The Beast of Stornoway

Chapter 4: Amani

"It has got to be a scam. There's no way this is real." Amani's mother laughed at her apparent stupidity.

"Mama, I don't know. I think it's for real!" she cried, following her mother around the house. Amani had been trying to explain the position to her and she even showed her the job post on LinkedIn, but her mother wasn't having any of it.

She smirked. "Okay, so have you got the email yet with the information?"

Amani sighed and shook her head, "No," she whispered. It had been a few hours since she was told she got the personal assistant position, but she hadn't received anything. Maybe her mother was right, maybe it was a scam?

"Girl, you quit your job for this?! It's not real! When you gonna get it through yo' thick head that people like us don't get breaks like this? I can guarantee you that email is not gonna come. You better call Mr. Wilson and apologize and get your job back."

"I'm not going back to work for those racist people, mama! I'll find another job." She backed away from her mother before she could swat at her for talking back to her.

"Girl, you betta get out of my face with that attitude," her mother growled and pointed to the stairs. "Go. Go find yourself a better job than that one with your fancy degree!"

Amani turned away from her with tears running down her cheeks. She wished for once her mother wouldn't throw her degree in her face. She worked so hard for it. She knew it was basically a piece of worthless paper now, but she was still proud of her accomplishment. Her father would've been proud of her if he'd been alive.

She dragged herself up the stairs to her room and lay on her bed. Her father was always telling her to follow her dream and follow her heart. It was too bad he'd passed away and her mother had lost any interest in being supportive of her. She cared more for her brothers and she chained her to this house because she claimed to need Amani's help. Her mother looked at her like a paycheck most of the time, but Amani would do anything to make sure her brothers were taken care of. She looked at her phone again and refreshed her email. There was nothing new. She sighed and dialed her best friend's number.

"What up girl, how'd it go at the Wilson's?" Jade asked.

"I quit. She called me a slave and I quit."

"Ohhh shit. Did you tell Miss Lackey?"

"No, I left before I saw her. But I called about this other job I saw on LinkedIn. It's a personal assistant and they pay to relocate."

"Relocate. Where?"

"Scotland."

"What?! No way. What did they say when you called?"

"Well, the person I spoke to, Benjamin Auld, said I could have the job."

"No shit, is this for real? How much are they payin?"

"5,000 pounds a month, that's about 6,500 dollars, and I don't have to pay for a place to stay, food, or transportation. So it's basically spending money and I just have to do the errands for the old man of the house."

"Amani, this is like your dream. You've always wanted to go to Scotland, girl. You're going to take it, right?"

"Well, yeah, I said yes. But my mom made me think it was a scam and now I don't know." She sighed.

"Miss Blake has always been so negative. Look, if you feel in your heart that it's real, then you need to believe in that."

"Thanks, Jade."

"Man, am I gonna miss you," she said as sadness laced her words.

Amani laughed. "I'll pay for you to come visit me."