The CEO's Jade

Good morning, Mrs. Chang. Did you sleep well last night?" I greeted my employer happily, Mrs.

Grace Chang, a 65 year-old widow. I was

concerned because she often had severe

headaches and couldn't sleep well at night.

Mrs. Chang owned the small coffee shop, in Manhattan, New York, where I got my family's bread and butter. I worked from 8 a.m. till 8 p.m.

Monday to Friday as a cashier.

The place was understaffed, so I often worked all

around. I did the waitressing, cofee preparation,

and sometimes cleaning the place after work. I

couldn't complain, since Mrs. Chang was paying

me well. Actually, not so well, but enough for my

family to eat a decent meal every day and pay off

the bills.

"Hi Jade, yes, I did. The pain reliever I took last

night finally worked," she smiled adoringly at me.

"That's good. What did the doctor say?" I asked

while putting my worn-out leather bag and old

knitted coat inside a closet, and then I adjusted

my black wig and took off my eyeglasses, to clean

the lenses.

"it's just a migraine, nothing serious."

I was relieved that finally she listened to me. I

told her several times to seek medical attention,

but she wouldn't. She had a phobia of hospitals,

medical clinics, syringes, and doctors. She

probably had a traumatic experience when she

Was a kid.

"George's wife had a normal delivery last night."

"Really? I'm so happy for them, after five years of

trying, they finally have a baby. It's a girl, right?" I

instantly became so excited for George, the

barista.

"Yes, it is. Anyway, he can't report today. Could

you fill in for him?"

OH. That would mean doing two jobs at the same

time. Whew!

"Okay, no problem about that Mrs. Chang. I can

manage." | smiled at her assuredly and fixed my

crumpled brown floral vintage dress. Actually, it

was my favorite dress and I loved wearing it

often. It belonged to my grandmother, as well as

most of the dresses in my closet.

It was already eight o'clock, and time for the

Coffee Shop to open. I wondered why the other

employees, Suzanne and Kurt hadn't arrived yet.

Suzanne was the waitress, who took the order

and served the food. Kurt cleaned the tables, the

floor and the bathroom.

Recently, I found out that Suzanne and Kurt were

lovers. I caught them making out inside the

bathroom. They forgot to lock the door.

"You retard! Don't tell Mrs. Chang about this or

I'm going to break your bones." Kurt threatened

me. He even twisted my arm behind my back. A

tear suddenly fell on my cheek because of the

burning pain.

"I won't, I promise. Let me go, please." I pleaded

and finally he let go of my arm.

"Good. Remember that." His eyes were glaring at

me angrily.

Irubbed my arm, it was so sore and my flesh

turned red.

"Now, go, ugly monkey. You're not wanted here."

Suzanne laughed and pushed me out of the

bathroom.

Yup, they often bullied me, calling me names and

I was used to it. I pretended not to hear their

hurtful words. I just avoided messing up with

them. I needed my job so badly and my family

relied on me, besides Mrs. Chang was a good

employer.

"Jade, I'll be in the kitchen. Just call me if you

need help."

"Sure Mrs. Chang." I put on a black apron, getting

ready for the first customer. I went inside the bar

counter and turned on, the electronic cash

register, as well as the coffee machines.

Ilearned how to prepare coffee from George, the

barista. For almost a year that I'd been working in

the coffee shop, he taught me how to do coffee

artworks and the techniques for preparing a very

good espresso. I learned the barista's complete

guide to coffee and embraced the knowledge

wholeheartedly.

I was cleaning the bar counter when the first

customers came inside. Two men wearing black

suits and dark glasses entered the coffee shop.

They reminded me of the movie, 'Men in Black.'

T looked at the tall, black-clad figure of the man

who came in first. He was younger than the other

man. He halted at the front door and his eyes

scanned the room. He stood there, tall, devilishly

handsome, with a beautifully proportioned body.

I froze. My mind stopped working and my body

turned numb. Something about his appearance

disturbed me. He looked vaguely familiar.

Is he a movie star, a model, or a celebrity? He was

probably into sports, because of his athletic

physique.

His dark glasses hid his eyes. It was impossible to

find out where his eyes were focusing on. But I

was certain that he was not looking at me. He

carried himself with a commanding air of self-

confidence. He looked very powerful and

extremely rich.

He said something to the other man, and then

they strode in the room. They took their seats in

the center of the room.

I grabbed a pen and the order slip pad. Ihurriedly

went towards them to take their order.

"Good morning, what's your order, sir?" I stood in

front of the two men and smiled at them. I wrote

C#1, shortcut for 'customer number one' in the

order slip.

"Good morning. Can we have a cup of espresso

and a café latte?" The older man removed his

dark glasses and smiled at me. He was probably

in his mid-forties.

My hands were trembling when I wrote their

order. I didn't know why, perhaps because of the

younger man's appearance. He looked like a very

important man. His face was bronzed by wind

and sun. The set of his chin suggested a stubborn

streak and his lips were firm and sensual.

