12 Chapters of Life

Three

"Mom!" Greg shouted in the middle of the night as all his body was wrapped by the sweat. He was having a nightmare for the various time he could not remember. What he could remember was he always misses his mom who was gone forever. 

"God!" He mumbled. He mopped his face with both his hands and he got up from his bed. He went to the kitchen to find a glass and poured it with lots of water. He drank and relieved. 

The clock showed 12 o'clock sharp. It was raining outside as Greg heard that there was a thunder just came by. He sighed for a couple of times. It was his third year after he moved to the city. The busiest place he ever visited. He just met the girl next door, the old lady, the land lady, and her boss at the very little equipment shop where he was working as  a junior technician and sales. 

"Excuse me, can I get this screwdriver?" A man whom Greg new as the customer asked him as he finished to tidy up the store front. It felt really good for him not becoming a person who was famous enough to be noticed. Everybody seemed to enjoy their own business once he decided to move into the big city. He loved being here though it was not really quite as the place he used to live.

"I am so sorry. That screwdriver are out of our stock. Perhaps, anything else you need?"

"No, thanks. I really need this. Thank you!" 

"You're welcome." Greg smiled and he tried to scour other areas of the stores. His boss really enjoyed working with him as Greg almost never complaint about anything. 

"I have done enough complaint, but they did not work at all." Greg put a slight and weak smile as if he remember his past.

**

"Greg, you'll be in a real danger."

"I don't care, Mom. This place has been messed up." Once he told his mom when he wanted to talk to the police to eradicate the drug kingpin. The problem got worst as these people bothered lots of other people and made them become prisoners.

"Greg, please." His mom pleaded but Greg did not really care about it anymore. As soon as it happened, Greg had no idea when the police check his pocket that he got a small bag of cocaine. Greg was stuck at the situation and had no power. He remember that before he came here, he bought a bottle of soda and someone hit him hard.

"I, it is not mine." 

"Don't say anything, Greg. After very long time of fighting for this city, you would like to have one." All the police laughed at him. He fought, yet it was one of the useless things he did.

"This city is full crap like you!" Greg was really angry but he was hold by two big and tall policeman.

Greg was dragged into the prison and had to stayed for a year. His mom was really disappointed and got sick. His father had passed away. He blamed himself all the time and could not think clearly as his mother got sick and had to stay at the elderly home nearby. He decided to live the town to a place where nobody else knew him or noticed that he existed.

**

"Greg, are you free tonight?" His boss, Kyle, an old big man with his round face and small eyes who always wears a hat whenever he was at the shop asking Greg.

"Nope. I am totally free."

"Great. My wife will make dinner. My daughter and son could not come to our home tonight. If you are free then you are very welcome."

"Wow."

"Well, I hope you can come. This is as a gift and my thanks to you. You have worked so hard to run this shop. You are really a trusted person. That is why I would like to appreciate you."

"Kyle, don't say that. I work for the money to live. I just love to work and to work with you of course."

"Nah. It's a good thing, Greg. See you tonight!" Kyle and Greg both shared their smiles. Kyle had to leave early because he really loved to help his wife to prepare dinner or do other things. Greg understood about it. He then started to clean some sections and closed the shop.

**

"Mom?" Amanda mumbled. She narrowed her eyes and looked through out the window. It was a very pleasant time her Mom called her as she was quite busy with her foundation.

Amanda shook her head. It was a work hour. She almost never picked up a call from the relatives as she liked to talk with them. It would take a long time for her to have chats with them. 

The call went off. Amanda focused on her work again. It was a blank page. She had to finish a monthly report yet she did not feel good to work on them. She felt disappointed and weak. She just wanted to go home after what her friend had done toward her. She then decided to make a cup of coffee.

"Amanda? How are you doing?" A friend of her who had moved to the different division greeted her.

"Hi, Jackie. I'm doing okay, how about you?" She answered weakly.

"Hey, what's up?"

"What's up?!?" Amanda's voice went up.

"Tell me, sis. You wouldn't be like this when something did not happen.

"I just wish you could come back to my division."

"You know I can't."

"Hah."

"Hey, tell me."

"It was Tom. I cannot compete him anymore. He just taken all of my vibes today. My boss showed him a chat from her friend that I knew long time ago which was talking about Tom. It was just a greeting and a question about Tom. I didn't even talk any longer after that chat. However..."

Jackie widened her eyes. She was waiting for the story.

"Tom hated her. A friend I knew long time ago. I never expect that she could share that chat to my boss as they both are still contacting each other."

"That's too bad."

"I know. Now, I don't feel good to work."

"Well, I guess... He and you just need some times to think about the problem. I believe he just needs time to analyze what happen. You just need to not overthink it." Jackie, with her slight smile on her firm and square face made Amanda was calm a bit. Jackie asked permission to leave. She went back to her place and Amanda stayed there quietly until her phone buzzed. It was her Mom.

"Hi Mom. Sorry I did not pick up your call."

"It's okay, honey. How are you doing?"

Amanda stayed silent and sighed.

"Is everything alright?" As her mom had a correct feeling towards her sighed, Amanda sighed again.

"No, it is not alright. I got a bit problem with a friend. But, it is totally in my control, indeed."

"What's up dear?"

"No, it was just work problem Mom. How are you?"

"I am good, honey. I just wanna call that you are okay there. Come visit me if you have time. I have not got a change to celebrate your birthday though I have called you that time. We should hangout sometimes for celebrating it." Her mom smiled at her house."

"Sure thing. Thank you for calling me."

"You're welcome. By the way, about you and your friend, I think you just need to talk with him or her in person."

"Alright Mom. Thank you!" She hanged up the phone and she got back to work. As Amanda went out from the kitchen, Tom came towards and they stopped walking.

"Hey, Tom. What's up?"

"Hey." Tom answered with his face down.

"Hmm, can I talk to you for a while?"

"What, me? You wanna talk with me?"

Amanda nodded.