Nora's notification bell rings just before she retired to bed after completing Asher's work. She lazily goes back and picks up her phone. It was a message from Kristen.
#Hey Nora, I don't know if you are awake but I have some goods news for you. You won't be working in Asher's ugly restaurant anymore. You have an interview tomorrow at Crakes company for the position of Accountant. Time for the interview is 8:00am. I'll drop the location. Congrats girl. Open the file below#
That was the message Kristen sent to Nora. Nora patiently tapped on the file and waited as it loaded with a large smile she was suppressing. The file opened.
"Dear, Miss Nora
You have ....."
"Arrrghhhhhh!!!!!!" Nora yells loudly as she threw her phone on the couch nearby but closes her mouth when she realizes it's midnight. She picks up her phone and the 'Dear Miss Nora' alone makes her drop it again.
She pulls herself together and reads the entire message. She chooses not to reply Kristen, to pretend she got the message in the morning. "She stares at the letter on her phone, beaming with smile. We weren't expecting a... No! She's crying. We see drops of tears on her phone screen.
"Granny, I promised you that I'll get a better job, that I'll make our life more easier. And guess what, that promise is about to be fulfilled" Nora speaks to the air, staring at the direction of their bedrooms. She wipes her tears and resumes jubilating.
She goes to her bedroom with her phone. A habit she stopped after she slept on her previous phone and broke the screen. She couldn't repair it so she had to sell it and buy a new one.
She stares at the message and will react with excitement. She does this continuously until she doesn't realize when she falls asleep.
"Nora! Nora! it's 6 already, wake up!" her grandma wakes her up. Nora doesn't want to wake up as she literally started sleeping that day. But, she remembered her interview and quickly jumps out of bed. She was to run out but stopped.
"Today is Wednesday. Granny will be going to church at 7 and will proceed to her friend's place. This means I can go to interview without she knowing. I want to surprise her. I can't tell her about this" Nora says softly and goes out of her bedroom.
"Granny, I'm feeling some head ache. I don't think I can go work today" she says to Granny who is in the kitchen, with a sick tone, pretending to be sick. "Oh really?" Granny asks with concern. "Yes, I'll ask Emma to tell Asher I can't come"
"Are you sure he won't be angry?" Granny asks. "He can't. I work a lot. He'll know it's serious" Nora tells her. "Okay dear, go and have some rest" Granny tells her. Nora turns and pretends to be in pain as she walked back into her room. She finally replies Kristen.
*************
Xander walks on the corridor and meets his sister, Sydney. "Hey Syd" he calls her. "Xan, you didn't come home early last night. Mum was so worried" she tells him. "Yeah, I made it up with her" he replies. "What were you up to?" she asks with curiosity.
"Nothing much, just some business stuffs" he answers her. "Okay!"she replies with a smile. "I ahm, gotta go" he tells her. "Oh, yeah. Make sure to finish work early today" she tells him and goes away. "She sure isn't serious" he whispers and also walks away.
Sydney enters Klein's room. "Sorry!" she apologizes as she meets Klein dressed without a shirt. "Don't worry" he replies. Klein was dressing and she looked at his chiseled body in the mirror. He sees her reflection staring at his.
"Any problem?" he asks her but she doesn't hear. He whistles. "Uh!" she replies, "Oh yeah! Have you seen Xander around?" she gets confused. "He said he was going downstairs. He just left now. You should have probably met him" Klein answers
"I did" she answers still staring at him. Too bad he was brushing his hair to put on a shirt early.
He finally turns to face her but she now redirects her gaze on his body now. "Syd, what do you want?" he asks her. "Uh! Nothing!" she replies, not knowing what she was saying. "Nothing?" he asks, "Then what are you doing here?". Sydney comes to her senses.
"Oh, sorry! I thought this was Xander's room" she says and and turns to leave but her pulls her closer to him. "What are you here for Syd?" he asks her again, now with their bodies touching each other. Sydney is now confused the more.
*****************
"Nora, it's 6:30, I'll be going to the church now" Granny speaks to Nora as she entered her room. Nora covers herself in a blanket. "Are you feeling cold?" Granny asks. "A little bit" Nora answers, "but it will go".
"Oh Nora, try and get well okay" Granny tells her, "I'll be going then". "Okay Granny, take care" Nora says with a sick person's tone. When Granny was outta sight, she sighed in relief and got out of bed. She tip toed and made sure Granny had gotten a taxi before she resumed her jubilation.
***************
They hear footsteps from outside and Klein leaves Sydney. He smiles and turns back to the mirror, brushing his hair as she turns and leaves. Immediately she opened the door, she met one of the maids bringing a tray into Klein's room. "Good morning ma'am" she politely greets Sydney. "Yeah" Sydney replies and leaves. When she looks back in the room, Klein smiles at her but she turns away, looking worried.
****************
At 8:30am, Nora left home and went straight to have her interview at the location she was given. When she got there, she saw others sitting there. Supposing them to be the interviewees, which they were, she goes up and joins them. Few minutes later, a well-dressed lady comes out.
"Hello, Good morning and welcome to Crakes" she addresses them, "I know all of you are waiting to be interviewed, but before we start...." she slows down when she realizes a foreign breed among them.
"Hey, you over there, Miss..."
"Nora!"
"Well, Miss Nora, I'm afraid, but I think you might have lost your way" the lady tells her with seriousness. "What?! What are you saying I don't understand" Nora is confused. "I'm trying to say, you don't belong here" the lady says.
"I think you are mistaking but I had a message to come for an interview here" Nora defends herself. "Sorry but this place isn't meant for you" the lady tells her.
"You haven't even gone through my files, how do you know?" Nora asks. "It's written on your skin" the lady says, "Black!" she adds. Nora is distressed ,"So because I'm black, I can't work here?" Nora asks.
"Not really, because you are black, you are going to stain our products, so get out!!" the lady yells at her. Nora looks around to find everyone staring at her. "I said get out!!! Or you want my dog to come lick you up?" she says sarcastically as some of the others giggle.