KHALIL
I've had the best time of my life all day, every day since the day I was born. Good thing I wasn't born first.
"Hey Pops," I take my dad's call.
"Hey Son," he says, his voice a bit clipped. "I'm afraid you have to come home right this instant."
"Dad?" I ask "What's going on"
"It'd be better if you got here first. See you soon." He says and the line goes dead.
I'm not usually unnecessarily scared but my dad doesn't sound like that on a normal day, something's wrong and I just know it.
I push open the front doors of the house and there's an eerie feeling around the house, "Mom, Dad," I call out to no one in particular.
I make my way to my dad's study and find everyone there, my mom crying in my dad's arms and my sisters talking to someone on their phones.
My mom notices me first and runs to my arms "Li," she cries "He.., they said… I don't know. Do something Li"
I'm so confused I don't know what to say so I look to my dad for an explanation "Dad?" but he just shakes his head. "Alright, mum, calm down. Where's Mal? He'd know what to do." I ask for my brother. He always has a solution to everything.
"He was in an accident Li," my sister Lilah says
"And he's in a coma" Lidah her twin finishes.
"What?" I ask in disbelief. No no no… just no this cannot be happening. He has to wake up "Where is he?" Nobody gives a response "Where is he, goddammit" I yell.
"Son, relax, there's nothing that can be done" my dad tries calming me down but it isn't working "We just have to pray and hope for the best."
Yeah, Pray of course. As if we've ever been to church in this house unless it had something to do with my mum blackmailing us. She's the religionist which explains our Arabic names: Kamal, Khalil, Khalilah, and Khalidah. But yeah anything to keep him alive and running the office because I sure as hell have other things to do. I need a drink.
***
I lock myself in my room for the rest of the day trying to get the thought out of my head but I know it's coming, anytime now, I know Dad's just giving me time to get over the news. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh'' I scream into the silence of my room. My life is practically over and you can call me dramatic for all I care but once you step into CARGILLS ENTERPRISE, there's no going back whatsoever.
***
I'm standing at the reception trying to get information from Lana when someone says "Hey, sorry I'm late" and bumps into me. Great! Now I have coffee all over me.
"Oh my God I'm so sorry, I am" She hurriedly gets paper towels and dabs furiously at my shirt."I'll get you a new one I promise."
"It's fine." I try to tell her but she isn't listening. Going on about how she's clumsy and a lot of stuff. I reach for her hand and speak again "Stop it's fine"
That's when she looked up at me for the very first time and there's something in her eyes, fear, anger, regret, I couldn't tell, and that looks hurt like hell for real.
"So I have sent everything to your computer upstairs, you just have to look through it." Lana addresses me and turns pulling the girl away and whispering. "Oh and by the way she's your Assistant " She gestures towards the coffee lady screaming over her shoulders. She is getting too comfortable around here. We've known her for as long as I can remember yeah and now she works with us.
LIA
I'm really confused as I'm led away by Lana. "Who was that?" I ask her.
"Only your new boss, " she announces.
"New boss?" I ask bewildered. "What happened to Mr. Cargill?"
"Between dying and being in a coma, he's perfectly fine."
Coma what was she talking about? How had I not heard anything about it? What happened? I bombard her with a lot of questions and she just waves me off because she does not have the time to go into details.
Remember when I said I didn't get to see Mr Cargill often? Khalil on the other hand is different. I see him every time, every day, everywhere. It's like he follows me around. Well, Ironically I follow him around because he's my boss but you get the idea.
"Miss …. " he pauses trying to recall my name and get my attention at the same time.
"Lia," I said to him. "Lia Roberts."
"Right," he said, "I have a different schedule from my brother and I prefer things being done a certain way. Be in my office in an hour and we'll run over it."
I do not know whom I prefer between both brothers, one is a ghost practically and the other I get to see but it gives me the chills. I make my way to his office and I'm met with a gruff 'sit' so I do just that.
Since he arrived in this building my brain has been foggy. I'm not able to concentrate on anything without my mind drifting to him. I know there's something but what is it? My mind keeps trying to get me to remember something but I can't.
"Now, you get me a cup of coffee from Skeens Café, I prefer it black, no sugar, it should be ready and be at my desk by 8 every morning. I prefer my Assistant in the same room as me so there'd be some adjustments to our office arrangements by the end of the week. You attend all my meetings, there should be no excuses, and you have no off days. Email every complaint you have and if I do not get them, you have to bring them to me at home in person. I do not work on Weekends starting Fridays. Your job is everywhere I am."
