"Thank you so much for this opportunity, miss Asher," Mia said while tying a green handkerchief on her head. "I won't let you down."
Miss Asher, a short and chubby woman, washed some cups on the sink.
Both were behind the counter, in a cafeteria.
It was a quite big establishment, with a wide living room; there were chairs, sofas, perfectly polished tables, and a big TV hanging on the wall.
Another girl, a tad older than MIA, was cleaning the surfaces with a wet piece of cloth.
A man walked past Mia, carrying a big pot in his arms and immediately entering the kitchen.
"Don't you worry, Mia," miss Asher told her, while she dried her hands with a towel. "If we had an open stop, I'd hire you with no doubts, but…"
"I know. And I'm still so thankful for this," Mia replied, now fixing a green apron on her.
"Ugh, I don't' like this," miss Asher said, as she looked for something in one of the counter's drawers."I still feel in debt after how much you helped William in his admission exam. If his grandfather would still be with us, he would have made him go be your housekeeper for a whole year. Oh, that reminds me, how's your mom doing?"
Miss Asher handed her a notebook and a pen.
"She's getting better," Mia said, putting both thins inside her apron. "I called her in the morning. She said her leg hurts her less. According to the doctor, we expect her to be walking on her own in nine months."
"Those are wonderful news!" Asher smiled. "I don't know if William told you, but as soon as I heard the news, I took the next bus to go check on her. God's mercy, your father was around when she fell, thank God."
"Yes, both William and my mom told me," Mia laughed lightly. "Mom also said that my father was three times more scared than she was."
"That does sound like your father," Asher replied, laughing too. "And what about you? Are you taking care of yourself? Are you eating well? What about school?"
"Eh? Me? Oh, yeah… I'm eating well. I cook for myself every single day. And about school… I'm taking just a couple of classes. I need the free time to find a job. But I haven't told my parents about this. They'd be so sorrowful if they found out."
"I get that."
Miss Asher, as if looking to change the mood, looked at her with a suspicious stare, and then walked to the kitchen at the back.
"I serve food for people every single day, and I know how to recognize a hungry one," she said. "So, let's make you a good sandwich."
Mia suddenly widened her eyes.
"No, miss Asher, don't worry about me. I was planning…" she tried to say.
"No 'but'. Weekend shifts are not a game, kid," the woman replied with a playful smile. "If my waitress faints in the middle of the shift, I will be in trouble."
Mia looked away, shyly.
"Alright, then. Thank you very much," she said.
"I will also make you a fresh orange juice."
"I…"
"You hadn't come here, had you?" Asher told her as she cooked. "It is lovely. And with God's help, in a year or so, we can make it bigger and I will get you a piano. You'll come to play for us every night, and you'll become famous!"
Mia smiled, blushing.
"That would be lovely," she said.
At that moment, the cafeteria's door opened loudly, and a young man with a light beard and glasses entered, carrying two bags of ice.
"Ma'!" this one shouted. "Ice is here!"
"Pay them and I'll do the register later!" Asher yelled back from the kitchen.
The young man walked into the counter and put the bags of ice in an aluminum sink.
"Oh, hi, Mia," he said, as he saw her.
"Hello, Will," she replied, with a wave of her hand.
"I'll go pay the ice guys and then I'll come back to help you with the menu," William told her.
"Oh, no problem. I already learned it."
"But… I sent it to you last evening."
"Well…"
Asher and William stared at her.
"I turned the menu into a song," Mia told them, nervously.