บท 2: The Red Rose

As Emy was getting dressed that morning, she saw a red rose in the pocket of her bag. Frowning, she picked up the flower, stared at it, and sniffed. She put the flower in the drawer because she did not know where it came from.

Emy was standing in the waiting shed for a ride when she grabbed her wallet. There are one hundred peso coins left in her purse. Emy took a deep breath, then returned the coin pouch to her pocket. She needs to save money if she is going to apply for a job. She looked at the shoes she was wearing.

"Lorie, I hope your shoes are lucky," Emy whispered. "Aw!"

Emy turned her gaze to the man wearing a face mask who had just collided with her. The man's two hands were in his pocket, staring at her. She waited for him to say sorry, but he didn't speak.

"Won't you even apologize? You hit me, and I almost fell. Maybe I deserve your apology." Emy said.

The man raised his hand, and Emy thought he would hurt her, so she put her hands above her head, but she didn't expect that he would lightly tap her head and caress her hair.

Moments later, the man walked away from her. Emy looked at the man, and she chased him with her gaze.

'Who is that man? What's wrong with him?'

Emy started walking. She went to a restaurant and tried to apply as a dishwasher, but the management refused to accept the walk-in applicant. All of the restaurant's employees worked for an employment agency.

When she failed at the restaurant, Emy tried her luck at a signature clothing store. Emy smiled when she entered the store. Apart from the air conditioning inside, she could smell the fragrant clothes. It has a new and expensive odor.

"Good morning," the woman chirped, but when she saw Emy, she frowned. "Ma'am."

"Miss, are you accepting applicants?" Emy asked. When the woman spoke, Emy took the biodata from the envelope.

"Management doesn't accept walk-ins," the saleswoman said.

"Is that true? Then I'll leave my biodata." Emy said.

The woman looked at the paper Emy was holding but didn't reach for it. "Miss, biodata is out of style now. Job seekers submit their professional resumes. And..." The saleswoman looked at Emy from head to toe. "Put effort into themselves when applying for the job, such as putting on makeup and presentable formal attire. And don't you have a tissue to wipe your sweat off?"

Emy smiled slightly. "What if you get hired? You look like you have no money. How do you obtain the specifications? Is this your first time working?" The saleswoman inquired. "You should ask your parents for money to buy proper clothes and makeup."

"Are you the manager here, Miss?" Emy asked.

"No. Why?" the saleslady asked.

"If you are not the manager here, I don't have to explain myself to you," Emy said, annoyed. "Your fake, beautiful face doesn't suit your attitude. You seemed illiterate." Emy turned her back on the woman.

"You..." the saleswoman said incredulously.

Reed chuckled at what Emilu said. "OK, you look interesting, so I'll help you," Reed said, but Emy couldn't see or hear him.

Reed approached the saleswoman and stroked her hair. The woman, unable to see Reed, paled when she noticed her hair lifted into the air. Then, a pile of folded clothing drifted and fell before her. The woman softened her knees as she sat on the floor and turned pale with fear. Reed grinned as he saw her reaction.

"Be thankful, and I'm in the mood right now because I may have murdered you otherwise," Reed said as he turned his back on the woman.

When the door to their store opened, the woman's eyes widened again, but she didn't see anyone enter or exit.

Emy walked again. It was past lunchtime, and she tried to apply to some stores, but no one wanted to accept her. Emy took a seat on a chair in the park she had just passed. A bald man was sitting next to her, reading the tabloid. She glanced at the tabloid, and the man caught her eye.

"Why don't you buy your newspaper, Miss?" The man said this before turning his back on her.

Emy was still trying to peek at what the man was reading. She tapped his shoulder, and the man faced her.

"Sir, do you need classified ads in that newspaper?" Emy asked.

"No," the man said. "Why?" he asked, frowning.

"Can I have it?" Emy asked. "I'm looking for a job."

The man stared at her. The man shook his head and then picked up the section of the newspaper containing classified ads.

"Here are your classified ads," the man said. "Don't bother me with what I'm reading." The man glanced at her. "Is it clear?"

Emy nodded. "Thank you, sir."

Emy immediately grabbed the pen, searched for a potential job, and marked the company that could hire her. She is unqualified for any of the positions she holds. Emy frowned until there was only one left. She would have lost hope when she saw a BPO company accepting high school graduates with no age limit. It was far from where she was, but she would still try.

Emy tapped the man's shoulder again. "What else do you need?" the man said, annoyed.

Emy smiled. "Sir, I saw a potential job." She can't contain her excitement. "Wish me luck."

The man was stunned, then chuckled. "Good luck. I hope you will get the job."

