Lost lady, lost. Thank goodness we found you. (short story)

Photo by Ruel Calitis on Unsplash

There was a loud banging on my door. It was 5am in the damn morning! What the hell is going on here? I wanted to cry. I had a big presentation due on Monday, and I haven’t been able to sleep all weekend. I had finally fallen asleep this morning an hour ago, and now this!

I threw my pillow across the studio apartment that I lived in at the front door. Someone was still banging on it. Incessantly. Persistently.

“Alright, alright!” I yelled out. “I’m coming!” I put on the pink and white kimono I got at a yard sale one sunny afternoon a long time ago with an ex of mine that had hated the sight of it.

Wrapping it tightly around me, I stepped to the door. Peeping through the hole, I saw that it was a couple of cops.

Oh shit. What did I do? I hadn’t thrown any beer cans off the balcony in a long time now. I had stopped inviting my friends over because they would get drunk and start aiming the beer cans at innocent pedestrians down below.

What else could it be?

Perhaps, they are just doing a survey…

Or… my inner guardian piped up, perhaps, they are not really cops, but men pretending to be so, so they can come inside and rob you. Or worse, rape you!

I stood still for a second. Could it be? Nah… They wouldn’t impersonate a cop just to get into my tiny studio apartment and rob or rape me. It doesn’t seem like a good use of their resources. They could go rob a bank or a much nicer apartment building.

The paint peeling on the doors and the windows would have been the first sign that only destitute people live here.

I opened up the door, left my safety chain on, and peeped through. “Yes?”

“Yes, hello, ma’am. We are doing a survey of all the rooms in the building. There are several empty ones, and unfortunately, one of the older senile ladies in the building escaped her caretakers, and is lost somewhere in the building. Have you seen her anywhere, or do you have her in there by any chance?”

What? An old lady? I hoped it wasn’t that one I saw roaming around naked on the lawn one day. She really wouldn’t know how to take care of herself, if she was left by herself.

That’s when the PA system in the building started gurgling and making noises. “Hello? Is this thing on? Yes, it is. Okay. Yes, people, I mean, residents of this building. This is an emergency. Mrs. Rodriguez. I mean, one of the senile old ladies living in this building, one of many, I should say, has escaped and is somewhere in the building. We haven’t been able to find her at all. If anyone sees an old lady looking lost and roaming around the corridors or stairwells, please, please inform the security desk right away. Thanks. Can you switch it off? I hope something comes of this. All of the people in this building are such ingrates… Wait, don’t tell me it’s still on. Damn it! Can’t you do anything right?…” The voice trailed off, and I stood there staring at the cops.

“Ahem.. Yes, as you can see, it’s quite an emergency. She has been lost all night apparently, and she hasn’t had anything to eat or drink in a while. So we really need to find her right away. Please do let us know if anything comes up in your viewpoint, miss.” They touched their caps politely and turned around to bang on someone else’s door.

I closed my door, locked it, and then wandered around my tiny apartment. I peeked behind my shower curtain to see if there was someone there. Below my bed. On the fire escape outside my window.

Nothing.

No one lurking.

Definitely not an old lady, Mrs. Rodriguez, as she is called.

The PA system piped up again. “Yes, hello again. I forgot to mention that if you do find her, she’s probably dehydrated and hungry. So please give her some water right away, before you call us, or before you bring her down to us. Thanks again! Now switch this thing off, before I say anything else stupid on here. God, I hate old people.”

I knew exactly who was on the PA system. The grumpy security guard who never smiled when I walked past him. I knew he knew that I was the one who had kicked that cat that one time, when she was threatening to bite me. And now he holds it against me. Damn him!

I sat down on my bed yet again. I couldn’t go to sleep again, until the lady is found. I was wide awake, and yet so tired. I wanted to sleep, but I was too worried about this presentation to fall asleep. I rummaged through my bag for that sleeping aid that my mother had given me. Apparently, it had been blessed by all the monks in her village.

Before I could take a sip, the PA system blasted another announcement off. This one was in Spanish. “Mama… I know you are somewhere in the building. Just find someone and they will help you find me. Don’t worry, I’m here waiting for you. Don’t be scared. Just find someone. They will help you get back to me. Mama…”

Tears leaped into my eyes. I rubbed at my eyes. I must be more tired than I thought. Useless things are making me weepy. It must be the daughter who was searching for her senile mother.

Ugh. I hate scenarios like this. Poor mother. Poor daughter. Poor world that we live in.

It’s all horrendous and we are all doomed.

I decided to make some food for myself, as I waited for this drama to unfold. Some ramen would hit the right spot. My mouth started watering. I looked down at my paunch — my beer gut as I called it. I had been sleeping badly, eating badly, and worrying about work so much that I have been getting a tire around my belly. Something I never had before.

I decided a bowl of oats would be much better than a bowl of ramen. Grudgingly, I pushed the ramen away, and pulled out my massive bag of oats that I bought from Costco, so it would last a while. Especially in case, I get fired from this job on Monday, after my presentation.

My heart started beating really fast at the thought of it. I really should rehearse it today. I munched on the bowl of oats. One bowl. Then two. Then the third one.

I was binge eating from stress right now. I knew I was doing it. But I couldn’t stop.

I had already done this presentation three times for the man in charge. Every single time he had had some horrible comments to make about it. Each time, he hated it, and wanted it changed. Last time, he gave me an ultimatum. “Miss Penny, if you are unable to do a good job on this presentation the next time around, please rest assured that you won’t have a job to come back to the next day. Keep that in mind.”

I bit my lip so hard that I drew blood. Not only was I going to be fired, but I was going to be fat because of this damn job as well.

Hating my boss and everything to do with him, I walked out to my balcony. One of the main reasons I got this apartment was because of this view. I stood there, watching the sun come up. It was early enough that the sunrise was impeccable. Slowly and steadily, the sun came up for all of us to view.

Most people were probably still in bed, cozy and warm. I looked around at all of the balconies in my view and they were all empty, the lights in the apartment all switched off, dark.

I stood there for a few minutes, getting lost in my thoughts, in the sunrise, and in the morning dew that was everywhere.

The PA system came up again, and this time the voice was triumphant. “Thank you. We have found the old… Mrs. Rodriguez. Safe and sound. Sorry to disturb you so early in the morning. Have a great day, all.”

Thank god. I released some inner tension that I didn’t realize I was holding. Breathing out deeply, I watched the rest of the sunset, and then walked back in to do my presentation. I decided I would ace this thing even if it was the last thing I do, and got to work at 630am.

Join my team! https://www.patreon.com/boomshikha
Check out my website at http://www.themillionairehippie.com
Follow me on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/boomshikha
Listen to my podcast at http://themillionairehippie.libsyn.com/
Join my free private FB group at http://www.whatsyourfreedomnumber.com