The woman sat at the receptionist counter with her shoulders hunched which could cause a sharp pain to her shoulders, but it's obvious that she did not care at the moment. She had her head bowed, sobbing silently.
Her tears fell onto the countertop, leaving little wet spots in their wake. Laura, the receptionist, watched her with pitiful eyes as she was moved with concern.
Laura breathed out slowly before speaking, picking her words slowly and carefully. "Ma'am, I really can't let you see the boss right now. She's in a board meeting, and it's going to take a while." Laura told the woman, the concern she felt for her was laced in her voice.
The woman lifted her head, her eyes red and puffy. "Please..."She begged, her voice cracking slowly. "I have to see her this very moment. It's urgent, and I dare to say it's a matter of life and death."
Laura was torn deeply, but she was as helpless as the woman, her heart clenched tightly at the sight of the woman before her. The woman has been present for a couple of minutes, crying and begging desperately to see the boss.
Laura hesitated, unsure of what to do. The woman looked so desperate, so distraught, but the boss had been obvious that she wasn't to be disturbed during the meeting and there's nothing she can do to go against such an order.
Laura cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, I can't let you see her right now. But I can pass on a message to her, ifyou'd like?" Laura suggested, trying her best to help the woman out, at least.
The woman's face crumpled, and she began to sob. "But she has to know." She wailed continually, her crackled voice was slowly raising to it pitch which Laura dreaded because of the disturbance it would cost and the attention it will draw.
Laura has to calm the woman down in any way she can before she causes chaos with her continuous wailing and crying.
"Calm down, ma'am." She tried cajoling the distressed woman. "There is no way you can see her now, so, I can only advise you go home and come back some other time."
The woman shook her head in disapproval, insisting on her decision. "Please, I can't leave." The woman cried. "This is so important, and I'm ready to wait here as long as it takes. But she has to see me, only then I'll be at ease."
Laura's heart went out to the woman, but she didn't know what to do. She felt like she was caught between a rock and a hard place, as she had never found herself in such a tight situation as this while at work. She sighed and then made a decision.
"I'll go and speak to the boss." She said, standing up from her chair. "I can't promise you anything, but I'll ask her if she can see you. So meanwhile, ma'am, please, try to calm down.
The woman wiped her eyes and nodded, still sniffling, her puffy eyes sparkled with so much gratitude and sincerity. Laura smiled faintly in reciprocation to the woman's reaction before she left the reception area and made her way to the boss's office.
She knocked on the door, and when she heard a faint voice from with in. "Come in..."Itwas her boss's voice. Laura breath in slowly as she opened the door and stepped inside.
Her boss, Ciara, was sitting at her desk with her brow furrowed, and when she saw Laura, she frowned at her. "What is it?" She snapped, not in the mood to entertain her presence at the moment.
Laura cleared her throat again. "I'm so sorry to disturb you, ma'am, but there's a woman at the reception desk who has been insisting on seeing you for quite a while now." She uttered, threading her words slowly as she dreaded the consequence for her.
Ciara's frown deepened, and it looked like the disapproving expression she's wearing wouldn't be leaving her face soon. "I just finished the meeting a while ago, it's not even up to ten minutes." She blurted out sharply as she glared at Laura. "I can't just get up and see someone, tell her to schedule an appointment."
Laura shifted her weight from one foot to the other and instead of leaving to relay her boss's message, she still wants to try her best to help the distressed woman.
"She says it's urgent, Ma'am!" She said, bowing her head to avoiding meeting her boss's hard gaze. "And I think she's really distressed. I'm not sure if she'd take no for an answer."
Ciara's deep frown was replaced with a heavy smile. "I suppose I'd better see what this is about then." She uttered lazily, sounding like she was being forced to say something. "Bring her in, I should be able to spare her a few minutes of my time."
Laura nodded and left the office, feeling a little relieved. When she got back to the reception area, the woman was still sitting there, her head in her hands.
"You can see the boss now." Laura said, breaking into the trance, but the seemed to be a world away. Laura sighed as she hesitantly tapped the woman softly on her shoulder. "Do you want to come with me?"
The woman looked up, her eyes still in its red and puffy state, and it seemed like Laura's cajoling words before she left for her boss's office did not work on her. "Thank you," She said, her voice shaking. "Thank you so much."
She got to her feet and Laura led her down the corridor to the boss's office.
Ciara was sitting at her desk, this time, going over some paperwork, when the door opened and Laura led the woman into the room. The woman's face was still streaked with the trail from her previous, unending tears.
Ciara's jaw dropped, and she stood up from her chair, her reflex kicking in. The surprised on Ciara's face was clear, and she did not try to conceal it.
"Aunt Elsie...？"