The air conditioning in the restaurant suddenly broke down taking everyone by surprise. Both staff and customers thought it was a minor malfunction but as the day got older it grew hotter making breathing unbearable. It was also very hot outside which is unusual for the season. The morning sun heats up the entire streets and buildings even pedestrians can't bear walking outside for five minutes.
Customers who came in for cool air left the restaurant seconds after they stepped inside, they could not bear the heat that is generating and circulating inside Mark's candy. Orva had to stand in front of the open fridge to reduce sweating and passing out. Her method of cooling off wasn't the same as other staff, today brought out different innovative ways to kill the heat.
"Let me have some too…" Gabby argued with Orva and tried pushing her aside.
"No! This spot is taken!" Orva growled back at him.
"No, I need some right now." Gabby insists. They dragged for power like children which Orva ended up winning and Gabby gave up fighting her.
"AH! Like I won't still have it to myself." Orva yelled in victory and hugged the chilling freezer that has now become her friend. Her moment of joy suddenly ends when the kingdom of darkness 'Donald Nigel' calls her name. Orva wasn't expecting to hear from him anywhere in the restaurant, it startled her that she closed the fridge immediately and step back.
"What are you doing?" He asks raising an arch eyebrow.
"It is really hot here at the restaurant so I decided to take-" She tried explaining but Donald being a jerk didn't want to listen and went into attack mode.
"Go take the trash out." He spoke curtly.
"But that's Todd's job." Orva frowned. Never had she taken the trash out or done the dirty work. Every staff had the area they worked and Todd's job is to keep all the trash out and clean the restaurant but not Orva. What in the world is her devil of an uncle up to? The whole city is burning hot and he wanted her to risk going out into the heat for some trash!
"I know, Todd's on an errand and I want you to do it instead." He insisted with his words so did his action justify his words. Orva observed the way his eyes twitched and how restless he looked.
'ohh… maybe it's his way of getting rid of me, I knew he never liked me from the start neither did I. Oh I wish I was rich now, then I don't need to face such embarrassment and harassment from anyone' Orva kept her feelings and thought all piled up in her head while glaring hostile at Donald.
"Why can't you ask Gabby, he does little here." She complained, expecting her uncle will get it and let her be. Donald being an inconsiderate mad, uncaring inhuman decided to make her eat her words and turn them into a punishment she will never forget.
"Is this my restaurant or yours?" He challenged her, his sharp jaw covered with dark stubble and a few white streaks tightened in accordance.
Orva frowned hard, her intense gaze sent fires dancing around her uncle. She cock her head slightly to the side as if to show dominance then stomped away to the back door that lead to the backyard. She spent six hours taking out all the trash in and out of the restaurant and piling them together in a large dumpster in the alley no one goes to.
Orva wondered where all the trash came from when they did not have many customers that morning, and the cooks were not cooking anytime soon. The heat in the alley was worse than outside the streets or inside the restaurant. It got unbearable that it stung Orva's skin like needles, the amount of sweat damping her clothes could fill a swimming pool. it made the light uniform she wore stick to her skin irritably. Orva stopped filling the dumpster for a while to relax, wiping away the sweat beads forming on her temples and tossing aside the remaining trash bags Orva leaned against a wall and closed her eyes, she thought about life and how it would have been if mother never died.
The perfect life she once had with her parents as a child has been snatched from her hand, she began to wonder if God was actually here watching over her because what she faced with her devil of an uncle was unbearable and tiring. She was done taking his nonsense.
"Why did you have to leave me out here in this cruel world to suffer, mother?" She whispered lightly to herself while her eyes were still closed. Sitting idle and wearing her thoughts will not help her situation so Orva made a temporary decision by herself to give herself a break from everything.
She came out from the alley cleaning sweat beads off her face and taking a different turn from the restaurant. Orva made sure to keep some distance from the restaurant and walked on the concrete sidewalk not minding the hot sun beating against her skin. She walked for what seemed like hours but in reality it was a few minutes. Dehydrated soon started to shrink and weaken her body slowly. Then everything began to blur, even the streets began to fade in her eyes as she absentmindedly cross the road without looking left or right, the honking of cars sounded like a mere breeze to her ears just like slow motion.
Tires came screeching from a distance followed by desperate honking of a car. Orva was too drained in her mind that she did not register the whole scene about to unfold in front of her. At the last minute she looked up seeing a speeding car coming for her, Orva got lost and confused about what to do, as if it was the last day on earth and life was ending, things started getting slow and drop.
"At least I get to die for a reason." She muttered under her breath and unexpectedly the car hit the brakes causing the tires to protest and stop instantly. Orva felt her life flash through her eyes from the scene then passed out on the spot.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sinclair frowned deeply when the car came to a sudden halt, almost snapping his spine in half. The near impact caused him to jerk forward but not violently, knocking off the phone he was holding including the papers from his workplace got mixed up in the process. The startled C.E.O stare out the window in confusion then looked back to his driver who seems to have paused for no reason and stared at something beyond the windshield.
"What happened this time Lois?" Sinclair asked him.
"I...I...may..." Lois stammered nervously, he was afraid his boss was going to go mad with rage when he discovers what happened. Lois worked for Sinclair since he was a teenager, he was very much aware of how hot-tempered Mr CEO can be, and his actions can sometimes be unpredictable.
"Talk smartly, I asked you a simple question. What happened?" Sinclair's deep voice vibrated the whole car shaking poor Lois to the bones, his tone was fierce and pissed showing off his striking aura. Lois thought carefully of what to say that may not trigger his boss into taking forced actions against him. "I'm still waiting?"
"I think I might have hit someone." Lois confessed in a small voice.
"What!" Sinclair exclaimed in shock then sat straight on the car seat. He could not believe what his ears just heard, Lois knocking someone…in daylight? Sinclair's brain swarm with negative thoughts of what can possibly go wrong if the news were to get their cameras on this scene and his parents and grandfather will be so mad. Though his father might consider him a little, Carter is no exception. He is a tough man to give out precious possession when little mishap happens.
Sinclair believes Carter will jump at the slightest fault to deprive him of obtaining the inheritance. Not only will it destroy his long-time plans but ruin his reputation with the public. What does fate have for him today when he just found out about his grandfather's plot to screw up his life with a contract.
"What did you hit? Who did you hit?" Sinclair demanded from him.
"I...." Lois stammered not having the courage to say anything.
"Answer me you crazy idiot, weren't you watching? There is traffic ahead, other drivers are not speeding, then why were you?" Sinclair growled angrily at his driver, he looked from the tinted windows seeing as people gathered from a distance to watch the car while some recorded for reference. Sinclair was sure a hater was out there taking pictures of his car and plate number to drag his name out, many have tried but failed. Sinclair cussed his luck for making him meet with such an unfortunate incident.
"I am sorry sir I." Lois apologize and undid his seat belt.
Continued…