Emilia and the Lunch Crisis

It was just a normal day at the office for Emilia Velasquez. Armed with her headset, telephone, and computer, she trudged through phone calls, redirecting callers to the elevator music of silence until she remembered to answer their questions. Her eyes drooped as the day continued. When she was young, she didn't think she'd end up like this. Of course when she was young, she had more time to do her true calling. Underneath the layer of make up, mom clothes, and saggy skin, she was once Celeritas, a super fast woman. Of course, she wasn't born that way. Her water supply had been contaminated with a poisonous chemical called Radioactive D, which enabled her to have such powers. Most other people had powers too, but a lawsuit had forced them not to use or talk about them. Fortunately for Emilia, she had two god-fearing parents who thought daily doses of religion could fix her. So, she got to keep her powers along with memorize every passage of the Torah.

She beeped in another call about a computer screen filled with static, when her cell phone rang. She promptly put the caller back on hold (much to their dismay) and answered. The voice of her son, Fabio, came through in loud sobs. "Mommy, I left my lunch on the table and the lunch ladies said I had too much debt to keep getting lunch and not paying for it."

"I thought you only borrowed one time. Plus, I gave you the money to pay them back."

"Yeah, well, sometimes I don't like my lunch so I get the school one instead."

"You mean I cussed out your principal over nothing? Dam- Fabio, if you don't like your lunch, either get a job to pay for the school one or pack it yourself."

"But Mommy..."

"I don't want to hear it. I'll be by at lunch time."

"Can I have MacDonalds?"

"Did you honestly just- Goodbye, Fernando."

"I'm Fabio."

"Whatever."

As soon as she hung up, her nosy coworker, Betty, had rolled her chair to Emilia's desk. "Aww, Fabio forgot his lunch?"

"What?"

"You know, my little Jenny does it all the time. I just got sick of it and gave her lunch money for a month. It worked so well that I've been doing it ever since. Maybe you should just pay for his lunch like I did."

"Isn't Jenny like twenty-five?"

"yeah but-"

"I thought she had kids of her own."

"She has three but that's not the-"

"This is customer service, please hold." Emilia pressed the button on her telephone. "Well, look Betty, I have to go get my kid some food and try not to strangle him. I'll be back in five."

"Oh, so should I-"

Emilia didn't hear the end of the sentence. The raced out of the office and down the stairs, since Betty's equally nosy friend, Frank, was at the elevator. Emilia raced down the twenty flight of stairs only to hear, "Hey Emilia, Betty texted me and said Fabio forgot his lunch again. Do you help with anything?"

"Yeah, Frank. Actually, I'm running low on cash and-"

"Say no more. Betty told me about you going to marriage counseling. That must take a lot out of your wallet. Here, have my lunch. It's vegan. It'll be good for him."

Emilia took the lunch and looked at Frank. "Is there a reason you just carry this around with you?"

"I don't want anyone to steal it."

"It's vegan, Frank. No one is stealing it. but thanks. Fabio will love it."

Emilia raced out of the building and towards her car when she heard, "Help! Help! He's assaulting me!"

Of course he is, Emilia thought. She ran towards the alley where two hobos were fighting. One had pinned the other and was rubbing his mold covered sock in the other's face while he other yelled in agony. Emilia pondered for a second then moved on. Down the street, she heard her phone ring again.

"What!" she screamed at the caller.

"Mommy? I'm sick. Can I come home?" her middle child, Luciana, whined on the other end.

"Yeah. I was just on my way to bring Fabio his lunch. I guess I'll stop by and get you too."

"Thanks, Mommy."

She hung up. Just as she did, a woman ran down the street clutching a purse. Another woman chased after her screaming, "Help! She has my purse!"

"Can we get through one day without me saving the fricking planet!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

She tore of her blouse and raced after the crook. She tackled her with lightning speed and tore the purse away from her.

"Thank you so much," the woman said. She sifted through the purse, grabbed the wallet out, cackled evilly, and raced off. "By the way, you aren't wearing an undershirt."

Emilia looked down at her chest and was mortified to her the saggy worn out bra was on display to the world. she pulled her shirt back together and helped the woman up. "I am so sorry about that."

"It's okay. That was my ex-husband's wallet. All she got away with was a bunch of unused condoms and some maxed out credit cards. but that's anyway uh, boob lady."

"It's Celeritas," Emilia groaned. She raced back to her car where she had a dirty EcoGreen T-shirt that her dog had used as a chew toy. She put it on and sped out of the parking lot and into a long line of traffic. With a sigh, she aid her head on the steering wheel, which caused a chain reaction of horn blowing.

By the time she got to the high school, it was 11:50. Lunch was in full swing. She dropped her son's lunch off at the principal's office and got her daughter who was sleeping in the nurse's room. Just as she was leaving, she got another phone call.

"Hey Mom. It's Fernando. Something's beeping and I don't know what it is."

"What? Aren't you in school?"

"No. We had an off day. I told you this on Saturday."

"You said you had an off day on Monday."

"Yeah, I know. It is Monday."

"No, it's Tuesday. You mean you didn't go to school today?"

"Yeah, but it's okay. It's March. Teachers don't expect us to care anymore."

"The state test is coming up in a week and you have to be there to study."

"It'll be fine, Mom. When are you coming home? I'm making cookies."

"Why are you making cookies?"

"I just wanted some. How long was I supposed to cook them again?"

"Fifteen minutes."

"I thought that was a four..."

"You left the cookies in for forty-five minutes? Look, just take them out. Your sister is sick so I'll be home in a few minutes."

"But they're going to smell burnt!"

"What did I say?"

"Ugh. Fine."

"I'll see you in a bit. Love you."

Emilia hung up and started the car. Halfway home, she got another call. "Hey, it's Jake. You know, the guy who sits two cubicles from you? Betty said I should call you and let you know we have a meeting in ten minutes."

"Of course we do," Emilia said with an eye roll.