It's the year 2025. The rich has taken over the country, leaving the poor and average to fend for themselves. Criminal organizations flourish as they buy their way out of everything. Rules were made to favor the rich while those who couldn't afford suffered the difference. The rich decided to create names for the different class of citizens to signify the difference in status.
The rich were called the makers.
The average were called the middles.
The poor were called the miserables.
No one had a say in anything unless you were a maker. But, the rich always stood by each other as they could buy each others' trust with money. Nothing was just anymore and it didn't matter. Because money was the only thing that mattered.
She woke up and looked around the room to see if anything had changed but everything was as it is. She had merely dreamt of a world she once knew as she was still in the small apartment that she shared with her older brother. She sighed and got out of bed, walking over to the small kitchen in their shoebox apartment.
Not so long ago, life wasn't as it was. She lived in a lovely home with a nice backyard with her mother, father and older brother. Her mother was a stay-at-home mom and grew vegetables as a hobby. Her father owned a little furniture shop just down the street and used the little wooden shed in the backyard as his work shop. Her brother owned an auto shop and when he wasn't watching his business, he loved going to the local gym to work out. She had been a college sophomore working towards a degree in film studies with honors.
Life was good, if not great but things took a change when the rich took over. Her parents were killed in a tussle between some men in the furniture shop and they were shot in the head, execution style.
She drove the sad memory of her parents out of her head as she looked over at her brother who was still sleeping soundly on the sofa. Silently thanking God that her brother was still with her, she turned back to look at her kitchen cabinet. Ever since her brother's auto shop got shut down, they were not able to make ends meet and she had no choice but to drop out of college.
She was just about to take out the cheap box of cereal from the cabinet when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around to see her brother standing behind her.
"Hey lil' sis. Good morning." He said
"Morning." She replied
He looked at the box of cereal in her hand, "I thought you said it didn't taste nice?"
"It doesn't. But we can't choose, right?" She said
He merely gave her a sad smile and messed her hair before leaving her to pour out the cereal into their bowls. Just as she poured the cereal into her brother's bowl, they heard a knock on their door.
"You pour the cereal. I'll go get the door." She said
Randy merely smiled and took the box from his sister as she walked over to the door. She opened the door and smiled at the friendly face looking at her.
"Hi John."
"Why hello, Jasmine. Is Randy awake yet?"
Jasmine nodded and stepped aside to let him in before he closed the door behind him.
"Hey Randy." John said
"Hey, what's up?" Randy asked
"The same thing. I brought you guys some food though." John said
He put a brown paper bag on the kitchen table and looked at Jasmine, "I got you something Italian."
Jasmine smiled happily, "Pasta?"
He nodded and Jasmine gave him a side hug, "Thanks John."
With that, she took her bowl of cereal and headed to her bed to eat. She drew the curtains that marked off the bedroom and the kitchen before sitting on her bed to eat. It had been a routine every morning. Ever since her brother's auto shop closed, John would come over and both he and her brother would get into a deep hushed conversation about something that they did not want her to hear. Even though she wanted to know what it was, she couldn't bring herself to eavesdrop.
After finishing her breakfast, Jasmine changed and picked up her satchel to get ready to head down to the soup kitchen run by a church. Since her drop out from college, Jasmine had been spending her time helping out at the soup kitchen.
As soon as Jasmine pulled open the curtains, Randy and John both stopped despite their seemingly heated conversation.
"Hey sis. Going to the soup kitchen?" Randy asked
"Yup." Jasmine replied, putting the bowl in the sink.
"Be careful out there." John said
"I know. Watch the streets, right?" Jasmine said
"Yeah. And stay at the soup kitchen after your shift. I'll come pick you up." Randy said
"Yes, sir." Jasmine said
Randy stood up, "I mean it."
"I know." Jasmine said
Randy kissed the top of his sister's head, "Stay safe."
She smiled and hugged her brother before saying good-bye to both him and John as she left the apartment.
Jasmine arrived at the soup kitchen and smiled seeing the familiar faces that sat at the tables. She made her way to behind the counter and put her satchel underneath the cashier where the other volunteers' belongings were.
"Morning, Jas!"
She turned and smiled at her best friend, Celeste, who had Jasmine's apron.
