A Messy Evening with Roommate
"How's the cake? Does it taste good?"
Blaire showed a thumbs up as a sign of agreement on Brenda's question regarding on the taste of the slice of cake they ordered.
“You… should taste it… too, they’re tasty,” Blaire speaks as she chews the cake. She paused for a while to swallow the food before continuing. “And I love how the sweetness of the icing compliments the overall flavor of the cake.”
“You have a sweet tooth, I can say”
Blaire gave a shy laugh. “We are actually a sweet tooth family, so I guess I was influenced by my parents on this”
At the mention of her family, both fell silent and awkwardness filled their space. Blaire continued eating her cake while Brenda sipped her coffee. It was then Brenda cleared her throat in order to ease up the awkwardness.
“You know, I used to have a daughter,” Brenda started to say to which Blaire suddenly looked up to her, indicating that her attention is all on Brenda. “I thought my daughter would be the salvation of my marriage, because that time, my husband was insisting to file a divorce because he told me that he fell out of love, and that he wanted to end my silent suffering.”
“She was the most beautiful child I have ever seen. My husband adored her so much. It’s like he didn’t want to take his eyes off of our daughter. But you know, one time, when he came home from work, he handed me the divorce papers.”
Brenda chuckled. “Of course he told me that I could sign the papers anytime I wanted to, that he’s not pressuring me to sign it immediately. I was mad and thought he just wanted the divorce because he’s seeing someone so I fought him and told him nasty things. He tried reconciling with me, but I refused because, you know, pride. But then two days after, while I was on my shift, there came an emergency call, saying that there is a burglar incident to which the father and daughter were killed.” Brenda paused, to which Blaire took the chance to speak.
“Your husband and your daughter were the one that was reported?”
Brenda nodded her head. Blaire sympathized with her.
“I’m… I’m so sorry for your loss. I, I don’t know what to say to comfort you. It must be hard, enduring all of these, bottling the emotions for quite some time,” Blaire said, handing Brenda a tissue paper, to which the latter gladly received.
“Blaire, the reason why I told you my story, is that I wanted you to know that I regret not telling my husband what I wanted to tell him. That I had regrets upon learning their deaths. Just because someone, or something big is interfering, you won’t try to reconnect with your family. Don’t you think your family deserve to know that you’re released? They’d be happy to know that.”
Blaire gave a sad smile. “It’s not what you think, Brenda”
“Of course, because I know you have your reasons. I may not know all the details, but this scumbag who put you into jail is coward. That person is a douchebag.”
Upon hearing the words, Blaire chuckled. Scumbag? Douchebag? No, it doesn’t even fit Rainier’s personality.
“But what I’m trying to say is, try to reach out to your family. At least let them know that you’re fine”
‘At least let them know that you’re fine.’ This line echoed through Blaire’s ears. ‘Am I really fine?’ she asked herself. It doesn’t really matter now, as long as she’s surviving.
She then smiled to Brenda before answering. “Thank you, I’ll do that” then she sipped her Frappuccino.
“By the way, I didn’t give you any proper thanks for helping me as soon as I got out of the prison. So, thank you for helping me, Brenda. I really appreciated it because it helped me to clung onto the small hope I could barely feel.” She sincerely said. Brenda gave her a warm smile.
“I know you’re innocent. I can feel it in your aura. So you’re most welcome. I just don’t want to see any innocent people being put into jail for the crimes they didn’t even committed. So how’s your work?”
Blaire narrowed her eyes to Brenda’s question. “You didn’t mention that Miss Kendra is your sister”
Laugh escaped Brenda’s lips. “I bet you wouldn’t go there if I mentioned it to you, and I badly wanted to help you so I tried tricking my sister. She was thankful in the end because they finally found you and your skills”
Blaire blushed upon hearing that. Instead of responding to Brenda’s claim, she just diverted the discussion.
-----
“I just remembered, I’m going to have a roommate in the apartment unit.”
While they were walking, Blaire remembered that today’s the week she will be sharing the unit to her roommate.
“That’s good to hear! You now have a roommate. Hopefully you’ll soon be lively enough and be cheerful,” Brenda said to her. They turned to a corner and stopped at the first gate.
“This is the apartment where I’m currently staying.” Blaire mentioned. “You want to come inside first?” she added.
“You’re easily trusting, Blaire. To be invited in you unit immediately even though we just had fun this day” Brenda said while chuckling. “Maybe that will bring you into trouble if you trust people too easily”
“But I know you won’t take advantage of me because you’re the one who helped me. I mean I don’t trust people easily unless they’re the ones who did something good to me”
Brenda was taken aback. She did not expect that Blaire would say something like that.
“You silly girl. I really am happy that you’re starting to open up at least to me. It feels good to start again, right?”
Blaire sighed. “Yeah, it does feel good. It’s like I’m experiencing for the first time how it feels to laugh and talk endlessly. I just hope I could be with my family soon”
She received a light tap on her shoulder from Brenda. “Don’t forget what I told you back there. You should be getting inside now, welcome your new roommate.”
