04: I was calling to inform...

Two days had gone by, and I was back in my crappy apartment, flipping through job brochures, scrolling through my emails, even reaching the ‘Spam’ folder and always peeping through the window, waiting for the mailman. Dominic had assured me that they would email or call me immediately if I had been accepted, but I had not received anything. 

I sat at my phone, pacing the room and staring at my phone screen, wishing and hoping to get an answer as soon as possible. I was hopeful through it all. 

As I scrolled through different things on my phone, I got a follow request from Sadie Evans. 

Maybe she was trying to reach out now that she had seen me? Maybe she wanted to be friends? 

I accepted the follow request and scrolled through her account. She was really married to that jerk and she was living the soft life. 

Sadie: Hey Humiliating Holmes!

I ignored her message as I continued to scroll through her page, seeing the type of life she was living. 

Sadie: Sucks you didn’t get the job. Better luck next time.

I swiped away the notification again and ignored her. So, indeed I did not get the job. Dominic gave it to her, who did not need the money like I did. I continued to stalk her, and then I noticed she uploaded something on her story a few minutes ago. I pressed and viewed it and saw she was taking a video of Dominic’s large mansion and just lazing around. 

Did she get the job or did they give it to someone else? Was she just sitting around to pass the time and appear that she is working when there was someone else? Was she actually chosen? 

As I sat there, hearing my grumbling stomach, I continued to scroll through this girl’s page until suddenly, things stopped loading on my page. I noticed the WIFI had disconnected from my phone. I walked to the light switch and tried to flick it on but the light did not switch on. I quickly scrolled to find Adam, my landlord’s number. I called him, and it rang for about 3 times before he finally picked up. 

“Holmes, you’re the person I have been waiting for.” he answered cheerfully “Tell me that you’re going to pay rent.” 

“No, I am actually calling to say that I think my electricity has gone off. Is it a general issue or is there a problem with mine?” I asked 

“Hmm… I will look into it. But, I need you to pay rent.” he replied 

“I will try and make a plan. But please, can I get my electricity sorted out.” I answered 

“We’ll see.” he said and then hung up almost immediately. 

I could not continue my scanning and stalking because my internet had gone off and soon, my phone. So, I sat in my house as nighttime approached and watched how my house got darker and darker by the minute. I picked up my phone again and tried to call Adam again and it rang nonstop. I tried to call him again and he did not pick up. I tried one more time until he finally picked up. 

“Holmes!” he sighed 

“My electricity. Any update?” 

“Holmes… I contacted the electricity company. There are some issues, but you seem to be directly affected because you’re right next to the wires and cables. But he will only come in tomorrow to fix things. The lights are flicking in everyone else’s houses, even mine. I am sorry.” he answered. 

“Except, mine aren’t flicking. They are completely off!” I practically yelled

“Oh!” he exclaimed and then ended the call abruptly. 

I opened my door and went down the stairs and saw my neighbours still had electricity. They did not have an issue of flickering lights. Their lights were on the entire time. I even heard them watching the television and listening to music. I walked back to my place and saw that I was nowhere near any electric cables or wires, meaning whatever Adam was talking about was a complete lie. 

I walked down the stairs furiously to his place and banged on the door. 

He swung it wide open and blinked at me in the nightgown that he had wrapped around his oddly shaped body. 

“Holmes,” he said once he saw me

“What is this crap I am hearing about flickering lights?” I asked angrily 

“They are flickering, though,” he replied as I saw his arm stretch out for the light switch to make his lights flicker

“I see what you’re doing! And the neighbours do not have this issue. I saw. AND I am not next to any electric cables.” I answered, still feeling very angry about all the lies.

He kept quiet and just blinked at me for a while. 

“Okay…” he finally said 

“Yes?”

“Holmes, I had to cut your electricity off until you pay rent. It is long overdue. I have been giving you an extension for two weeks now.” he said “The next month’s rent will come up when you still owe for this month.”

“I know but I am currently jobless. My last job promised me severance pay, but it has not yet come through.” I answered 

“Why would you quit your last job without having a plan of a new one?” he asked 

If I had a way of controlling the things that happened to me, I wouldn’t have been the most misfortune person on the planet. I wouldn’t have been in these troubling and uncomfortable situations. 

“Only dumb people do such.” he laughed “What was the plan when you quit your last place?”

“It’s personal. There were some things that popped up that needed me to be on the move again.” I answered 

“How bad were they? You could have at least stayed there until you got your next place.” 

“It was bad bad. I needed to move.” 

“Do you mind telling me? I might help.” he offered.

I would have given him information about why I needed to run, but I knew he was probably going to sit somewhere and just gossip with other people, all for them to look at me weirdly. 

“Anyway, seeing that you’re going through something. I am giving you 2 more days. If there is nothing, I am sorry, but I will have to cut off your electricity and soon your water. It is unfair on the other tenants that their payments are what is being used to run your electricity and water when you haven’t paid.” he said. 

I simply nodded, walked out of his house, and dragged my tired feet back upstairs to my place. Within a few minutes, my lights came flickering on and at that moment, my phone rang. 

I rushed over to pick it up and saw it was an unknown number. 

“Harper Holmes?” a female said on the other end

“Yes, it is me,” I replied nervously, wondering who would be calling me and for what purpose. 

“I am calling to inform you that you have been offered the maid job at Dominic Hall’s place. How soon can you come?” she asked. 

I was too stunned to speak. I froze on the other end, not sure of what to say. I thought it was all a dream. 

“Harper Holmes?” she said