Page 11 of The Chef

I was pretty badass.

It’s been the one good thing to happen today. I needed it, getting rejected by the bank has completely crushed my soul, but I haven’t even had time to think about that since I’ve nearly had a heart attack over what I did with Superman and that glass of water.

But still. I was rejected.

Fuck.

I get to think about it now that I’m out of danger. Now that I’m sitting alone in my car everything comes flooding back. The banker. My documents. The way he looked at them dismissively and the way he spoke down to me as he rejected them. It was like he was rejecting me.

All my dreams went out the window. That’s probably why I felt brave enough to chuck that water, I simply had nothing left in me. My dreams were shattered when that banker shook his head and told me no.

Everything I’ve worked for.

No loan.

No money.

How can I start a business now? I have zero money. Nada. Nothing.

I’ll just have to get a job.

Well, you do have that job interview tonight.

Yeah, the job interview. That’s one good thing I’ve got going for me now today. I did apply for a waitressing gig at some restaurant a few days ago thinking I won’t even turn up to the interview because I’ll be able to get the loan from the bank, but now that I don’t have it, I just have to go to the interview.

Back to being a waitress once again? Here goes.

The only thing I’m good at.

RING.

I’m shaken out of my thoughts and back to the real world with the ringing of the school bells.

School day’s over.

I hop out of the car and lean against its rusty frame as I take a glance into the school. The kids will be coming out in a minute. I anxiously wait to see the familiar faces of my niece and nephew come running towards the gate. The other parents wait in their cars beside me. I know a few of them, but I still feel like an outsider having only been in New Water for a few weeks.

And behind me, opposite my niece and nephew’s place, is another school. Poseidon’s Academy. The elite private school of the region. It’s funny having two schools on the same road facing each other. The poor working-class school opposite one of the best schools in the country. One you need to remortgage your house to send your kid to. Poseidon’s Academy has the results though. If you want your kids to do well then send them there.

I wish my own nephew and niece could get the chance to go there. I wish they didn’t have to experience a life like mine, full of temporary waitressing jobs all over the country and crappy cars. I hope neither of them will ever get rejected for a small loan at a bank one day.

I sigh and flick my brown hair back.

Don’t show them how upset you are, Bay, don’t show them how your dreams were crushed today.

I’ve gotta stay strong for these kids, especially with what’s happened with them over the last few months. It’ll be unfair for them to see their aunt break down. They shouldn’t see that my dreams have been utterly destroyed.

Suddenly schoolchildren come streaming out of the school, backpacks and sports bags are everywhere. A flood of children. The air is filled with the sound of little feet running to their parents. I sit up from the car and search the crowd for my niece and nephew.

There they are.

I see Pearl’s little face first. Her little pigtails dancing around as she sprints eagerly towards me, her tiny backpack flying around on her shoulders. She’s so small for her age, six years old, and still a baby. She’s gripping something in her hand, I see it’s a piece of paper.

She looks just like her Mom.

Pearl runs right up to me, wrapping her arms around my waist in a big hug.

“Hello, Pearl,” I say with a chuckle. Despite all the crap I’ve had to deal with today, seeing her makes my heart soar with happiness. She’s so cute.