"A GIFT OF HAPPINESS" CHAPTER 5: JAZMIN'S ARRIVAL

"A GIFT OF HAPPINESS"                   CHAPTER 5: JASMIN'S ARRIVAL 

By Franklin Campusano 

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    As of now, it's about 12:30am. After narrating Joel's experience to my friends there was a deep silence in our small apartment living room. Bella, Lilith and Kate are all filled with awe and shock, as I sit there among them in our little circle. Bella goes on to say: 

"I honestly didn't expect that, that homeless man, Luis seemed like a good person. I'm sorry for her, for having to go through that." 

"The part where the big brawl broke out in that abandoned street and then the police arriving and breaking it up was very shocking to me." Says Kate. 

    Lillith stands up and stretches her back by raising and spreading her arms, she then lets out a loud yawn, after letting out a deep sigh she then says: 

"That issue that neighborhood was facing at that time, I could never imagine living like that. I don't know how you did it but I'm glad you turned out okay Zoe." 

    "Eh, I didn't live in that neighborhood, I lived not so far from there though." I said to Lilith in response. 

    Lilith goes to the kitchen to grab a drink; Kate lays her back in the couch while sitting in the floor and rest her head on it. Kate in the other hand looks at me and asks me: 

"Wait, you're not done telling us the story, haven't you?" 

"Yeah, we still don't know who the killer is and the motive behind the killings." Bella added. 

    After hearing that from Kate and Bella, I take a deep breath and say in response: 

"OfCourse not, I'm about halfway done with it, things will start picking up from here and on though. Are you girls ready to put up with it?" 

"OfCourse we are Zoe," says Lilith as she comes back from the kitchen with a few vitamin waters.

    Lilith sits back with us in the floor in our little circle and passes us one vitamin water. 

"This should keep up awake for a little while longer." Lilith says. 

"I mean, is only 12:34am right now so it's not a big deal." Kate says to Lilith in response. 

    This is when I remember that Jazmin, my roommate is still not home, she usually arrives from her shift at the hospital at about 12am in the morning but today she's a little late, 45 minutes late to be specific. So, I decide to make a quick call to Jazmin, just to make sure that everything is okay with her. Once I dial up Jazmin's phone number, and proceed to call, the call immediately ends. She has rejected the call, and then Jazmin proceeds to send me a text message:

"I'm already in the building. I'm coming up."  

"Ok." I texted her back in response. 

    So I look at my friends and tell them: 

"Jazmin is about to arrive." 

"Wait does she know we are here?" Bella asks me. 

"Does it matter?" I ask Bella in response. 

    Upon saying that, Jazmin opens the door with her keys and walks into the apartment and sees us all seating around in a circle in the floor. 

"Oh, so you girls are here." Jazmin's says to us upon seeing us. 

"Yes, we are!" Bella, Kate and Lilith respond to her. 

    Jazmin then goes ahead and places her bag pack in the couch, she then looks at all the food we had with us and proceeds to ask: 

"Did you save some for me?" 

"OfCourse, we did, we saved you some take out and put it in the fridge for you." 

    Jazmin smiles at the prospect of not having to cook tonight and goes to the kitchen, she throws her coat in the table and goes to the kitchen, opens the fridge door and grabs her food, she then puts her food inside the microwave and heats it up. We saved her some Chinese food and some fried chicken and fries. 

    After she was done heating up her meal, she came over to sit down with us, and as she takes her first bite she asks:

"So, what's the topic of today's 'meeting'?" 

    Bella in response says to Jazmin: "In essence we are telling stories and experiences, we are actually listening to Zoe's experience right now and is really good so far." 

"Oh really?" 

"Yes, you just missed a really good part but is alright, we are still halfway done through her story." 

     Jazmin looks at me while raising her eyebrow and smiling. 

"Is that so? I guess you won't mind me joining you girls, nothing like an interesting story after a long shift at work and a nice meal." 

    Now that everyone is here, and all eyes and ears are locked into me, I start resuming the final part of my experience. 

"This took place shortly after the death of homeless man Luis."

To Be Continued...