Chapter 2

Half a mile back, Rory Anne Spears gripped the wheel of her car and leaned back. She inhaled deeply before waiting for her heart to travel down her throat.

They couldn't possibly fire her. She only missed one day because she got drunk and came in late, and it was entirely Charlie's fault. She would have been alright if he hadn't come back into her life just to break them again. She let out a sigh. How could they miss the fact that she had made quite an impact in the shop?

"Curse you, Charlie!" She screamed out. This would be the second time this month that she would be fired from her job. The first time, she fell asleep and came to work late because of her other job while working an all-night shift. She rested her head on the driving wheel, trying to relax. She let go of the brake and pressed down on the gas pedal until the car was all the way into the narrow road. She was on her way back home after being fired from the job she had worked so hard on getting and suddenly it was all gone.

Rory Anne knew her mother was a hard-headed woman who won't stop until her daughter is married to a guy who can feed and care for her, but Rory Anne doesn't want any of that until she is completely comfortable on her own. They'd fought over the same issue just before she left home two months ago, and now that she's fired and stranded, and home is the only place she can go, she has no choice but to listen to those nags once more.

Why can't her mother see that she's just twenty-four years old and needs to take care of her finances first before starting a family? She was unfortunate in that she was not educated, and it was not her fault that she was born poor.

Things took a turn for the worst after her father died when she was eighteen. He was a cop who died protecting his country, and the only thing he left behind before leaving was the car she was driving back to her home and nothing else. Not even the minister or his boss at work visited them or offered a hand to help them with their needs. They were abandoned. They had moved out of their previous residence since the rent kept rising, and they couldn't afford to pay it even with the little money she earned.

They just had to leave and relocate to a little neighborhood known as Section C, which is populated by poor people, while the wealthy building was located in Section A.

No poor person is allowed on that land unless they work for the wealthy, and only then are you allowed to enter that property. It felt more like they were separating people like they used to do with black people years ago.

When the house came into view, she smiled and blinked the tears out of her face. The house hasn't changed a bit. The paint was flaking off the one story building bungalow. And on the left was still a covered porch made for sitting and a stone chimney that leaned just slightly to the right.

She felt sad. Rory had only seen her grandmother once before she died two years ago, just as she was trying to put her life back together so she could find something to do with it. She didn't find out about the tragic news until a week after her grandma's funeral. She can't rely on her mother for the rest of her life. Her hair salon is unable to provide them with meals on a consistent basis. It wasn't like her mother was making a lot of money.

As she sat calmly in the car, the air conditioner gently blew on her face, she felt guilty. She was falling apart at the seams with feelings.

"I'm sorry." She said out loud to the ghosts. "I'm sorry i'm not there when you needed me. I'm sorry I was never there."

She sighed and ran her hand through her long brown honey silky hair. She couldn't stay in the chair for much longer, and she needed to get her belongings from the car and inside the house. For the time being, her mother would have to go easy on her.

Rory stepped down after opening the door, and the heat from outside choked her for a moment. She walked to the front of the home after turning around and bringing her bags down from the back of her car. She paused before knocking, and the door squeaked, as an old door should, before opening after the third knock.

She entered the house and was greeted by her younger brother, who put his arms around her waist and assisted her with her baggage when he let her go. He bent to pick up her luggage off the ground and she played with his short blonde hair. "Mother is mad at you." After raising his head to look at her, her fourteen-year-old brother said. "For the past two months, she has been nagging and whining at me. For the love of God, Rory, I'm just fourteen."

Rory laughed out loud and shook her head. While she was away, her mother started yelling at her brother, but now that she is back, the nagging will be directed at her.

"Thank you, Noah," She followed him into her room and he set her bags down. Rory sighed as she took a few steps back and took a look around the room. Her mother didn't bother to throw all of her belongings out the window because nothing had changed. It was just how she had left it.

Rory dreamed there for a moment, a lady form and voice had appeared and was fading. The lady was a little frail, but she was attractive and appeared to be looking young. Her brother sat next to her in the living room, writing God knows what on a piece of plain paper, while she sat silently in the living room, holding the television remote. Rory had exited her room and entered the living room when she heard her mother's voice.

"You should go out with Mr. Derek's son, He is captivated by you." Her lengthy fingers roamed the television remote while her gaze remained fixed on the television and never left it.

Rory remained silent during her mother's talk. Of course, if she doesn't follow her mother's advice and look for a husband, she will be married off.

"For the love of God, Rory Anne, won't you say something?" Her mother had asked. "Or do you just want to be useless around the house, sleeping, waking up, and eating my food?"

With Rory's head bent, she said. "I'm sorry." She wasn't sure why she was apologizing, but she felt obligated to do so.

She had always apologized until two months ago, when she decided to leave and fend for herself. No, she had thought. She couldn't continue to do what her mother wanted. She, too, was a human with desires and goals, and all she needed to do now was find a method to earn money and return to work.

She has to speak with her best friend Caroline now that she has returned home. Caro may know of ways for her to find work because she is always up to date on what's going on in the neighborhood.

Rory bolted from her room. "I'll be right back," She said to her brother and then came to a halt in front of the locked door. She shifted her gaze to his. "I may arrive home late or before six o'clock, but please inform Mother that I am deeply sorry and that I will make amends when I return." She turned and opened the door.

"How about telling her yourself? Even if I deliver her your message, she won't listen to me."

With a sigh, Rory shook her head. "All right, I will be at Caro's. Just in case she asked about me." She walked out of the house, waving to her brother. She dashed to her car, closing the door behind her. Before driving away, she hurriedly unlocked it and went inside.

Although Caro's house was not far from Rory's, Rory was unable to walk. If she walks, she'd have to spend at least thirty minutes on the road.

On her way there, the road was clear, which was odd given the terrible roads, but Rory got there in five minutes. She got out of her car and dashed up to Caro's porch, knocking on the door. Her father had thrown open the door and welcomed Rory in. Rory had left Section C two months ago, and he couldn't believe she'd be returning so soon.

"She went to the pharmacy to get some medicine for me." He sneezed. "You can wait for her over there," He motioned Rory to the couch, and she took a seat. "Didn't you tell her you were stopping by? Is she even aware that you've returned to town?"

"I couldn't. I didn't think about it—I just drove here as quickly as I could, and the road was fortunately clear. Has it been like that for a long time?"

He began to chuckle and a knock came on the door. "She has returned." He returned to the door and pushed it open.

"Rory?" Caroline's voice reached her from where Rory was seated. Caroline stepped into the house and ran to Rory as she rose up. "When I spotted your car outside, I knew you were the one." She grabbed Rory's hand and spun her around. "You haven't changed a bit."