Derek is a young man from Miami who, although he began studying accounting with big dreams of working in one of the most prestigious firms in the city, his life takes an unexpected turn. After being rejected by the most famous accounting firm in Mia...
The alarm goes off at 7 a.m., and the radio immediately turns on. As I open my eyes, I hear a bit of news: they say Kevin Marín is going on tour because his latest books have been a success and he's been an advocate for the LGBTQ community. Then I hear it's 7:01 in Miami.
About 15 minutes later, my mom, as always, pushes the door open.
"Derek, you're going to be late for your interview," she says.
I'm already ready, dressed in my suit as if I were a lawyer. My mom looks at me proudly and adjusts my tie.
Well, my name is Derek. I'm 22 years old, an accountant, and I'm looking for a job. I look in the mirror and see a young man with brown hair and emerald green eyes. I'm wearing a black suit and tie, and I give myself a confident smile, even though I feel a bit foolish, talking to myself in the mirror.
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I leave with my application in hand and a pen in the pocket of my shirt. It's four blocks to walk, but I decide to take the bus. It's really hot on the streets of Miami, so I get on the bus, which is right in front of my house. I pay 2 dollars and 25 cents. The bus is nearly empty, and the air conditioning is working well. When I reach my stop, I ring the bell and get off. Sometimes, I feel a bit lazy.
Afterward, I shake out my suit and run my hand through my hair to fix it a bit. I walk into a nice office, and the secretary looks at me.
"Good afternoon, do you have an appointment or interview?" she asks with a serious face.
"Good afternoon, I have an appointment for an interview," I reply.
"Perfect, your full name?" she says.
"My name is Derek Esmeralda," I reply.
"Perfect," she says.
Then she stands up from her desk and says, "I'll accompany you to the elevator."
She presses the button for the 9th floor and tells me, "It's there, then."
I wave goodbye, and she closes the elevator door. I go up to the ninth floor. When I arrive, several people look at me while they continue their work.
"It's there, then."
I wave goodbye, and she closes the elevator door. I go up to the ninth floor. When I arrive, several people look at me while they continue working on their computers. A guy who was serving coffee spills some, and I help him by looking for a napkin.
"Thanks, my name's Leonardo," he says.
"Hi, I'm Derek, I'm here for an interview," I reply.
"Nice to meet you. Keep going straight down this hall, and you'll find the office," he tells me.
"Thanks," I say.
I keep walking, and with each step, my nerves grow. The door is open, I enter, and I see a man with a stressed expression, surrounded by papers on his desk.
"Hello, I'm here for an interview," I say.
"Hello, tell me, how many years of experience do you have with taxes?" he asks, curious.
"Well, in college, I got a B, but I don't have much experience," I reply.
"Okay, thank you for coming, but we're looking for people with more experience," he says.
I leave the office. When I'm about to take the elevator, Leonardo calls out to me.
I keep walking, and with each step, my nerves grow. The door is open, I enter, and I see a man with a stressed expression, surrounded by papers on his desk.
"Hello, I'm here for an interview," I say.
"Hello, tell me, how many years of experience do you have with taxes?" he asks, curious.
"Well, in college, I got a B, but I don't have much experience," I reply.
"Okay, thank you for taking the time to come, but we're looking for people with more experience," he says.
I leave the office. When I'm about to take the elevator, Leonardo tells me he's also looking for a job. He mentions that six blocks away, they are hiring at the cinema. I thank him for the information, then go downstairs and notice that the secretary is no longer there. I step outside and hear the bustle of the city of Miami, full of tourists. This time, I unbutton my shirt a bit and walk. I arrive at the cinema in Downtown Miami and tell them I'm here to apply for a job. A couple of really friendly guys take me to the office.
"Hello, my name is Sofia, I'm from Human Resources. Do you have experience working at the cinema?" she asks excitedly.
"No, but I know about accounting," I reply.
"Perfect, kid. You'll clean the movie theaters and sell popcorn."
"The salary is 18 dollars an hour," she tells me.
She tells me I start tomorrow.
I leave feeling happy; it's not the job I expected, but it's a job.
When I get home, my mom is waiting for me with my friends and a cake, congratulating me. They thought I was going to be hired by a big company as an accountant. I just smile and realize that, although I didn't get the job I wanted, I've made a change in my life.
I told them that I was accepted at a cinema, and they were happy for me. We ate cake and soda, and then we went to sleep.
Once again, the alarm went off, and the radio turned on. It's a gift I got when I was 8 years old. Santa brought me a clock-radio, and when the hour strikes and the radio starts, it's a bit funny. I get ready in my cinema uniform and leave. I make some cereal with milk and then wash the dishes. Mom was doing laundry. Thanks to the Creator of the world, we have a laundry room in the basement of the house. Then, I left, waited for the bus, which dropped me off downtown. I walked a bit and arrived at the cinema.
We cleaned and organized everything. I worked with Luis and Luisa, who are siblings. After that, people started arriving, and I began to struggle with the popcorn machine. The kids had fun while everyone helped me cover the popcorn pot. It was crazy, but everything was resolved. I was a bit exhausted, but it was a good day. It's not the life I planned, but oh well... After finishing my shift, I went home tired.