"Morning. Thanks Celeste." Jasmine said, taking the apron from her.
"You okay?" Celeste asked
"Yeah… Why?" Jasmine said
Celeste shrugged, "You just don't look so good. Had trouble sleeping?"
"You could say that…" Jasmine said
"Don't stress yourself out. I don't want you getting sick." Celeste said
"I know… I can't afford to get sick either. None of us are able to afford medical care, remember?" Jasmine said
Celeste pat Jasmine on the shoulder before the two of them made their way to the area where they gave out bread.
Just like her, Celeste was a college student that dropped out due to the high college fees. The two of them had met in college and became best friends quick. It was a miracle that Celeste never sought to make more money for herself. With her looks and figure, she could have easily made it in to join the league of girls at 'The Getaway'. The makers called it a decent company that paid well but everyone knows that it's an escort agency.
Jasmine was giving a half a baguette to a little girl when she heard someone shouting. She passed the baguette to the girl before looking out at the entrance of the soup kitchen.
A little boy was standing opposite a well-dressed man with bleached blonde hair and he was shouting at him.
Jasmine looked at Celeste, "You take over for me for a while. I'll go see what's wrong."
Before Celeste could stop Jasmine, she had already taken off her apron and put it by the side table. She walked out and stood in front of the little boy.
"Sir, please stop shouting at him." Jasmine said
He looked at her and said, "This is none of your business. I suggest you shut up and walk away."
She folded her arms, "I'm not going to do that."
The guy stood straight up, amused at her defiance.
"Do you know who I am?" He asked
"No. But I know you belong with the makers." Jasmine replied
"That's right. So, why would you be so stupid to stand up for this boy?" He asked
"Because he's only 6 and can't speak." Jasmine replied
He cocked an eyebrow and smirked. This girl may not be one of those drop dead gorgeous ones that he knew but there was just something about her that intrigued him.
"Look. I don't know who you are or why you're even here. But, whatever this little boy did to you wasn't on purpose." Jasmine said
He straightened his suit jacket, "Fine. I'll not pursue this matter anymore but know this. You just crossed paths with a Nemeth and I am going to remember you."
Before Jasmine could say anything, he smirked at her and got into the limo that was parked by the kerb. A few seconds after he got in, the car zoomed off. Jasmine let out a sigh of relief before turning around to face the little boy.
"Are you okay?" Jasmine asked
The little boy nodded.
"Did that guy hurt you?" Jasmine asked
He shook his head but looked at the ground. She looked and sitting on the ground was half a baguette.
She gave him a warm smile and said, "Don't worry. I'll get you a new one, okay?"
He nodded and smiled as she held his hand and brought him back into the soup kitchen to get a new piece of baguette.
Jasmine had just returned to her area when a volunteer by the name of Bryan came up to her. He had worked as a volunteer a little longer than Jasmine and Celeste but unlike them, he worked at a supermarket as a cashier.
"Hey Bryan. What's up?" Jasmine asked
"Can I talk to you for a sec, Jas?" Bryan said
She looked at Celeste who said, "Go. I'm good here."
Jasmine nodded and gratefully squeezed Celeste's arm as she followed Bryan to the back of the kitchen.
"So… What did you want to talk about?" Jasmine asked
"I saw what you did earlier for little Austin. That was pretty brave of you." Bryan replied
"Well, someone's gotta do something, right?" Jasmine said
"Yeah… Listen… I've got something on later this evening at 6pm and I was wondering if you would accompany me." Bryan said
"Like a date?" Jasmine asked
"No, no… Not like that. Just say 'yes' and you'll find out." Bryan replied
"I don't know, Bryan… My brother's coming to pick me up later." Jasmine said
"Just tell him you gotta work extra." Bryan said
Knowing that Jasmine might be worried about his intentions, he decided to clear things up.
"Don't worry. I don't mean any harm or anything. You've known me for a while now… If I wanted to do you harm, I would have done it in the first two weeks that I met you. But, that doesn't mean I'm a creep or anything!" Bryan explained
Jasmine laughed, "I think I got what you're trying to say, Bryan. Okay, I'll call my brother."
Bryan smiled, "Awesome. You won't regret this."