1 CHAPTER 1

It's a bright new day in a Sundy Restaurant across the street, people are eating and drinking with waiters and waitresses serving them. The waiters and waitresses wore a red and blue shirt with black trousers and a red cap with the name of the restaurant printed on the short and cap.

A young man walked in and sat at the corner of the restaurant without placing an order. No one noticed him nor attended to him as their attention was to those who were expensively dressed. The man in particular wore a free asb coloured shirt with an unzipped brown jacket on top, black jean trouser and a pair of blue Snickers with a brown face cap on his head.

He seemed to be deep in thoughts and also didn't bother calling anyone to make an order. A waitress, light skinned in complexion and handling, dark and soft hair which she packed to the back of her head and enclosed in a red face cap, average in height, slim figured and had dimples on each cheek noticed the man and went over to his table.

"Hi sir, good day. Would you like to place an order?" She asked him politely as she stood beside him holding the menu which we dropped on the table for him to have a closer look on the items available but seemed not to be interested.

"Hello, the water will be fine." He kindly told her when a wealthy looking couple walked in.

"Sir, are you sure that's all you'll take?" She asked him again when her attention was called upon from the counter.

"Haera! What are you doing here? Can't you see that there are other customers to attend to?" Mendy, another waiter, came to her and whispered almost to the hearing of the young man.

"But I also have a customer to attend to. Why not let me finish with Jim first?" She told Mendy.

"Girl, you're making a mistake here." She replied to Haera, pulling her away from the young man's table to avoid him from eavesdropping on their conversation but they were still loud enough that he could hear them clearly but pretended not to.

"Those are one of the richest people in town and remember that if you don't make enough money by the end of the month, you won't get the promotion and you'll also lose your job. Remember that you lost a week already when you were. I'll try and make up for your lost days and pay by attending to those who have money and not to some wretched beggars who have nothing in their pockets but still go around to order for water." Mendy rudely said as she eyes the young man who was going through the menu on he table but clearly heard everything.

"Hey Mendy, that's so rude and uncalled for, okay? You don't have to talk ill of people if you don't have anything nice to say about them." Haera queried her.

"I'm just helping you but it's obvious that you don't need my help. Very soon you'll end up like them in the streets while I'll be in my luxurious Porsche, cruising the city. If you like don't take my advice and grab those who has money, continue wasting your time here. Remember that your house rent is about to expire…" Mendy said in an unfriendly manner.

"Thanks for your concern, okay? Now can you go and attend to your "most important" customers before you lose them to someone else?" Haera said to her, quoting her by her words with her fingers as she walked away to attend to the man.

"I'm sorry sir for the interruption…have you made your decision on what you like to take?" Haera apologized to the young man. Mendy walked past them, hissing and brushing off Haera's shoulder with her as she went to the table of the rich couple.

"I'm sorry too that you had to go through that because of me." He apologized to her.

"No sir, it's fine…there's absolutely nothing to be sorry for. I'm just doing my job and nothing more." Haera told him.

She got him a glass of water as he had earlier ordered and went to attend to another table. He admired her and how she respected customers and treated everyone equally.

The next day, he showed up again and sat at the same table where he said the previous day. Another waitress came up to serve him but he didn't order for anything.

"Sir, you can't sit here if you don't order for anything." The waitress time him and he was forced to order for a drink. He sipped it slowly as he waited for the king hearted waitress of yesterday to show up again but she didn't. After some few minutes, he called another waitress.

"Hey, excuse me please." He called out to her and she came to him.

"How may I help you?" She asked him politely.

"I don't mean to waste your time but please z are these all the people that work here?" He asked her, pointing to the other waiters and waitresses.

"No, we are eleven in number. The others are in the kitchen while some are in the backyard of the restaurant." She replied to him not suspecting anything from his question.

"Okay, thanks." He thanked her and acted as if there was no reason as to why he asked.

"But may I ask you why you asked?" She asked him back.

"I got curious…you know…I saw just the five of you guys serving and one at the counter so I thought that's the only number of staffs working here. I'm impressed though at your hard work, you people really make delicious food." He praised her.

"Thank you…" She said as she walked away. He kept his gaze fixed at the kitchen corner to see if Haera would come out. He had waited for about three hours but didn't see her and decided to leave. He kept coming there for three days to eat but she never showed up.

"What could have been the problem? The restaurant isn't big enough to hide her so where could she be? Or was she sick? What happened to her?" He pondered on these questions as he sat in his car, packed outside the restaurant.

He started his car engine and was about to drive away when he saw a young woman with a small child in her arms, lying on her shoulder, walking into the restaurant as she looked back and at her sides occasionally as she walked, as if not wanting anyone to see or follow her.

She wore black sunshades and covered her head with a big brown bag, which matches with her co- operate dressing. The young boy was covered with a shawl, he looked like a newborn baby. He caught the side view of the lady and she looked just like Haera.

"Haera? What's she doing here dressed like this? He asked no one in particular.

He wanted to follow her in but changed his mind and decided to wait for her in his car. After a few minutes, she was out with the baby. He came out of his car and wanted to follow her but she walked in a haste so he called out to her.

"Hello…excuse me Ms." He called out to her. She turned and looked back at him but instead of stopping, she increased her speed to a black car that pulled off by the roadside. He noticed a black bit Mike st the back of her neck as she adjusted her hair,pushing it to the other side of her neck.

He wondered why Haera acted so strangely. Devastated, he went into his car and drove away.

Ryan went back home looking all moody. He hadly got a mood swings but that day, he avoided almost everyone. He got I to the house, said a word of greetings and went upstairs to his room, ignoring everyone. He loosened his tie as he sat heavily on the bed, still thinking about what just happened.

"Ryan dear, open the door." A voice called out through the door as it was lightly knocked on. From the voice, hw knew it was his mum, Rolan.

"I'm coming…" He said as he went to get the door.

"Ryan, what's up with you?" She asked him, shutting the door behind her.

"Nothing mum, I'm just tired." He replied nonchalantly, facing the window while standing.

"You know there's no one who cares so much about you other than your mother, tell me, what's the problem? I've never seen you this moody before so what changed?" She asked, getting concerned.

"Mum I told you I'm fine! Please I need space to clear my mind…I'm just stressed out and that's all." He said to her as though it was a quarrel.

"Okay okay, if you say so. I'll leave…" His mum said as she made for the door.

"Mum?" He called out to her as she opened the door, turning and sitting at the edge of the bed.

"Yes dear." He replied him, also coming to sit near him.

"I'm sorry for how I sounded at you… I'm just…I don't know. Maybe tired, I had a right day." He said, not knowing the right words to say.

"I understand Ryan…it happens sometimes and is a normal thing. Do you want to talk about it? She asked him, placing one of her arms around his neck.

"No mum, it's fine… I've taken care of it already…I just need to do one or two things and rest." He said to her, not wanting to raise her concerns.

"Yeah sure, get enough rest okay? Do you need anything?" She asked him,getting up from the bed.

"No, I'm fine." He said in a reassuring voice.

"Okay. Call me if you need anything alright?" She said to him.

"I'll…thank you." He said as he laid on the bed after watching her leave the room.