“Okay, whatever you say baby.” I smile at his smug words and I know that my outburst meant absolutely nothing to him. He will always control everything and he has told me that is the way that it has to be. I do not even know why I am trying to change him because I know that I never will.
I arrive at the community centre, I quickly jump of the car, and I make my way into the building. I walk briskly along the hallway until I come to the reception.
“How may I help you?” The woman behind the desk asks as I approach.
“Hi, I am here to volunteer,” I say quickly. She stands up and she gazes at me.
“Are you the girl from Columbia?” She says, as she looks me up and down. I feel a little uneasy around her as I feel that she is intimidating.
“Yes, I am sorry, I am a little late,” I say in a low tone. She pouts her lips at me as she walks out from behind the desk. She begins to walk arrogantly along the hallway and she makes a signal with her hand for me to follow her. I walk quickly behind her until she leads me into the kitchen.
“Here put this on.” She hands me a white apron and I quickly do as she says. I follow her further into the kitchen and she leads me over to the buffet.
“Now it is about to get busy there are a load of homeless people due in and they can sometimes get rough over the food. Can you handle it?” I quickly take a deep breath and I reassure her that I can.
“Yes, I am sure that I can.”
“Oh you can, well good luck with that,” she says smugly as she turns away. I glance around the room and I can see several other volunteers. I take my place in front of the soup and I quickly notice a girl standing by me.
“Is this your first time?” She asks as she locks her eyes on mine. I slowly flash her a smile as I reply.
“Yes, I don’t really know what to expect?” I admit. The girl gently smiles back at me.
“Okay, so here are the basics. They will form a queue and you give each one the same amount of food. Only give out seconds after everyone has eaten, and do not let them bully you. If they think you’re weak then they will target you.” I feel even more nervous as I take in the girls words.
“Thanks… I think.” I say to her. She quickly turns to face the door as it opens. In walks a whole bunch of people and they begin to from a queue. I lift a bowl and I carefully fill it with soup. I place it onto the woman’s tray and then I hand her a roll. She smiles at me and I begin to prepare the next bowl.
I stare proudly around the room as I take in the sight of everyone enjoying the food. I cannot contain my smile and I feel very proud of myself. I know that I only dished out a few bowls of soup. However, the feeling that I have inside is overpowering and I feel a sense of achievement.
“Help me clear the plates, please,” the girl says as she holds several plates in her hands. I quickly make my way over the tables and I begin to clear the empty dishes. As I make my back over the kitchen, I gently bump into a woman. A plate falls and it smashes onto the ground. The woman quickly bends down and picks up the shattered pieces.
“I am so sorry,” I say desperately. The woman looks up at me and I am startled at the sight of her.
“It’s okay, go and put those plates into the kitchen and ask one of the girls where the dustpan is.” I stare at her and I cannot believe my eyes. What is she doing here and why is she the one giving the orders. I quickly walk away from her and I can tell that she senses something is wrong.
“Wait, where do I know you from?” She asks. I gaze at her and I cannot speak. She walks over to me and she looks directly into my eyes.
“You are the girl from the beach, aren’t you?” I quickly nod in agreement and I begin to walk away from her. I drop the plates onto the counter and I hold my head in my hands. What is Alice doing here? I look up and I see her making her way over to me. I watch as she walks slowly and I cannot believe that I am here with Adrian’s mother. I remember all the awful things that she did to him and I narrow my eyes at her. I take in her looks and she is not the way that I remember her from the beach. She does not look that old and she has definitely lost weight. She is dressed in black, and her dark hair is in a high bun. She reminds me of Adrian and I cannot bear to look at her. She approaches me and I wait for her words.
“You seem uneasy around me, who are you?” She asks rather brazenly. I adjust my position as I lock my eyes on hers.
“I am Alanna, and I am your son’s girlfriend.” She is shocked as she hears my words. She moves closer to me and I back slightly away from her.
“I see, and how is Adrian?” I shake my head at her and I cannot believe that she has the cheek to ask me that.