MEMOIRS

Chapter 4

There has been such a sharp transition in my life from beautiful to worse. Just a day changed my entire perception towards me and my ex- friend Stephanie. Staying with a person doesn't mean that you know that person. You got to actually try to know that person to actually know that person; that's what I got to learn from Stephanie. The manager said that cleaning the dishes won't be enough to pay off the bill of Rs. 6000/-. He said that I'd have to clean the dishes and do service over here as a waitress for a month to pay off the bill.

When I came back to my dorm room from cleaning those dishes then instead of finding Stephanie being repentant for her turning back at me or Stacey trying to console me, they both did the most unexpected and the most cheap thing, they left me even before I could comeback to the dormitory and that was how I came to know that I'm horrible in judging people. Our friendship was just a trance and I'm glad that it's now over for good.

Thinking of my experience of cleaning the dishes was bitter; most of the time I was crying without noticing that I was being watched by others who were present over there in the kitchen. As they didn't know my whole story-they were in utter confusion on finding someone, according to them, having such a hell lot of a prestige issue. Today onward I'd have to live a double life of a college student and a waitress at The Tipton Hotel to pay off the debt. It's incredible that situations have gotten so bad of me that now I've to do an undignified job at a venerable place where people like us cannot even think of stepping inside through its doors and I did that exact thing. What a fool I am! Since I'm not doing hospitality so I won't be allowed to serve the elite class people, I will be attending to the lower class among the rich diners. Wow! Now the brighter side is also gone; I thought that if I was lucky then I could meet some famed celebrity, if they happen to drop in at The Tipton Hotel squeezing out time from their hectic schedule but now even that has blotted me from trying to have an optimistic outlook. And at college I'd have to face loneliness and the pain of defeat. Not only of letting Bethany treat me like a dog but also watching her take away my friend from me and all I could do was be a silent spectator because that was all I could do; to let her show me the power of her affluence and the reality of me being no one in front of her.

Let's come to the good part or it's just another try at being optimistic. Natalie, the waitress and right now my only friend helped me to convince the manager about the melodramatic truth which happened to me. Although he didn't help me in any way on the excuse that my bill of Rs. 5000 was- as everybody knows- computer generated and he wouldn't be able to help me in any way but he said that if I do my job diligently then maybe I could get myself a better job over there and that could be my permanent part time job till I complete my bachelors degree. I think I can do it because I'm not inefficient, I just got myself filled in The St. Stephens College on the ground of a scholarship because of which I'd be paying 15% of my fees. Moreover the salary of even the lowest of the waitress is much more than Rs. 20,000. I think now I'm going crazy cause there's nothing to be so happy about being a waitress even at the world's one of the best 5 star rated hotels.

I put my pen down on my table and closed my diary; that's enough writing for one morning when my mood is treacherous as I'd have to start the day by attending the lectures of Mr. Jones. Quarter past nine, nice I've got some time in hand; I thought while looking at my silver Timex metal watch. I opened my wardrobe and was carefully scrutinizing my collection of clothes; gosh my collection is horrible in comparison to the ritzy collection of Bethany or for that matter even Stacey's or Stephanie's are way better than mine; although I hate them now but I cannot hide away the truth from myself that their fashion sense is better than mine. I decided to wear something-I hate to admit it but- like them so that Bethany or any of her ass kisser won't be able to get at me because of my fashion sense now when they would be critically analyzing me. After a careful thought I decided to go with a crimson tinted skater dress teamed with a Calvin Klein belt. After giving a careful look at me into the mirror I came to the conclusion that I too must give some credit to myself in the fashion department because although I wasn't looking breathless but I was looking striking.