Chapter 1
Bang! Bang! I heard a knock on the door which made me wake from the non-understandable dream, the banging on the door continued I could almost feel my eardrum bursting. I removed the blanket from my body and slowly tiptoed towards the shelf where the radio was on, playing at a low voice so I simply turned it off. I made sure there is no movement going on in the room.
“Hey! You stupid wench in there” she cursed as she continued banging on my door, I stayed silent.
“I know you’re in there, for how long are you planning to stay in there for free” she yelled. I didn’t reply
“Hey! You slut in there” she cursed again and she sounded so upset and she has every right to do that. It’s just that I haven’t got enough money for the past two months to pay the rent. I relented on opening till she got fed up and left, I could hear her footsteps leaving the hallway.
“Thanks heaven” I gave out a loud sigh
It’s miserable I know, but this has been my life for the past few months. After the noise of Mrs. Greta, I couldn’t go back to sleep. I took my phone which was on the tiny dressing table not even worthy to be called a dressing table. It was six fifteen very early in the morning but too late for me to be sleeping in and all this happened because I fainted in the bar yesterday, and I was quickly rushed to the nearby clinic and when I was tested the results came out, I just found out that I was fucking pregnant!
I didn’t plan for the pregnancy because of the state I’m in currently, but when the doctor told me I’m pregnant it gave me hope to continue with my goddamn life because only God knows how I’ve been holding on, and having David’s baby the love of my life got me all excited and smiling. I called David and I was eager to tell him the good news but I couldn’t reach him.
I just placed the phone on the dressing table and took a quick shower. I later wore my jeans and a white shirt with my worn-out baseball boots on. I remember when I first bought the jeans they were dark blue but now it’s fading out, I took my Alice band and tied my hair into a rough ponytail which is somehow sensible. I tried calling David again but I couldn’t reach him again. I had to sneak through the back door so Mrs. Greta does not see me, but the problem comes to my neighbor who’s a major prick and I have to go through her fence to get out. I jumped the fence.
“What’s wrong with you stupid cunt” she cursed. That’s when I noticed for the first time she actually got up early and she was watering her garden.
“Morning Mrs. Widget” I said as I was humbly leaving
“Who cares about your greetings you whore who jumps on peoples walls everyday” she yelled.
I didn’t mind her words because she enjoys doing that lately. With time I got used to it, I smirked and focused on the road before me.
“Heavens! Know how unfortunate the child will be for having a mother like you” she yelled out and I completely heard it, I had to stop walking. I turned back to face her, she was holding a water can on her left hand and her shovel on the other hand.
I couldn’t take anymore of her taunts because she crossed a limit by cursing my unborn child.
“Listen to some advice Mrs. Widget, you could spend less of your time on me and more on your impotent husband. I heard you telling Mrs. Greta”
She was speechless.
“That brought a conclusion to my mind, maybe you’re the problem” I said it with a smile on my face that made her furious.
“Y-y-ou evil w-witch” she stammered
“Fuck you” I cursed her back and left, she really succeeded to ruin my mood this morning. I reached the station where I sat waiting for the bus. It was half past seven but it seemed like it was ten and that is how Kansas is a busy city.
I checked to see if David called but there was no news from him, I continued waiting for the bus but something caught my eye, there was this young couple entering a fancy restaurant and they looked so much in love that it reminded me of the times David took me for lunch in the same restaurant when our relationship was starting thinking about all that enlightened my mood.
The bus arrival brought me back to reality that I have to go or I’ll be late. I work as a janitor at a Kansas middle school. I know it is not a pleasing job but I was sixteen when I dropped out due to the divorce between my mother and my stepdad and it affected me more than them. So here I am a twenty-four-year-old lady working as a janitor in a middle school.
I reached my destination and got off the bus. I walked in the school and saw Brian the watchman. He’s twenty years older than me.
“Morning Brian” I greeted him cheerfully
“Morning Valentina you are a bit late today” he said politely
“Is everything okay?” he asked as he looked directly into my eyes, a bit worryingly.
“Come on Brian everything’s fine I was just lazy today” I assured him as I got inside the school. I met Darrius, he’s my partner, five years older than me and we both entered the changing room.
“Morning Darrius”
“Where have you been, Vale? He asked, I could see how worried he was.
