I was to start work today. I had finally gotten over giving my daughter away. Not completely though but enough for me to explore the next phase of my life.
I quickly prepared for school after delivering the morning papers. I did not want to stop, so I could save all the money I could get and start a business of my own.
"You look fantastic," Nancy commented as she dropped the take away bags she brought in. "I got you breakfast. Did not want you to start your first day hungry."
I smiled at the gesture, "Thank you so much but I have to catch the bus."
"No way. School starts at eight am and this is just seven am. Do you want to unlock the gates for the students?" she chuckled and I joined her.
She had a point. So I sat and joined her to enjoy breakfast. "I am nervous."
She shook her head at me and enclosed my palm in hers, "Do not be. You will be fine."
"This is the first time. What if I ruin it?" I complained.
"You would not. There is always a first time for everything. And if you ruin it, you always have other days to fix it all up. Always think positive," she told me.
"You sound like Derek," I laughed but she did not. I shut up and finished my food in silence.
"Good luck," Nancy told me as I ran for the bus stop.
I got to the school at seven forty five am and found my way to the dance studio. I dropped my stuff and admired the room a while, then rushed off to the receptionist.
"Hey," I greeted her and she looked up from her stack of papers. "Well, I wanted to see the principal. I was told to meet him on my first day."
Her face set into a deep frown as she looked through another stack of papers on her desk and singled out two. "Here is the map of the school. And this is your schedule." she handed me the paper and pointed me to a door, "That is the principal's office." And she went back to work.
"Uh. Do I not get to know your name? Since we will be colleagues, sort of," I pressed.
She looked up again with a frown, "That is what the name pin on my shirt is supposed to tell you. Now go away, you are bothering me."
Woah. That was direct. Receptionists are supposed to be welcoming and friendly. Where was this particular lady picked out from?
I scoffed and made my way to the principal's office. I knocked twice, then entered. The principal sat behind a huge mahogany desk with files on one side, a laptop in the middle and a cup of stationary on the other side. A telephone and his name plaque rested on the table too. The name plaque read 'Walter Miles'.
There was a shelf in the corner of the big room and a couple of sofas and a centre table in the center of the room. The principal was a young man in his late thirties. He looked tall while in his swivel chair. His head was bent over a paper scribbling away.
"Good morning, sir," I greeted. He scribbled some more before looking up and froze as I froze too.
It was the man from the ice cream shop. The man whose suit I ruined on the day of the interview. The same man I bumped into again in this same school. He frowned. Why was everyone frowning today?
"What do you want?" he asked immediately.
I got cold feet. What if he fired me on the spot for being clumsy when we met? What if he knew I was an ex-convict and not deem me fit to continue working here?
"A question requires an answer," he snapped me back to reality.
"Um... Uh... I just got employed and I was asked to see you on my first day," I told him and he frowned deeper.
"You are an employee? Here?" he bellowed. I nodded in confirmation. "Did they not take cognizance of how clumsy you are?"
"Those were mistakes and you were always in the way," I defended.
"Name and your position," he asked.
"Victoria Williams. Dance tutor," I replied.
He glared at me, "The ex convict, or is that a mistake too?"
Beads of sweat formed on my forehead. "I... Uh... Note the word ex," I said boldly. I was done with people labeling me.
He scoffed, "I hope you do not end up murdering us."
I felt my tummy knot. I felt nauseous. Can I get this over with already?
"Would that be all? Sir?" I gritted my teeth.
"Here is your name pin. And your employment letter. Enjoy the rest of your day," he said and I turned to leave. "Do not end up murdering my kids. I am sure you could do that too, by mistake."
I ignored him and moved on. When I got to dance studio, I saw an elderly woman going through my bag. "Hey." I called out and she turned.
"I am sorry. I thought someone forgot it here. Just wanted to know who owned it and return it," she explained and I forced a smile.
"It is mine. Thank you," I grabbed the bag and checked if anything was missing.
"You must be the new dance tutor," she asked as she watched me.
"Yes I am," I shut the bag and extended my palm. "Victoria."
"Mercy," she replied and I smiled uncertainly. "I like going by my first name," she explained and took my palm in a firm grip.
"Nice to make your acquaintance," I said.
"Same here. Get ready, it is almost assembly time. You will be announced," she said and my tummy did a flip.
I hope this turned out to be good.