Lilian.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," I gasped as the hot tea slipped from my hands and splashed all over a customer's shirt. My heart pounded in my chest so loudly I could barely hear the man's angry outburst. All I could hear was the voice of my manager in my head saying, "one more screw up and you're fired." I fumbled with the napkin, while trying to calm the man down, but he shoved me off. His voice was harsh and humiliating. "What's going on here?" the manager asked rushing towards the scene, I could see the disappointment in his eyes the moment he saw me. "Your incompetent waiter just spilled tea all over my shirt, how am I supposed to attend my meeting looking like this? Is this the kind of staff you employ here?" I froze in embarrassment, my eyes glued to the ground "I'm really sorry sir" I whispered, hoping an apology would somehow just fix everything. "It won't happen again, "the manager cut in coldly, "because she's now fired." He stressed the fired like as if it was meant to pierce right through me. I fell straight to his feet, tears rolling down my cheeks uncontrollably. "Please sir, don't do this. I have bills to pay, just give me one more chance, I promise it won't happen again." I said in cracked voice. But he only sneered and said "maybe if you were paid for each time, you were clumsy, you'd be able to afford those bills. Make sure you turn in your badge at the reception before leaving." Then he walked back into his office, leaving me broken on the floor. The customer left in disgust, muttering about his ruined shirt and the meeting. But his anger didn't matter anymore as my manager's decision had been made. My hands shook as I unclipped and turned in my badge at the receptionist desk. As I set it down, the receptionist grabbed my hand, looked at me with sympathy. "You don't deserve this, Lilian. Of all the employees here, you've always been the most hardworking." Those words calmed my heart. It even pierced deeper than the manager's cruelty. I hadn't realised that anyone had noticed my hard work, that it meant something to someone. I wiped my tears, sniffled and forced a light smile "what's done is done." I whispered to her and left the restaurant. The place I had given so much to and got nothing but pain and humiliation.
At my apartment door, I ran into my neighbour Mrs Powells. She noticed I was carrying a long face. "Hey Lilian, rough day?" I nodded in response, "would you like to talk about it?" she asked with remorse, but I didn't respond. I was struggling to open my apartment door, which always gives me trouble every time I try. I kicked the door out of frustration, and it finally opened. Mrs Powells was staring at me while I was battling with my door, feeling sorry for me she said, "you should call the landlord to get someone to come check this door out," I sighed and nodded in response then went into my apartment. She was right but knowing the landlord as a cunning man he's going to make me pay for the damages, and right now I just can't afford it. I took off my jacket, jumped straight into my bed and covered myself with the sheets. I was a on the verge crying when my phone rang. It was Maya, my best friend, so I picked it up. She started talking about her date with the new guy she just met, but my silence quickly told her something was wrong. "What's wrong boo?" she asked. Tears rushed down my cheeks "I got fired today." My voice cracked as I began explaining how much effort I put into that job and how I was seriously underpaid for it. "Oh my God bae, I'm so sorry that happened to you. It's so unfair, everyone gets clumsy occasionally," she said in a light tone trying to make me feel better. "Well not me, remember back in high school when everyone called me 'Clumsy Lily', my manager called me the queen of clumsy. He even told me if there was a wall of clumsy, I would be the only person on it." I sniffled while trying to catch my breath. "Well, everyone in middle school except for me, I stood by you then and I'll stand by you now." She said with so much pride. "You know what, how about I pay your old manager a visit?" Maya asked but I was lost in thoughts. I was thinking about what the receptionist said to me while I handed in my badge. "Hello, earth to Lily". Hearing her call me Lily brought me back to reality; she was the only one the only person who calls me that. "What's on your mind girl?" she asked. "You know someone noticed my hard work. The receptionist" I said with a little smile on my face. I felt little comfort every time I thought about those words because for the first time ever someone who I wasn't close to, didn't see me for just being clumsy. "That's a sign that things will get better for you, trust me." Hearing those words from Maya really made me feel better. "I'm really glad you called Maya; you're a good friend". "No, I'm your best friend" she corrected me playfully and we laughed. We had been talking for so long, we lost track of time. "Oh my God, its past midnight, I have an early shift at work tomorrow." Maya said. The line went silent for a while, I guessed she stepped out to do something. I heard her come back in over the phone "Lily I'd really love to stay and talk but I have an early shift tomorrow. Remember, don't let your little slip ups bring you down forever. You need to get back on your feet and keep going." Those words from Maya were soothing to hear. "Goodnight Lily", "goodnight, Maya", I responded softly. As she hung up the phone, the room fell into a heavy silence. I lay in bed watching the curtains sway with the wind until I drifted off to sleep.
