It is not easy to move; worse either back to your parent's house.
"Urgh! I can't believe that happened to me, what a dick. He fucked up my life." I said angrily to myself -- probably cursed a little more out loud, I couldn't remember.
Every one of us has expectations, dreams, and something we never want to happen, despite the choices we made in life. To me, the last part happened, not that it was something horrible per se, but it was a huge step back.
After I've finished college, I dreamed of working with my friend in his family's electric company. It was a pretty good job, decent-paying and above all, I could get the acknowledgment for doing it. At home, all I heard was "Well, it is good, not great, you could do better.".
Life has its ups and downs, and this story is about one of them.
After working for three years on the electric company, I proposed an incredible way to save money by automating two processes in the plant. I have programmed everything, tested, and built the project myself. I shared some insights with Andy, my best friend from college. Correy arranged this job in his family company, we were good friends, very close. He loved to spend holidays with my family and go camping with us. After I shared my thoughts with him, he tried to make give it up, saying it was too much work for nothing. I insisted on that project, and after it was completed and implemented, they fired me. The administrative council board, composed by Earl (Correy's father) and his brothers decided to sell the company with the new technology to a huge conglomerate. Though it was a good deal for them, especially with the turbulent economy, it was a huge problem for me. Later on, I discovered Andy stayed on the company and was in charge of operating the system. The new administrative council fired most of the employees and transferred from other plants the workers they needed to run the company paying 30% less. I've sent resumes for many other companies and even for jobs bellow my qualifications. I got nothing, not a single response. I had pretty solid expertise at the age of 26, but there was nothing for me.
I had nowhere to go, so my parents offered me our old house in the middle of nowhere, and a sum of money they saved for my college. Since I was awarded a full paid sports scholarship, they kept the money for times of need, needless to say, they used part of the money to help my sister pay for her tuition.
The unemployment life and the betrayal cast me in a depression state and I couldn't be grateful enough for this opportunity my parents gave me. I was feeling like the biggest loser, despite having the knife and the cheese on my plate.
Then one day I had a brilliant idea to open up a general repair shop in my old house garage. While I was still in my freshman year I did this all the time. I was able to pay for a lot of things like my books, cell phones, clothes, and trips.
As soon as I came back home for Christmas holiday, my father gave me the keys to the house and said those words.
"You have a chance to start over, you are mature enough and had proven to be responsible and resourceful over these years, you will thrive." He said with his usual patronal voice.
"Thanks dad, this is very important to me. I'll turn around, and hey...You too can come back home whenever you want." And he said, "you bet your ass I would go back to that house in the middle of nowhere!". We laughed and hugged.
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The way back home was an 8 hours car drive, though the hot weather and the A.C. broke made it longer than expected. The first 3 hours were easy, but the silence of the car, filled just by the music made me feel alone and sad. I was constantly remembering Correy's face saying he's changed his mind about my automation system after seeing it working. Now he has my job, operating my system -- I punched the steering wheel, cursed the wind and the sun.
I was getting tired and hungry, up ahead there was a sign "best homemade food 3 miles ahead". I decided to stop there and rest a little.
It was a pretty good place, good food and full of people. I sat down and ordered a nice steak and fries to fill up the batteries and hit the road again. Washed my face, brushed my teeth, and took a leak.
While I was heading to the car, a familiar voice shouted at me.
"Oh my gosh! I can't believe it. Andrew Parks."
My heart skipped a beat, I felt a churn on my belly, I knew that voice...it was...
My high school teacher, and huge crush growing up, Miss Claudia.
"How long no see you, you are so grown up." She approached me, gave a big hug, and peck on my cheek. "Such a fine young man. Tell me, where have you been all these years?" She hugged me once more with her warm body and caressed my arms.
Immediately, her Chanel smell brought a lot of memories from school. She was wearing a small sundress, white with small blue stripes, a huge pair of yellow sunglasses, and colored bracelets.
Miss Claudia was a fine woman in her late 40's, well educated, pretty, but not in an obvious way. She kept the same hairstyle, her classic signature, a kinky natural red hair that matched perfectly with small freckles on her nose and cheeks. Her light brown skin, was flawless over the years, though she seemed much more tired. Her beauty was an amazing mix of Irish and Brazillian traits. Her smile has a small gap in the middle, that was a real charm. She is lean but also has long toned legs and a round peachy ass (very Brazillian, I must say) that stood out in her dress. Her small perky tits and small waist were a huge success in school, at least for me. My friends didn't seem to care much about ass and small boobs. Despite her amazing features, she never got any luck picking up a man.
"My father got transferred and I had to move to Kansas. Finished my high-school and went to college, got a job for a few years until I got fired this month. And you?"
"Well if you are heading back to Greenfields, I can tell you on the way. It is not every day I find a pleasant familiar face." She said with a strange emphasis on the last part. Almost like she also has something to unburden.
"Of course! Yeah, I'm going back there, I can offer you a ride home. It's been a lonely driving, I could use a good company." I said a little bit nervous, while memories and old feelings resurfaced.
It took me about an hour to update her about my recent life events. I was feeling anxious about going back to Greensville and open my shop somewhere I don't know anyone anymore. Miss Claudia was very understanding, she tried to make me feel better, she said how young I was, and how a change of plans could be a good opportunity. She felt deeply sorry about what my friend has done to me.
She looked at me, pat my thigh, and gently pressed for a second or two.
"You are still young, this is nothing that time can't fix. You'll see. If you need me for anything back in town, you know where to find me, Andrew. For me, not for sure...Things are a bit harder." She said, letting the air out heavy.
