"Ma'am please?" I asked. As I follow her walking towards the counter.
"Celiza! You just got an advance last time. Why do you always get paid before work?" Mrs. Hernandez asked. She stopped at the counter and chinecked the nearby coffee machine there.
"I'll work, Ma'am." My answer. It walked again and took the bag to the seat not far from the counter.
It walked towards the door and stopped to follow me again. "Me! I can't, Celiza. If you advance every day, you might work here for the rest of your life."
"I-I need it."
"Celiza, I know you have a need, I have one too. I can't just advance your salary," she then turned to Miranda who was just near the counter.
"I'm leaving first. You'll take care of this Miranda, as well as Celiza." Saad nito at tuluyan ng lumabas ng pinto.
Frustrated, I walked over to Miranda.
"It's been five years here but until now you're still lacking, Liz. You don't seem to have progressed." Miranda's promise.
I took a deep breath. "You know I'm what my family expects, Dad doesn't have as much medicine anymore, he needs to drink so he doesn't feel sick again every morning. Then my brother has maintenance." I promise.
"Why don't you apply for another job? The one with the big income. I hope you don't have a problem with where to buy your father's medicine and provide for your family. It's a pity that you graduated from school, that's so good. Then you just fell in a coffee shop like me, you can see that even though you went to a good school while I was in public, we still work in the same place." she said.
I sighed. "Even though the school I graduated from was good, no one would hire me with a good salary. I was able to apply to some companies, just in case no one called."
"Wait, you know!"
"I've been waiting for five years. How many times have I applied to companies? I'm not being hired for reasons I don't understand." I said and sighed.
I mean... Somehow I still finished something. I was given a diploma and I was able to work well based on my job experiences but I still didn't get one.
"Maybe you have more than that, Miranda? I'll pay when I'm free," I said, then peeked into his pocket.
"Hey Liz! You still owe me, you know I forgot?"
"I'll pay you at the same time as you lend me today, please?"
"Oh! I only have a thousand left now." saad nito saka inabot sa akin ang malutong na isang libo galing sa kanyang pink hello kitty wallet.
"Thank you, Mirs!" I hugged it tightly even though he was inside the counter and I was outside.
"Tsk. I think my hole will just loosen but you still can't make life easier! Thank you and you're my friend if not..."
"What's going to loosen your hole? You don't have a boyfriend so how can that loosen up?" I chuckled.
"You just thought!"
I went inside the counter and gently pinched her waist. "Hey! Why aren't you telling me? You ah! Come on! Tell me a story! That's why you came home early and you didn't catch up with me ah!"
"Oh Maria Celiza, stop me and maybe I'll take back a thousand." Disgusted, she replied. "You're not kidding Ethel Miranda!" I also mentioned his full name.
He picked up the cellphone and typed on it.
"Liz, table 4," Kian said, one of the waiters. I immediately attended to pick up the order.
Since Dad had an accident I have decided to work to help Mom.
I passed a university where I didn't have to pay tuition but I couldn't go to college because I had to work more.
I am the eldest and my family has many needs.
I was more naive, so I sacrificed my body art and acted so that we could survive.
I tried my luck on modeling but most of the photographers are perverts so I stopped.
But somehow I was able to save money by modeling in local magazines back then, but it was also spent because I was paid for Dad's therapy.
We did this therapy when I worked together. We want to restore Dad’s self -confidence. Since then it hasn’t come out.
My salary here at the coffee shop is divided by daily expenses.
"Liz, come here." Miranda calls me.
I met him when I was new at the coffee shop owned by Mrs. Hernandez.
Miranda has been working here at the coffee shop for seven years.
It is two years older than me. I used to think that he was cursed, but he was kind, he agreed with everyone here in the coffee shop. Even though he teased me the first time I went to school, we became friends.
Close friends even.
I immediately remembered my old friends. I don’t use social media much, so I have no news of what happened to them. I am sure they will be successful. Then I would rather work and study than social media.
I approached Miranda at the counter. "Oh why?"
"You need money don't you?"
"Yes, why?"
He looked at me and then smiled. "I have a racket for you."