standing beside her door. When she saw her she walked towards her.
"Hi! I'm Lina. My husband and I live there next door. His kind boss, Red, said to give you this food. How are you?" Sassah was stunned. Was that the annoying guy yesterday, so his name is Red…. He's a boss?! There are so many words but none of these burst out.
"Thank you for your kindness mam, but I'm fine. Just take it with you." She refused softly and opened her door but the woman persisted like the guy before.
"No, my husband would surely lose his job if I did not deliver it to you." She just took a really deep breath.
"Fine, thank you for this. But I hope this is the last time. Rest assured, I can handle myself and I am not crazy, I wouldn't go suicide."
She closed her door and rested lazily on her sofa and eventually fell asleep. She doesn't know that the old woman waited for her to do her usual thing and reported it immediately to her husband's boss, the strange thing their neighbor did. She didn't go out on the balcony to do the staring thing in the sky like she always does every morning.
"She said she will not do suicide? Though she looked more troubled than usual…."
Sassah woke up because of starvation at ten in the morning. She checked the food that she received and reheated it. She found a long note posted.
Dear Miss,
"You should sleep well and complete the sleep regiment.
Eat good and healthy food to increase your strength, boost your energy, and you'll feel lighter
Exercise or walk more. Stop using the elevator. Sweat some sadness away.
Eat and have enough sleep, it may keep that sadness away.
It's all written in the holy book… I hope it will help.
Lastly, you're lucky that eye bags did not like bothering you. You don't look totally like a zombie, just the vibes.
concern citizen,
Red"
A smirk slowly formed, she taped the note in her mirror and prepared herself for the first day of her technical training.