“May I take your order now, ma’am?”

She doesn’t respond. She doesn’t even look up at the waiter addressing her. Instead, she checks the time on her old smartphone whose cracked screen seemed to remind the owner that the device was overdue for retirement.

The time is only 10:22am. She sighs with a hint of disappointment; seemingly suggesting that time wasn’t moving fast enough for her. Still ignoring the waiter, she gathers her things from the table and throws them into her handbag. Only her smartphone remains on the table as she gets up to her feet.

“No, I won’t be ordering after all.” She finally says to the waiter as she picks up her phone and starts making her way to the restaurant exit.

“Why? Is something the matter ma’am. Is there something wrong with our service?” The confused waiter quizzed, following behind her and almost pleading for answers.

The lady paused in the doorway, turned to face the waiter, smiled and softly replied, looking straight into his eyes, “Oh, the service is alright. Only, my lunch date isn’t going to make it.”

She quickly turned and walked away, leaving the waiter with no doubt that this little conversation was over.

But of course, Sonia Bleu was lying through her teeth. With only enough for a bus ride back home, she simply couldn’t afford to order anything. She didn’t even have a lunch date; at least not in a restaurant. Besides, it was a little too early for lunch.

She was however due to meet her live-in boyfriend at 11:30am at their usual rendezvous near the restaurant. Being too early for the appointment and tired from walking around aimlessly to kill time, Sonia had only entered the restaurant just to sit down and rest her feet for a while.

Her boyfriend, Jerry King was interviewing for the position of Accountant at CBB, the largest commercial bank in Vening. For this couple, this was a make or break opportunity on which they both pinned hopes for a change of fortunes.

If successful, it would be Jerry’s first real job ever. It offered so many perks that it would definitely give them the financial breakthrough they so needed. Immediately after the interview, her boyfriend would come straight to her with the news.

Sonia was a cashier at a local department store. But on this particular day, her anxiety wouldn’t allow her to concentrate on her work. Around 09:30am she took the rest of the day off and started strolling in the city pavements trying to kill some time.

But waiting proved too tiring, mentally-draining an exercise; almost nerve-wrecking. Despite how much Sonia tried to think positively, she couldn’t help but come up with many ‘what if’ questions. Despite telling herself that Jerry would make it, she simply couldn’t fully shake off the possibility and consequences of a negative outcome. And that made the waiting even more burdensome on her mental being.

As she stood outside the restaurant, Sonia reminisced about the past few years. She met Jerry King during their first year at Vening University, almost seven years ago. Jerry joined the class halfway through the semester and one of the lecturers suggested Sonia Bleu, the best and most committed student in that class, as the best study mate to help him catch up. She did help him and they became close friends.

Towards the end of their final year at university, Sonia tragically lost her family in a car accident. In accordance to their tradition, her father’s brother assumed Sonia’s guardianship; even though Sonia was legally an adult who could take care of herself and inherit her parents’ estate.

But her greedy uncle soon squandered all the bank accounts and forcibly took everything that Sonia was supposed to inherit; practically leaving her destitute. In Vening, legal proceedings were simply a waste of time for any woman facing such circumstances.

Sonia feared she may not graduate because she no longer had the means to pay her fees. And she knew that going back home to her selfish uncle would be a grave mistake. Only God knows what he would do to or with her; and she wasn’t about to offer herself as a guinea pig for that experiment.

That was when Jerry stepped up and came through for her. He took her in and also promised to take care of her college fees. It wasn’t until she moved in with him, weeks later that she realized how much he was going to struggle to make that happen.

But he did make it happen; both of them graduated with Bachelor of Accounting degrees. Yet Jerry never asked her for anything in return. Surprisingly to her and most who knew them, he didn’t even try to take their relationship to beyond friendship.

She once overheard Jerry responding a neighbour who seemed equally curious about why Jerry’s wasn’t grabbing the low-hanging fruit, “I cannot take advantage of the fact that I took her in when she’d nowhere else to go. She’s free to leave anytime she feels like and even date anyone she wants. I’m just helping her out…no strings attached.”

He only started to ask her out after college; trying really hard to impress her and not taking anything for granted. Then, Sonia became certain that he really did love her. Though he was already struggling on his own, he still took care of her as if it were his obligation. Despite all his struggles, he did what he had to do to make things happen for both of them.

And Jerry always told her one thing: “I know what I want; and it’s not dependent on what I am right now; it’s all about what my mind believes I can be. I have huge dreams to share with you, Sonia. You just wait and see.” He’d just light up whenever he said this.

Jerry’s own background was heavily punctuated with episodes of hardship, grief and pain. Orphaned just before turning eleven, he’d lived with one relative after another under conditions that, at best, can only be described as ‘courageous manoeuvres’ for such a young child.

At sixteen, young Jerry decided go against all odds and occupy the house he inherited from his parents. He had to go through fierce wrangles with his relatives, each of whom only wanted to steal whatever they could from him. He won his inheritance but in the process, lost everyone who resembled family in his life.

Being determined, intelligent, focused and uncharacteristically disciplined for a teenager living on his own; Jerry surprised many who knew him. He managed to put himself through the rest of high school and university.

Considering the minefield of a life he had to tip-toe through, Jerry had done extremely well for himself. If only the heavens could give him this break, he’d finally have some sort of reward for all the hard work, Sonia thought to herself.

From deep in her reminiscence, Sonia was startled by the loud ringtone of her phone. She literally jumped out of her day dreaming, like one who was awakened by strange noises in the middle of the night. She dropped the phone, which was still in her hand until it rang.

But a passer-by caught it before it hit the concrete pavement.

It was still ringing.

Subconsciously, Sonia quickly snatched it back from the passer-by as he was about to hand it back to her. She immediately realized how rude she had acted. Embarrassed with herself, Sonia took a deep breath, smiled sheepishly and thanked the perplexed passer-by.

Checking the caller ID; she noticed it was Jerry on the other end.