I STOOD TO THE SIDE patiently as the movers carried everything I owned into the small house. The small boxes piled in the living room and I dreaded the thought of having to unpack each and every one alone. Moving to Seattle seemed like the perfect idea at the time. I was able to get away from everything and everyone. I was able to have a fresh start. It did not matter that I was miles away from my previous home. I could care less about where I lived before. Seattle was new to me and I knew things would be different now. My heart raced at the thought of a new beginning. It excited me.
I was free.
I could finally live the life I wanted to live without someone constantly leaning over my shoulder. No one could tell me what to do because I had no one to tell me what to do. They were all back in Portland where they belonged. I was glad they decided to stay there and not come with me to Seattle. That was the absolute last thing I wanted. In fact, I wanted to experience what life would be like if I stayed by myself for a little while.
One of the movers dropped the box he was holding and I heard something shatter. My eyes widened at the sound and I looked at the man. He did not seem the slightest bit worried about what he broke, though. Instead, he plainly shrugged his shoulders, kicked the box to the side, and moved on. My lips parted and it took everything in me not to yell at him. How could someone be so harsh to someone else's belongings? I swallowed my harsh words and made my way to the box, rolling my eyes. I carefully took the tape off of the box and opened it slowly, scared to see what had shattered.
Glass covered the bottom of the box and my heart sank into my stomach. I put my hand into the box and pulled out the broken photo frame. The photo was of my mother, brother and I and the sight of the photo made my chest ache. I moved it to the side and made sure nothing else in the box was broken. I pulled my other photo frames out of the box, sitting them facing downward on the floor. As much as it pained me to look at them, I just could not leave them behind. I moved my hair away from my face and placed my hands on my knees, taking a deep breath. Living on my own without knowing anyone was going to be hard but perhaps that was what I wanted. I loved my family with all of my heart, but perhaps I needed this.
The movers brought in my sofa and I informed them on where to put it. They practically dropped it in the living room and kept moving to bring in my other belongings. I decided to start unpacking and if the movers had any questions, they could find me and ask me what they needed to know. I found the box containing my kitchen stuff and I moved it to where the kitchen was. It was a small kitchen but I did not mind. I would probably eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner for the most part. I was not much of a cook and the size of the kitchen could tell anyone that.
Just as I started putting the plates where they belonged, my phone started ringing. My heart nearly jumped right out of my chest and I put the device to my ear, answering it without checking to see who it was.
"Hello?"
"Gw—"
"Sydney," I immediately corrected her.
"Sydney!" my mother shouted into the phone, immediately giving me a slight headache.
"Yes, Mother?" I sighed, cradling the phone between my ear and shoulder as I went back to putting my dishes away.
"You were supposed to call me as soon as you arrived at the airport! What happened? How is everything? Is Seattle treating you all right? Are you homesick, yet?"
"I haven't had much time to explore." I explained. "As soon as I got off the plane, I had to make sure everything was in order and I had to go pick up my car. Then I had to meet the movers and they had to follow me back to the house. They're unloading the stuff now. And no, Mother, I'm not homesick and I don't think I will be."
"How much are the movers going to charge you?"
"Not much," I finished putting up my dishes and kicked the empty box to the side. "They broke one of my photo frames so I'm going to talk them into lowering the price a bit. Not by much, though."
"I told you not to go with those specific movers. What if they don't lower the price, Gwen? Now, did I or did I not tell you to go with the other movers?"
"Sydney," I rolled my eyes.
"What?"
"Mother," I was holding onto the phone now. "Did you call to give me the 'I Told You So' speech or did you actually want to have a decent conversation with me?"
"Right," she sounded somewhat distracted. "Is the house okay?"
"It's all right for now."
"Well, your brother and I will have to come visit you sometime soon and have a look at it for ourselves. It'll be good to see you, love."
"I haven't even been gone for a full day." I pointed out. "And I don't think it would be possible for you guys to come. I'd rather you not come at all, actually. It would be much better that way."
"We're your family. We should be able to see you whenever we want."
"Mother," I exhaled slowly. My hand holding onto the phone felt sweaty. "I'm just trying to create a new life where everyone is safe, a new start to the finish line."
"Oh, honey—"
"Please don't," I begged. I hated it when she got sympathetic on the phone.
"Well, I still think your brother and I should come visit you. You're miles away from home and if you're not safe there, you're not safe anywhere. We could go out to lunch and it would be marvelous. Think about it."
"I love you but I have to go. I still have a lot of unpacking to do."
"Okay, but honey, listen to me for a second. I don't believe you quite understand what I'm trying—"
"I really have to go."
"Just...Just be safe out there, all right? I don't like you being out there with no one to help you if something happens. And don't give anyone your number, just in case. I wouldn't trust a single soul if I were you. Be a smart young lady. I love you."
