Chapter 3

Later that day in the morning, September wakes up and yawns as soon as she sees the ray of sun through her window, she gets off the bed to the kitchens where she finds no one and she slowly walks to the man’s room bit he was not there either, then September remembered what the man said he was going to do later today then she decided to do the cleaning for the old man.

Deep down she realized somehow that how she thought that old man was creepy she was wrong. The old man was in misery but appeared creepy, probably how she always was and appeared to be in front of her school mates hence they’d always assume she was creepy.

She also realized that she rather went with the old man out of desperation for help even though he did not look trustworthy, and she also wished that she was rather not judged at school but given a chance to be around with, perhaps those that judged would stop if they gave her a chance.

She cleaned the house for the old man and collected garbage for him.

That evening the old man comes back home to a hot cooked soup and a clean and lively looking home. He still hid a smile on his face when he glances around.

“Uh…I hope you don’t mind” September says.

The man hands her a ticket. September takes it and her faces beams with excitement.

“I know you had to spend your money on this ticket Mr”

“Call me Mike, and I know you had to waste your energy on cleaning my home and cooking when you didn’t have to but…thank you” he interferes.

September smiles a bit before she starts to dish for the both of them.

“I really hope you like it.” She speaks

“Your final stop is the New York subway, you’ll be on the train for at least two days or three I don’t know, you’ll see. But I’ve bought a ticket with the train final stop as your destination, however, you still can choose your destination” he explains to her.

“Thank you, Mike.”

Mike continued to eat the delicious soup without staring at his cleaned home nor September.

“You live alone?” she asks.

“As you can see” he answers.

“The room, that I…slept in…” September was stumbling and biting her words.

“Was…anybody maybe…did…like”

She tried as hard to finish her sentence but Mike answers her before that, because she understood what she wanted to ask.

“Yes. It belonged to my late daughter, Olivia”

September was shocked to hear late daughter.

“I’m sorry about your loss. I can relate”

“Ever lost a wife and a child?”

The man stops eating and looks at her.

“I have lost a family.” She answers politely.

The man did not give any type of emotion.

“Must be hard. You got any relatives to take care of you?” he asks as he continues to eat.

“I got myself”

“That’s not how it works kid, you’re still very young to be looking after yourself and all those I got myself phrases you hear them from the movies this is real life, and you need to have somebody” he explains.

“Unfortunately, my life isn’t a movie Mike, you and I are both the same. We lost our families and we got only ourselves to look after. So, I don’t think it’s fair for you to be judging me for that”

“Who am I to judge? I don’t have a family, but I got home, since you’re leaving where exactly are you going to stay in New York? Under the bridge? You think that’s fair for yourself” he finally focuses on her.

“You’ve helped me, thank you for that and I’m still sorry that you lost your family. There’s nothing I can do at this point I don’t have anybody, and I must pave way for myself Me”

September stands up and walks to her bedroom to sleep early for her trip tomorrow and to avoid Mike.

Mike washes the dishes for the both of them and heads to his room and slept. The next morning, they both get up and took a bath then they hit the road.

There was awkward silence in the car and the only sound they could both hear was of their ride. September just like before she stares through the window and thinks about the Berry family.

She was well aware that by now they would have found out that she has ran away from their ranch but what she did not have an idea of was if they were doing anything about it or they have.

Mike swerves his truck and reaches the town within a few early hours where September prepares herself to get out of the car with her luggage.

“Thank you again, Mike”

She thanks him and gets out of the car then she rushed to the train which was a few minutes from leaving. September takes a sit next to an old woman who was reading a pride and prejudice book.

The old lady was smiling as she reads the book and September leans her head on the window, where she was waiting for the train to start moving of which it did a couple of minutes later.

She was leaving the town for good, that is what she thought. To jeep her family’s memories she felt that she had go escape the Berry home and find her own way in this life. She was not ready to sacrifice or give away what she always held on to for years.

For the whole entire trip, the old woman did not get her eyes off the book and September fell asleep during the ride. When she finally wakes up it was time for lunch, the train attendant comes to hers and the old lady’s seats then that was the time where the old lady broke her gaze from the book.

“Hello dear” the old lady greets the train attendant with a grin

“Hi ma’am, what would you like to have for your lunch?” the train attendant had a trey of food in it right before their seats.

“Can I please have cheeseburger and soda then add a little vegetables desert on the side?” the old lady answers.

The train attendant prepares the meal and hands it to the old lady.

“That will be 20 dollars ma’am”

The old lady takes out her purse and gives the money to the attendant who now gave her focus to September.

“Enjoy ma’am”

“Thank you, dear”

“Uh…Miss, what would you like?”

September looks at the attendant.

“I’m fine, thank you.”

The attendant moves to the next seat.

“Are you sure you’re fine dear?” the old woman asks her.