Emy left the man. Reed followed her as she hurried to the bus stop.

Emy sat in the company's waiting area. She heard everyone, even the guards, speaking in English, which inevitably impressed her. Reed sat next to Emy and took a glance around.

'Shit, they're good at English.' Emy thought.

"Hmm, do they impress you?" Reed questioned Emy, who was unable to hear him clearly. "You can do that, too. I can help you become fluent in English. I can do that." Even though Emy couldn't see him, he smiled at her. "All you need to do is wish for it."

"Emilu Briones?" the woman calls her.

Emy stood up and approached the woman. "Follow me." The woman smiled.

They entered a small room and made her sit down. The woman holds her biodata, then looks at her. "What would you like me to call you? Emilu or Emy?" the woman asked.

"Emy," said Emy. "Call me Emy."

"I'm Joy." The woman smiled.

"Hello, Ma'am Joy," Emy said.

Joy smiled. While Joy was reading her biodata, Emy felt a strange cold. She had a goosebump, but she ignored it. The room was air-conditioned, so she thought it might be because of the air conditioning.

"Emy, do you have a resume?" The woman noticed Emy's look of frustration. Joy smiled at her. "It's OK; don't worry. Can you speak English? Most of our clients are from the US."

"I'm not very good at English, ma'am," Emy said. She suddenly felt embarrassed.

"It doesn't matter. It's easy to learn English. By the way, I am the group's team leader, and I like you," said Joy. I told the management that I would be meeting with the applicants today. You were fortunate."

Emy smiled. "Thank you, ma'am."

"When are you available for training?" Joy asked.

"Training?" Emy asked.

Joy nodded. "You have potential, and you can improve more when you train. Aside from that, this is your first time at the call center. You must attend training for one month." Joy explained. "After the training, there will be a one-week nesting period."

"Ah, ma'am, are those trainings for which I will receive payment?" Emy inquired.

"Once you endorse the operation, you already have a salary. The company is in the house, so the training is free." Joy said. "Take risks for a month; we'll include you in the one-week nesting."

"Ma'am, I truly need a job, but I will decline your offer," said Emy.

"Huh? Why? What a waste of an opportunity! I am the one who did the interview, and I will ensure you can enter the operation," said Joy.

"The truth, Ma'am Joy, is that I can't support my fare and food. Emy stated, "I live away from here, and I can't afford to go unpaid for more than a month."

"Huh? Ask your parents for support for just one month," said Joy.

"I am the breadwinner of the family," said Emy. Emy stood up, and so did the woman. "Thank you very much, Ma'am Joy. Of all the jobs I've applied for today, you are the kindest. I'm leaving. Maybe traffic will catch up with me. Thanks again."

"OK, be careful," Joy said.

When Emy came out of the room, Joy followed her, then stared at Emy as she exited the main building. Joy picked up her phone and called a friend.

"Hello, Farah. Yes, this is Joy. Are you still hiring in real estate? I want to let someone in," said Joy.

Reed stared at Emy as they went out of the building. "Why did you refuse? I thought you wanted a job. That's a decent offer for you," Reed asked Emy.

Reed was surprised when Emy turned to look at him. She was staring at him, and he couldn't believe it until she stepped forward and entered his body. Reed glanced at Emy, who was sprinting toward the crowd.

Reed laughed to himself. "She can't possibly see me."

Emy spent all day looking for any job that would accept her immediately. Unluckily, she found nothing but a sore foot and a hungry stomach. She regrets not taking the position that Joy offers, but Emy knows what her life will be like when she accepts the training. Emy would walk to work every day to save on the pricey fare. She sat on an empty bench nearby, and suddenly a man appeared out of nowhere and handed her a burger and a Coke.

"Here, eat this," the man said.

Emy looked at the man, but she could not see his face because he was wearing a facemask.

"I have no money to pay for this, sir," Emy said.

"I don't ask you to pay. I asked you to eat," the man said.

Emy felt her stomach suddenly swell. For breakfast and lunch, she ate nothing but two biscuits. Emy doesn't just trust people; she is already hungry, and her stomach can't refuse the food.

Emy smiled. "Thank you, sir."

The man stood up, walked closer to Emy's side, and whispered in her ear. "You're on your way to the deal."

Before Emy could speak, the man quickly left. Emy was unsure of where the man had gone. She looked at the food again, and then she smiled.

'There are still good people in the world.' Emy thought.

Emy didn't know that the man was sitting in front of her and watching her. She couldn't see him. He folded his arms and leaned back against the chair's backrest. His eyes were staring at hers alone, and a smile was on his lips.

'You're perfect to be, my queen.'