He was sure, Never in the coming years would he break his walls and let someone enter his fort.
Thoughts swirled in his head as he stared into the lonely bakery's window. There were soft snores from the corner of the small bakery, where the receptionist, Lilin, was fast asleep while sitting upright.
In the afternoon, as the sun crept over the horizon and the clock struck 1, the usual sale couldn't take place.
Daily loaves of bread were sold in the early slots as women jostled for their meal over others. At this hour, it was mostly quiet except for Lilin's snuffles and a few clergymen's children who were often buying pies for their crew.
Thus he, Desmond, stared out of the bakery's window like a hungry child waiting for his food. He saw the clergyman's children running down the empty street and one of them, peeping inside the bakery, glaring at the freshly prepared pies.
Desmond had been eagerly anticipating an arrival for the past 2 hours, but did not expect the young kids to be peeping like moviegoers. It was difficult to ignore the watching guests. As he sighed, he called for the kids, who ran into the bakery with enough impact to wake Lilin. She had been sleeping in the back, but now she was wide awake - and probably in need of more coffee.
"I am awake," she said rubbing her lethargic eyes.
You were Miss Lilin. I saw you wide awake," the clergyman's oldest son, Nicholas said mockingly.
She shot him a mock glare and said, "Oh yeah? Well, I'm sure you'd be wide awake too if you were my age!"
The others were quick to grasp the humor and burst into fits of laughter. Des, as he was called, joined the chorus, and his heart felt light and content in that moment.
He pulled out a long piece of bread, especially flavored for the kids, cut it into pieces, and handed one to each of them.
The kids immediately began gulping up the freshly baked bread. "Calm down little ones." Des said with a chuckle. Des smiled with satisfaction, pleased to have been able to bring a moment of joy to the group.
"No one can, Des. They are sooooooooo good!" Mary, the blonde-haired eldest child of the family, replied as she chewed her bread. The course went on when the bakery door opened with the jingle of the bell.
The jingle caught everyone's attention as a soul all in black entered the bakery. There was a sense of gloom emanating from the long black coat, as if the world had lost its peace. All eyes were drawn to the mysterious figure as they stepped into the store. An eerie feeling descended upon the shop, as if the stranger were the bringer of an unknown, unwelcome fate. The black structure walked ahead and came to a halt close to the counter. The female's partially covered face could be seen by Desmond. She bent to look at the muffins neatly arranged on the first wedge.
"I would like to have 5 of them," the vicenarian said in a hushed voice. Her voice was so soft that it seemed to hang in the air like a whisper. Yet, it was loud enough for everyone to hear. This gave everyone a sense of dread.
"Here you have it." Des said as he smiled at the woman and pulled out five muffins. She nodded gratefully and placed the muffins in her bag, the weight of their purchase a physical reminder of the dread she had brought in with her voice. He handed it over to her, who paid the money and walked back to the door.
"Do you always wear these clothes?" Mary asked with a gulp. The woman turned back with a crisp look.
"not always dear." she exclaimed calmly as she walked out and in no time was completely out of sight.
"that was questionable..." Mary popped up as she stuffed the entire bread in her mouth and the rest of the squad nodded in agreement. Mary had a feeling that the woman wasn't being completely honest about her clothing habits. The squad all agreed, exchanging curious glances.
The sardonic tone of the kids' expression caused Desmond to chuckle. Desmond shook his head with a smile, amused by the kids' reaction to the woman's response.
Desmond then calmly gave his own response "Yes, sometimes you need to be careful with your words, especially when speaking to a stranger. That was certainly a teachable moment."
It's clear that this woman is someone with whom you won't cross paths," Desmond thought, still amused by the lady's peculiar fashion sense. but all he could do now was shake his mind away from the women and focus on his young guests.
"Come on kids, it's time for you to get back to your home!" he exclaimed with a tone of excitement, trying to divert them .
"But how can I pay you ?? We don't have money around." Mary said with her face bent down in guilt .
"yes like the grownups. I have often seen them pull out their money from their pouches and hand it over with dignity." Nicholas said as he groomed his brown hair to the side.