“Yes ma’am.”

“That is crazy, you can have my burger, I will have this salad dear” she laughs

“No ma’am, I promise you I’m okay”

“Take it”

September feels her stomach growls and she takes the burger then starts eating it. The old lady smiles.

“You remind me of just how my granddaughter is” she says.

“What does she do?” September asks

“She likes to say no, thank you to things that people offer her, but she knows deep down she wants them. It’s very funny how you kids are” the woman continues to laugh

“You are heading where?”

“Uh…New York” September quickly answers with everything that just came to mind.

“Oh boy it’ll be a long ride I tell you. I’m also heading there to visit my daughter and her child. It’s been long since I’ve seen them.” She says, still keeping her smile.

“Must be nice that way, they’re away from you but whenever you miss them you can just go see them” September hides the tears in her eyes.

She wished death was the same as meeting whoever that was dead anytime you wanted to, even if it was not anytime but at least occasionally.

“Yes dear, you know sometimes…even just calling them isn’t quite enough because I still want to hold them and see them” the woman goes on.

“I'm glad you’re on your way there” September says.

“Are you going to meet your family or friends?”

“My friends!” she lied immediately.

“Oh well…isn't it a little too early for that? I mean…you have school, don’t you?” the woman asks out of concern.

“Well…my parents want me to start attending school in New York, hence they wanted me to go before them and they’ll find me there” she continues to lie.

“How old are you dear?”

“I'm 17 and this isn’t my first trip to NY don’t worry. My parents are very busy so they do everything they can”

“It’s still not safe to travel all by yourself, especially at 16 dear. Your parents should reconsider that.” She says and September nods.

They continued their ride and each time they’d have a discussion for a few minutes, September felt warm and accepted in the old lady’s presence. She felt like she was not at all traveling alone.

Two days passed by with their trip and many towns stops and eventually the final day the train heads straight to New York City.

September looks at how beautiful this place was, the long buildings, the many people on the streets, the lights on the roads, many cars blocking ways and causing traffic and she gets to feel the new atmosphere alive.

“Welcome to New York, again my child”

September smiles at the old woman’s words.

“Last stop at New York subway station, time 7pm, final stop, final stop, final stop.”

The train attendant announces the final stop on the mike for every passenger to hear and prepare to leave the train, everyone gathered their stuff and stood up after the train stops and opens doors for everyone to leave.

“Will you be safe dear?” The old woman asks to reassure her.

“Yes, ma’am I will be.”

“Remember dear, this is New York City. It’s very dangerous and do not speak to anyone you don’t know. Be vigilant” the old lady advise her before she walks away and September walked out of the subway station to only lord knows where.

It was already late, and she just walked in a crowd of people, with no direction and anywhere to go, she just walked.

She kept walking and walking and walking and walking.

She tries to cross the road when all of a sudden, a blue Tesla almost run her over and she screams. The driver immediately stopped and stepped out of the car then he slammed his door behind him and walked to September.

“What is your problem huh?! You can’t just walk in the middle of the road like that! Do you not have eyes to use to look around before you could cross?! Do you not know the use of the traffic lights?!”

The handsome looking gentlemen in his formal blue suit looked all worked up for this incident, September was only shaking and horrified.

“Can’t you speak Miss?!” He yells.

“I’m sorry.” September stares down with shame.

“Move it”

The guy clinched his teeth and said it in a low yet dangerous tone, September looks at him one more time before she could run from him to the other side of the road and started walking, she could not imagine the embarrassment she went through just a while ago.

September continued to walk again until it was late at night, the night however, was still young for the city, people were still on the streets out and about busy, she wanted to look for a place to sleep so she went to a passage between two big buildings and she lay down next to the garbage bin and her eyes remains open for a few minutes to look out for danger then before she knows it she was already fast asleep.

Next morning, she gets up early and stood up from the ground and starts walking again. She walked and walked until she sees a coffee shop where she enters and goes straight to the waiter behind the counter.

“Morning. I'm September and I’m looking for work”

“What kind of work?” He asks

“Anything, j can do anything” she says.

“Alright you’ll just be our dish washer and our cleaner. This is a very busy café ma’am, and I don’t want drama nor bad behaviour. By the way I must go assist the delivery guys outside all my waiters are busy, I’m the manager here. Please serve that one last customer before you start with your cleaning job, give him whatever he asks for and be nice, he’s our loyal and very rich customer Miss”

The manager walks out and leaves September standing, she did not know what to do or how to do it, so she turned to look at the customer before her then she sees the guy that almost ran over her yesterday then she was shocked.

She gulped and took a deep breath before she could go to him, then she managed to walk right passed a few tables and went to that customer.

“Can…I get you…anything, sir?” she bit her tongue

“You?! You work here?” the man was startled.

