She got to the restaurant and grabbed the broom and started sweeping the floor. She could not even see the floor through her tears and the dust she was stirring up made more tears well up in her eyes. She grew suddenly weak and had to place her hand on a nearby table. She looked up and saw a figure in the door. Her tears were still in her eyes, thus she could not tell who was there.
All she could tell was that it was someone she didn't know.
"We are not open, come back in a few hours," she said in a shaky voice.
The figure just stood there.
"Didn't you here me," she said becoming even louder and angrier.
The figure stepped back a little out of fear but still did not leave.
She was not in the mood to deal with people who would not listen to her. "Get out or I'll… I'll…"
She ran at the figure with her broom and started hitting it. Before she knew it she was crying in its arms. She suddenly looked up, she still couldn't see from the tears, she ran back to the building and slammed the door. She was blushing so hard she thought she would die.
She wiped her eyes until she could see again. Looking out the window she saw no person. No one was even in the distance. She turned around and sat on the ground. Looking up she saw the restaurant. The tables were moved, she had moved them as she swept in her rage. The chairs were all scattered on the ground, she felt ashamed. "How could I do this to someone who just wants to make me better?" She got up and finished preparing the room. Six chairs for eight round tables, ten bar stools at the bar, plates and bowls and silverware ready to be given to the customers, food ready to be cooked, and the workers coming in ready for the new day's work.
She was tired. But her day was just getting started. Her aunt was coming in through the door. She knew what she had to do; she didn't want to do it, but she had to anyway.
"Aunt Feria," she really did not want to have to do this.
"Yes, Polina?"
"I'm… Sorry, I was wrong to act the way I did. You are trying to help me be better and I am not accepting it, at all." She was beginning to feel much better. Then, she looked outside and saw the mess she made with the broom and the stranger. She knew she had to tell aunt Feria about it, but before she could her aunt told her.
"I understand that you are very confused about why your parents sent you here, but you will understand, probably sooner than later."
Polina looked up in surprise; she just remembered that they would be getting a letter from her parents that day. "The mail should be getting here soon!" She ran out the door and looked out to the horizon. She saw the mailman coming and her heart jumped out of her chest.
He ran up to her, "Hello, I have a let… oh, no I don't"
Her heart was back and now in her throat, "Wh… what?"
"Nope," he said with a smile, "I guess they got busy and forgot."
"NO!" she cried grabbing his shoulders, "they would NEVER forget! Aunt Feria!"
Her aunt ran out with her apron still untied and her hair around her face not in its bun, "What is it dove?"
"Its mom and dad," she was becoming inaudible, "there is no note from them!"
"Now dear I'm sure they sent it, the letter must just be deep down in the mailman's bag. Isn't that right sir?" she was not willing to be in this hole alone.
"I'm afraid not miss. I remember going to their home and finding nothing there. Their door was open, I supposed they moved out, and the neighbors said they were gone and never coming back. I thought they just moved away, I thought you knew?"
"'I Thought, I thought, well guess what smarty pants, they DIDN'T!" Polina fell to the ground shaking; her tears were all dried up.
"Oh, Polina!" aunt Feria stooped down and held her tight, "I'm sure they're alright."
"NO!!" Polina knew that they were in trouble. "I have to find them! Something is WRONG!"
Aunt Feria held her closer. She didn't know what to say for a while. "It's time to let you go."
"What?" Polina looked up at her aunt wide eyed. "'let me… go'"
"Yes, you are a strong girl, you can fight like a real warrior sometimes," she said indicating the mess around them.
"I guess I can fight pretty well huh?" she said blushing.
"Hmm." Aunt Feria knew in her heart that she was ready. "I will not be the one to tell you why you were sent here; you will find out from someone else. But I will help prepare you for your journey anyway," she said rising clumsily.
Polina smiled and followed her aunt to the restaurant, for the last time.
