“Astri, wake up! You’re going to be late!” A voice echoes through the halls and clatters off the walls ringing into the porcelain skinned woman. *moans* The energy it takes to even open her eyes is beyond her morning capabilities. “I’m getting up..” Her mono toned voice pushes itself from her throat and she sits up wiping the crusted drool from her face. “It’s just uni, classes don’t even start until later for me anyways…” She mumbles to herself. Looking out the window and brushing back messy locks of fiery red hair from her face, slowly she find the energy to get up, stretch and sluggishly make her way to the bathroom down the hall.
As she looks into the mirror she inspects her face, noting her baggy eyes and freckled pale complection. “ Maybe one day these freckles will just merge into one bing one and I’ll finally have a nice tan look…” She looks to the clock hanging on the wall adjacent to the mirror. “Fuck me..” No enthusiasm escapes her, as she descend down the stairs and into the living room.
“It’s about time you got your lazy ass up, you’re going to be late if you aren’t already.” The annoyed voice is projected from the wrinkled mug of an elderly woman who grimaces as she looks at Astrial. “Nan, we’ve talked about this, remember? My classes aren’t until noon, it 7 am.”
Looking to the old woman with distance on her face as her speech remains emotionless.
“ I know that smart ass, I was talking about your meeting with one of your clients for your writing career.” She used her fingers to motion quotations around the last to words.
A moment of silence passes and Astrial looks to her pastel blue watch, then she pulls out her phone and looks at the date. “FUCK!” She shouts as she rushes through the kitchen and out the door. Her nan's voice shouts after her. “ DON’T SWEAR, YOU’RE A LADY!” ‘Fuck off you old bat’
She pulls on the lever to her 67 impala jumping into it like a mad man and speeding off. Arriving at a modernised coffee shop were hipsters like to gather while pretending to be youthful artist .
Looking franticley at her watch she notes being 20 minutes early. ‘Well shit… this is why you get speeding tickets you idiot’ looking around she doesn’t appear to see her client, she takes the opportunity to order a hot chocolate with whipped cream and white chocolate chips.
Scanning the area she notices a pleasant, open, clean table just next the window in a secluded corner. Placing her laptop on the table and taking a seat she beings to type away; the clacking of the laptop keys are drowned out by the chatter of the surrounding crowds voices. Annoyed, she plugs her ear buds into her laptop and opens her Spotify scrolling through the various genres and playlist of music she finally comes to her favorite; Frederic Chopin. She listens intently as the melody of Nocturnes in E-flat Major, the aggression of the music sways her as it simultaneously fuels her fingertips as she dances viciously across her keyboard. Suddenly an abrupt interruption occurs as a strange hand is placed upon her shoulder. Startled, she jumps in her seat ripping out her ear buds. She fumes and as she's about to speak, Astrial turns and sees an older gentleman in an expensive looking suit.
“Astrial, my dear, it is so good to see you again.” A smiles stretches across her lips as she leaps from her seat and clings to the man. “ Miguel! I’ve missed you!” The excitement is just as kind and reciprocated in the man. “ I have missed you as well my little cardinal.” She gestures for Migel to have a seat with her; as the tanned skinned man smiles, adding on the wrinkles to his face, he gratefully takes a seat. “ I wish I were here on personal matters but sadly this is for business.” Puzzled, she looks to him cocking her head to the side. “ What do you mean?” Looking at her watch she notices that its 08:00, quickly she looks back to the man. “ARE YOU MY CLIENT!?” She shouts in anticipation. Chuckling, he responds with a smile and shrugs. “ You got me, my employer and I were discussing business, one thing lead to another and I informed him of your skills as a writer. We agreed we’d like you to work for us for a while and I assure you it will pay well.” Eyes glowing with electricity and a smile as bright as the sun, her joy is sounded through her excited response. “Yes! Anything for you uncle!” After an hour or so of talking, Astrial learned that Miguel's boss, Tomas, wanted to employ her writing skills and pay for her to travel to Romania to make an article using their guides, though she’ll miss school. Administration was already notified and she was emailed all of the work she’d need to get done while away.
“I truly can’t thank you enough for this opportunity uncle, how can I repay you?” She overflows with an abundance of gratitude and happiness. “Just be very careful and NEVER leave your guide, many people go missing in Romania and are never seen again. I know my heart would never heal if something happened you to, my little songbird.” A gentle smile appeared across his face and he held her hands in his. “ We’ll be giving you a picture and name of the guide you’ll be using, make sure you don’t go off with a stranger and keep us updated daily on your whereabouts through email or phone calls,alright?” Frantically nodding, she couldn’t contain her excitement, mostly due to this being her first REAL writing job and with paid traveling it felt as though she would faint from all the anticipation. “I understand, I guess, I should go and pack for the trip…” She thought of her nan, as grumpy and ruthless as the old woman may be, she can’t help but worry of who will take care of her in her absence. “I just thought of something...what about nan? Who will tend to her while I’m gone? She's paralyzed and needs so much care..” Her fiery spirit is doused in sorrows.
“ I’ll be taking care of her, she is my mother after all.” Shock overcomes Astrials face as her icy blue eyes widen. “She doesn't even know yet though.” Miguel chuckles shaking his head side to side, his silvery white locks staying in place. “My dear, I called her three weeks ago and we talked things over, she’s very proud of you and decided that as long as it benefits you, she’s perfectly content will me as her caretaker.” Astrial's face signaled confusion as she raised one brow and furrowed the other. “ We’ve been talking on and off for the past year or so and have made peace with each other, she is my mother after all and she won't’ be around forever so I need to be a better son to her. Don’t worry about anything my little songbird.” Astrial's confusion instantly becomes replaced with peace….until she realises her nan never said a thing to her about any of this planning. “Why didn’t anyone say anything to me?! I live there and have been taking care of her since I was 18!” Frustration escapes her as her gingered brows furrow once more. “ Well get some and ask her, I’m sure she can explain.” He smiles once more, after another hour of catching up and talking details for the job, they hug then walk in seperate directions of each other. Astrial's slim figure jumps frantically up and down as the energy inside her is to much to contain. Sprinting to her car, she speeds home in wistfully filled with joy as she gets to speaking with her nan about everything unaware of the horrors she's about to endure in the months passing.
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