I did not answer her. I hung up the phone and sat it down on the kitchen table. Why would she tell me that? She knew exactly why I left Portland. I left to keep my family safe as well as myself. So, why would she tell me to be safe knowing I was in Seattle just to do that? I ran a tired hand down my face and watched the movers bring in bits and pieces of my queen sized bed. I was also paying them to put my bed together and I wondered when they were going to do so. Were they going to do it now or wait until they had everything inside?
I stepped away from the kitchen and placed my hands on my hips, deciding on if I should unpack my clothes next or not. I decided against it and sat down on the sofa, bringing my knees up to my chest. A part of me was still in shock that I had made it this far. I did not think I was going to make it out alive; yet, here I was acting as if everything was okay. I chewed on my bottom lip and sat my chin on top of my knees. Everything was going to be all right. It was not there, yet, but it was definitely getting there. I had not successfully moved in but I knew Seattle had more to offer than this.
It took the movers an hour and a half to get everything else inside and to put my bed together. They waited for me as I grabbed my purse. It was a very silent process and I moved quickly to get rid of the awkwardness. I started digging through my purse to get their money when I remembered my broken photo frame. I was not going to let them get away with that.
"One of you broke something of mine." I informed them. I even turned around to face them all. I wanted to look stern so they would feel as if they had to listen to me.
"What?" one of the men sounded annoyed.
"I think the price should be lowered because of it."
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Yes," I said, closing my purse. "My photo frame was broken."
"You can get another one for a very low price at the dollar store."
"You're kidding."
I stared at the men in front of me. They broke something of mine and expected me to just go out and buy another one? If someone broke something that belonged to someone else, they should pay for it.
"It's a photo frame. You can buy them almost anywhere."
"There was a very important photo inside of it!"
"Is the photo ruined?"
"Well, no, but—"
"Look lady, give us the money we earned."
"This isn't fair!"
"We don't want to have to call the police to get this situation worked out, do we? I'm sure none of us would want that to happen."
That was the last thing I needed to happen. If the police were called, they would recognize me and all of this would have been for nothing. My lips formed in a thin, straight line and I opened my purse, fishing for their pathetic money. These men were selfish and I wanted them out of my home. I grabbed the money and threw it at them, hoping to make them mad like they had made me feel. The man muttered something under his breath as he and the other movers walked out of the house. I tugged at my hair, groaning with frustration. I made sure the door was locked before going to my room. The bed was in the center of the room and at this point, I did not care. I was too tired to give a damn.
I threw myself onto the mattress and looked up at the ceiling. I was officially moved in and that was one thing checked off of my list. I still had unpacking to do but I was not in such a huge rush to do that right now. Unpacking could wait a few more hours. I was tired and did not feel like doing much at the moment. I rolled over onto my stomach and exhaled slowly. It was my first day here and I already wanted to go back home. I missed my family...my friends...everything. I deepened my frown. I did not even know how long I had before they would find me.
And they would find me.
I knew they would eventually find me. I gnawed at my bottom lip as I was suddenly lost in thought. Would I have a few days? A few weeks? Months? I knew I would not be here for more than a year. They were smart and they would soon enough figure out where I disappeared to. I could pack up my things again in a month or so and move to another state. Unfortunately, that required money I did not have and no one figured out how to make money grow on trees. I could not go back home, either. I was stuck here until I could think of something reasonable. I pinched the bridge of my nose and tried to think about something else.
"How is everything? Is Seattle treating you all right?"
I sat up on the mattress and my lips parted. I could go out and explore for a bit to get my mind focused on something new. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that. I got off of the bed and tightened the shoe laces on my sneakers. I pinned my hair up into a ponytail and grabbed my car keys and phone from the kitchen table. My purse was slung over my shoulder and I stepped out into the fresh air, sniffing it all in. I locked the door behind me and stepped off of the porch to get to my vehicle. I unlocked the doors and sat on the driver's seat.
My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly and I looked ahead at the house. I needed to get away for a couple of hours. I started the engine and backed out of the driveway. I looked at the other houses in the neighborhood and sighed. By the looks of it, mine was one of the smallest houses in the neighborhood. The only thing the houses had in common was the perfectly green grass in every yard.
I stopped at the stop sign and turned on my radio to distract myself for a little bit until I found out where I wanted to go. When nothing approached on either side of the road, I put my foot back on the gas pedal and took off. I hummed along to the song on the radio and constantly looked around me to see what choices I had. I passed by a couple of shopping centers and I slowed down when I passed by a small shop. There was a sign in the window and it caught my attention.
'Help Wanted.'