"You will soon, Nick. But for now, your father is there to pay for you.' des said with a grin. What would he not give to have children around him?
With that, the kids bobbed their heads in unison and walked out of the bakery while they bid goodbye to Desmond. Desmond watched fondly as the kids left, feeling blessed to have them around.
He sighed as he turned back to see old Lilin dozing on the counter unconcerned about the world. The arrival was still pending.
"Come on dad, where are you?" he asked himself as he walked to his counter. He felt a surge of anxiety as he heard the ticking of the clock - time was quickly running out, and he needed his dad here soon.
Eventually, the wait came to an end when the bell rang as someone opened the door.
The passage introduced a stout, friendly 50 year old man who was wearing a black suit with a hat tucked under his arm. He entered the warm bakery and glanced around. Lilin, who was dozing like a dead person, was given a shooting frown.
"she has been sleepy all day." Desmond said from the counter. "and you have been quite late , dad." he added.
But then, the man's face lit up with a beaming smile as he spotted the free samples tray, "Ahh, free samples! I'm not late, I'm right on time!" The man looked at Desmond ,who just frowned and in no time his lips grew into a smile.
"sorry son, had a hard day at the office. The factory is in a bit of commotion. "he said as he rubbed dust off his wrinkled forehead.
"Dad, I think I should leave for the interview right now." Des said, taking off his apron and hanging it on the hook.
"As you say," the man replied with a grin.
"You go ahead, Desmond. You have been preparing for this for months. I'm sure you'll do just fine," Lilin said with a raspy tone, finally stirring from her slumber.
Desmond nodded and turned to the back of the bakery with a worried look on his face . He entered his small ,yet cozy house and headed straight to the bedroom . The room wasn't huge but was adequate for a 25-year-old man. Desmond had a lot to think about, but he felt at peace, knowing that he had a place that he could call home. He glanced at the bed, neatly matted and fixed , with an intriguing look as if he saw it for the first time .
But the truth is he had been seeing this room for the longest time he could remember . For him every sight of the bed and the supporting table were a scene of appreciation .
He felt a deep sense of appreciation for this room, which he had been in for so long and had given him a sense of home. There was no particular reason why it meant so much for him , because he never revealed what lived in his mind.
He gently sat on the bed overlooking the clock and bent over to examine the floor beneath his feet . His eyes were closed, his heart was beating, and his breath was soft. The room was filled with his calm presence like the calm before the storm . Really quite , and serene. As he sat in the peaceful silence, he could tell that something was about to happen - something that would change his life forever.
He was lost deep in thoughts that even he could not comprehend. They were deep but inexpressible and unknown to others . His heart raced as he anticipated the coming events, uncertain of the outcome but determined to face whatever destiny had in store. He suddenly heard a clatter that brought him back to senses .
He leapt up from the bed and ran for the elegantly pressed suit for his first interview. He sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror . He was determined to make a positive impression, no matter what the outcome would be. His blue eyes were ocean-deep, and his brown hair looked like a bear's. His suit fitted him like a glove. One could no doubt call him handsome, but what made him presentable was not for looks but for a job.
He needed one , he really did . Not that they didn't have any but for the sake of responsibility and better life he needed one .
His whole life he was called "the Baker's son" or "the junior baker," but not as an individual. The bakery, or more specifically his father's bakery, occupied his life entirely and he had no thoughts of getting a job.
However, throughout 1919, one wish crept into his mind - to work. It wasn't long before the wish became a goal for him. So he stood there trying to get a job.
Taking charge of his life, he decided to pursue a job and make something of himself - to no longer be simply "the Baker's son" or "the junior baker," but to be an individual, making his own name and path. However, It wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. He crawled on the staircase that led to the bakery with a heavy heart.
As he looked at his dad, Mr Eathen Gardener, he saw him shoving pies into the front row to make room for the next batch of baked goods. This was for evening sales . He got down clumsily as he dashed into a wase loud enough to catch his father's attention , though Lilin stayed put . Desmond forever wondered why Mrs Lilin was so sleepy all throughout the day yet by mention of her old age and wrinkled face he assumed it was quite natural for the drowsy spells.