“How about you? Won’t you come inside for a bit?”
“No, thanks. I was planning to visit my sister when I have free time so I’ll just go there directly tonight. Let’s meet some other time, if it’s okay with you?”
Blaire flashed a wide smile. “Of course! Contact me whenever you like, so we could plan ahead of it”
After saying their goodbyes, Blaire went to her unit. When she entered, she went directly to the dining to drink water.
However, upon entering the dining area, she froze in her place as she saw someone who hated her without a reason.
Ginny.
Ginny stopped eating too when she saw Blaire standing, looking at her with visible shock and confusion written on her face.
She rolled her eyes with her roommate’s reaction. “It’s not like I wanted to be your roommate too. Stop acting like you’ve just seen a ghost, bitch.”
‘Ah, yes. She really is Ginny. No doubt with her cussing and her way of addressing me. She’s really real, she really is going to be my roommate,’ Blaire muttered to herself.
She went up to Ginny and placed a paper bag on the table, making the latter confused.
“I bought you a food as my welcoming gift.” Blaire said while bowing her head, refusing to look at Ginny’s scrutinizing eyes.
“I don’t eat foods from bitches like you,” Ginny answered before continuing to eat her meal. Blaire then removed the food from the paper bag, revealing the cake that was inside the clear container. Ginny couldn’t stop taking off her eyes on the cake as she knew that the cake Blaire bought costs more than her week’s designated allowance.
“Don’t worry, I didn’t put any poison in that, and the cake surely tastes delicious. Please accept this as my welcoming gift, I bought this for you”
“I didn’t know a bitch like you had the money to buy such expensive cakes”
“I was with a friend so she helped me pay for it.”
“I bet your friend would be an ex-convict like you, eh? Tell me, is your friend also released the same day as you?”
“She’s not a prisoner. She’s a kind prison guard that I met. Anyway, help yourself there. Welcome to the unit, and I hope we’d be able to get along someday”
“In your dreams, bitch.”
Blaire sighed upon hearing Ginny’s response. She grabbed her tumbler inside the fridge and drank lots of water before entering her bedroom. As she laid herself in her bed, she can’t help but to sigh. She didn’t expect to see Ginny as her roommate. But then, she doesn’t even have a choice.
‘I think it’d be better that Ginny is my roommate, at least I know her somehow. I just hope we’d really get along’
Preparing for her night routine, Blaire prepared her set of pajama that she bought on a thrift store awhile back. After her half-bath, she heard five loud knocks on her door. Ginny aggressively gave her a folded paper before dashing off when she opened the door.
‘RULES TO FOLLOW
1. DON’T EVER, EVER!! TELL ANYONE IN OUR WORK THAT WE’RE SHARING THE SAME UNIT IN THE APARTMENT OR I’LL RIP ALL YOUR CLOTHES.
2. LABEL ALL YOUR THINGS WITH YOUR NAME AS I LABEL MINE IN THE REFRIGERATOR. DON’T TAKE WHAT’S NOT YOURS IF YOU DON’T WANT ME TO SHAVE YOUR HEAD.
3. WE WILL TAKE TURNS IN PURCHASING RICE AND DRINKING WATER EVERY MONTH. WE WILL START NEXT MONTH WITH YOU BUYING THE DRINKING WATER WHILE I BUY THE RICE. FOR THIS MONTH I WILL PURCHASE MY OWN SO YOUR RICE AND WATER IN THE DINING WILL BE YOURS.’
“I don’t mind sharing you my rice and water though,” Blaire spoke out loud.
4. ‘WE WILL ALSO TAKE TURNS IN CLEANING THE UNIT, BITCH.
5. YOU WILL DO YOUR LAUNDRY AT SUNDAY WHILE I DO MINE AT SATURDAY.
6. MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS AS ALWAYS!!!
7. IN CASE WE’LL SHARE THE SAME AREA, WE SHOULD HAVE AN EXTREME DISTANCE BECAUSE I HATE SEEING YOUR PRESENCE EVERY DAMN TIME.’
“How come that you’re that pissed seeing me when I didn’t do anything?”
8. ‘LASTLY, LEAVE THE DUPLICATE KEY OF THE UNIT AS I DON’T WANT TO ASK ANY HELP FROM YOU. I WILL GO HOME ANY TIME I WANT AND YOU DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT TO QUESTION ME, BITCH.
P.S. AS MUCH AS I HATE IT, YOU MUST LEAVE YOUR CONTACT DETAILS ON THE FRIDGE AND I’LL LEAVE MINE. DO NOT CONTACT ME WHEN IT’S NOT ABOUT LIFE & DEATH SITUATION. NOR WHEN YOU’RE AT A POLICE STATION BECAUSE I WON’T FUCKING BAIL YOU EVEN IF YOU KNEEL. NOW COMPLY AND FOLLOW THE RULES AND I WON’T CURSE YOUR VERY PRESENCE IN FRONT OF ME.’
Blaire heaved a sigh after reading the rules that Ginny had written.
“So much for a roommate, huh?”