Dispatched

Chapter 2

Samantha was thinking about the thoughts she had. The feeling she had before: the truck, the meat…She was going mad. 

She was watching television while her mind was thinking about all the events she had. She felt tired from the dull channels, so she decided to sleep. As she was about to go into her room, until a loud bang stopped her tracks. 

"..." She was now concerned if Charles had problems. This is the first time something happened to her in the apartment. She dismissed her tiredness and wanted to meet him for clarification of the noise. 

She got to the door where Baldi is currently living. She knocked on the wooden door before someone shouted on the other side. "Wait up!" She heard his voice was hoarse before he met the man's green eyes. 

"Good evening, Samantha," he beams a gentle smile at her, but his voice wasn't at its greatest. "So what do you want to meet me for?" She looked at his eyes, he looked exhausted. 

"Nothing special but..." She thought more about what she needed to say, she was not good with words. "I heard something banging through the walls, and it came from you. Are you alright?" She asked and was replied by a sigh from him. 

"Lately, I'm really tired," he put his hands in his pocket, his emerald eyes averted to the ground than her blue ones. "I just threw a pillow to the wall. Sorry, I was in distress." 

She starts to read his body language. His back was hunched a little and his brows furrowed as if he had a bad sleep. 

"You don't need to say sorry, I understand you're tired," she read her watch before she decided to end the conversation. "It's quite late now, thank you for having the time with me." 

He smiles before holding the door as he prepares to close it. "It's really good to have a little talk and share my problems with you. See you tomorrow," he closed the door before the woman sighed and walked back to her apartment. 

The next day, Samantha went to her parents house to see how they were doing. It was no problem everyday to meet her parents if she had time. Her apartment was near their home that is only a few blocks away from her flat. 

"Hey, Mum and Dad! I just want to have breakfast with the two of you," she said to her elderly parents who were at the dining table, eating their breakfast. 

"Why didn't you say that? I didn't prepare you breakfast!" The elderly woman wanted to stand but was stopped by her daughter. Sam insisted she will cook for herself. 

She fried two eggs and bacon and put it on a white plate. She sat between her parents and ate with them in silence. Her mother started to talk to her. "So, how's your new job yesterday?" 

"Nothing really special," she took a bite from her bacon as Mrs. Johnson raised her one brow. "Just be a teacher for the school and also meet new people there. I also have a friend." 

"A new friend huh?" Her father asked. "Is it a male or female?" Her lips made a thin line hearing this question, her father is in protective mode. 

"I met Charles Leonardo," She ate her breakfast and washed all the dishes while talking about them. "He's quite friendly and helped me on my first day." 

She suddenly thought how Charles saved her from the truck and was also his neighbour. "He sounds like a lovely person. You need to go now or you'll be late," Samantha saw the clock and was in a hurry to go to work. 

"Bye you two," she kissed their cheeks and left her parents in their cosy house. Both of them were ready to do their routines while the girl reached the school in time. 

"I see you're not as early as yesterday, Ms. Johnson," she turned to meet her boss, the principal. "Just be earlier than on time, okay?" The woman nodded and started to do her work. 

"Hello," she looked to her left and right, searching for the source of the sound. "Up here," her eyes averted to a woman who looked in her forties with red hair and dark brown eyes. "You're new here." 

"Yeah, but I didn't see you yesterday before," said Samantha with her desk having a lot of books from her students. "What's your name?" Sam smiled at her brightly as the red haired liked her just her warm smile. 

"Heather O'Brien. And yours?" She asked and looked around the office, waiting for Samantha to answer. 

"Samantha Johnson," they shook their hands and talked a little about themselves. The bell rang and it's time for them to teach their students. 

Playtime went home and walked the stairs to her apartment. She never thought it was easy to talk to Heather as if they were instantly best friends. They could talk a lot and they wouldn't even stop their conversation. 

As she reached her door, she saw a parcel on the floor. It was on Charles' doorstep. She picked it up, it looked like this parcel was from an unknown sender. "Weird," she mumbled and was curious why it was not put in the mailbox. 

It is larger than the mailbox, but she felt suspicious that this parcel doesn't have an address. She tried to knock on the door, "Charles, you in there?" She hoped he was in his flat and took this parcel, otherwise she felt uneasy if she left it be. 

The door opened to reveal the man wearing a black shirt with two buttons opened. "Oh, Samantha. You came back really late," he said and saw the parcel with widened eyes. "My parcel, it's here already." 

The woman handed him the package, thinking what she should say to him. "What did you order?" She asked as he looked at the unknown sender who sent this parcel. 

"Nothing in particular that you need to know. Um…" he scratched the back of his neck, looking as if he needed to tell her something. "Since I made extra food because my girlfriend didn't come to my house, why not you join me for dinner?" 

Girlfriend? Samantha thought this man was single because…you know. "Sure, I didn't prepare dinner yet so…thanks," she went into the apartment and saw the place looked so luxurious. She didn't think he could be this rich and afford high class furniture. 

They sat at the table while Samantha waited for the man to return with dinner. She looked at her messages from Heather and read it silently. Charles came from the kitchen, presenting a plate of spaghetti filled with marinara sauce. 

Displayed with meatballs on the noodles and a peppermint on top of it all. "I want to know you more, Samantha," he smiled at her as she was now baffled, unable to think of anything to say.