The One

Change to a better one

The next morning unfolded with chaos as the kitchen sink exploded, drenched the floor, and a bewildered family scrambled to mend the situation. It started as a small leak, but quickly transformed into a gushing waterfall. As the flood continued, Karol sprang into action, calling the owner of the house to explain their predicament.

Ten minutes later, the owner stood at the front door, ringing the bell frantically. She swung the door open, revealing the owner and his handyman.

As the handyman began to investigate, the owner apologised profusely. "I'm so sorry for the inconvenience I've caused. This was supposed to be fixed before you moved in—my son forgot to call the plumber and just handed you the keys."

William, ever the joker, tried to lighten the mood. "No worries, really! No harm done. We had a bit of fun in the kitchen!"

"It's no biggie, seriously," Anna added, her tone sympathetic as she looked at the owner. "Just an unexpected start to the day."

"It is our fault too; we should have been more vigilant," the owner said remorsefully.

Karol smiled reassuringly, saying, "Sir, don't worry. These things happen; it's unexpected. Perhaps it's a blessing in disguise. You know, things happen for a reason."

"Thank you, miss," the owner replied earnestly. "I'll move you to a gated community house nearby for the duration of your stay, and don't worry about the payment. It'll be the same as this house." He handed her the keys to the new property and pointed to the broken pipe house. "Here's the address. Just tell the security that you're the new tenants, and they'll guide you in."

"Okay, thank you! I guess we should get changed and pack up?" she gestured to her family.

"Before that, um, do you know where we can get a good brunch around here?" Karol asked, turning to look at the owner expectantly.

"No, it's okay, we can go by ourselves. We'll pack our things quickly, then we can all head out together. This way, you won't have to keep coming back and forth just to show us the place," Sharon said, her fingers tightening around the house keys as she spoke, a mix of gratitude and reluctance washing over her.

An hour later, after the family had cleared out the last of their belongings, Sharon stood before the owner, keys in hand. "Okay, everything's ready. Here are the keys to the house. Thank you for everything, we'll see you later," she said, forcing a smile as she handed over the keys.

In silence, she walked to the car, slipping into the front passenger seat next to the driver, her mind racing with thoughts of the journey ahead. As they pulled away, she glanced at the landscape shifting outside, trying to shake off her hesitation.

"First things first, how long are we going to be here?" Karol asked, her eyes darting towards the diner they approached. "Can we do a week here and then head to Conry for the remaining weeks? Or the other way round?"

"That sounds fine to me," William replied, turning to look at Karol with a hopeful smile.

"Me too, I'll go wherever you and Daddy decide," Anna chimed in, her voice sweet and innocent, unaware of the weight such decisions held.

"Let's decide later, shall we?" Sharon suggested her tone light but her mind still weighed down. As they all emerged from the car, she felt the comfort of the diner's familiarity wrap around them.

They walked towards the empty diner and settled into a window booth, four seats away from the door. A waitress approached them with a warm smile.

"Hi there! Here's the menu. How may I help you on this lovely day?" she greeted cheerfully.

"Can I have two cups of coffee and two cups of tea, please? Oh, and a slice of your apple pie and blueberry pie, both with a swirl of whipped cream on top?" Karol ordered, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Coming right up! Anything else?" The waitress beamed.

"Can you tell us what your special is?" Sharon asked, her brow furrowing slightly as she scanned the menu, unable to decide.

"Absolutely! We have our waffle beef burger with a scoop of macaroni on the side, accompanied by salad; the steak double cheeseburger with our homemade fries coated in seasoning; and, last but not least, our famous greasy Big M served with our fries. Those are our top three sellers for lunch!" the waitress replied enthusiastically.

Sharon nudged Karol playfully. "How about we try all three? And let's get the macaroni and salad served separately. What do you think, Sissy?"

Karol frowned in concentration, biting her lip. "Ermm, I don't know... can we just share?" she replied, glancing around at her family, who nodded in agreement.

"Alright, so that's the three specials, but in smaller sizes," Sharon confirmed, her heart lifting slightly as she saw her family's smiles.

"Do you want anything else?" the waitress asked, her pen poised.

"Nope, that's all," William replied, placing the menu down with finality.

"Got it! Just to repeat your order: two cups of coffee, two cups of tea, a slice of apple and blueberry pie, both with a big swirl of whipped cream on top, right?" Karol grinned at the mention of her favoured treat.

"Exactly!" the waitress said with a wink. "And for the meals, that's one waffle beef burger with macaroni and salad separated, one steak double cheeseburger with seasoned fries, and the greasy Big M with fries as well. Is that everything?"

"Yes, that's all," Sharon affirmed, handing the menus over to the waitress.

Just as the waitress took the menus, Karol stood up, a bit shyly tapping her shoulder. "Excuse me, could you point me to your restroom?" she asked, her voice slightly anxious.

"Sure thing, sweetie! Right this way," the waitress replied kindly, leading Karol towards the counter.

As they made their way, a group of boys entered and took a nearby booth. At a glance, it was obvious they were a rowdy bunch, their laughter echoing in the nearly empty diner.

"Can we have the menu, please, hot mama?" one of the boys called out, his tone dripping with bravado.

Sharon's attention snapped to the boys, her interest piqued as the others laughed, but one of them looked visibly uncomfortable, glancing nervously at his friends as they made crude jokes.

Keeping her composure, the waitress smiled professionally and approached them. "Here you go, boys! I'll be back in five," she said, handing over the menus and leaving them to their mischief.

Sharon couldn't help but smirk at the boys' antics, her thoughts racing as she half-heartedly scrolled through her phone. 'This is interesting,' she mused silently, intrigued by the unfolding drama.

The boys continued to make a ruckus, but one of them, clearly feeling out of place, eventually muttered, "Guys, excuse me, I need to go to the restroom."

His words fell on deaf ears as his friends ignored him, too engrossed in their banter to notice his discomfort.