How Do You Love Someone?

Chapter 5 - Mumma Never Set A Good Example

Sarah walked out of the classroom upset with her recent thoughts about her parents and well her life in general. She walked out to the school ground and sat at a nearby table, the smell of freshly mown grass making her feel like nothing could touch her. She though to herself, what could be the reason that her life had turned out like this. Her dad was never at home, so she had only grown up with her mum. Maybe it had something to do with the way that she acted and the way that she was brought up.

The first 5 years of her life Sarah’s mum worked all the time and left her with her grandparents. Her grandmother would amuse herself by making Sarah afraid of things that she was meant to be happy about. Every time a police siren was heard she would say that the police would be coming to get Sarah because she wouldn’t eat her food or because she had made a mess. Every time the ice cream truck came she said that It was coming to get her and going to eat her. It wasn’t a very good way of growing up. She was scared of most sirens and alarms including the burglary alarm for houses. She would run past the window where the bog with the big blue light could be seen, hoping that it didn’t see her and come to kill her.

She had only start to get over the fears that her grandmother had put into her head 4 years ago. That was a long time to have a fear about the police. This is why Sarah thought that she had a problem with people trying to tell her about new things that she had not learnt about from before hand. Luckily the internet was her best friend. She watched as the gardener of her school cut the branches of some bushes and though to herself, maybe there was another reason that she had turned out like she did.

With her mum never being home and Sarah scared of nearly everything for her grandmothers amusement, whenever her mum came home she was happy and knew nothing could touch her. But with her mum always so busy she felt more alone than ever. She had grown up having to do things by herself, after grasping the fact that her grandmother was having fun making fun of her, she decided to do everything herself. Sarah realised that’s why she was the parent when it came to her parents.

When Sarah was 14 she asked to get a job and to her dismay Ginger told her she was too young and wouldn’t allow her to work until she was out of school. Sarah knew that it wouldn’t work because once she finished school her plan was to leave and never comeback, get some friends and even a boyfriend and forget about everything that has happened in the past. She could still remember Gingers voice.

“Don’t get a job”

“But why I want one” Sarah pleaded

“You can get one when you finish school.”

“When I finish school?”

“Yes a none before that, they don’t take people as young as you and they just use you for hard labour.”

Sarah got up and walked out of the school gates towards the local café. The truth was, she did get a job, and it was the best decision that she had ever made. She was making the money that she needed to leave.

“Hey guys” Sarah said while walking into the café.

The café was small but everyone in town went to have lunch or go out for dinner. It was cosy and everyone was friendly.

“Hey” Joe said.

“Busy?”

“Not yet, but the rush is just starting to come in. So you’re just in time.”

Joe had been working there ever since Sarah started and she couldn’t help watch him when he worked. He was one of the sweetest guys that she had ever met. They told each other everything when it came to their school lives. Joe went to a school on the other side of town. His father owned the store and he worked to get his share of the profits.

Sarah walked to the back room o get changed. As she walked out to start taking orders Joe stopped her and looked at her, worried.

“What’s wrong?” Sarah asked starting to freak out.

“Your mum just walked in”

“Shit!”

“Do you want to make food until she leaves?”

“Yeah!”

Joe walked over to Ginger and started talking. Sarah could see from the back room and was hoping that Ginger wouldn’t embarrass her. Sarah started making the orders as they came in and in no time, her mum’s order came in as well. Reading what her mum had ordered Sarah wondered why her mum was even there in the first place. She hated cafes and said that they never made the food any good. Sarah started making her mum’s meal. Taking caution in changing the way she made it so that her mum wouldn’t recognise the way she made the food. Sarah hit the bell and Joe walked over.

“Take this to her, if she complains tell her we can do nothing about it and then hopefully she will never come back!”

Joe grabbed the plate of food and walked over to Ginger.

“Here you go Ginger”

“Why thank you handsome”

Sarah stared at her mum while she ate the food knowing that with her luck, her mum would realise something was up. Ginger called Joe over. Giving Sarah a look of confidence her walked over to Ginger.

“Is everything okay?”

“It is immaculate! I would love to meet the chef.”

Joe stared at her.

“Well the chef does like to be talked too” Joe said quietly.

“Oh nonsense” Ginger replied and got up off her seat and walked over to the kitchen.

Just as Sarah turned around Ginger walked through the door.

“Sarah… what are you?”

“Doing here? Yeah I’m working mum.”

“But why, I told you…”

“What you told me mum is nothing like what work is”

“Well I was trying to set a good example of being a mother, so you wouldn’t have to work”

Sarah stared at her mum and with coldness in her eyes she replied. “You have never set a good example!”