Make a Guess

“Hey Jenna, is everything going well?” Melissa sat on the bay window seat cushion. “I’m sorry that I missed your call and text.”

“Melissa, I can’t take it any more longer.”

“What is it?”

“I’m bored.”

Melissa paused to replay what she just heard. “You left a dozen voice mails, fifteen text messages, and five Facebook messages because you are bored?”

“I’m SUFFERING of boredom.”

“SUFFERING of hunger is more painful than boredom,” Melissa stated. “Why don’t you read a book?”

“I don’t like touching books.”

“They don’t bite, Jenna.”

“They have coronavirus on it.”

“That is ridiculous.”

“Nah-uh.”

“How about cleaning the house?”

“Coronavirus.”

“How about Mikey?” Mikey was an one-year old puppy with a knack for running after balls and covering faces with gooey saliva. “He is coronavirus-free.”

“Mikey is spending time mom.”

“Watching T.V, Netflix, Hulu?”

“Done with ‘The Big Bang Theory’, ‘Lucifer’, ‘Once Upon a Time’. I am staying away from criminal and murder shows. They are so depressing.”

“How about the news?” Melissa leaned on the pillow, crossing her legs. “Politics has become entertaining.”

“That is also depressing stuff.”

 Melissa clicked on the T.V and the first headliner she saw was “Coronavirus Forever?”.

Click. “Over 79,000 deaths.” Click. “Needed doctor and nurses volunteers in New York.” Click. “Newest fashion trends: N-95 masks and gloves.” Melissa turned off the T.V and resumed looking out of the window.

That was very depressing. Holy shit.

“Retirement?,” Melissa asked.

“I’m 24-years old with a 12K in savings.”

“Ok…what do YOU want to do?”

“Entertain me.”

“You’ll have to shelf out 12K. My services aren’t free.”

“May I use the friendship discount?”

“Fifty percent off.”

“Screw you.”

“Fudge you.”

“What you just say?”

“What else? I am entertaining you, aren’t I? I think it should decrease your boredom significantly.”

“That didn’t work. Entertain me with a story about your life.”

“Work has been so-so,” Melissa stared out the window at the moon. “I think my manager hates me.”

“In two months? Isn’t that far-fetch?”

“On my team, my manager gave a project that required to be done with a week and half as opposed to my co-workers who were gained a month as the deadline.”

“She/he thinks you are incredibly talent, capable, and promotion-worthy.”

“Or he thinks I am a newbie with a new dumping ground for the local trash.”

“High-end trash Melissa.”

“Thanks but it won’t help in this case.” The teleworking did ease the tension between Melissa and him, yet the irritating tone in the emails were prevalent but easy to delete after answering the email in one syllable to two sentences. “Have you found a job?”

“Got an interview then the position got canceled. I have a Cum Laude metal hanging on diploma frame and 30K in loans. The start of this year hasn’t been that great,” she sighed. “I regret majoring in English; I am helping my friends with their essays and books that does not bring a huge sum of income.”

“It took a year before landing with my company,” Melissa said. The annual was great, however the boss was an ass. “I am sure lucky will come.”

“My luck is coordinated with the coronavirus; when there is a vaccine or cure, it would be safe to say that,” Jenna said. “Melissa, last night, mom received a call from her company. They are laying her off.”

That shocked Melissa. “You mom has been with them for twenty-years.” Mrs.Green was friendly with the Vice President’s wife as those two shared girl’s nights on a monthly basis.

“We have 80K mortgage on the house.” Melissa could hear Jenna grabbing something in the background and blew into it.

“How is your father doing in all of this?”

“My father is working 90 hours a work to compensate my mom’s lay off. I do not see him at all. The world is coming down on us and I am dipping into my savings, which could last us for another month.”

Poor Mr. Green. He had enough stress as manager for Growing Green Inc, a company that sold eco-friendly baby products.

“How much you making a month?,” Melissa asked.

“From my freelance work about $1,000 per month. Sometimes greater, sometimes lesser. I asked my dad if I could be a factory assembly worker! I am willing to take anything by this point! According to my dad, the factory is losing $100,000 quarterly, so they aren’t planning to hire any more people. Just last week, my father told me they had one individual with COVID so the factory is shutting down for two weeks."

Melissa thought about her decision. There was no second chance or going back after finalizing it. “Jenna.”

“Yes.”

“I want to help.”

“How?”

“I can’t give you a hundred-percent discount but I will make a monthly donation of $2,000 until either you or your mom get back on your feet.”

Jenna became quiet.

“I do not want any repayment. You are an old friend and had helped with my shit.”

“$2,000 is like half of your monthly income. I can’t accept it.”

“I do not want to see either you or your mom starved to death or evicted out of the house. I have no student loans and so far my parents have stable jobs and income. Please take it.”

“I can’t.”

“Give me your bank account number and routing number,” Melissa said. “I will transfer tomorrow early morning.”

“Melissa,” Jenna cried. “Thank you. I will pay you back with a lifetime of Starbucks, lunches/ dinners, vacations, and a LV purse for your birthday.”

“I do not want any of that.” The vacations was a tempting offer.

“Melissa, you are giving me $2,000 per month, that is the least I could do. I am throwing a hot man too.”

“I will the accept the trips to Paris, Germany, London, and Brazil.”

“Yes, yes, yes, and yes.”

“But you have to promise one thing.”

“What is it?”

“I want you to figure it out.”

“How could I do something when I am not told anything? Give me a clue.”

“Consider this riddle: I have invisible hands, arms, and legs yet my heart is visible. What am I?”

……...

……...

……...

Could you decipher it?

Answer: kindness

Easy right?