ʜᴇʀ ᴀꜱꜱɪꜱᴛᴀɴᴛ | ᴛᴀʀᴀꜱɪᴀ

ᴛᴡᴇʟᴠᴇ

ᴛᴀʀᴀᴊɪ ʜᴇɴꜱᴏɴ
ᴊᴜɴᴇ 16, 2020

my job at the company is pretty easy, but it requires a lot of standing, and we have 30-minute breaks, so i spend that eating and talking to my 3 favorite people. the women and men are cool here. they like to chat a lot– and i mean a lot, but they keep me entertained, so im not really complaining.

"mike takes this job so seriously he acts like he's the ceo."

"you have to be a ceo to take your job seriously? please shut the fuck up, no diploma."

"i got my diploma. at least im not the one who graduated from special ed."

"but james, aren't you the one that didn't graduate at all? you have a two point, four GPA dummy boy! you'll never be where i am no matter how many jokes you make about special ed."

we were going on our break, thank God. i sat down at a table and started to unpack the lunch tasia made me when someone came and sat next to me.

"i didnt get your name."

"taraji"

"cool. im sanaa."

"hi, sanaa."

i planned to keep it sweet and short, but she didnt stop. im not a rude person, so i wasnt gonna tell her to stop talking to me. we'd probably make great friends one day.

"second day here, how do you like it so far?"

"well its pretty great, i guess. im just worried about the paycheck."

she chuckled, "i feel you on that one. hey, would you like to go out sometime?"

"straight forward, huh?" 

"yes, but i mean that in a friendly way."

"i cant."

"...ok" she looked sad, and now im here feeling bad. i hate for someone to be down because of me.

"ok, look, how about the week after next. we can probably go out and have lunch."

"okay, yeah! i'd love that. should i take your number, or do you take mine?"

"um i–" saved by my baby calling. laila's face popped up on the screen.

"hi, mommy!"

"hi baby. what are you doing? are you okay?"

"im okay. im eating breakfast. mommy, who is that?"

"oh, this is my new friend, sanaa. sanaa this is my daughter laila."

"hi!" sanaa smiled and waved.

"hi sanaa"

"where's fantasia?"

"she went to get me juice."

"you feeling okay?"

"yes"

"laila..."

"mommy im o–"

"ok, i got you juice, baby." i heard fantasia say, "hey, raji."

"hey, beautiful. what's going on with laila?"

"she got a little dizzy."

"laila, i told you about that."

"tai tai is here helping me."

"i understand that, but you don't have to lie to me about what's going on. i know you are in the best of hands, so im not
gonna worry myself as much."

"do you promise, mommy?" she put up her pinky, and i did the same.

"yes, i promise princess."

"okay!"

"tasia" i called out.

"yes?"

"h–"

i was cut off by sanaa caressing my shoulder, "hey, im gonna leave my number with you. i have to go. it was nice meeting you and your daughter, by the way. bye, guys!"

"alright, nice meeting you too."

when i looked back at the camera, tasia was gone, but laila was sitting there with a raised eyebrow, "mommy..."

"yes?"

"tai tai is upset."

"tai tai has no reason to be upset, were just friends. i do have to go as well, but i love you, and ill see you guys soon."

"okay, love you too."

"aht aht pause"

"hm?"

"where's the i?"

she giggled, "i love you too, mommy."

"okay, goodnight."

"goodnight."

i packed my things and put them back into the locker, then i headed back to work. i just knew my feet would be sore afterward, but for laila, its whatever.

idk im living for the short stories.