Ms. Simmons entered just as Maisse was putting back the shiny globe.
"Don't let that fall, or I will have to deduct it from your salary." Ms.Simmons squeeked.
"Yes ma'am." Maisse replied as she righted it.
"Have you cleaned my office?"
"Yes ma'am." Maisse replied again. Those two words were the only words that never made Me. Simmons angry or agitated. When she had joined her, there had been two other girls working there. They were now off for college and that was why Ms. Simmons had needed a hand. The two girls barely spoke to her as Many. Simmons did not tolerate lazying around as she put it. The only thing they did was show her around the place. Massie quickly learned to mind her business and do her work. The wage was not that great but she had to manage. She would have gotten a third job if time permitted her, but she could only do too much within 24 hours. Ms. Simmons walked around and started supervising the area.
"Not that bad. Now be a good girl and go get my coffee." She said as she opened her office door.
"Yes ma'am." Maisse quickly wiped her wet hands on her coverall, took the coins Ms. Simmons had placed on the counter and went out. The streets were busy. She waved at the paperboy who sold old newspapers next door, smiled at the old watchman by the door of the coffee shop. He tipped his hat as a response. Maisse collected the coffee and headed back to the shop. Ms. Simmons was going through the record book.
"Have we had any customers?" Ms. Simmons asked as Maisse put her coffee on the table next to her glasses.
"No m'aam. No customers." Maisse replied.
"Okay, go make yourself busy. The sales have been low. Do something about it or I will have no choice but sack you." Ms. Simmons threatened.
"Yes ma'am." Maisse left. How was it her fault that the sales were low? She only sold what was on the shelves. Ms. Simmons had refused to stock citing that she was waiting for the thanksgiving holidays which was a month away.
Maisse sighed as she watched Mrs. Peppa enter. Mrs. Peppa was Ms. Simmons best friend and she had an ugly temper. If she was not complaining about her neighbors, she was badmouthing her in-laws. It was going to be a long day.
Finally the day was over. Maisse removed her coverall and took her dress from the bag she always carried with her. She knocked on Me. Simmons door to let her know that she was leaving.
"Just place the key where it should be and turn the sign to closed. I am too tired to deal with anyone today." Ms. Simmons shouted from inside. She was always tired. The store was small that she could handle it herself but she was too lazy to do that. It was an inheritance from her aunt and from what Maisse had heard, she was just keeping it float to please her grandfather who had vowed to give her an inheritance only if she kept the store float for two years.
"There you are." Old Mr. Prisley said cheerfully as he spotted Maisse at the door.
"Sorry I am late. The babysitter was occupied today so I had to tag my sisters along. I hope you don't mind." Maisse said as she kissed Old Prisley on the left cheek.
"I really don't mind. In fact today there is no work for you."
"I am sorry? Did I do something wrong?" Maisse asked, panic in her voice.
"Not you. It is me." Old Prisley said.
"What do you mean by it is you? Are you sick?" Maisse asked as she laid a hand on his temple. The twins had made themselves comfortable by the fire.
"I am doing okay."
"Then what is wrong?" Vik, Maisse's workmate asked from the kitchen doorway.
"I am retiring." Old Prisley said.
"But you are already retired." Vik said. Old Prisley had served at the army.
"That is true. I meant to say that I am selling the dinee. For the past few months we have not been making any meaningful profits. The new diners have taken over. I also want to spend time with my wife before she leaves this world. The doctor said there is nothing they can do about her chest. I want to stay close to my children and spend some time with them."
"That's..." Maisse could not find her voice. Vik just stared at Old Prisley.
"You don't have to worry Maisse. I will give you something to help pay for your rent for the next three months as you look for an alternative. I am also going to talk to the new owner so that he can employ you. I do not know what he is going to build in this place, but I know he can help you find something Vik." Old Prisley consoled them.
"We, I don't want you to retire sir. Who is going to take care of us?" Maisse asked, tears starting to fill her eyes.
"Come here." Old Prisley hugged her. "You don't have to worry, you are always welcomed at our house. There will always be food waiting for you and the twins."
Maisse knew that Old Prisley considered her family. However, she did not want to depend on him and his family entirely. She wanted to work for her food. What was she going to do now?
