FORCED MARRIAGE

MARA

Since my shift started, I've been running back and forth, taking orders, serving food, and cleaning the table. We were five servers during this shift from twelve noon to eight in the evening, the busiest hours of the day in the diner, but our boss needed to hire another server during these hours. We couldn't even sit for a minute except during our break, and my legs were killing me.

"Mara, table seven. Move faster. Can't you see there's a lot of customers waiting for their order?" Our manager said, glaring at me. Sometimes, our manager is so mean, but I endure it. It was hard to find a job here in the city, and It took me a few weeks to get this job; if ever I was fired here, I would need a few weeks again before I could find another job, and I don't have any savings left.

"Coming." I moved to the city three months ago to find a better job after finishing my studies. I don't have any relatives, and I don't know anyone here, only Jared, my boyfriend, but I don't want him to know I was here until I found a better job. The last time we talked about four months ago, he said he was working in a huge company as a head of finance, and I didn't want to humiliate him to his co-workers, knowing her girlfriend was working as a waitress.

We've been dating for almost four years, and I'm sure he is the one for me. Jared is my pillar of strength, and his mother is kind.

"Mara, stop moving like a turtle." I sigh. Our manager loves to humiliate us, and I am her favorite to put in shame always because I'm new here, but I bear it. I rushed to the counter, took the tray full of food, and brought it to table seven. Two men and two women occupied the table, both in business attire.

"Here's your food, Maam, Sir. Enjoy your lunch." I bowed, smiling.

"Thank you," one of the women said. I bowed to her, moved to the next table, took their order, and brought it to the cook, my manager's eyes following my every movement.

"Mara, table nine, faster."

"I'm on it, Ma'am." My co-workers pitied me, but they couldn't do anything to help me.

The diner is full during lunchtime, and the patrons are usually the employees of the nearby building, the Fernández Corporation. All of them looked extravagant, dressed in their office attire. I envied them. I should have looked like them if only those companies I applied to hadn't rejected me as soon as they saw what school I came from.

Why did they judge my capability based on the school I came from? My school is pretty decent. My school taught us accurately despite being just a small school. The province official provided everything the school needed, and the teacher was excellent.

They didn't even try my skills beforehand before they rejected me. Sigh. If I can save some money one day, I will take up a Masteral course to find the right job. I'm a business administration graduate, but I work as a waitress. I sigh. But I can't be choosy at the moment. I need money to survive.

"Mara, stop daydreaming," my manager said in annoyance, snapping me out of the thought. I hurriedly cleaned the table before me and brought the used dishes to the dishwashing area. I took a deep breath, wiping my sweat, before I returned to the dining area. I smiled as I made my way to the next table, where four men were sitting, both wearing expensive clothes. I'm poor and have yet to try to wear those expensive clothes, but I know when I see one.

"Good afternoon, sir. May I take your order?" I almost swooned at how gorgeous these men were, especially the one with a poker face. The others were all smiling while he was blank.

"Could you give us the specialty of your restaurant today? The guy with smiling eyes answered.

" That's all, sir?"

"Chiffon cheesecake for takeout." The guy with a poker face said.

"Grandpa Phil still loves that cake?" The guy with panda eyes asked.

"Yes, he'll get mad if I don't bring him that after I'm away for a month." He replied.

"That's all, miss, and please wrap the cake nicely; it's for our boss, grandfather," the cute guy said. Yes, he's cute because he has a baby face.

"Okay, sir. I'll come back when your food is ready." I bowed and gave the cook their order.

I continued taking orders, and it felt like someone was watching me. I looked around, and I blushed to see the four men earlier were watching me. Why are they looking at me? I felt conscious of myself instantly. Do I have any dirt on my face?

"Mara, don't just stand there. The customers are waiting for food." Our manager's annoying voice said.

I hurried to the counter, took a tray of food, and brought it to the four gorgeous men. "Here's your order, sir." I carefully placed their food in front of them, conscious of their eyes on me. Why are they staring?

"Sir, the cake you can take it at the counter when you leave. Enjoy your lunch." I said, smiling, then hurried to go to the toilet. I check my face and uniform but find no dirt on me. Then why are they looking at me? I shook my head and returned to the dining area when my phone sounded. I pulled it out of my pocket, and I felt nervous instantly when I saw my neighbor's number, whom I asked to check on Grandpa occasionally. I'm thankful that she was kind enough to give me a favor.

