SEPARATED

EIGHTEEN

JACOB:

When you break a girl's heart, and that girl is like Sarah, trust me; you're the one who ends up more broken. Sarah's sorrow is contagious and I felt terrible knowing I was the source. It was hard for me to be around her. And even when I wasn't with her- when I was at work at the restaurant- my mind would stray back to her and share in her heartache and sorrow.

Therefore my performance at work was greatly affected. And my boss didn't tolerate slip ups, though for some reason she had been very lenient with me. But I knew she too had her limits. And I could tell I wasn't far from them.

"I said no sugar boy" the old man complained placing the cup of coffee back on the table.

"I'm very sorry sir. Please, allow me to get you another cup" I apologised.

"No! I have had it with this place! First, it takes you a century to get me my coffee. And then you can't even make it right. I knew these new places were no good" he announced matching out of the restaurant.

That was my third slip up all in the same morning. And my boss had seen it all. She called me. I knew the moment had finally arrived, I hadn't an excuse and I was ready to be fired.

"Jacob, what will it take to make you understand that your incompetence will not drive this business forward?" As she spoke, I realised for the first time that she resembled very much someone I'd seen before but couldn't quite recall. "Jacob are you listening!?" she demanded waking me from my thoughts. I nodded. She continued; "listen, this is your very last warning. One more slip up and you're fired."

This was the fifth such warning I had received. So I had begun to take them less seriously. And I'd begun to believe that there was a good reason I was being favoured over the others. She had had plenty of opportunities to release me, but she hadn't. Even when my face had appeared on the local news as a missing child, she had chosen to keep me around and said nothing to the authorities.

I had learned that one of the waitresses in the restaurant was the boss's daughter. She was actually very fond of me and so I had formulated a theory that she was responsible for the boss's soft spot for me. Either way I didn't like favouritism. Because from the time I had begun to play soccer, I valued very much a level playing field; no advantages.

This was why I countered the boss's daughter's kindness with hostility. Her name was Joan, but most of us called her 'Jo'. She was beautiful and humble; two qualities that don't often go together. She kind of looked like Sarah, only that she was slightly taller and slimmer. She had a fair complexion and beautiful brown eyes.

It was simply impossible to be mean to Jo, and so my hostility towards her barely lasted an hour. She was too kind and friendly.

"Why do you hate me?" she had asked.

"I don't" I told her.

"Then why do you treat me like this?"

"Jo, I'm just tired of your mum favouring me because you..." I didn't finish.

"Because I like you? Maybe I do, but that isn't the reason my mum favours you." And that's when she had explained to me that her mother had a sister and it was this sister that had particular interest in me.

"Why would your Aunt have interest in me? I'm too young to date her and I don't need a sugar mummy."

She giggled, "no silly; maybe she knows you."

And from that moment Jo and I had been really tight. I shared with her my problems, and she shared with me her wisdom. She had a really rational way of looking at life. I liked that she understood my motives very well before proposing solutions. Most of the guys took it that there was something going on between Jo and I. To be honest, I didn't care anymore.

"Jacob!" the boss interrupted my train of thoughts.

"Yes madam?"

"There's a customer seated on the table in the corner, go and take her order."

I did as instructed. "May I please take your order madam." She looked up at me and immediately, I recognised her. "Mum?"

★★★★★

SARAH:

'Those who have nothing to lose have the most to gain. Suicide is an act of cowardice.'

These were the words of my late grandmother. She had died four years ago in a road accident. She had been a strong woman and my role model. She was diabetic but had lived for ten years without treatment which was absolutely miraculous. Her memory lived on in my heart.

I had decided that I wouldn't cry anymore. I had decided that I wouldn't spend the rest of my life in regret for the things that hadn't work out. I knew that I had the power to change my life. I knew that it was only I who could fight for the things I wanted. I knew this was the perfect moment for my new beginning.

Twelve years ago on a graduation stage in front of a multitude of people, I had announced that one day, I would be a novelist. In high school I had written outstanding essays. And now it was time to own up to my word; and what better story to tell than my life story. I believed that I was gonna turn my diary into a top seller. This was my chance, and I wasn't gonna waste it.

But in my heart, I still had Jacob. And every time I saw him, my heart ached for his love. We lived in the same house but ever since he broke my heart, we had been so distant from each other. I just couldn't stand it anymore.

I had decided that; one way or another, I was gonna win Jacob's love. I was a fighter and I wasn't gonna ever give up. Besides; my story had to have a happy ending.

★★★★★