That night she tossed and turned in bed, sleep was not forthcoming. She was worried about the house. What was going to happen when the three months were over and they had already exhausted their rent? Where was she going to get money seeing as her father was incapable of taking care of them? She had to find another night job as soon as possible. Maybe she could ask Old Prisley for the buyer's number so that she could talk to him personally. She had to do something.
Seeing as she was not going to get any sleep, she stood up and went to prepare her sisters for school. She would use part of the money Old Prisley had given her to pay for their school. She was putting milk into the oatmeal bowl when her father arrived from his drinking spree. He always had money for beer but never had a single coin for his children's fees.
He looked at her up and down, sneezed, went to the cupboard took a cup and poured himself all of the milk from the bottle he had snatched from her.
"Papa, I was using that." Maisse said in a small voice. She was always afraid of him.
"Do I look like I care?" He sneered. "You eat too much in this house." That was a weird thing to say seeing as he never gave her any money for food or shopping. "In fact, be ready to leave this house in two months time." He said as he threw the now empty milk bottle in the sink.
"Sorry, huh?" Maisse asked, shocked.
"I said you are leaving this house in a month. I have already negotiated with him."
"Him? Papa, what are you talking about?" Maisse asked.
"The man who is supposed to marry you. I have already used half of your dowry so you'd be wise to do as I say because I am not refunding anything."
"Papa! How could you?" Maisse cried out.
"You are of no use to me here, so I decided to marry you off. I need the money more than I need to see you roaming around this house. Besides you are too old to stay in your father's house."
"Papa, I am the one paying for the rent!" Maisse cried out. It was weird that she was being chased out of the same house she was paying rent. Had her father lost his senses?
"I don't care. You will leave and get married to the man I have chosen for you. No arguments. I can pay my own rent, I have the money." Her father scoffed.
"What about the twins?" Maisse asked her retreating father.
"You can go with them. I do not have time to take care of those little rascals." Her father threw as he banged the door.
Why was she putting up with him? She could report him to the authorities for neglecting the twins. Problem was, the twins would be taken by the social workers or to a foster care if they do much as found out that she could barely afford to feed them despite being over eighteen. She had to find a solution to all these problems. Old Prisley was selling the diner, the money she was getting from Ms. Simmons was not enough and she definitely did not want to get married to some stranger her father had sold her off to. She could run off with the twins, go to a far away place, away from her father. But where was she going to go with two kids without enough money?
Maybe she could talk to the new owner of the diner, beg him for a job. Old Prisley could not pay her after closing the diner. He depended on his children and she did not want to be a total burden to them. She went to wake up her sisters in the room they shared. It was a tiny room with a double-decker that the three of them shared. The twins slept together on the lower bed while Maisse slept on the upper bed. Sometimes when she was too tired to climb up, she would sleep on the rocking chair that her mother bought before she died. It was a comfortable chair, she had been saving for it from the moment she knew she was going to have twins.
"Is it morning already?" Emmy asked as she rubbed her eyes.
"Yes. I need to get you school before I head out to Ms. Simmons. Up you go, both of you." Maisse said as she lightly tickled Emily.
"I don't want to go to school today." Emily grumbled.
"You have to Emily, otherwise you will not go to the next class. Do you want to remain in the same class?" Maisse asked her.
"But...but you said we could go see Me. Simmons shop." Emily complained again.
"Yes, I did. I have really worked hard to finish paying your school fees. Also Ms. Simmons apparently does not like it when small kids run around her shop. I promise to buy you your favorite ice cream during the weekend." Maisse promised.
That got them up very fast. Despite not getting it regurlarly as they would have loved to, the girls loved ice cream. Maisse treated them once in a while when her pockets allowed. Emmy's favorite was chocolate while Emily preferred vanilla. The ice cream shop always had a small discount during the weekends for kids. Maisse always tried to buy her sisters some treats every month, but it was difficult. Most months they barely had food to eat. The food stamps never lasted the whole month and sometimes Maisse had to take them to the diner just for them to eat something.
"We are done." Emily shouted from the bathroom.
"Good, now come and put on your clothes." Maisse wanted to rush them before they started fighting about something as mundane as who is the first to get out of the bathroom. They were petty like that but she loved them all the same, they were her life.