Well, at least they have one thing in common, no work on Fridays. The only difference is there's work for me now. I'm lost at how he manages to give all those orders in just a single breath. Doesn't he breathe…
"Am I clear?" he asks.
"Uh…Yes ." I agree.
"Good. Be ready by 9 sharp, there's a business conference we have to attend. Don't be late."
"Why is there a business conference at night?" I ask Lana in obvious pain.
I do not have the strength to attend any events right now. I'm so low on energy.
"Why do rich people do anything really?" she retorts.
Khalil sends a car to pick me up at the venue. He isn't in there so I assume he's already there. The car stops at the front and I come down and immediately make my way in. There's a crowd alright but you could tell from the way they were dressed they exuded rich and expensive. Reflex made me rethink my fit, I was dressed casually but formally I mean it's a business conference after all. A lady works up to me, asks a few questions, and leads me away to an area for the assistants or something.
Khalil walks up to me after a few minutes and leads me to some associates, my entire night is filled with Good evenings, Pleased to meet you getting emails and a load of other things. I am so excited by the time I get home, everything is quiet, dishes are done, my bed is made and Lana sleeps peacefully in it, she has officially become my half-roommate in her apartment. I wish I were her right now. I reached for my phone for the first time tonight to check the time and I am not in the least bit surprised it's 1 am. I headed to the bathroom to take a hot bath because I could not feel my bones.
My alarm blares by 10 on Saturday morning. How I love the weekend. I have been working non-stop for the past week since Khalil became my boss and it's beginning to mess with me. My sleep schedule is. messed up, I have eye bags, I need a day to myself. Lana hasn't been able to show up because she wants to see her friend who's "sick" at the hospital. Time to sit back, relax, and have some me time. I turn on the TV and continue from the last episode of the show Lana was watching. I don't see what she sees in all these movies.
A few minutes in I get a call on my work cell. Don't even ask. I'll tell you anyway Khalil made sure to get me a work phone specifically for work purposes, it's in the name because he doesn't mix business with pleasure or whatever he says. "Lia speaking," I say into the phone.
"Miss Roberts" he silent shouts "what did I say about being tardy"
With utmost confusion I am dumbstruck and do not know what to say to him i mean last I checked today is a Saturday.
"Just be here in the next hour or your job is gone " he orders and the line goes dead.
If I wasn't confused before I sure am confused now, how the hell am I supposed to find him? Just then I receive a text with the address.
Hold up, it's a gym, you have got to be kidding me. I and the gym have a mutual understanding I stay away and it doesn't try to kill me. But guess who found herself here today in a rich people's gym? Me and all for what, babysitting a grown man.
***
Sitting in the park the soft hum of chatter, dogs barking and children running around provided a comforting backdrop to my thoughts. For the first time in so long, I finally got some time for myself. Khalil had something to do and for once he didn't need me with him. I take the day to relax and try something new like going for a run in the morning. Let's just say I am never trying that again, ever. With a worn copy of my favorite book in hand, my brow furrows in deep concentration, but I don't seem to grasp a single word so I pick my laptop up instead.
The screen comes to life and I flip through the pages of the document, revisiting the dreams and aspirations I once had, each page filled with the passion and determination I had a few years ago. But as a new day goes by, those dreams seem to move further out of reach, who would've ever thought I'd be working for someone else? The irony of life, I feel the tears slide down my face if only my parents could see me now and how pathetic I've become, they'd say they were always right about me.
I'm jolted out of my thoughts by a little child
"Can I have my ball back?" he asks.
"Yeah, sure," I say, handing it to him from behind me. I hadn't noticed it roll past me.
"Are you alright? Do you need a hug?" he asks, moving to hug me.
The innocence of little kids, I miss having that. Nothing to worry about, no parental judgement but growing up had to be a thing. I can't help hugging him back.
"I wasn't but I am now," I tell him "I needed that hug. Thank you."
"You're welcome," he says running off to a lady whom I assume is his mum. She looks up at me and waves smiling and I wave back. He reminds me so much of someone, a child, and the tears find their way back to my eyes.
Shutting my laptop off I proceed to pick up my book and try again, this time I absorb the words. Getting to the middle of my book I notice a folded piece of paper with a logo of 'Riggs cookies'. I recall it's from one time my sister forced me to a Café that gave fortune cookies that apparently "came true" I never got around to opening mine but today out of curiosity I peel the paper open and the words:
"Your Destiny Awaits" stares blankly at me scrawled in elegant writing. That makes no sense whatsoever. I fold it, placing it back in the book. With disappointment, I rise from my blanket and pack up my stuff soft strains of music blasting from my headphones. As I step out into the bustling streets, I hope my life gets better because it just has to.