Reaching Absolute

Chapter Four

Adria and I walked back to the bus stop just like the way we came. I let my guard down, not thinking any horrendous creature would jump out at me. I began to trust her, which was weird because I barely knew her, yet she seemed so familiar. Just when I was about to ask her a question Adria spoke. 

So what’s your job like?” she asked bluntly, twisting her head up in my direction.

Taken off guard by her question I respond with my exact emotions. “I basically run errands for this arrogant asshole, who thinks he owns me, which he may be my boss, but sometimes the way he treats me and others around me is unacceptable.” 

“Seriously, why are you in a job like that? Aren’t you miserable? You should report him to Corporate or something.” Adria looked concerned. Her eyes spoke as if she really cared about my job. I couldn’t place my finger on it, but there was something very different about her. 

“Of course I want to, but I can’t. You just don’t get the dream job you want. You have to work your way up a ladder of supervisors. For me, working for my boss, Charlie, will help me become a hard cutting journalist.” 

“I think you should go tell your boss off. Why have a job that you’re unhappy in? Find a job where you can thrive and work your way up. You can’t be doing a good job if you’re not enjoying it.” I wished the world was that easy, just from the click of a button on a cursor, on click to change jobs. But if the world worked like that then it would be in chaos. 

The bus came around the corner, wheels squealing, coming to a slow stop at the curb where it had dropped us off at the beginning of the night. The wind blew lightly, gracing my shoulders and making me wrap my arms tightly around my body. We waited for a few other people to board onto the bus, like in a fashionable line, then we stepped on the bus to finally go home.

When we found seats at the back end of the bus and settled ourselves comfortably, I said sly to Adria, “well the adult world isn’t like that,” I tired to hide my dry sarcasm. A girl her age wouldn’t understand the complications to getting a job and remaining at said job. One can’t simple get their dream job. The world didn’t work that way. It had a system and no common, middle class, well-educated person could get around that system. 

“Well it should be.” Adria crossed her arms over her chest, as if she wouldn’t undo her arms until something was done about the  awful system. She was a determined little thing. She didn’t seem to budge or accept anything without truly trying it firsthand. 

Silence then filled in-between us because I didn’t know what to say to her comment. I completely agreed with, her but there was honestly nothing to be done about it. It was the way of life. 

My mind quickly shifted gears, and it was time to question Adria. “Why did you ask me to come with you?” This question hadn’t come to my mind until that moment when I was trying to think of something to say. I didn’t think about why I help feed the hungry, I just did it because it felt right. I ignored any instinct to walk away because Adria didn’t feel dangerous. I had no inkling to any harm that would come to me or to anyone around me. I was completely contempt.  

"I thought you needed to see people who were worse off than you and they loved their lives. You just have to be open to all possibilities,” she responded with confidence. “A lot of people I meet don’t understand how lucky they are to have a home, a job, and food on the table. Sometimes seeing how other people live is a way to open someone’s eyes. Did it work?”

“I mean I appreciate my life. I have a roof over my head and food on the table most of the time like you said, but I do wish my life was a little better. I’m not filthy rich otherwise I wouldn’t be working where I am. I could take my career to the next leave. But you’re actually right. I probably do take for granted what I have. I wasn’t spoiled when I was younger, but my family was well-off. But being on my own is hard. It’s a completely different ball game compared to college, where you had a safety net to catch you if you failed. I just want to live a better life.” I realized I had gone on for a tangent and was spewing out information like a robot on automatic to respond in long winded answers. But Adria didn’t think anything of it. 

 “Well then it is your job to do that. Only you can control your own life. I know I may seem young because I am, but I’ve seen a lot in my day growing up. Things that showed the reality of the world and how unhappy people can be. I don’t want to live my life that way. So I tell myself to remain positive and better times are ahead even if it doesn’t seem like it. And being independent is hard. Hell sometimes I want to cry and quit, but I can’t. You spent the beginning of your life coddled and cared for by your parents, but the rest of your life you’re independent. Society knows you can succeed otherwise the system wouldn’t work like that. Sometimes the system fails, but in this case it works pretty damn well.” Adria grinned and turned her attention to outside the window. 

In that moment, I realized Adria was going to change my life. She spoke so eloquently and barely. She spoke her mind and didn’t hold back on the truth. She just said what everyone was thinking. Originally those types of people bothered me to no end. In high school, the school genius had no filter and spit out whatever crud comment he had to say. He didn’t choose his words wisely, despite being a genius. Adria on the other hand chose her words precisely to convey this compelling message. This was something I would come to find out.