The floor is cold. I hear the sound of the fridge. My fingers are numb. Next to them is my Phone, in between my left hand and upper thigh.

Blood is still on the floor but dried up.

Thank God I made it. I pick the phone up, it’s at 5%, it’s 1pm. I can still make dinner with Ana.

[yesterday]

It’s a big day today, I have the job interview. Some may find it dreadful. I quite like it. A chance to show off how much I know. I’ve got this, I prepared. Tomorrow I have things planned. I am really proud of myself for arranging this sequence of events.

I have my 3 minutes speech about ’who is Eva’. I have the slides. I know my S.W.O.T. analysis, my top 3 achievements, one problem in the past 3 months I overcame and what I learned from it. The KISS method. I have my nails done. I am wearing my white shirt. Hair is washed 2 days before, so it looks perfect now.

—
I call an uber. The gentleman says hello, asks to confirm- the Ryoku café, I answer yes. We ignore each other peacefully until the end of the journey. BBC is playing in the background. Something about Trump, something about Iran. British accents rule the world, don’t they ?

—

Nailed the interview, now back. I call the uber.

—

I light up a cigarette.
—
BBC on again. More news, same comforting British voice. Now they’re playing Taylor Swift, I take out my headphones. How nice it is, I trust this system enough to go into a stranger’s car and completely abandon my listening sense by listening to my own music. Let’s do Berlin techno. Some sixth sense futuristic, electronic, clean, high BMP. I know we’ll go over the Basarab passage in a minute and loud, hard music fts great. We are still in traffic now. “How was the interview? What? I take one of the earphones out. I wasn’t planning to engage in chitchat, but why not, I am in a good mood today.

‘How was the interview, madam? ’

Ok so for sure I was not imagining it. How come he knows about it? I indulge, nevertheless. “It was good, thank you, I made it”

‘Let’s go celebrate’ he says.

I look in the rearview mirror and the driver catches my glance.

I become hyper aware. The doors are locked. My laptop is too heavy, I’ll have to leave it here. I talked to my dad yesterday; we ended the call well. I’ll miss Lili.

I have battery left on my phone. It’s at 3 percent. Basarab passage is coming soon.

I hit play. I hit Cancel Ride.

 

---

 

I look at my phone. Battery is at 100 percent. The song is paused, 15 seconds in. Push email notification comes from GMAIL. ‘Congratulations, we’re calling you for the second interview.’ Of course. Can’t wait for round two.