The sun was just about setting behind the horizon leaving behind it's bright golden hue. It illuminated Mia's curly long brown locks and brown eyes. As usual, she got into the crowded bus that smelled of sweat, with people who were exhausted from all day of work. She was already used to the smell and simply stood at the a side as the seats were all taken.
When Mia arrived at the huge dilapidated apartment building she lived with her mother, she sighed in relief. Even though her home wasn't a fancy place, it was still home. As she was about to step into the apartment building, she came across an elder woman struggling to carry her bags of groceries.
"Good evening, Mrs. Smith. Let me help you with that," she took the groceries shopping bag from the elder woman, who smiled warmly, making the skin of her face crinkled even more.
"My dear Mia, you are back from your studies. Thank you," she patted Mia's back, "I have been struggling to carry all those bags for awhile. I hope you are focusing on your studies and not messing around like the children of this new generation?"
"Yes, Mrs. Smith." Mia smiled awkwardly as she knew she'd gotten herself into a trap. Actually, she tried to avoid almost all of the old folks in the apartment as they tend to talk a lot once you give them a face. However, Mrs. Smith was one of the few she could stand in the building.
Furthermore, one of the reasons she always turn down Rayne's offer to drop her at home in the limo, was because she didn't want any unwanted gossip going around the streets of the Whispering way- which she thought fit the name it was given- because people here know nothing but to feed on gossip. If they sight her coming out of such an expensive car, they would label her as a whore, who gave her body in school instead of studying.
"That's good, my dear. Don't let yourself be tempted to give your body like the other girls in this streets. You should..."
Mia had an ear full of lectures from the elder woman, she kept a smile all the way until she finally arrived at Mrs. Smith's apartment room and said her goodbye after placing the grocery bags in her kitchen.
When Mia arrived inside the apartment room she lived with her mother, she went straight to her room. She gasped in shock as she saw how messy the room was. She had been too excited this morning about presenting her project in the University, and had even scattered her entire wardrobe to look for her best clothing as she would be appearing on camera, however, she had no time to put back everything before going.
She sighed again for the third time as she took in the mess. Her clothes and few shoes were scattered everywhere, both the bed and floor.
Mia was going to start arranging everything but remembered she hadn't gone to greet her mother, who was most likely still in her eatery working her head off in the heat. "I will come back for you later, room."
****
At the corner of the Whispering way street, beside the run-down apartment building where Mia lived, a small Eatery was seen with a sigh that reads, "Elizabeth's Eatery."
"Please take their orders for me, Owen." A woman yelled from inside the small kitchen of the eatery as she washed her hands in the sink. She had a small physique looking to be in her early forties. Her light brown eyes slightly narrowed in exhaustion as she took off her apron.
"Mother, am back." She heard her daughter's voice from inside the eatery, and her exhausted face lit up with a smile.
"Mia, what took you so long today, did you have extra classes?" The woman's soft voice was filled with slight concern as she approached her daughter.
"Ooof." Mia threw herself on a chair plopping her head on the table tiredly saying. "No mother, just had other things to do."
The woman smiled fondly as she ruffled her daughter's brown hair. "Quick, come get something to eat." She picked her apron to enter the eatery's kitchen but paused as Mia pulled her arms forcing her to sit on a chair beside her.
"Mother, you always work so hard, get some rest, I'll go get the food myself." Mia glanced at her mother's exhausted face with worry in her eyes.
Elizabeth stubbornly shook her head waving it off. She was used to it already, it was her duty to take care of her daughter.
"It doesn't matter, aren't I used to it? It's my job, I'm not feeling tired at all. I will quickly make you something to eat." Her mother tried to get up, but Mia pulled her arms to make her sit.
Mia pouted her naturally pink tainted lips in a childish manner as she leaned on her mother's shoulder,"You're working too hard, whenever you feel tired, just take a rest, stop pushing yourself too hard, mama." Mia couldn't help but berate her mother.
Since her childhood she had always seen her mother working hard without rest, her mother had taken on the sole responsibility as the breadwinner for the family since her father died. Though she barely knew anything about him since she was told he died right from when she was an infant, she barely even knew what he looked like. She'd never seen his pictures, nor did her mother like talking about him. She technically knew nothing about him, not even his name.
Growing up Mia had always wanted to help her mother share the responsibility but the woman would hear nothing of it and insisted she prioritize her studies.
Her mother had started this eatery when Mia was ten years old, and ever since then they'd grown, more people began to recognize and love her mother's food which earned them more customers but more work for her mother. She watched her mother strive everyday to put food on the table even if it was just the two of them. She swore to herself, that one day she would become so successful, her mother wouldn't need to work another day in her life.