I sat in the bus again, in my usual spot. On my way to the work tour, when I noticed something strange.
The sun was high in the sky, almost midday, and the clouds was spread out and few. But the light from the sky, had an unusual blue hint to it. It almost looked like the color was falling, like tiny raindrops on a window, then again, maybe my contact lenses were faulty.
I exited the bus by the church. It was beautiful, large with two towers in the back. Beside the church were a big hill with a large grassy area and a few huge acorn trees, where some kids were playing football.
I turned my back to the church and went down the road. A few minutes of walking and I reached the elderly care center.
It was a large two-floor building, with double doors made of glass and huge window panels along the main entrance.
Walking inside I found a stairway going down to the basement and one going up to the main and first floors. I Walked to the first floor.
I was standing in a small hall, the size of my apartment, with hallways extending from it. Paintings of landscape and old portraits hanging along the hall, and doors on both sides along the hallway.
From the hallway left of the stairway, that was leading to a cafeteria at the far end of it, a woman emerged.
Dressed in a commune worker uniform, with pencils and paper in her pockets and an identity card on her left hip, she walked up and looked at me.
"Can I help you?" she asked, looking curiously at me.
"I'm Frey, I'm supposed to start here today." I walked over, extending my hand and she shook it in greeting.
"Oh, pleased to meet you Frey. I'm Anette. Follow me, I'll show you to your tour guide."
She smiled and turned around while gesturing for me to follow. She was older than me, maybe around fifty like Rolf. Short with blond hair and serious facial features.
We went down the hall with doors on both sides. We didn't talk while we walked, I simply followed, too shy to make conversation. A few of the doors we passed where open.
Music came out from one, tv noise from another and as I passed, I looked inside and saw an old lady with grey hair, sitting in an old but comfortable cushion chair, while looking at the tv. A red-haired woman, dressed in the same uniform as Anette, was standing near a table, fondling with something in her hands.
"She's waiting inside our staff room."
We had reached the end of the hallway and Annette opened the door. "Thank you" I said and smiled to her. She gave me a little nod before she left, probably going back to whatever she was about to do before I met her.
A young woman was sitting at the staffroom table, with a laptop in front of her. She had shoulder-long black hair, braided in an African manner and very dark skin. She looked at me and stood up as I entered the room.
"Hi, you must be Frey!"
She had a kind young face and very big protruding lips that formed into a big smile.
"I'm Chioma, an assistant here, your tour guide and mentor as you ease into the job."
As she stood up and moved toward me, I noticed that she had the same height as me. She had a strong figure, big hips, and large hands as she enveloped mine in greeting.
"Hi Chioma, pleased to meet you." I felt small compared to her body build.
"I'm a little nervous, but I can't wait to have a look around the place." I smiled at her and opened my jacket, as it was hot in the staff room.
She giggled a bit.
"You don't have to be nervous. Afterall it's only a tour today. And I'm sure the elderly will be happy to meet you. We don't have many men in this line of work. You'll be a breath of fresh air around here."
She closed the laptop, and we left the staff room.
As Chioma gave me a quick tour, I tried to make a mental image of the place.
It was a very large, square formed structure, surrounding a garden in the middle. You could follow a hallway all the way around the garden, with a huge glass panel that made you able to investigate the garden as you walked. On the other side of the hallway, facing away from the garden. There was ten doors on each side of the square form. They all led to apartments with old people, too weak for family to care for.
It was the same on the first floor.
She showed me the cantina where the people living there, could do minor shopping like chocolate and magazines. It also served as the kitchen that served lunch and dinner for the staff and inhabitants.
We went to the main entrance and descended into the basement floor.
Here were offices and rooms stockpiled with first aid, diapers, rubber gloves and medicine in all forms. Some restrooms and changing rooms for personal.
Chioma handed me a set of uniforms. "We will take a picture and make your ID-card tomorrow. I think that's all for today, unless you have some questions?"
I put my uniforms in a plastic bag I had in my jackets pocket.
"No, I don't think I have. Maybe tomorrow" I smiled and shrugged, "thank you for the tour Chioma, I'll see you tomorrow."
She gave me a quick smile, waved, and disappeared into a nearby office.
I left the care center the same way I had arrived.
Standing in the parking space between the main entrance and the road, I lit a cigarette and saw a lot of people out and about.
Taking a tug of the cig I thought about Aya.
She had been my support. My anchor. My pillar of strength during the past 5 years. I left my entire way of life, the plummet to an early death, behind me. Only possible because I had her. Urging me to be better, to get an education and be strong for her, and the family she dreamt of providing me.
And finally, I'm here. The first tour of my new workplace was done, and I felt an overwhelming urge to talk to her. To tell her I made it.
While wondering if she was still mad, I facetimed her.
"Hi love" Her face smiling, a black-haired beauty without comparison.
She was Asian, yet she didn't have the usual squinting eyes. Hers were big, a deep black color that almost exuded its own light, that always drew me in. They were round, though turning into a small slit in both sides, in perfect harmony with her long eyelashes. Her skin so soft and honey-brown, yet scolded by the sun, making it glitter from the light.
She brushed her long hair behind her small ears and kept smiling at me. She was outside, walking on the dirt-path near the local playground. I had walked that pathway with her many times. It led from her own home to her aunts house. A lot of children were playing basketball, running and yelling.
"I missed you. How's your day going?"
It's a thing we have, we never talked about it, but we always ask each other how our days went.
"It's good today. I just finished helping my aunt cleaning her house. Guests are coming, as her son turns 16 today. It's a big celebration."
I threw my cig away; I know she hates me smoking.
"That sounds nice. I could use a celebration." Waiting a second before i added; "I got the job Aya, I finally did it. I just received my uniform."
She stopped walking and jumped two times with open mouth and a big smile.
"That's amazing! I knew you could do it! When u get here next week, I'm going to give you some special treatment." She had a very cute glint in her eyes.
I knew exactly what she meant and the thought of it made my heart skip a beat.
"Damn babe, how are you so sexy when you say that."
She just giggled, "charot. You're the sexy one. But love when you ge…"
Suddenly she stopped talking and looked up into the sky.
"Babe I'm scared, something is happening. The sky is falling, and something is coming. My entire body feels strange."
I could see the fear in her face, my body immediately pumping adrenaline, making me keenly aware that something was terribly wrong.
"Aya, I'm coming, whatever it is, I'll make my way to you!"
She looked at me, screamed, and the last thing I saw, was her being thrown away like the trees and everything else in the background.
Then the connection was cut.
"AYAAA!"
I yelled, making everyone around me look.
Then I felt it too. Everyone changed their gaze from me, to the sky.
I tilted my head to look directly up.
The sky was shimmering with unusual colors, blue was very dominant.
It was like a celestial aurora borealis, dancing in broad daylight.
A low rumble started to reach my ears, growing until it was a deafening roar. I covered my ears, like everyone else, almost in perfect synchronization.
With my hands on my ears I looked to the right, I could see the church and areas beyond. A big wall of air, seemingly eating everything in its path, was speeding towards me.
When it reached the church, the windows burst, the towers bending and breaking, an acorn tree was instantly thrown into the air, roots and all.
Then the air changed around me, it was motionless, like it was frozen in place, filled with electrical charge.
My hairs stood up all over my body. A huge chill ran down my spine and then it hit me.
Like a huge vicious wave, it crashed into me. Throwing me back into the main doors of the care center. I crashed hard, stars dancing before my eyes. I threw up and fainted.