{"id":1096,"date":"2017-01-28T20:01:49","date_gmt":"2017-01-28T20:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theskrypt.co.ke\/?post_type=jetpack-portfolio&p=1096"},"modified":"2017-01-28T20:01:49","modified_gmt":"2017-01-28T20:01:49","slug":"the-apartment-10","status":"publish","type":"jetpack-portfolio","link":"https:\/\/sqrypted.co.ke\/index.php\/portfolio\/the-apartment-10\/","title":{"rendered":"The Apartment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 10: Second Chance<\/strong><\/p>\n

The farm manager sighed. Managing boy-starved, hormone-driven, teenage girls was such a headache. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI wish I could divert all their energy into the JV club\u2026\u201d he thought.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

One girl broke away from the crowd and sat alone on a bench. There was an ongoing agriculture class. Her flawless skin, glowed in the Midday sun. He was enthralled.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re at the wrong place young lady\u2026\u201d He started.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She looked at him with lifeless drooping eyes. A fixed on her lips. He recognized her.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEsther, was it? \u201cHe asked as he lowered his bulky chiseled frame next to her on the wooden bench. She shifted her weight and gaze away from him.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Esther nodded with her eyes firmly fixed on her hands that toyed with the fabric of her skirt.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo\u2026What is it now? Are you unwell?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>..\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Tears dangled precarious in her eyes.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She sighed then sniffed. Her arms reached up and covered her face. Her body trembled.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The farm manager broke out in a cold sweat. A tearful girl was not his cup of tea.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOi! W\u2026ai\u2026\u201d He stammered as Esther\u2019s lips trembled and the tears finally fell.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy best friend..h\u2026hates me\u2026and everybody is being\u2026so\u2026.so\u2026mean..\u201d Esther blurted out. Her whole body shook, her expression pained. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The farm managers heart wrung. He frowned.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d he asked in a gentle voice, angling his body towards her and leaning in. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe..ll\u2026.after seeing you yesterday, I went for the auditions but I was too late and got <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>turned away\u2026..\u201d she was regaining some of her composure<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The farm manager leaned back nodding, He\u2019d been expecting that. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

To her, he said, \u201cI am sorry about that. And your friend\u2026why does she hate you\u2026?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe called me a traitor!\u201d, Esther whispered, breaking down again.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan you believe it!!!\u201d she asked in disbelief, her eyes were wide. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would she say that?\u201d quizzed the farm manager.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I told her I was not interested in JV\u2026 but since then my circumstances have changed. Is that betrayal?\u201d she turned to him her eyes wide with expectation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it is not\u201d He said nodding, \u201cSo\u2026.\u201d He started to say but she cut in. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe said, I don\u2019t deserve it and I shouldn\u2019t get in. That really hurt\u201d, her face dropped, \u201cNow everyone thinks I\u2019m a back-stabbing Bitch.\u201d She pouted at this last part.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The farm manager tapped his feet as he always did when deep in thought.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve given up then?\u201d he asked stealing a sideway glance.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A weak smile flickered on her lips, \u201cI appealed to the patron\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Unexpectedly, she sat upright, retrieved a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her tear streaked face.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

He smiled. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The bell rang.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThank you\u2026\u201d <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Said Esther smiling, her expression determined. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201cI needed this.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She got up joined her class mates as they exited the farm.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe would be an interesting addition to the club\u2026\u201d He thought.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

****<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

That Evening.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMay I come in?\u201d the Academic patron of the JV club stood at the door with a file in hand.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPlease\u2026\u201d the farm manager stood up as she walked in.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She was plump with chubby cheeks and radiant eyes, \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She sank into the old couch by the window. It protested.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo\u201d, he began, re-arranging the files on his desk as she studied his office, \u201cWhat can I do for you.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cI came to seek your opinion\u201d She said \u201cAs a co-patron of JV\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

He looked up. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOn what exactly?\u201d he asked, feigning disinterest. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

He suspected…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA late application. By a girl called Esther.\u201d She cradled the file in her hand and then opened it.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

He was right. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cwhat\u2019s your preferred course of action, you seem decided\u2026.?\u201d He asked.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIs that so\u2026?\u201d her voice trembled a little, \u201cI didn\u2019t mean to make it seem \u2026\u201d her voice trailed<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

He smiled, \u201cNo problem. Is that her file. May I see it?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The patron sighed with relief and handed it over. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI compiled some information about her. I\u2019m certain you will agree with me that she should be allowed to take the last test.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

He flipped through the pages, \u201cShe has quite a large fee balance…\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d the patron cut in, her face doleful, \u201cShe explained her family situation. Her parents are separated and she is living with difficult relatives. I couldn\u2019t help feeling sorry for the girl…\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201chmmm, \u201cHe grunted shutting the file. The patron was staring out the window.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe club is meant to help such girls you know…\u201d she returned her gaze to him.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI spoke to her earlier today. I don\u2019t think she knew that I was a co-patron.\u201d He said. \u201cI agree. She deserves the chance\u201d, he returned her gaze before leaning back into his seat.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll instruct to the club committee. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I expect they will have their reservations\u2026 \u201cshe stood up and walked up to him. She extended her arm.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

He shook it with smile, \u201cSometimes there are worthy exceptions\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cExactly\u201d, she returned the smile.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapter 10: Second Chance The farm manager sighed. Managing boy-starved, hormone-driven, teenage girls was such a headache. \u201cI wish I could divert all their energy into the JV club\u2026\u201d he thought.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":980,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"jetpack-portfolio-type":[],"jetpack-portfolio-tag":[],"class_list":["post-1096","jetpack-portfolio","type-jetpack-portfolio","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sqrypted.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/jetpack-portfolio\/1096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sqrypted.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/jetpack-portfolio"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sqrypted.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/jetpack-portfolio"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sqrypted.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sqrypted.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1096"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sqrypted.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/jetpack-portfolio\/1096\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sqrypted.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/980"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sqrypted.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"jetpack-portfolio-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sqrypted.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/jetpack-portfolio-type?post=1096"},{"taxonomy":"jetpack-portfolio-tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sqrypted.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/jetpack-portfolio-tag?post=1096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}