One

It was eleven o’clock of a fall morning in Hollywood Hills. It was Friday. Any other morning, Christina Kennard would have already been at work, most likely reading over scripts or and in a meeting discussing production of a film.

She padded into her grand sized kitchen within the seven bedroom apartment and took a seat on one of the island chairs and then stared at the sink, full of dirty dishes, through it all wondering where the last seven years of her life had gone.

Just then a loud knock at the door woke her from her depressed state. She tried fixing her hair into a neat bun, but gave up. She knew who would be behind the door.

She lifted her eyes to the door and saw him.

“Kennard, your rent is due.” Mr. Haines was a grumpy old man, who had once upon time had felt sympathy for her and understood her financial state.

“Mr. Haines, I beg you. Just one more month and I promise, I will get the money ready for you.”

“You ain’t got no money, Christina. You ain’t got no job. I already had done given you seven years of livin’ here for free. If it weren’t for your Daddy and your Momma giving me, so much money for rent over the years, I would’ve evicted you sooner.”

Tina flinched at the mention of her parents, her late parents. They left their grand apartment to Tina to housesit when they went to Paris for their anniversary. It had been seven years since their passing and Tina still felt immense pain in her chest. After all, losing anyone for that matter who you loved hurt, but losing two people, your parents to a terrible airplane crash was a horrifying experience. Tina had never recovered.

“Please, Mr. Haines.” The blonde held up her hands and begged the old man.

Christina was such a kind soul and those eyes of hers could melt the grumpiest of old men.

“Look here, Christina. I only am doing, this because this here building… Some inspectors came ova’ here and they say, they could give me enough so I could retire and my baby’s babies could retire. You understand?”