“Something just happened last night” I said as simply as I could sound while putting on my uniform.
“Valentina, you know that you can tell me anything” he continued looking at me. I could see that he was worried but since he used my full name I knew this time he was serious.
“I fainted yesterday” the words escaped my lips.
“And you never bothered to give me a call” he panicked
“Tell me what’s wrong” he insisted
“I’m pregnant”
“Seriously Vale, how did you let this happen” he asked me with a trembling voice.
“I know Darrius but I can make things right”
“Does he know about it?”
“Not yet I’ve been trying to reach him but I couldn’t get a hold of him”
“Do you think he will accept it?”
“Come on Darrius you know he loves me so he will obviously accept our child” I told him uncomfortably.
“I just like how you’re optimistic about everything but I can’t stop being a pessimist”
“Incase anything happens I will come running to you”
“As you always do”
“What are brothers for” that made him smile
“Now I’m going to be an uncle”
“That’s a sure thing”
“Ok you have to go to her office before she chases you out of here”
“And she always finds excuses to kick me out of here”
“She doesn’t like you” he said he said disappointed
“I know it”
“Go now have some rest” I advised.
“Ok but take care of yourself” he said with a smile on his face
“We will” I said as I dragged the cart of cleaning tools while walking across the hall.
“Morning Mrs. Lington”
“Morning Ken how are you”
“Fine”
“Mrs. Lington you know that you’re my favorite” that came out of nowhere
“You are my favorite too Kevin”
I checked my phone to see if maybe David called but still no news from him so I decided to just call him again.
“I thought I made myself clear when I said no phones allowed” the principal screamed right to my face
I quickly returned my phone back to my pockets and I turned to face her with a fake smile on my face.
“Morning Mrs. Stevenson”
“Why are you using your phone?”
“Sorry ma’am it was urgent my mother was hospitalized” I lied.
She was wearing her favorite color grey again, a dashing grey suit with her hair perfectly tied into a neat bun with black heels, Morris was behind her.
“Morning Morris how are you” he was about to answer but he was interrupted
“Morris McGreevy, I thought you were not allowed to speak till we reached my office” she said in her British accent.
“Mrs. Stevenson the kid did nothing wrong by greeting me”
She gave me a cold stare but it didn’t stop me from talking
“I think you want the kids to have the best behavior “
“And now you know how to run a school, Mrs. Lington” she said fearlessly.
“I know nothing about running a school but before you punish Morris about hanging the posters you should find the reason behind” I suggested.
“Sure thing Mrs. Lington, Mrs. Stevenson please hear me out” Morris tried to explain.
“I made myself clear when I said I didn’t want to hear a single word from you,” she said grumpily.
“C’mon Youngman, lead the way to the office” she ordered.
Morris started to lead the way and he winked at me as he was leaving and I winked back.
“Mrs. Lington, I need you to concentrate more on your job otherwise things might turn out different” she threatened as she left.
“Yes ma’am” I said as I kept dragging the cart heading for the washrooms. In my mind I was feeling sorry for Morris because of the dare he was given now he has to pay for the effect. I went to clean the washroom, I kept the “do not disturb” card outside the door. I was finishing up the corridor when two girls entered.
“Hey you ladies over there” I yelled at the but they did not give a fuck about me but focused on fixing their makeup.
“Hey you two brats” I cussed, now I got their attention.
“Wow! At least I called your names right this time” I said sarcastically.
“What do you want?” one of them asked while expressing mean gestures.
“Don’t you know how to read signs?” I pointed at the door.
“We needed to fix our makeup”
I smirked at their answer because these girls didn’t know who I was.
“Ok now I want you to get the hell out of here” I ordered
One of the girls laughed ironically and made steps towards me.
“What makes you think we will listen to a janitor?”
I hate bitches and sometimes I have to deal with them every day. I took the cleaning spray and sprayed it on their faces.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she said as she moved behind to protect herself from the spray and I didn’t stop. I sprayed some more towards their direction.
“Are you crazy or something?” they said as they were now out of the washroom.
“You guessed that right and make sure you wash your face or else expect pimples from now” I lied to them as I slammed the door. I finished cleaning the bathroom, kept everything in order and I left.