“Yes sir, can I get you anything?”

“Cappuccino” he says

September goes to what looked like a back kitchen where she saw all the workers going in and out with orders then she follows. The kitchen was a mess and did not look good at all, there was a lot of orders being made and taken care of, so she decides to put her bag at the corner and goes to one of the working ladies.

“Hi, I’m the new worker here, the manager asked me to take care of a customer’s order he wants cappuccino so can you please help me with making it?” she asks politely.

“Girl, you are telling me you can’t make a whole cappuccino? Where the hell are you from and why would the manager hire you as a waitress when you can’t even make a simple cappuccino?” the lady mocks her and continues with her order, she tells this to the rest of the ladies, and they laugh at September.

September took a clean cup and made tea instead of a cappuccino. She pours too much powder milk and takes out the teabag from the cup then she takes the order to the same guy.

“Wow! I waited for decades to get my cappuccino” he hisses.

September holds her breath as she looks at the gentleman who was about to take a sip of his tea but then realized that September was still there, standing before him.

“What is it? I know the price of this thing Miss, can I be alone, please?” he rudely asks.

September moves aimlessly away from him but after his first sip he spits it out and puts down the cup.

September turned around as quick as possible to look at him in terror.

“I remember very well I asked for a cappuccino and not coffee Miss!”

“I…I…well…I…I will return it Sir, I’m sorry” she rushes to take the cup from him.

Everyone was watching.

“Damn it, why do you follow me around lady?! I’m having a very long day and I just asked for a cappuccino! Nothing else! Can I speak to your manager you’re getting fired”

After his last words September tried to pull him back just to stop him.

“Please!”

But the cup of tea spread on her chest when the gentleman yanked his hand from her. Her chest was wet and burning, she screamed.

“Look what you did!”

The gentleman picks her up and takes her to his car then he puts her in the passenger seat and then he went to his then he drives away, everyone was shocked. The gentleman took September to the hospital.

The nurses quickly attended to her, but it was just a minor burn that did not really affect her chest.

“It’s nothing serious Sir.” The nurse said.

“Are you sure?” he asks

“Yes, Mr Red.”

The nurse then excuses them.

“Uh…Mr Red…”

She calls on him after hearing his name from the nurse.

“Thank you, very much for taking me to the hospital but…you didn’t have to” she politely says this.

“Damn right none of this would’ve happened if you didn’t bring me tea instead of what I ordered.” He snaps.

“I’m also sorry for the wrong order”

“What’s done is done. Let me give you a ride back to your work” he says and sighs

“If I didn’t leave my bag there, I was never going to drive back, because I know for certain after this incident I just lost my job anyway.” She mumbles but Mr Red heard her.

“Why does it matter? You were never good at that job anyway”

His words came out like bullets to her fragile heart, she knew at the moment she needed work, any work and she missed an opportunity, she did not have anything to eat since yesterday noon and neither did she have water, so she knew she needed to work her butt out to get food and a shelter.

“I really need that job” September says

“Look…you were going to get fired anyway, you’re not as good as you think you are with that Job and that’s what it is.” He says to her in a low tone.

September rolls her eyes.

“You have everything you want! Now I’m going to lose my job because of you!”

September could not hold her voice, so she just raised it and Mr Red was surprised.

“You will walk to that café if you continue to give me that nasty attitude lady”

September looked away, and Mr Red walks out of the ward with September following him to his car and he gave her a ride back to the café that day.

Once they reach the café she gets out of the car and Mr Red drives away.

“Thanks for ruining my opportunity”

She says under her breath and takes one last breath before walking inside the café and to the back kitchen where the manager asked for her in his office.

Her bag was on the manager’s table.

“Wow lady, just wow.” The manager stands up to give her a standing ovation.

“You're fired, you can take your stuff and excuse yourself from my property.”

“But—”

“No! Don’t dare get into an argument with me lady, you almost ruined my business and my reputation. I did not like it so please.”

He shows her the door, September grabs her bag and swallows hard then she opens the door and shuts it behind her then she walks out of the café as quick as possible to avoid the embarrassment once again.

She walks away and finds herself crying next to a corner store passage.

She finds herself missing both her parents, she wished she had a shelter, a home to go to. She opened her bag and peeked at those paintings and suddenly hears Mrs Berry’s voice from illusions convincing her to sell those paintings for profit.

“No”

She denied to herself, she still wanted to hold on those paintings and never let them go, she always felt a connection with them and coming to New York has just turned out to be one of her worst nightmares, she felt emotional abuse from the people around her and she remembered the only kind person she has met, and it was the old lady during her trip. She found herself missing the old lady for some reason like making her feel warm and accepted around her, she missed that feeling.

As she cried, she covered her face so the passer-by people would not notice her crying, seemed like nobody was kind enough to even care…let alone to look.