"Hello! Rena. What's wrong?"

"Mara, your grandpa, he fell to the floor, and his head hit on the edge of the bed, and it bleeding. I wanted to bring him to the clinic but couldn't leave my children."

"I'm coming home," I said, hanging up. I went to our manager's office, hoping she would allow me to leave. I'm worried for Grandpa. I knocked on the door nervously, praying my manager would be kind to me just this time and let me go home. Grandpa is not my real grandfather. I met him three weeks ago but saw him as my grandfather.

***

It was my lunch break, and I was sitting at a bench outside the diner eating my lunch when I met him.

I saw him smiling at me on the bench under the tree. I smiled back at him and turned my eyes to the huge building across the street where employees were coming in and out of the building. I wanted to work with that building, but I had no luck. I already submitted my resume there three times, but I haven't received any response from them. Sigh.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I felt someone sitting beside me and found the Grandpa earlier now sitting beside me.

"Hello! Grandpa." I greeted him, smiling.

"I'm hungry." He murmured.

"You're hungry? Who's with you?" I asked, looking around, but I didn't see anyone near us. He shook his head, and his lips quivered. I panicked when tears rolled down his eyes.

He didn't look like a beggar because he was clean enough to be one. He wore a white polo shirt, cargo shorts, and running shoes.

"I'm hungry." He cried.

"Oh... Okay. Don't cry. I'll get food for you, okay?" He quickly grinned, wiping his tears. " Wait for me here. I'll buy food for you." He nodded, smiling. I went inside the diner and bought food for him even though the money inside my pocket was only enough to buy my dinner later. However, just thinking of him starving pains me even though I don't know him.

I bought food for him, and although my co-worker warned me not to trust him immediately, I couldn't bear to ignore the older man. I brought him the food, and he gave me a grateful smile.

"Thank you."

"You are welcome. Grandpa, I can't stay here longer because I still have work. You'll be okay here alone?" He nodded, smiling. Okay, take care." He nodded again with a mouth full of food. I chuckled and went back inside, and resumed my work.

It was already past ten in the evening when I stepped out of the diner. As always, I was exhausted; all I wanted to do was sleep.

I smiled when I remembered the older man earlier. I haven't experienced having a grandfather and grandmother because since I was young, it was only me and my mother, and when she died five years ago, it was only me. I don't know my relatives because my mother doesn't discuss them. Every time I asked her, she diverted the conversation to other things, and I didn't force her because she became sad every time I mentioned her family.

I looked at the bench where I had left the older man earlier, and I frowned when I saw someone still sitting there who looked like the older man I had left earlier.

I quickly went to him, and I confirmed that it was him. Why was he still here? "Grandpa, Grandpa," I called, shaking his shoulder. "Is he sleeping? I shook him again, but I shrieked when he fell to the ground. I panicked. I quickly check his breathing and pulse, and I'm so scared when I find out he is unconscious.

What happened? I looked around, hoping to see someone to ask for help, but my co-worker had already left, and I was the last to leave the restaurant. It is my schedule to close the diner tonight.

I rampage my bag and find my inhaler, hoping it can help him gain consciousness. I opened the lid and brought it near his nose, and my fears heightened when nothing happened.

"Grandpa, Grandpa, wake up," I called, shaking him. My heart was pounding with worries, and I let out a sigh of relief when he groaned.

"Grandpa, open your eyes." I urged, and after a few seconds, his eyes opened. Are you in pain? What happened? I thought someone would pick you up. "He sat up, and I helped him lean on the bench.

"I'm fine. I fall asleep." He answered, smiling.

"You are an unconscious grandpa. What happened?"

"I just fell asleep." He pouted.

"Okay, where do you live then? I'll send you home."

"Can I go home with you? I like you. I want you to be my granddaughter. You are so kind to me. The girl with me is mean. She always screamed and sometimes pinched my side. She's bad." He pouted.

I'm scared to bring a stranger into my apartment, but what if he tells the truth? I could not bear to leave him at night, so I brought him home.

He was so sweet and caring, and I experienced how having a grandfather in him felt. Every morning, he will kiss me good morning and hug me. We ate together, and he kissed and hugged me before I went to work.

I ask my neighbor to check on him when I'm away for work because I'm worried about leaving him alone, but I need to work to earn money for our expenses. I'm glad my neighbor was kind enough and agreed to check on him when she wasn't busy.