He made me so edgy and nervous as hell, and he

didn't even seem to notice me. He was very busy

talking on the phone. I couldn't help listening to

his voice. It was so deep, with a velvet-edge, and

strong.

"Is there anything else, sir?" My eyes shifted from

one man to another.

"That's all, miss," the older man replied, then

nodded at me, a sign of dismissal.

I served their coffee within five minutes. I stared

at the younger man again. He seemed really

familiar. I was sure l'd seen him before. I wished

he would take off his dark glasses sol could see

his eyes, and figure out where I saw him before.

Then I noticed, he drank his coffee. The cup of

espressO was his.

A few customers came in. I became so busy

taking their orders and prepared their coffee. But

I couldn't help glancing at the two men sitting in

the center of the room, from time to time. I tried

to ignore them and focused on my job.

After a while, I saw two girls approach the two

men. The girls were giggling flirtatiously at them.

The younger man looked at them and said

something that made the faces of the girls turn

sour. He probably said something very insulting,

since the girls immediately went out of the coffee

shop with stony faces. Well, he was rude.

The men left without asking for their bill. I went

to the table, they earlier occupied and saw a one

hundred dollar bill under the espresso cup.

What! A hundred dollar bill?l couldn't believe it. I

was over the moon! They left too much tip for the

coffee.

Later that morning, Suzanne and Kurt

simultaneously called in that they were sick. So, I

was with Mrs. Chang in the coffee shop the whole

day. She took my place on the cash register. I did

the rest of the job. I tried to serve the customers

so fast, so they would stop complaining about

the slow service.

Before I went home, I mopped the floor and

scrubbed the bathroom. I was so tired, but I

didn't have a choice.

It was already eight-thirty when I left the coffee

shop. I took a bus to the South Bronx, where my

family rented a small one-bedroom apartment.

The moment I was seated on the bus, I ate the

burger that I grabbed near the bus stop. After

eating, I took a power nap until I got home.

"Guess what Mom. I got a very big tip today. Two

rich-looking men left a hundred dollar bill for

their coffee."

"What? That's too much." My mother, Ruby

Collins, narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it. I told Mrs. Chang that

we could split the tip, but she said that it was all

mine."

"Aww... she's so sweet."

"Yeah, very sweet. I'm lucky to have her as my

employer." I took my wig off and pulled the

rubber band that held my hair in a bun. My long

silky red hair instantly cascaded down to my

waist. I took a hairbrush and combed my hair

until it shone.

"How's baby Hannah?" I asked about our

neighbor's baby. Mom worked as a babysitter for

almost a year now.

"She's still very adorable, but getting heavier. I

don't think I can handle her anymore." Mom

rubbed her chest. She had a mild coronary heart

disease. It started six months ago. She was

advised by her physician not to do strenuous

activities.

"Then stop babysitting. I don't really want you to

work. You are risking your health. Don't worry, I

have a job. I'll work during weekends too, to have

extra money. We can manage."

"You're working too hard for us, Jade. I'm so

sorry for being a burden to you."

"Mom, please don't say that again. I love you and

I'll take care of you and Sapphire. I promised Dad

that I will." T hugged my mom, with moisture in

my eyes.

Dad died of Stage Four lung cancer two years ago.

I was eighteen at that time. He got it when he

worked in an asbestos manufacturing company.

A year before he died was the most traumatic

year in our lives. We fought for his life. We lost our

little savings and our cottage, just to keep up the

medical expenses. It was like a nightmare, seeing

Dad's health deteriorate. He was a good man

without vices, a God-fearing, jolly person, and full

of vitality, a very loving husband and a caring

father to us. I couldn't help but wonder why the

good and godly people passed away earlier than

their time.

The day when we finally lost dad, our world

collapsed. We were so dependent on him. We

looked up to him and solely relied on him

financially.

"What's wrong?" My sister Sapphire came out of

the bedroom. She shrieked with panic seeing me

and mom hugging. She thought something bad

happened again.

"Nothing really. We just want to hug each other.

We miss dad." I smiled at my fifteen-year old

sister, showing my braced teeth.

"oh! I thought something bad happened.

Anyway, Jade, I have news for you."

"What is it?"

"I was chatting with Joseph an hour ago."

"Joseph?"

"Yup, your one and only love!"

"What?"

"He asked for your Facebook account, and I told

him you didn't have any social media accounts

anymore. Then he asked for your phone number."

"Did you give it to him?"

"No! You said not to give your number to anyone,

right?"

"Right."

"But he gave me his number. He asked you to call

him, anytime. He'll be waiting"

Iheaveda sigh. Joseph.

It had been two years since I last saw him. I totally

cut our communication.

No. I can't face him anymore. I'm not the same

girl that he used to know. I'm different, totally

different now. The old Jade was gone, dead and

buried.

A flash of wild grief ripped inside me.