Her Hope

Chapter 2

The sound of the whirling school buses, that always act as my morning alarm, managed to wake me up from the sleep that I desperately need, yet I can't seem to get. My eyes fluttered open only to be met by the glaring rays of sunlight making me wish that I chose a different sleeping spot, but as I said before, we don't always get what we wish for, right?

I started to force my slightly disoriented mind to focus and wake up so that I could get out of this alley before the cinema opens and before someone sees me here. Besides, I have an extremely long day that consists of job hunting ahead of me. I picked up my clothes which have dried overnight and packed them into the worn out bag then I tried to tame my extremely frizzy hair and straighten my wrinkled clothes, for no one would hire a crazy looking girl now, would they?

Making my way out of the alley, I start searching my pockets for any change to buy food to fill my constantly rumbling stomach, and thankfully, I come up with a few loose coins that will definitely be useful in buying a can of tuna along with a loaf of bread. I know it's not exactly the ideal breakfast, but I will divide that can and bread between all three meals until I manage to scrap any money to buy the next day's meal.

After buying my food for the day, I begin eating while sitting down on the side of the street and making a mental list of all the places hiring that I could apply in. Would the older couple that run a restaurant  nearby hire me? Well, I could always try them. Next, I will apply in the tiny clothes store, The Heaven, I bet they would accept me as they're always short on staff. Or, I could apply as a receptionist in the clinic nearby, but I bet they wouldn't hire someone who never made it to college. 

College, the place I've always dreamed of going to, and the only place that could give me a chance in having a good life instead of living in the streets and eating minimal amounts of food everyday. Maybe one day I'll be able to save up enough money and become the doctor I've always dreamed of being.

I eat my 'breakfast' then gather up my belongings and stand up to start the busy day ahead of me. As I walk through the streets to reach the restaurant, I start thinking of any place that I could maybe rent if I get a job today, for I can't continue testing my luck and sleeping behind the cinema if I don't want to get caught. I should probably try looking for a room in a shared apartment even if I hate the idea of sharing my living space, but it will be cheaper, and I've been sharing my space for the past 18 years, so what's one more year?

But, I have to manage another month on the streets before I get a salary to rent a place. This makes me think back to the slightly better days when I had a roof over my head in the orphanage making me start to process the fact that the orphanage kicked me out a week ago on my eighteenth birthday knowing I had no job and no place to go to, but I guess I was no longer their burden.

After finally reaching the restaurant, I stand outside for a few moments trying to empty my mind of all those negative thoughts while simultaneously tidying up my clothes and taming my curly hair a little bit. Entering the restaurant, I start smelling a variety of extremely mouthwatering smells as I make my way to the cashier while wishing I could buy lunch from here for once in my life. Approaching the cashier and I'm immediately faced with a girl, who could be no older than sixteen, wearing a huge smile that looks genuine as if the girl is enjoying every second of working in this restaurant.

"Hello, what can I get you today?" The girl says cheerily while preparing the paper that she would supposedly write my order in.

"I would like to apply for the vacant waitress spot that you have, please." I would never say please in a sentence, but I figured that being polite could earn me points that could help me in getting the job.

"Oh, I would really love having someone else to work here with me. It gets really busy here sometimes and having to handle all of this alone is really difficult because I still have to go to school and finish my homework, but you should know that working here is truly entertaining and amazing, and we get a free meal of our choosing a day, can you believe it? The food here is so delicious. Anyways, I'm rambling, so I'll just go and call Mr Smith to interview you," and she suddenly left before I could utter one single word back.

Wow, this girl can really talk a lot in a short amount of time. However, my mind goes to the getting a free meal a day part, that would literally be heaven on earth and with this thought on my mind, I decide that I will do my best and be on my best behavior to get this job, for it would really benefit me.

I guess I shouldn't get my hopes too high; however, I can't help but think that getting this job would really change my life, as I would save the cost of two meals per day if the meal I get is as big as the ones I'm seeing on the customers' tables and I wouldn't have to buy lunch or dinner. And, after hopefully finding a room to rent, I could open a bank account and put in all the extra money that could one day be my ticket to my dream of going to college to become a doctor and save the live of people who can't afford getting the medical services they should get.

The back door finally opens with a creak drawing me out of my thoughts, and I see the girl coming out along with an old guy who I suppose is Mr Smith. Crossing my fingers, I plaster on a fake smile and prepare myself to try and get the opportunity that would definitely turn my life one eighty degrees to the better.