Facade

THREE: HIS FAVOURITES

Kania couldn't get herself to sleep. She had so many things going on on her head.

When she was finally back in her small apartment, she instantly laid down on her worn-out bed. She wanted to sleep away all of her problems to welcome tomorrow. But she couldn't.

Kania felt like crying. But she knew that it would be pointless. She didn't know what would she do if she was fired. Alicia was on the verge of bankruptcy, her husband was in massive debt. Maybe Kania could apply for another employer or return to her old profession as a barista. But she loved Daisy too much that it'd be hurt to leave her.

She couldn't help but recalled Gerald's expression when he was mad. It was hurt to know that she had offended and hurt him.

Every time she remembered him, she felt so guilty for jeopardizing their small bond. She longed his friendship and she didn't know why.

She closed her eyes. She needed strength for tomorrow's event.

***

The weekend felt so long and Kania couldn't focus fully when she was at the workshop.

Now she was standing right in front of Sawyers' residential front gate. She stood there for several moments until one of the security guards noticed her standing there.

He opened the gate and approached her. "Miss Bloom. Are you coming in?"

She immediately sobered up. "Yes, sorry Mr. Waltz."

The man smiled. "Smile Miss. It's a good day to be gloomy."

Kania chuckled softly. "Thank you, Mr. Waltz."

She didn't receive any news from Mr. Sawyers, so she figured to find out what would happen to her today. She dreaded the idea of being fired. But whatever happens, happens. So she could only suck it up.

The house was quiet as usual. She settled in and found Frida in the kitchen. Frida noticed her immediately.

"Hey, darling."

"Frida, do you think I'm going to be fired?"

Frida stopped from her cleaning to look at her confused. "What do you mean by that, dear? Why do you think you're getting fired?"

With a pouting face, Kania explained her situation three nights ago. Frida approached her little figure and caressed her cheek slowly. "Oh honey, I don't think you'll get fired. Mr. Sawyers is the most rational man I know, so he wouldn't simply fire you just because of one miscommunication. He-"

"No, Frida. I was lost in my thoughts because I think too much. I had so much in my mind lately. I was being unprofessional, I wasn't fast enough to think, I didn't consider my position that I had no right to-"

"Aw, honey." Frida hugged her small shoulders. "It's okay, Kania. Do you want to talk about it?"

Frida ushered her to sit down on one of the barstools. She sat beside her while holding her hand.

Kania sighed. "My-my good friend, Alicia, she was my employer back then when I was working at the daycare. She contributed so much to my life. I don't think I could survive back then as a teen without her help. Her husband has loans from the bank, and the daycare was the collateral. So now they're trying to pay the loans before the daycare got confiscated. I feel so bad about her, I tried to lend her some from my saving but she refused. Of course, it is still nothing. But, she's running out of money to support the daycare that I'm afraid it'll eventually closed."

Frida hugged her again, this time tighter.

"And also, my mum-my guardian from the orphanage I was raised, she's very ill. And the kids said that the one who will replace her is this 'suspicious creepy man' who seemed to be manipulating the book of the orphanage. Many donations didn't reach the needs of the kids. Mum is unable to work and do anything as she had been bed resting and barely can do anything for the past month."