GuiTara (RE-WRITING)

🎵~6

Under the Spanish headline was a picture of yesterday's accident: me, trying to clean his lady friend's shoes. She, screaming her brains out, and Declan being taken care of by his bodyguards. There was even a small insert of spilt soup and broken china pieces. What also followed was a five-paragraph report split into two columns, filling the rest of the page. I spotted my name six times, blending with the numerous Spanish words. Pam's name was in it too.

If this was in the newspapers, there was no doubt that other pictures would be trending on social media, including videos. Curse the internet! The paper turned into a crumpled mess in my fist.

"I can't believe this!" Pam fumed. "It took me six months to build a good reputation for this restaurant, and you just tainted it within twenty-four hours!"

"I've apologized a hundred times and am doing it again." I turned around in my chair to face her with my most sorrowful expression. "I am so sorry, Pam, and I swear it won't happen again."

I waited for an "apology accepted." But after two minutes of utter silence in the kitchen, I knew it wasn't coming. Pam still glared at me like she wanted to punch me in the face. I sighed, turning back to my orange juice.

"You're right," Pam said a minute later, words coated with bitterness. "It won't happen again. Do you know why?"

She gave me a little pat on the back when I didn't answer. "Cuz you're fired."

"Really, Pam? Come on," Nando started. "She's yo-"

"Sister or not, she's still fired!" Pam growled.

The word kept ringing in my head. 

Fired. 

I'd heard that word before, but I'd never expected it to come from my very own sister, let alone after my first day at work! She was firing me because of an accident. Something I never planned to happen. I pushed myself up, chair scraping against the tiled floor, and followed her to the living room.

"You can't fire me!" I yelled. "It was an accident! You're acting as if I planned the whole damn thing. You can't avoid accidents! They just happen!"

Pam dumped her handbag on the couch with more force than necessary. "This accident could've been avoided if you weren't so clumsy and tied your fucking shoelaces!"

"Pam!" Her husband yelled from the kitchen archway. "Mind your-"

"Stay out of this, Nando!" She warned before letting her eyes flicker back to me. "Frankly, I'm not surprised. I'm not surprised at all! I knew you'd mess up, Tara. You always mess up! But I didn't expect it to be so soon." She moved around the centre table. "You're a walking disaster, just waiting for the right moment to explode and wreak havoc." Now she stood right in front of me. "That's why no one will hire you."

I was seething. Pam's words ticked off the anger dwelling inside me, and I pushed her so hard that it caught her by surprise when she landed on the carpeted floor. She wasn't being fair. She was being a bitch.

Before I could pounce on her, Nando's thick arms locked around my waist, drawing me back. "Tara," he grunted. "Calm down."

"No! I will not calm down!" I squirmed and kicked in his arms. "Lemme go! She's being an asshole! Put me down!"

He didn't. No matter how much I thrashed in his arms, screamed, and scratched at his police uniform. He carried me all the way upstairs and put me down in my room. "Stay here, and don't come out." He headed towards the door, and I followed. 

"I mean it, Tara!" The stern look he gave me made me stop. Nando rarely lost his temper. He was always cool, calm, and collected. Seeing that look on his face kinda scared me a little. "Lemme sort this out, ok?"

Reluctantly, I nodded, and he shut the door in my face. 

Alone in my room, I turned around, catching a full view of my reflection in the mirror. My frown deepened. I was still dressed in the restaurant's uniform shirt and didn't hesitate to rip it off my body. The buttons popped away as I tore the white fabric into pieces, dumped it on the floor, and stomped on it several times.

Breathing heavily, my eyes landed on the black guitar case leaning against the antique wardrobe. A sigh left my lips. Because of work and everything, I'd forgotten all about it. Quickly, I changed into a stripped blouse, grabbed my guitar, songbook, and purse, and exited the room.

As I descended the stairs, I heard voices from the kitchen, mostly Pam shouting her head off. I ignored it, yanked the front door open, and slammed it shut behind me.

*****
Question😊

Imagine Originally Afro-Mex was your restaurant and you worked your butt off for six months (half a year) to earn a good reputation then your sister comes along with the shoelace accident. Would you fire her or not?
Kindly let me know your answer and reason in the comment section.

Thanks for reading🙏and please stay tuned for the next chapter.