The wind had been picking up since noon. Trees and bushes twirled, bent, and swayed wildly. Fallen leaves and broken twigs marred the beautifully manicured gardens, stone paths, driveways, and resident patios in the Pacific Hills Apartments complex.
Sitting on the bench by my bedroom window, I watched the disarray worsening each time the wind howled and occasionally felt the window glass tremor. The weather had been crazy like this for two days since the red flag, and a high-winds warning was announced in Southern California. Yesterday, a eucalyptus tree fell in Tustin, a next-door city to Irvine, injuring two pedestrians.
Though it was February, winter season, California winters were usually mild, somewhere around 45 degrees Fahrenheit. However, because of thunderstorms the day before, the temperature dropped by ten degrees, according to the weather on my laptop’s screen.
While typing a password to login into my bank’s website, something comical outside my window caught my eye. The wind snatched a baseball cap off a boy walking across the green belt, and each time he tried to grab it, the wind kicked it just out of his reach again.
Chuckling, I shifted my focus back to logging into my bank account. The smile on my face faded, and my stomach churned to see the total balance — $ 246.75.
It’s not much left!
Biting my lower lip, I calculated quickly. With the paychecks I would get the next two Fridays, there would be enough to pay only this month’s rent and barely buy food. Sighing, I stared at the screen.
Since Lizzy, my ex-roommate, moved to Seattle almost three months ago, I have been struggling to pay the rent on my own. I had to cut back on all my expenses and learned to make do with oatmeal, eggs, mostly instant noodles, and the occasional banana. My salary as an accountant was not enough to support my $2,500 a month rent payment for the two-bedroom apartment. If I’d had a roommate, paying $1,250 per month would be manageable. Or I could move to a cheaper apartment?
That was out of the question because I did not have enough money for a deposit. Yeah, I wasn’t proud of myself. Whenever people learned I was an accountant, they always assumed I was good at managing my money. But I wasn’t! I wasn’t a shopaholic, but I loved shopping! I had brand-name bags, shoes, and clothes sitting in my closet, waiting for me to wear them. But in my money-tight situation, I had begun to realize those expensive things didn’t bring me any happiness at all.
Moving to a different company with a higher salary?
That wasn’t the best solution, either. I hadn’t built much of a resume yet since I’d been in my job less than a year after graduating.
I’d already put ads for ‘renting a room’ on Craigslist and received some responses. Too bad no one acceptable had inquired yet. Most of the applicants were job hoppers, college students, jobless, single parents with a kid, or someone who only needed a temporary place. Some males had responded to the ads too, although my criteria were clear: a female with a steady job, not a smoker (because I had asthma), and willing to rent for at least two years. And a disadvantage to putting the ads out was that I got a lot of spam and telemarketer calls. So annoying!
A few weeks ago, I had taken flyers to work and given them to three coworkers who were close to me: Sylvia, Lena, and Yoo-Shi. We worked for Myriad Food and Beverage, a distributor for frozen food and beverages ranging from soft drinks to wine and spirits.
Sylvia Santos and Yoo-Shi Kim were in the alcohol division, supervised by Christine Moore. Lena Hunter and I were in the non-alcohol division under Rowena White. Desiree Lang was our general manager for accounting for Myriad Beverage, and Tania Lee was another accounting general manager for Myriad Food.
“No male roommate?” Lena had asked while reading the flyer as we took lunch together in the office lunchroom.
“Nope. That wouldn’t be appropriate,” I’d answered.
Sylvia nodded her agreement. “It’s not good for a single young woman to live with a male,” she’d said in her Philippine accent. “I think living with a male roommate would lead you to having a ‘romance relationship’ and usually, that relationship would be messy!”
Yoo-Shi put the flyer on the table. “I had a male roommate for two years in Seoul. We were both single and didn’t fall on each other. In fact, we helped each other. One day, my roommate fell in love with a girl and asked for my opinion. It was fun, like having a brother or a cousin.” With a pout, she continued, “I wish I had a male roommate now because it is fun and less drama. Not like living with my bitchy roommate.”
We’d all looked at her in sympathy. Poor Yoo-Shi! Her current roommate was grumpy. I’d met her once when picking up Yoo-Shi. She was a single, large-frame woman in her early forties with a long nose and long, dirty ash-blonde hair. Her voice was deep and throaty. When she talked, she looked down her nose at you as if you were her humble subject. Yoo-Shi had said the lady was nice the first month, then suddenly changed. Too bad Yoo-Shi couldn’t kick her roommate out, for some odd reason.
“I agree with Yoo-Shi,” Lena had said, tossing her golden blonde long hair over her shoulder. “When I lived in Chicago for my first job, I had a male roommate two different times. I already had a boyfriend, but he lived in New Jersey. My roommates also had girlfriends, but they lived in a different state too. We were fine, barely had an argument. They kept the apartment clean and helped me with any computer issues. We’ve kept in touch.”
“Really?” I had asked, eyes widening. “Didn’t your boyfriend feel jealous? I don’t think I could do that to my boyfriend.”
“Well, I’d told my boyfriend about my intention upfront and asked his permission. He appreciated my openness and was fine,” Lena had said. “If they disagree, well, better you don’t do it. I think I’m lucky because my boyfriend was so open-minded, which is why I married him. Again, it’s up to you, Rory. Don’t do it if you aren’t comfortable.”
Yoo-Shi had nudged me. “Rory, I don’t understand why you can’t have a male roommate. You are single, and it is socially acceptable for opposite genders to live together.”
“I know, but…it’s a complicated situation, and I’m not brave enough to break my promise. Sorry, I can’t give details,” I’d answered.
Yoo-Shi had seemed unsatisfied but didn’t say more.
