Traizle
"Traizle!" Layzen exclaimed when he saw me.
He is playing by himself outside of our house.
He excitedly embraced me the moment he got in front of me. "Where is your brother?" I asked and hugged him tightly.
"His friends fetched him. They wanted to play at the computer shop near here. I told him that he could go without me. It is boring to watch them play." he explained.
I let go of him and ruffled his hair. "You are really a big boy now. Just make sure to play near our house. If someone you do not know approaches you, do not go with him." I warned him.
He nodded. "I will. I am a big boy already." Layzen said confidently.
"By the way, did you eat your lunch already?" I asked.
"We did, how about you?" Layzen asked back.
"I only ate dessert for lunch. I am still kind of hungry." I answered.
"You should eat. Dessert for lunch is not enough to fill your stomach. Why would you eat dessert for lunch?" he asked, almost scolding me.
I was not able to answer his question. I remembered Zarsuelo. Is he full of just desserts?
As we entered our house, Layzen quickly helped me remove my shoes and bag. "Lyndon told me you have to work wearing a big costume even though it is hot." he said.
"Yes, I did. But they paid us well, so it was worth it." I answered.
"Do not move, I will prepare your food." Layzen said as he stood to get me a glass of water.
Layzen was still two years old when our parents separated. After a few months, our mother left us. Layzen was not able to receive love from our parents. We, Lyndon and I, basically raised him up ourselves.
He is intelligent enough that he knows our parents separated already. He knows that we are the ones who take care of him.
After he prepared my food in the table, I smiled and pinched his cheeks. "Thank you for preparing my food." I told him.
"You're welcome!" He answered happily. "I will study hard so that I can give you money in the future and you will not have to work many times." he added.
I was touched by his words. "That is good!" I exclaimed. "For now, your big sister will work harder for you to finish your studies." I added.
"Thank you for working hard, Traizle. I am thankful that you never give up on us, even though sometimes we fight over petty things. I am happy that you are my sister, whom God gave me." he complimented.
I immediately hugged him. A heart-to-heart conversation with Layzen eased my pain and fatigue. "I am also lucky to have you guys as my brothers." I answered after our hug.
I was not able to rest after eating because we played until he fell asleep. While I was fixing my bag for work later, Lyndon came.
"Did you eat already?" Lyndon asked as soon as he saw me.
"Layzen prepared my lunch for today. We even had a heart-to-heart talk." I answered and laughed a little.
"Why is he so mean when it comes to me?" Lyndon complained while removing his shoes.
"It is your fault. You are always making fun of him." I responded. "By the way." I added.
"What?" He asked.
"Do you happen to know Matthew Zarsuelo?" I asked.
His eyes widened after hearing my question. "Matthew Zarsuelo? Do not tell me, he is the man we talked about last night?" He answered.
I nodded. "Yes, he is. The one who owns a company." I added.
"Shit, you really dug your own grave." he responded.
"Is he one of the evil rich?" I asked nervously.
That is why he is urging me to work for him? To avenge what I did to him?
"He is not that bad," he replied. "I heard he is one of the multi-billionaire people here in our country. He owns the Grand Finance." Lyndon started explaining.
"Really?" I answered, surprised by what I was hearing.
"He became famous because he was known for being a young, handsome, and intelligent business man," he continued. "He is living young and free, that is why they like him." he added.
Young, handsome, and intelligent business man? Living young and free? Woah.
"Young? How old is he?" I asked again.
I was shocked once more when Lyndon replied, "He's still twenty-four."
Twenty-four, while here I am twenty-five, working my ass off? How did he do that?
*****
"Thank you." I said, expressing my gratitude to the customer.
I am now at the convenience store, doing my shift. I am still in a daze after hearing that information from Lyndon. I am not updated on who is who and who is not. That is why if I find information I do not know about, it is a big blow to me, as if I was punched hard.
We do not have any customers since it is the middle of the night. My shift will end at 7 in the morning. "I should fix and check the products." I said and walked away from the counter.
I suddenly crave a cup of noodles. After checking the products, I immediately got two cups of noodles and showed them to the camera while paying. I get boiled water from the dispenser and mix it.
I stopped mixing my food when a customer came in. I waited for him to come at me so that I could eat after serving him. While waiting for him, I mixed my food quickly.
"Hi, Traizle." a voice called me.
I lift my head to see the person who called me. "What are you doing here, Zarsuelo?" I was confused at the sight of him.
Is he stalking me?
"I told you I would mess you up, did not I?" He replied, smiling innocently, as if we had known each other for years.
"You are messing up my work too!" I answered, lowering my voice.
I might get fired if I cause some trouble inside the convenience store.
"Do not worry, I can talk to your boss," he answered. "Can you charge this now, please?" he added, waving the products he got.
I started to scan them. A big one chocolate, another expensive medium chocolate and water.
Is this man still eating normal food?
After paying for his order, he sat down at the nearest table and chair. "Why don't you go already?" I asked.
He looked back. "Because I am still your customer?" He answered, asking me back.
I sighed. "If this is about working with you, I told you already that I would not." I said and sat down to eat my food as well.
"That is why I am here, to persuade you," he replied, while opening his sweets. "I want you, so I will mess you up until you agree to work for me. Other stores, companies, or whatever business might see your potential and get you." he added.
"What work will I get in your company then? I am not a colle—"
"Marketing manager? The receptionist? Controller? Office manager? Or my secretary?" He answered, interrupting me.
"Are you crazy?" I asked. Those positions do not suit me at all. It is for all people who have higher degrees.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe." he answered in a sing-song manner.
"I am telling you that I did not go to college, and yet you are giving me those high positions. It does not suit a senior high school graduate, Zarsuelo." I replied, explaining my side.
"I told you to call me Matthew, did not I?" He complained.
But he is not at my level. Calling him by his first name would make me feel like I was not respecting him, now that I know he is a big shot human after all.
I did not bother to look or answer him. I just continued to eat my noodles. Answering him will make our conversation longer, and more frustrating.
"Traizle Cerezo." he called.
I couldn’t help but glance at him. "How did you know my name?" I asked.
"I can know everything about you in just one day," he answered. "But..." he added, suspending his own explanation. "To respect you, all I did was to ask the sweet shop for your name." he continued.
Is he that eager to know me? He cannot get any single cents from me, so why me?
"Your hard work," he paused. "Seeing you work hard made me want to hire you without doing an interview. I admire those people who work hard. You stated that you do not have a college diploma. So what? Other college graduates can not do that. They are still lacking in some ways. Some of them do not have the will to work hard, because they think they have graduated. They thought that work would come to them because they had the degree." he explained.