A Glimpse into the future
...noyed client, but surprisingly there was nobody waiting for her. She offered a silent prayer of thanks to God, Buddha, Allah ...... whoever was listening. She heard a familiar voice coming from just outside her cubicle.“Zara, is that you? I've been trying to reach you on your cell all morning”. It was Casey, Zara's best and only friend. “I woke up late this morning”, Zara replied irritably. “Rough night?”, Casey asked sarcastically. “How did you guess?”, Zara asked in the same annoyed tone. “Look Zara, this is becoming ridiculous”, said Casey more seriously, “I'm sick of making excuses for you. Kathy doesn't believe me anyway”. Zara ignored Casey's last comment and grabbed her bottle of water from out of her bag and shoved 2 pain killers into her mouth. She pretended to not be bothered by what Casey was saying but she knew it was true. “Kathy suggested that you take the day off”, Casey said slowly. “She said that if you're late again she's going to fire you. You have a problem Zara, and the first step to recovery is acknowledging it.” Zara decided to take the day off. She waited at a red robot and thought about what Casey had said. Admitting that she had a drinking problem was a hard thing to do, it would mean that she'd actually have to do something about it. She heard a car hooting from somewhere behind her and presumed that the robot had turned green. She put her foot on petrol without concentrating. Suddenly she saw a person stumbling across the road in front of the car. It was too late, with a thud, the car hit. Panic set in as Zara jumped out of her car. The woman who she had hit stood up. “Thank God!” Zara cried, “Are you okay?” Other people had come to the scene to see what the commotion was. A voice came from the crowd, “She's just a good-for-nothing drunk. I tell her every day that she's gonna get hit by a car or pass out and never wake up again, but she don't wanna listen to me”. Zara looked around the crowd and saw that it was a hobo who had made the comment. She looked at the women whom she had hit. “Are you alright”, she asked again, “Do you want me to take you to the hospital?”. The women looked at Zara. She didn't seem to register that she'd been hit by a car. “A cup of coffee and a dough nut will do just fine”, replied the woman. “A what?”, Zara exclaimed. Zara thought that the women must've been delusional after being struck by the car. “It's the least you could do”, the woman said earnestly. “Yes of course, I just .... I ... Um..”, Zara choked on her words. “I want to go and sit there at Joe's Coffee Bar. They've got the best coffee. C'mon!”, said the woman. Zara and the woman who she had hit with her car seated themselves at 'Joes' and ordered two cups of coffee and 2 dough nuts. “I'm really sorry”, began Zara, “I don't know where my mind is ..... or my life for that matter”. “It's not the first time it's happened, I've been hit before, don't beat yourself up about it”, replied the woman. “What?”, asked Zara shocked by what the woman had just told her. “I'm just a good-for-nuthin drunk. You heard the guy. Thats my friend Sophiso, we've been living on the streets of Johannesburg for 5 years now”, said the woman. “My name's Zara by the way. And your name?”, asked Zara. “My name's Lindiwe, it's a pleasure to meet you Zara” said Lindiwe. Lindiwe stared at Zara for a while. Zara was a beautiful woman but she wore a troubled expression on her face. “What is the matter my child?” asked Lindiwe ...