A Christian Romance II

Chapter 29 - Giving up

Miriam counted another sleepless night. It was the wind, and then she couldn't find a comfortable position in bed. Later, it was the heat, and suddenly the cold. Soon, it was the hunger, and then the thirst, before she knew, her alarm clock was ringing. With her messy hair tied up in a disconcerting disgruntled bun, and under-eye bags, looking almost pale, Miriam stood up from her bed and walked toward the kitchen to find Joel reading the Bible whilst eating pancakes and drinking his chamomile tea.

"What are you reading?" Miriam asked as she entered the kitchen dragging herself.

"Jude." Joel didn't want to disturb his reading.

"Is Debora home?"

"No." He gave curt responses to keep Miriam's interest away, and also because he needed to focus on the task at hand.

"Where is she at this time of day!?" Miriam wondered.

"That event at your restaurant." Joel replied. Unaware that the event was dedicated to him and Miriam.

"Speaking of that restaurant..." Miriam exhaled, as she sat down on a high chair next to her brother, hunching, and holding her head with her hand. "I need to write my resignation letter."

Joel gulped his chamomile tea at the time he heard Miriam's announcement. "You," he almost choked. "What?" He put down his mug. "A resignation letter? Isn't that a bit extreme?"

Joel was aware that Michael had lied about his involvement with the restaurant.

"I don't wanna be in the presence of that lying man." She expressed her disappointment in Michael.

Joel put his hair behind his ear, and tried to get her attention. "Mim," he looked in her eyes. "Do you have a contract that is legally valid?" He tried to reason with her.

"Yeah."

"Do you get paid the amount described in your contract on time?"

"Yeah, I do." Miriam could almost guess where that conversation headed.

"And you have your weekends off, and you even leave work earlier than Debora." He added.

Miriam looked down. "If you're trying to make me feel ungrateful: thanks! You win." She blurted.

Joel laughed. Sometimes his sister's attitude made him laugh, and his reaction broke her too.

"Is that a smile?" Joel teased.

Miriam gave in and smiled, still holding her tantrum.

"You love this job, don't you?"

"Yeah, but if I have that job because Michael pulled some strings, it's not worth it."

Joel smiled and shook his head in patience. "Mim, this sounds exactly like the story of Ruth and Boaz to me." He explained. "Didn't Boaz help Ruth in the end? Isn't it what Michael is doing for you? He's helping you in a very fair and respectful manner to become financially stable." He reasoned.

"And I'm helping his business in return..." she retorted.

"One good turn deserves another." Joel replied.

"On which side are you?" Miriam was surprised with her brother.

"You should be grateful."

"For what? His kindness?!" She ridiculed her brother's suggestion. "I'd be more grateful for his selfishness and lying tongue if he admitted to the truth."

Miriam could almost guess that Michael had created that job vacancy for her as an excuse to win her heart.

"If he confessed what you think is true, would you forgive him?"