Hold Onto Me Entries

Round 1

Round One- Counting Stars by One Republic

"Honey, wake up. Charlie is crying again," my wife Teresa whispered in my ear. I slowly opened my eyes and sat up. Wailing drifted from the opposite corner of the room. The walls of our one-bedroom apartment creaked along with the floorboards.

Charlie, our 6 month old son, banged on the walls of the crib we found in a nearby dumpster. Slowly picking him up and grabbing a cloth diaper, I undid his dirty diaper and threw it in our rusty bathroom sink a few feet away.

Bouncing Charlie on my knee, I stayed up for another hour until he quieted down and fell asleep. The past few nights he had been getting up early in the morning and fussing until we gave him attention. I could understand why though. Teresa and I were gone every day for hours on end working our tails off.

Teresa had a job at the daycare where she could work and take Charlie. I had multiple jobs varying from construction to jobs that could land me in jail. I do not regret doing those jobs because without them, my family would not be able to survive. I just do what I’m told and try to make a living.

I backed away from the crib and looked around our shabby apartment. Our kitchen in one corner had a water-stained sink and one cabinet barely hanging by a few nails. Food was scattered around the floor and melted ice was leaking out of our broken, old cooler. In another corner, our mold-covered toilet sat along with our shower and sink that only sprinkled out brown tainted water. I looked back at our bed and realized Teresa wasn't asleep. I walked back over to the bed and found her sobbing quietly.

We were living in a pig-pen, and no matter how hard I tried to change our lives, I couldn’t find a job that was sufficient enough for all of us.

*****

I woke up the next morning as our doorbell rang repeatedly. Sleepily rubbing my eyes, I opened the door. There stood our landlord. The man looked as if he hadn't showered since the television was invented. Although, we all might look like him considering our living conditions.

"Rent is due," he barked and turned leaving without waiting for my reply. Rent was due three days ago and I had totally forgotten. Adding up the money we possessed in my head, my feet carried me to our cabinet where we kept our dwindling funds. My hands fumbled with the handle until it gave way and the little money we had came tumbling out.

In panic, I looked at the money on the floor. There was only one hundred dollars. Rent was three hundred dollars.

"Teresa," I yelled as I shook her violently. She woke with a start and looked around in panic. "Teresa, where is the money you earned at your daycare job?" The second the words came out of my mouth, she bowed her head and started sobbing.

"I... tried..." she started in between sobs.

I took her face in my hands and looked her in the eyes," Teresa. What happened?"

"I-I messed up o-on the job a-nd they didn't think th-that I could be efficient any-anymore."

My breath caught in my throat, “When was this?"

"About a-a week ago."

"Teresa!" I bellowed. She flinched away from me as I continued," How could you stop? You know how hard we have to work to stay living here! Now what do we do? We won't have a home!"

"I'm go-going to live with m-my sister..." she whispered. Charlie had started crying by now.

"That's a relief," I said quickly," We can stay with her until you get a job."

"... and y-you haven't been inv-invited. I'm t-taking Charlie," she finished as she picked up her bag and walked out of the apartment.

"Teresa!" I yelled one last time before she couldn't hear me anymore.

*****

"Sir, are you okay?"

"Wha-What?" I said in confusion. Glancing up at the man above me, I struggled to forget what had happened the night before. Teresa had left me. She had taken Charlie. I had been kicked out of the apartment. I was living on the streets.

"I asked if you were alright," the man standing above the place where I sat asked once again.

"I'm fine," I replied gruffly, afraid this man might take away the few things I owned.

The man wore a high-end tux and shiny shoes. He didn't look convinced and instead of walking away, asked," Can I buy you lunch?"

"Sir, with all due respect, what are you doing talking to me?"

"Looks like he has manners," he mumbled under his breath more to himself, “I just thought we could get lunch and maybe chat."

"Whatever you would like, sir."

"Please. Call me Steve. Steve Michaels."

*****

A few hours later we sat in a local restaurant. We had talked about everything I could think of, and more. He had asked why I was homeless, and I had told him about Teresa losing her job and us not having enough money to pay rent. He asked how she was doing, and I answered that she had gone to live with her sister.

He even asked about my education. I told him I had graduated college with a degree in accounting but wasted my life away and couldn’t find a job. I found out that he worked in a very popular company that dealt with stocks and trades. In fact, he was the CEO of the company. When I found this out, I nearly got up right then and there and ran out of the restaurant.

Finishing up the salmon soup of the day he ordered for me, the waitress came and gave us the tab. After Steve quickly paid, I looked up and said, “Well thank you very much for lunch, sir. I really appreciate it.”

“Hold up. Don’t leave yet. See being the CEO gives me many privileges. I can hire and fire whoever I may please. I recently fired my personal assistant,” he told me.

Confused as to why he was telling me this, I shook my head and replied,” I’m sorry, sir, to hear that. I hope you find a new one soon.”

He chuckled under his breath and said,” That’s the thing. I was wondering if you would like to be my new personal assistant.”

I swear my heart stopped beating. Please, if this is a dream, wake me up now. “Why would you want me for the job? I smell. I don’t have any good job history.  I don’t have a home.”

“See, that’s the thing. You don’t have any experience. All of the previous workers have come into work thinking they were the best. They have no manners and mess up their jobs. You have great manners and don’t expect to be the best. People like you deserve a second chance. And even if you don’t do well and I fire you, you will have had a great opportunity and other companies will know who you are and hire you,” he told me.

“Sir, thank you so much! I will gladly accept your job offer! You don’t understand how much this means to me!”

“Now,” he said, growing serious, “I will offer you one thousand dollars.”

“One thousand dollars a month!” I nearly screamed.

He burst out laughing, “No. One thousand dollars a week.”

If I would have taken a sip out of my cup, I’m sure I would have spewed it everywhere. “Thank you so much, sir!”

“Now here is a starting one thousand dollars,” he said giving me an envelope,” I believe that you need to go tell your wife some news. And be at work tomorrow at eight o’clock at the location I told you.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” I gratefully told him as I shook his hand and scurried out of the restaurant. I quickly hailed a taxi to where my wife was. Getting in the cab, I thought of how to break it to her. Making up my mind, I settled on one phrase, “No more counting dollars. We’ll be counting stars.”