After reading the contents of the handbill for the umpteenth time, I carefully placed it under my bedside lamp.
Before applying for the post, I needed to survive too. To work.
Right!
I was previously wondering about the time.
What happened to the time?
I only took a short nap and the time was 1:30 PM again.
I searched among the clothes scattered on my bed until I found my cell phone. Quickly, I pressed the button on it wishing I would have enough to get a smartphone soon.
The display on the screen sent my jaw slacking.
'1:38 PM. June 22nd' was displayed on the date and time slot on my phone.
It was the 21st yesterday. What happened to time? I only took a nap, and we went on the next day?
I did not sleep for twenty-four hours, did I?
"This is why you get fatter every damn day, Cosima. You sleep a lot!" I chastised myself as I started to pull off the dirty Del Monte Burger uniform.
I would make sure to toss it in the bin on my way to the funfair if Sally was willing to let me be Barney again. I missed yesterday after missing the two days I took as leave and was late today too. I would understand if she fired me, you know.
However, thankfully, Sally, unlike Mrs. Del Monte was a calm and easy person. She was a sweetheart too. Just like Susan, we shared a close coworker type of relationship but nothing stretched past work.
Who wants to be friends with me, a dirty fatso anyway?
I'd use my daily stench to kill the friendship out of them. I have wanted to change and be a little neater, but the more rejections I receive from interviews, the more my self-esteem dwindled.
Being dirty was just a part of me now. The day I get a proper job would be the day I would change; I had always pledged to myself but that did not look like it was happening soon.
Until...
Until the system came.
I wish it could announce the next task already!
But for now, I had to rush to the bathroom – rushing was always an element I adopted in anything I did.
That was why I never did anything right.
The toilet started to smell so hard and bad when I entered it. Even for me, the smell was hard and unbearable.
I had opened the toilet sink and saw the deep crumbs of poop I delivered into it after consuming the pasta four days ago.
"I thought I flushed this." I groaned before sending the tank rushing.
As quickly as I could, I commenced to bathe and this time, I washed my hair. I used soap on my body too, although it was all a rushed process.
Better rushed than never.
I stepped out of the bath, towel-drying my hair while my potbelly assisted my fat body in dripping water from the bath onto the marble floor of my room.
I plugged in the dryer, blew my hair dry, and dressed up for the day. It was already afternoon, but since the job was till 6 p.m., I should still be able to make it.
I got dressed in black shorts and a tank top I wore like five days ago, and again promised myself to do laundry tomorrow morning since I wouldn't be working on the morning shift at Del Monte Burgers anymore.
I locked the entrance door, tucked the key under the flower pot on the front porch, and left my house for the funfair.
Indeed, it was the afternoon.
The sun was harsh and scorching. I was commending myself for choosing casual and light clothes because of the weather when the most awaited system's voice rang in my ears.
[Beauty assignment starts in an hour!]
I was already at the bus stop waiting for a bus at this time.
"Yes!" I cheered with gritted teeth, my clenched fists drawn in front of me.
The person beside me had headphones on so they wouldn't notice or care if I talked to myself.
"What is the task system? How many pounds will I lose now?" I hastened the questions with excitement.
[Ding!]
[System will provide information accurately in line with its timing]
That sore answer – was the reply from the system.
I pouted and grumbled, "spoilsport!"
It took a bus about two minutes to arrive.
Three other people had joined me and the other lady was already seated on the waiting bench. Accurately, we all boarded the bus.
I ended up sitting beside an old man, and I was somehow happy. Superoldies like this old man do not judge and ask questions.
Although I had no idea if their sense of smell were lacking, but they wouldn't shift away from me or act like I dumped my undulated poop in my body without washing it.
I could sit and think peacefully sitting beside this old man. It was all good!
"My grandson Santiago is single, and I am hunting for a wife for him." I first heard the vibrating voice whisper beside me.
Sure as hell, the man couldn't be talking to me. Could he?
Sure couldn't.
I proceeded to return to my thoughts of what my next task could be, and most importantly, its reward.
Yet again, the voice of the old man came.
"Are you single?"
Now, I turned to him and scrutinized. He was a Mexican — an old Mexican.
I knew this was old age speaking and not the man, but my cheer for peaceful sitting beside an old man just got tossed under the carpet.
Who asks strangers on a bus to marry their grandson?
"Papa," I began, trying to muster a Mexican accent. "If your grandson is indeed single, I bet you I am the last person on his list. I mean, I will never make it to the list." I said, removing his hand from my lap and returning it to his.
I had no idea if he understood my words, but not even once until I alighted the bus did he take his eyes away from me.
It was super awkward and creepy!
When the bus pulled to my stop, I quickly ran as fast as I could. Grateful to finally be free from the old man's awkward gaze.
I heard the protest of a woman as my flapped side shoved her in my bid to vacate the bus quickly.
"Watch it!" she yelled.
From outside, where I was with a few others who had alighted at the same stop as me, "Sorry!" I shouted.
She wouldn't hear me though.
I sighed, filled with way too much excitement for my new task. I could even feel my cheeks flushing. I turned to trek the rest of the few meters to the funfair.
Here we go again…