I needed money and in order to get money, I needed a job. I made sure there were not any cars around me before I turned into the parking lot. The lights were on but the place looked deserted on the inside. Where was everyone? I pulled my key out of the ignition and stepped out of my car. I made sure to lock the doors before walking toward the small building. My hand gripped the door handle and I opened the door. The smell was strong and I coughed several times, my eyes watering slightly. I noticed the bottles of herbs everywhere and it dawned on me that this was an herb shop.
Once I walked further inside, I looked around for someone to talk to about the job opening. I did not see anyone and this bothered me. Were they all on break or something? Even if that was the case, someone should have been checking for customers. I was out here alone and I was uncomfortable. I rubbed the back of my neck with one hand and ran my fingers along the herbs with my other.
"Hello?" I called out. "Is anyone here?"
No one answered me and both of my hands fell to my sides. The door to the shop would have not been unlocked if no one was here. Where were they? I walked up to the front counter and found a little bell sitting there. I bit my bottom lip and picked it up, shaking it as hard as I possibly could. Hopefully, someone would hear it and come see what I wanted. I was going to have to talk to someone about not having anyone out on the floor. I had been here for at least five minutes and no one noticed my appearance.
The bell was suddenly snatched out of my hand and it was put back onto the counter. I stared down at the bell and my throat was dry. I was not expecting that to happen. It caught me off guard and I did not even notice the person approach me before they snatched the bell away.
"What?"
My eyes looked up to meet a pair of olive eyes. My lips were suddenly dry at the sight of him. He was much taller than I was with a slight hunch that caused him to bend forward a bit. He was wearing a black top covered with a green work apron. The shirt he was wearing was short-sleeved and his arms were covered with multiple tattoos. His hair was long and brown, almost meeting his shoulders. It was not messy at all. It was in fact neat, the complete opposite of how my hair looked right now.
The man furrowed his brow and that was when I noticed the dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he had not slept in days.
"What?" he repeated, his tone ice cold.
"Um," I looked around, lost for words.
Why was I here again?
He sighed, "I don't have all day. People actually have to work, you know."
"Oh!" I yelped and he crossed his arms across his chest. He did not look the slightest bit interested but I had to talk to someone about the sign in the window. "I'm here to talk about the job opening."
"Job opening? What the fu—" I watched as his eyes laid on the sign in the window and his frown deepened. "We're not hiring."
"But the sign said—"
"We aren't hiring."
"Then why is there a si—"
"We aren't hiring."
I opened my mouth to protest but someone else stepped out. A much shorter woman rubbed her hands on her work apron and moved the loose strands of white hair out of her face. She noticed me standing there and smiled, her wrinkles deepening. The sight of her made me feel warm inside. She was a very beautiful woman and her smile made me want to smile back and wave, possibly.
"Who's this?" she asked.
"No one," the man answered before I even had the chance to respond. "She was just leaving."
"I'm not leaving." I said and he rolled his eyes. "I'm here about the job opening."
"Oh, yes!" the woman laughed. "That sign has been up there for weeks but no one has asked about it. I had to make sure no one knocked it down."
I would not be surprised if the man standing before me knocked it down. He seemed pretty upset when I mentioned the job opening. I did not quite understand.
"I'm interested in working here." I told her and a soft groan escaped the man's lips.
"Wonderful!" she walked around the desk to meet me. "It's actually close to closing time but may I have your number? We'll set up an interview for you."
"M-My number?" I blinked.
"And don't give anyone your number, just in case."
My mother's words repeated over and over in my mind and my palms began to sweat. It would be all right if I gave one person my number, right? It would not be so bad. This was just for a job. I would not give my number to anyone else.
"Yes, dear," the woman responded, handing me a piece of paper and a pen. "Just write your number down on here and I'll give you a call tomorrow." I scribbled my number down on the piece of paper and the woman looked at it for a few seconds before storing it away in the pocket of her jeans. "What's your name, sweetheart?"
"Sydney Evans," I smiled.
The man muttered something under his breath and when I looked at him, he was looking right back at me. I expected him to break our little staring contest but he did not. He continued to stare at me and my heartbeat quickened. I felt so little underneath his stare, so vulnerable. I did not like it.
"Harry, would you be a dear and go make sure everything is in place before locking up?"
He did not say a word as he stormed off to go do what he was told.
"So, you'll call me tomorrow about the interview?"
"There's no need for that," she chuckled.
"Huh?" I was confused.
She placed her hand on my left shoulder, "I can tell you really want this job. You're hired. I'll have Harry send you your schedule through the work phone. I'm expecting to see you tomorrow morning. Have a nice day, Sydney, and thank you for stopping by."
"You're welcome," I said, turning around to exit the building. I slipped back into my car and sank into the seat, taking a deep breath. I officially had a job.
That was another thing checked off of my list.