Guns and Numbers

chapter three

AQUA’S POINT OF VIEW
I woke up in the morning and looked at the clock on my bedside table. I looked around my room and sighed. I didn’t have much around. Just a picture of myself at graduation, a vase filled with buckwheat flowers and a few stuffed toys. I don’t have a lot of personal items and it’s a sad fact. My apartment is three bedroomed, two and a half bath, the master bedroom has its own bathroom. An open plan kitchen and dining and a small lounge. It also has a balcony where I love to sit and see the streets and also enjoy a good book. The apartment has that vintage touch to it. The lounge has a brick wall that was not covered and it’s a great touch to the apartment. The brick wall goes well with my white chapped book shelf. It adds to the vintage feel. I also have a pair of antique chairs that are burgundy wood and I put some cream cushions with a burgundy printed pillow. I also have a cream coloured couch with some burgundy and black pillows and a red throw on it. I have a coffee table and TV stand. My dining room consists of cherry wood antique six seater dining table. My kitchen has black cabinets and silver steel cooker, fridge and kettle, also the microwave and toaster as well.
The apartment was a gift and it took me sometime to furnish it but I did and am proud. I love my apartment and I wouldn’t trade it. I got out of bed and went to the bathroom that was mostly white and ivory coloured and it had a tub and a sink with a mirror and cabinet and a toilet. The tub also had a shower on top so I could easily take a shower.
I took a quick shower and applied lotion my body with my pomegranate and vanilla lotion and then wore my undies and a peach coloured dress that was tight around the bust and flared out to my knees with a white jean jacket and my favourite black ballet flats. I paired it up with my only black handbag. I sprayed some perfume and went out of my room. I went to the kitchen and made some toast and cinnamon tea.
‘I need some groceries. Maybe I can work an extra shift at the restaurant for the groceries.’ I said to myself.
I had a great job and it paid great and it helped a great deal but then I made a small mistake and I got fired. I was sued as well. But I made it through as well. Now I work at some fancy restaurant like a waitress and it pays well but I wasted my money on transport during the video shooting. Glad its all over now. Two months of utter hell.
I walked out of my apartment and walked to the bus stop. A few minutes later the bus appeared and I went on. I sat on my usual seat and looked out of the window. My bus stop reached and I went out of the bus and walked to the restaurant. I went straight to the back and I changed into my uniform. The uniform was a black skirt with a black and gold peplum blouse and black 3 inch block stilettos. I fixed my hair into a proper bun. My hair was long and curly but soft. It was an afro.
‘Aqua go and serve table number six. Then attend to table seven.’ Maggie the manager said.
I nodded and went out. I went to table six and there was an elderly woman who looked strict. She was in a light pink dress with bell sleeves and she wore 2 inch heels and she had on some expensive looking pearls and her hair was short. She had on dark red lipstick and some eyeliner. She looked good for her age honestly. Opposite her was a couple. The guy was in a dark blue suit and he looked average. Nothing special. He had dull green eyes, dirty blonde hair and a pointy nose with a chiselled jaw and high cheeks to match. The girl was in brown chiffon blouse and a black pencil skirt and black 6 inch red bottom heels and her hair was let down and her make up was on point and she had a black Chanel handbag.
‘hello welcome to Eleanor’s. what may you like to order?’ I said with a smile
The guy looked at me and smirked.
‘ I would love the Caesar salad as my starter, main dish I would love the grilled salmon with the sauce and all, and a glass of wine.’ The girl said.
‘get me the smoked chicken salad and my main dish I would love the brown rice with the grilled chicken and a glass of wine as well.’ The woman said.
‘the special for me.’ The guy said.
The special consisted of soup, grilled steak and baked potatoes with a greek salad on the side. Apple crumble as dessert.
I wrote it all down.
‘what would you like to drink?’ I asked
‘surprise me.’ He winked. I rolled my eyes. And went and gave the chef the orders and them I went to table seven. There was an elderly man with a woman half his age. I immediately knew that it was a couple because of the woman who kept touching the man.
‘hello, welcome to Eleanor’s what would you to order?’ I asked with a smile.
‘get me the special and a glass of whiskey on the rocks.’ He said.
‘I want the greek salad, smoked salmon with boiled potatoes and a glass of white wine’ she said.
I wrote it all down and gave another chef.
‘please go to the private lounge number 3 and serve the customer, please be careful. He is an important person and don’t mess it all up. Shira just got suspended.’ Maggie said.
I nodded and walked to the private area. I knocked on the door and a gruff come in sounded and I went in.
‘good afternoon, welcome to---‘
