GuiTara

🎵~12

🎶We're working so damn hard, we forgot what we like ~ AJR

●Tara Afua Henrie●

I didn't even notice I had fallen asleep until I tried adjusting myself on the small couch and landed on the carpeted floor. "Oof!"

My hand latched onto my neck, massaging the crick I had given myself by sleeping in an awkward position. The clock on the wall read 00:33, and my throat felt as parched as a harmattan morning.

Groaning, I picked myself up, brushed sleep off my face, and made my way out of the room. The entire house was asleep. Silence and slim light rays guided me down the stairs and past the living room.

It was only when I reached the kitchen archway that I realized that not everyone was asleep because, seated at the granite island, staring wide-eyed at her laptop, was my older sister.

"Pam?"

Her head shifted in my direction. "Oh... hey, T," she said briefly, then turned back to her computer, clacking away on the keyboard.

The atmosphere suddenly grew tense. "Umm..."

"What are you doing up so late?" She asked, eyes still on the computer.

"Came to get some water." And as I replied, I headed into the kitchen, helping myself to a full glass of the colourless liquid from the dispenser. I stood on the other side of the island, watching as she typed away, ignoring the droopiness her eyes carried. "What are you working on?"

"A new menu for the restaurant," she responded flatly. "I'm trying to get our patronage back up."

Guilt welled up inside me. She was up all night, forcing herself to fix my mistake. "Look, Pam, I-"

"I know you're sorry, T." Her eyes flickered up. "I forgave you a long time ago. Staying mad at you wasn't going to fix anything." She shrugged, adjusting the robe clad around her body.

"Then why weren't you talking to me?" I pulled a stool out and sat on it.

"Because I was upset. And I was also having a hard time accepting that this was all an accident." Pam folded her arms and leaned on the island. "I've invested so much of my and Nando's life savings into this restaurant, and my greatest fear is its collapse. When the whole Declan thing blew up on social media and in the papers, I panicked. I thought I was going to lose it all, and... that's why I fired you."

Silence reigned in the kitchen for a minute.

"I'm sorry." Pam sulked.

"No, don't be." I shook my head. "I totally get it. This is your family business, and you must do whatever it takes to protect it."

"It's not my family business, T." She squeezed my hand a little. "It's our family business. I may have fired you impulsively, but you're still a part of this, the Originally Afro-Mex family."

Hearing those words brought a small smile of gratitude to my lips. "Thanks, Sis. I really appreciate it."

"Don't mention it, sweetie." After giving me a double pat, she let go of my hand to type a few more words on the laptop. "Ok! It's a little after one. I think we should both be hitting the sack."

"Do you think what you've done is enough?"

Uncertainty touched Pam's features as she rubbed her neck. "Eeh...this is the third time I'm making changes to the menu, and I hope it works because I've got nothing else." She let out a dejected sigh. "I just wish there was something huge we could do to pull customers back into the restaurant."