His son's abrupt entrance made Mr Eathen Gardener pause from his task momentarily, and he looked up with a bemused expression on his face.
Mr Eathen gazed at Desmond like a father seeing his child for the first time . His eyes were wet with tears as Des walked closer .
" Dad! You've seen me like this before." Des said as a single tear rolled down his father's cheek. "no son , its different. I feel like you were meant to be this." Mr eathen exclaimed in a husky voice. "your mother must be so proud." he continued . "Hmm , she would ." des replied in pain .
"you better get moving before its late desmond." his father said as he pulled him into a tight hug .
"sure dad, I hope I get it this time ." des replied ." I am confident you will succeed this time." his father assured him while he proceeded to walk out of the bakery . With a pat on the back, his father said, "You have to believe in yourself, Desmond. You can do this."
The lane was quite . On the road, he felt alone although there were at least 3 or 4 wagons (which were still around) that passed him by. He was afraid he might fail. It wasn't his first job attempt, at least not his last. On the other hand, how much did he hope to get a job on his first attempt? Being turned down by 5 potential areas is not something to be proud of. Despite having been turned down by 5 potential areas, he still held onto a glimmer of hope that this time he would be successful.
The search for every possible place was fruitless for him. He started with merchandise, but the eligible posts were ripped away. After working in 3 factories, he realized it didn't suit him even on his first day. This made him eligible for termination. He learned that it wasn't designed for him.
He thought that it would be helpful if he shot an effort in a brasserie, however, he got turned down for other .
A snail on the back of a turtle, his job search appeared to be going nowhere fast. He was hoping this time he would find something that actually stuck. These incidents made him even more self-conscious, so much so that he thought he wasn't meant for a job. It hurt him so deeply that he almost gave up on his employment goal.
He strolled past the quiet lane with all of his thoughts and failures running through his mind. The weather was warm but not disturbing to a person's daily routine.
The sun hung low in the sky, further emphasizing the peaceful atmosphere and providing a calming comfort to his troubled soul. Though his early failures had made him a bit pessimistic about his potential to find a suitable job, the very presence of his father - his guide throughout his life and Mrs Lilin - who supported every step of his life, made him positive enough to try out yet another job now and thereafter.
Even though he was feeling a bit down, he knew he could turn the day around with a little bit of sunshine and a lot of determination. Oh, it's afternoon now.
He re-revised all the answers he would possibly give during the interview to lure the employer because oftentimes, jobs were awarded because of true potential, while at other times they were mostly decided by impressions.
It was not a hidden fact that in most cases where newcomers were not given the chance. The higher dignitaries were afraid of losing their positions if someone had better potential than them. Consequently, they used to do anything to ensure that the newcomers were not given the opportunity to prove their mettle. Ultimately the only option Desmond had was to work on his impression and then on his skills. To emphasize this, Desmond knew that he had to put in extra effort to impress and gain the favor of the higher-ups, as they were unlikely to give the newbie a chance to prove himself.
as he thought of answers there was a slight rustle across the street. Desmond was too busy to notice until the figure came to a deadly crash with him. Both of them fell into a back crushing fall led by a stick landing on Des's face .
What an excellent start to a special day! Let's just hope it wasn't a sign of what the rest of the day had in store. With the utmost irritability, he crept to his knees looking at the other person who had crashed into him. He was not in the mood for any more surprises - he had already had enough for the morning.
But his principles pushed him to be helpful enough to help the man clad in an oversized blazer. the moment they were both on their feet the man promptly bid a thank you at Desmond without a minute of delay.
All alone, Des saw the man run ahead gradually disappearing into thin air. Desmond just shook his head and muttered "people!" under his breath. he took one step forward only for his boot to land on something rock-like.
he bent down to check the thing to find a ring, quite simple with a small rose on top . Astonished by the randomness of the situation, Desmond pocketed the ring and continued on his walk with the thought of returning it to the police .
Little did he know that this was the beginning of a wild adventure that would lead him to some unsaid truths!
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Thankyou readers!