Do It Yourself

{MAYA}

Maya looked at the watch wondering why she didn't let her mother come pick up the files by herself, she was sure if her mother had come, she would have been served ages ago.

She stared at the watch behind the receptionist and their eyes met, the receptionist's eyes had a question in her eyes, "what?" and she had bubblegum which Maya thought was unprofessional but she wouldn't point that out, who was she to anyways?

There are places Maya hated to visit as they always made someone wait, the public hospitals, restaurants, public toilets, and supermarkets. Sitting there she added the Gary and Co. Advocates into the list.

She never thought that was how the office worked, she was sure that whenever anyone visited the office like Gary and Co. Advocates, she would have been served as soon as she entered.

Maya touched her lips and swallowed saliva again.

At least they were not as dry as she was on the road, the breeze in the building had helped her a little bit. She looked up and found the receptionist looking at her, and it was Maya's turn to look at the receptionist with 'what?' eyes.

Maya looked from wall to wall, looking at the calendar which was on the wall she smiled, she could count the remaining days she had to finish her studies, and then she would go out to the world and show them what she is made of.

If only she knew what the future held…

"Ms. Smith?" A man called, Maya looked up and found it was her mother's friend. She stood up energized.

"Mr. Gary," Maya said and hugged the man.

"Maya, how are you?" Mr. Gary asked and Maya explained to him why she was there.

"For how long have you been waiting? You could have come into my office, Maya." Mr. Gary said and looked at the receptionist and then back at Maya.

"No, I figured you were busy."

"Maya, I will never be busy for you." Mr. Gary said and he was still holding Maya's hands. Anyone watching them would have gotten the wrong idea of what the two were to each other.

Maya had known Mr. Gary since she was young, Mr. Gary and her mother worked together on different cases on several occasions. Maya even considered Mr. Gary as an uncle even though they were not blood-related.

"Wait here." Mr. Gary said and walked to the receptionist and told her, "I think I told you if anyone is sent to pick Mrs. Smith's file you call me."

"No one came sir," the receptionist said.

Maya looked at her astonished, who was she? a robot? Even robots can be seen.

Mr. Gary then pointed at Maya and the receptionist pretended to be surprised. The receptionist apologized to Maya.

Mr. Gary gave the receptionist a look that sent the message, 'we will talk late about this, and then asked Maya to follow him to his office. They took a lift to Mr. Gary's office.

They left the lift and entered the office, "take a seat." Mr. Gary said to Maya and Maya plunged herself onto the couch.

"Can I offer you something to drink?" Mr. Gary asked.

"Yes, please," Maya said, and when Mr. Gary turned, she high-fived the air whispering, "This is what I am talking about."

Mr. Gary handed Maya a glass of water and Maya drank it so fast that Mr. Gary asked her to slow down.

"Were you dying? Weren't you given any by the receptionist?" Mr. Gary asked and after Maya shook her head to say no, Mr. Gary looked away.

"So, how is everything?" Mr. Gary asked as he took the glass from Maya.

"I am fine, I haven't seen you in like forever," Maya said.

"Yeah, I have been busy with cases, but we have been planning to come over to your house. How is school?"

Mr. Gary took a seat next to Maya ready to hear what Maya was going to tell him, he was busy with work but he saw no problem in spending some time listening to the lady he considered a daughter.

Maya began telling Mr. Gary how school was, she was a student at the University of Ronto and she was in her fourth year with only one semester left. Maya was happy that she was in her final semester and she couldn't wait to get out to the world and make it a safer and better place for everyone.

"…that is it." Maya finished and smiled at Mr. Gary.

They then talked about Mr. Gary's family and how they were doing and after that Maya decided it was time to take the files to her mother before she began calling and asking if she lost her way to the office.

Mr. Gary handed her the files, a bottle of water, and his umbrella. Maya thanked him and left the office and walked back to her apartment.

"Maya, is that you?" Her mother called her as soon as she heard the door opening. Maya walked to the sitting room where she found her mother had turned her table into her place of work.

She handed her mother the files and told her Mr. Gary had greeted her, Maya wanted to comment on how her mother looked exhausted but stopped herself. Her mother loved to work on a case by herself even though she had people in her office who would help her without any problem.

Maya didn't want to comment as she knew what the answer would be, "You want something done well, do it yourself." That was what her mother always told them whenever they asked her why she didn't want to ask for help.

She left the sitting room and went to her kitchen to prepare her mother some food and brought it to her. Maya waited for her to eat as they talked about her life and how glad she was that college life was almost done.

After cleaning the dishes, she went to the bedroom and searched for the clothes she was going to wear the next morning to university.