‘get me some well-done steak and mashed potatoes and green beans. A glass of red wine preferably pinot noir and some apple pie.’ He said while looking at some papers.
I wrote it all down and went to the chef.
‘you will serve him and wait till he is finished and when he is gone you can resume your job.’ Maggie said.
‘I also need some extra shifts’ I said.
‘you can work the night shifts for the rest of the week.’ She said.
I took the main dish and went to serve him.
I went inside the room and went to where he was seated. He was not in the room so I cleared the papers but I couldn’t help it but look at the papers. I have a masters in finances and numbers are my best friend. The accounting was bad and I kept looking at them and I was so into it that I didn’t hear him come. Next thing I knew a hand was wrapped around my neck and I was pressed against the wall.
‘who sent you?’ he snarled.
‘nobody.’ I choked.
He put pressure on my neck and my mind froze and I was overcome with bad memories and I started panicking. He saw what was happening and he let go. I still couldn’t breathe and I sank to the ground. I started saying the multiplication table backwards from 12 to 10 and slowly I started to breathe and my sight cleared up. I stood up and fixed my hair and uniform. I cleared my throat and went to serve him like nothing happened.
He watched my every move and am sure he was wondering what just happened. Well am not going to back down and call in sick just cause of a panic attack I had and a flashback. No am going to ignore it and when I go home am going to curl up and wish I died when I was younger. Never let strangers see your weakness.
‘your food sir. Don’t worry its not poisoned and I was simply looking at the papers. Your accountant is a big fraud. Those numbers don’t much and there are too many errors.’ I said.
I gave him the plate and fork and knife. He took the knife and fork and had a taste of the food.
‘and how do you know that?’ he asked.
‘Accounting for dummies.’ I simply said with a shrug.
I am not about to lay out my facts to a complete stranger
‘whats your name?’ he asked
‘Marilyn Monroe.’ I said with a sarcastic smile.
‘Sure and am Zeus.’ He said rolling his eyes.
‘now lets all say things that are not insulting as they are revolting.’ I said
‘are you saying me being zeus is disgusting?’ he asked.
‘I believe the term was revolting.’ I smirked
‘well seeing you in this outfit is making my stomach churn.’ He said.
A jab straight to my ego. Its bad enough that I cant face my mirror and Miranda points it out every opportunity she gets. But I wont let him see that he got me. So I smiled.
‘well I do have a strong effect on people. You aint the first so you are not so special either.’ I said
‘do you know who I am?’ he asked
‘am I supposed to?’ I asked with a raised eyebrow.
He let out an exasperated sigh.
‘I thought so too.’ I said. He ate in silence and finished his food. I took the plates and brought the dessert and he ate it in silence and he was looking at the papers.
‘that’s so wrong.’ I muttered.
‘well tell me whats right then’ he said.
‘thought you would never ask.’ I said and sat down. I took all the papers and his laptop and started fixing the errors. It felt good to finally do my passion. He watched me and he also made some calls and answered some messages.
‘done!’ I exclaimed.
‘now you better pray you are right or you might find yourself in ditch in the middle of nowhere.’ He said. I shivered but not because of the threat but what the word ‘ditch’ carried in my mind. The word brought out a bad memory but I wasn’t about to sit and wallow in my sorrows.
‘yah yah yah whatever. You done eating? Cause I need to go do my job.’ I said.
‘you can go.’ He said.
I took the plates and went out of the room. I left the plates at the kitchen and went on with the job. I received a text from Paige that she needed me to teach a class of kids. I have never been given such a task before and dancing is an outlet for me ever since I got fired from my job.
Since tomorrow I don’t come into the restaurant in the morning hours and I only need to be here for the night shift, I can successfully go and teach the kids.
I can dance ballet, salsa, hip pop or urban in other words. Am flexible but people don’t know that and I would love to keep it that way.
The night shift started and my feet were killing me because of standing too long and I knew I had to take some meds if I wanted to wake up tomorrow.

Teaching kids how to dance is fun and also tiresome as well as infuriating. But all in all I had fun and got some extra cash. As of now am heading to the mall to get a few stuff. Some groceries, a new phone and some shoes. I have worn out my flats.
Am in dark blue and white long short sleeved maxi dress it had a slit till my knees and I paired it up with my only pair of sandals. I carried my brown beach bag and walked around the shops. I have gotten my groceries to last me for a few weeks and a phone, I now have a black Samsung C7 and two pairs of flat shoes, one pair of sneakers and one pair of block heel boots. Am proud of myself. I got into the bus and soon enough I reached home and I put away my stuff. I unpacked my groceries and put them in their spots and also I put the shoes in my closet.