I woke up at 6 o'clock to the sound of my alarm beeping so loud. It thought to myself, "what's the point of waking up this early since I don't have a job." I pulled the sheets over my head, hoping to fall asleep again and wake up to find that everything was just a bad dream. I fell asleep, but this time I woke up to the sound of my ringtone. It was Maya. So, I picked it up. "Hello," I said in a cracked voice. "Thank goodness you're awake, I was starting to think you weren't going to wake up." Maya said in a sarcastic tone. I faked a laugh in response to her sarcastic statement. "Did you see the text I sent you this morning?" she asked. "What text?" I asked sitting up on my bed. "The text about the job interview by 10 am. Lily, this is 9:30." Her voice was tight with panic. "What job interview?" I asked in deep confusion. "Read the text Lily and don't worry I already filled out an application for you." She said and hung up the phone. I rushed to check my message inbox to read the text. "There's a job opening at the Sterling Heights Realty, interview's by 10 am, you should check it out. Already filled out the application." I read the text out loud. I looked and the clock and jumped out of my bed in panic. "Oh my God, I'm going to be late." I said rushing to the bathroom to take a shower. It took me about five minutes to shower and get dressed. I had just fifteen minutes left. I packed a few of my documents and dashed out, stopping the first taxi I spotted. "Serling Heights Realty please" I said trying to catch my breath. "That'll be twenty dollars ma'am." The driver said looking at me through the rear-view mirror. "I only have fifteen sir please, I'm going to be late for a job interview I have in the next ten minutes." I said with a pleading look. The driver tooled his eyes in frustration and said "fine." He started the car and drove off. As we got to the driveway of the company, I stretched my hand to hand over the money to the driver. He looked back to get the money and didn't see when a lady was trying to cross to the other side, and he ran into her. He stopped the car immediately and I got down to help the lady out. The taxi driver drove off immediately. "Hey, we should get her to the hospital," I screamed running after him. But I couldn't catch up. I went back to make sure they the lady was okay. "Can somebody help?" I cried out in worry. Soon, people started to gather round, "Call an ambulance," a man shouted from the scene. The ambulance soon arrived and took the lady to the hospital. I felt bad and hoped she would be okay. As everyone cleared out, the man who shouted earlier gave me a puzzled look and asked, "who are you?" "My name is Lilian Reed; I'm here for the job interview." I stuttered with fright. "Could this be the manager?" I thought to myself. "Please sir don't send me away" I said quickly but with a pleading tone. "That's not for me to decide." he said then walked away. "So, he's not the boss," I thought to myself. Without wasting anymore time, I rushed into the company. I told the receptionist that I was here for the interview. "You're late" she said giving me a disgusted look as though there was mud all over me. "Third floor, board room three. And try not to get on the boss's nerve." She said without giving me a chance to explain why I was late. I hurried down to the elevator then up to the third floor. I barged into the room for the interview saying I was here for the Interview. There was a man sitting in the room looking through some files. "You're late, and the interview is over. So, leave." He said as he was gathering some files on the table. "Please sir, I got here about ten minutes ago but there was an accident, that's why I got here this late. Just give me a chance please." I said in a pleading tone. "Well, that doesn't change anything," he said looking up. Just as he looked up, cold shiver went down my spine. He was the same guy who I accidentally spilled tea on last night. "Wait a minute, have we met before?" he asked looking at my face like it was some kind of puzzle he was trying to put together. Before I could answer he cut in, "You're that clumsy waiter from the restaurant who ruined my meeting." My hands were cold, and my throat was dry. I didn't even know what to say. "You think I'd employ someone as clumsy as you?" he said rising to his feet. He went outside to the hallway to talk to a guy. I stood at the doorway, but I couldn't hear what they were saying, but soon they both looked at me and the manager started walking quickly to the room. I stepped back out of fright. He looked pissed, I wasn't sure why, but I guessed it had something to do with the accident in the parking lot. "It's not even half of the day yet and you're already getting on my nerves." He gave a cold stare. The lady who you crashed into happens to be my secretary, Mabel." I sniffled and said, "I'm so sorry sir, it was an accident." "In Sterling Heights Realty, there are no room for mistakes." He said in a cold tone. He paused for a moment to think, while walking around the room, then he continued, "Somone's going to have to pay for her treatment. You're going to do it." He said looking me straight into the eye. "But I don't have a job" I cut in quickly. "Well, you'll take hers." He said with a mischievous smile. "Here's how it will be, you'll work as my secretary for as long as Mabel is away, and a percentage of your salary will be paid in instalments until her hospital bill is fully covered." "But sir, it was an accident." I said sharply but in a soft tone. He walked towards me, sat on table and said, "Well, an accident that left me without a secretary surely deserves some punishment. "If you take the job, you'll be paid eight thousand dollars a month and twenty percent of it will go to Mabel's medical fee. So, you either take it or leave it. But either way, you're going to pay for those bills." The look daring look he gave while he said this, sent shivers down my whole body. "You have until the end of today to think about it and give your answer, you can call this number when you've thought it through." He handed me his company card. "Oh, and don't even think of running away, your address was in one of the applications you submitted online, so don't make me come find you." His cold tone gave me goosebumps. I took the card and left the board room immediately. On my way out, I decided to ask the receptionist about Mabel his secretary. But she gave me that same disgusted look as earlier and said "do I look like some doctor? How am I supposed to know anything about her?" then she gave me a sarcastic look. "How rude," I thought to, myself as I left the company. On my way home, I called Maya to tell her about how my interview went.