CHAPTER 8
"Hello?"
"Gran—Grandma!"
"What's going on?!"
"I'll be right back… hold on."
"Taxi!"
After leaving the building, Stella hurried outside, her heart pounding with worry. Her grandmother's voice on the phone had sounded weak and frightened, which made Stella uneasy. Something serious had happened at home.
Without wasting another second, she waved her hand desperately at the busy street.
"Taxi!"
A yellow taxi slowed down and stopped beside her. Stella quickly opened the door and climbed into the back seat.
"Please, can you drive faster? I need to get home," she said anxiously.
The driver nodded and pulled away from the curb.
As the taxi moved through the streets, Stella stared out the window, her mind racing with endless possibilities. Her grandmother rarely sounded that panicked. Something must have gone terribly wrong.
Outside, the weather had suddenly turned strange. Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and the wind blew harshly through the streets, rattling shop signs and scattering dust along the pavement.
Everything felt tense and uncertain.
Stella tightened her grip on her phone, her heart beating faster with every passing minute.
Finally, the taxi pulled into her street.
"Here," the driver said.
Stella quickly paid him and rushed out of the car. She ran toward the small house she shared with her grandmother.
Even before she reached the door, she could hear something strange.
A loud rushing sound.
Like water.
Her eyes widened.
She pushed the door open and hurried inside.
"Grandma!"
"I'm here!" her grandmother called weakly from the kitchen.
Stella ran toward the sound and stopped abruptly at the doorway.
Water was spraying everywhere.
A zinc pipe connected to the water line had burst open, and water was pressing out of it violently, splashing against the walls and flooding the kitchen floor. Pots, cloths, and buckets were scattered around as her grandmother tried to stop the water.
"Grandma, move back!" Stella exclaimed.
Her grandmother looked exhausted and frightened.
"I didn't know what to do," she said nervously. "The pipe suddenly started leaking and then it burst."
Stella quickly rolled up her sleeves and stepped into the cold water spreading across the floor.
"It's okay, Grandma. Don't worry. I'll fix it."
She grabbed a cloth and tried to wrap it tightly around the broken section of the zinc pipe, but the water kept forcing its way out with pressure.
The sound of rushing water filled the small kitchen.
Stella sighed and wiped the water from her face.
"We need to close the main water valve," she said quickly.
Her grandmother nodded and pointed toward the back of the house.
"It's outside."
Stella rushed out through the back door, her shoes splashing through puddles. The wind outside had grown stronger, and the sky looked darker than before.
She finally found the valve and turned it with all her strength.
After a few seconds, the rushing sound inside the house slowly stopped.
Stella returned to the kitchen, breathing heavily.
The floor was completely soaked, but at least the water had stopped.
Her grandmother sat down in a chair, looking relieved.
"I'm so sorry for calling you in such a panic," she said softly.
Stella shook her head and smiled gently.
"No, Grandma. You did the right thing. I'm just glad you're okay."
She grabbed a mop and began cleaning the water from the floor.
Even though the house was a mess, Stella felt a wave of relief wash over her.
For a moment, she had feared something far worse.
But deep down, she couldn't shake the strange feeling from earlier.
The dark sky outside the window still looked restless.
For a moment, the house was quiet.
Then Stella remembered something important.
"Grandma," she said softly.
Her grandmother looked at her.
"Yes?"
Stella smiled slightly.
"My interview… it was accepted."
Her grandmother's eyes widened with surprise.
"Really?"
Stella nodded.
"Yes. They told me that I can start working tomorrow."
Her grandmother's face slowly brightened with pride and relief.
"That's wonderful news, Stella," she said warmly. "I knew you could do it."
Stella felt a small wave of happiness wash over her.
"Things might finally start getting better for us," she said.
Her grandmother gently held her hand.
"I'm proud of you."
Stella looked out the window at the dark sky outside.
Despite the strange weather and the chaos that had just happened, a small feeling of hope began to grow inside her.
Tomorrow would be a new beginning.
Her grandmother squeezed her hand gently.
"So… where will you be working?" she asked.
Stella hesitated for a moment before answering.
"At Nocturne Holdings," she said quietly.," she said quietly.
Her grandmother blinked in surprise.
That big company in the city?"
Stella nodded again.
"Yes. I was surprised too when they called me back. I thought they would never choose someone like me."
Her grandmother shook her head immediately.
"Don't say that. You are smart, hardworking, and kind. Any company would be lucky to have you."
Stella laughed softly.
"I hope so. I'm a little nervous though. Tomorrow is my first day."
"That's normal," her grandmother said. "Everyone feels nervous before something new."
Stella leaned back into the chair and sighed.
"But if this job works out, we can finally fix the house properly. And the restaurant too."
Her grandmother looked around the small house and smiled faintly.
"We've managed for many years already. But seeing you work hard for our future makes me very happy."
Stella squeezed her grandmother's hand.
"I'll take care of you, Grandma. You won't have to worry about anything anymore."
Her grandmother chuckled softly.
"You should take care of yourself too. Don't work too hard."
"I will," Stella replied.
For a few seconds, both of them sat quietly again.
Outside, the wind continued to blow softly, and the night grew darker.
But inside the small house, the feeling was different now.
Hope had quietly taken its place.
And tomorrow, Stella would step into a completely new chapter of her life.