Chapter 14

• At last, the day had come for the interview and Mina was elated and nervous all at once. This would be her first job ever, that is if she scaled through the interview process. Her father had promised very confidently that she would, but she wondered at his high level of confidence; it was as if he would be her interviewer.
• The job albeit a small one would serve as a source of experience for her, so she was taking it very seriously. As she rushed through her chores at home, her mind wandered to John. She knew that being too busy was the reason why she had not heard from him for the past two days or so. She didn't need to be told, she knew that calling him incessantly could put him, if not both of them, in danger so she stayed her hand even though she was itching to hear his voice. That firm but quiet voice that always made her smile. She was smiling now as she anticipated calling him later in the day and surprising him with the information that she had just obtained a brand new job as a secretary to a newspaper publisher. Murmuring a brief prayer, she hoped everything would go as planned.
• As the time approached for Mina to leave for her all-important interview, the butterflies in her stomach seemed to be increasing in large multiples. She was restless with nervousness. She checked and rechecked everything, fearing that she may have left some things undone in her haste. She wondered how Max would manage with the store if she were to get the job. He wouldn't be able to wake up early enough, she knew. But she was determined to make him learn as fast as possible, so when she left the kitchen after taking her breakfast, she did not go to wake him up. Breakfast was ready and all the cleaning at home had been done, that was more than enough help for him. She wasn't very worried about him failing for a short while, rather it was for the long term she feared. Most of the loyal customers had been warned to expect an inexperienced storekeeper and they bitterly bemoaned her absence while wishing her luck with her interview. But some were not so coy, they openly wished that she wouldn't get the job. She had to calm them by assuring them that she would be around on weekends and maybe some evenings on weekdays. She begged them to support Max and tolerate him, so he would quickly be broken in, but she knew it was mostly a waste of breath.