“Don’t worry, Rory. We’ll try to help you,” Sylvia had said as she pulled her long black hair up into a bun.
After that, I’d gotten a few referrals from them, but those fell through because the prospects either found a cheaper room, moved in with family, or stayed in the same place.
Man, if I can’t find a new roommate this week, I’ll be doomed!
I felt queasy thinking about my current condition. Maybe I should work on the weekend. There was a dance academy near my apartment, and who knew if they needed a receptionist. Another possibility was working as a cashier in a little grocery store a few blocks away. Its employees looked happy each time I stopped by for groceries. But thinking of working on the weekend made me cringe. Perhaps it would be better than eating instant noodles for another month!
My phone rang, its melodic tone interrupting my miserable thoughts. I glanced at Lizzy’s name, flashing on the screen.
“Hi, Rory! How are you?” greeted Lizzy, talking above her noisy background.
“Marvelous! But hey, I can’t hear you. Where are you?” I asked.
“Terry and I are in a cinema for the new Marvel movie. So crowded today. Hold on. Let me find a quiet spot.” From her breathing, I could tell she was walking fast. “Have you seen the movie yet?”
“Not yet. I—” I didn’t want to admit to her that I didn’t have money for such leisure. “Maybe sometime next week.”
“OK. Make sure you watch it. You are a Marvel movies’ girl.” Lizzy chuckled. “Oh, yeah, the reason I called you, I need a favor.”
“Sure, what’s up?”
She drew in a breath. “An hour ago, my boss texted about an IT emergency in a client’s office, close to Irvine. Next Monday, I need to fly down and don’t want to stay in a hotel, so can I crash on your couch for a night?”
“Sure,” I said. “I don’t have a roommate yet, so please come.”
“Ohhh, I’m sorry about that. Don’t get discouraged. You’ll find someone great,” she said.
Well, too late. I already felt discouraged, hopeless. “Thanks, Lizzy. I’m working on it,” I said.
“Terry said he gave your ad to any female coworkers he knows who might be looking for a place. Hope one of them will contact you soon,” Lizzy assured me.
“Aw, he’s so sweet,” I said. “Please thank Terry on my behalf.” Terry, her boyfriend, had just moved to Seattle a week ago. I believed wedding bells would ring for those two soon.
“Will do. Rory, I always think of you as my sister anyway, so don’t be shy when you need our help, OK?”
“OK.”
“By the way, does Mrs. Ishida know about my moving out and you’re looking for a new roommate?” Lizzy asked.
I grunted at the heavy weight that landed on my chest when Lizzy brought up my aunt’s name. I loved Aunt Amy but was scared of her at the same time. Well, mostly because I didn’t want to burden her anymore. I owed her for taking care of me after my mom, her younger sister, passed away, and I wasn’t a docile kid back then. At fifteen, I’d been successfully turning her beautiful black hair gray. So, for once, I wanted her to enjoy her single life in Boston without having to worry about me.
“Rory, are you there?”
Lizzy’s voice brought me back to reality. “Um…yes, I’m here. No, I haven’t told her yet,” I mumbled.
I pictured her rolling her hazel eyes.
“It’s been three months since I moved out, so you’d better tell her soon,” she said after a long pause. “I can’t imagine how mad she will be if you keep her in the dark.”
I winced at the reminder.
“Well, I can’t force you to tell Aunt Amy, anyway. But if you need help, Terry and I are here for you,” said Lizzy.
I nodded as if she could see me.
“Hey, I’ve got to go. Terry will get worried if I’m not back. See you Monday.”
“OK. See you, and a big hug to Terry,” I said.
“Sure thing.”
We hung up. I sighed and dropped my phone on the bed, then walked out of my room heading toward the kitchen. A bowl of colorful M&M’s chocolate sitting on the counter looked tempting, so I sat in one of the high chairs, lifted its glass lid, took a few, and plopped them into my mouth.
Since Lizzy had brought up my aunt, I couldn’t get Aunt Amy’s face out of my mind. I thought about the day two years ago when she’d told me about the offer to work in Boston when I was in my last year of university. I was so happy for her to be able to move back to the city she loved.
I’d wanted to stay in our apartment, but Aunt Amy thought it was a bad idea for me.
“Move to a studio or one-bedroom apartment, Rory,” my aunt had said. “I know you have a part-time job now, but your wage won’t cover the rent.”
“But this location is close to my campus and my part-time job,” I’d said stubbornly. “Doesn’t this apartment complex have a one bedroom too?”
My aunt had pursed her lips. “There are many other apartments near your campus. Besides, I’ve already asked the office manager, and she said there are no studio or one-bedroom units available at this moment.”
I had pressed my lips tightly and avoided my aunt’s eyes while going over all my reasons for not wanting to move. It was challenging to juggle my time between the job, my classes, and my schoolwork. My weekends were dull and boring, mostly full of writing school papers. I didn’t think I had enough time for selling or donating stuff in preparation for moving. My head had pounded each time I thought about that, and living in a student apartment was a no-no. Most of those students loved partying than studying. If I wished to graduate on time, I had to avoid living there!
Besides, I loved Pacific Hills with its beautiful surroundings. The neighbors were great. I had built relationships with the staff and already knew who was reliable and who was not. The monthly program was superb, with free classes twice a month. I doubted I would find all that any other place.
My aunt had narrowed her eyes while listening to me.
“Please allow me to stay here until I graduate and once I get a permanent job, then I’ll move to a one bedroom,” I had literally begged my aunt.
“Well,” she’d said, looking straight at me. “After listening to your reasons, I assume you’ve also thought about the consequences of staying here. So don’t complain about that later, OK? Since I won’t help you pay for the rent, I will choose a good roommate so you can share expenses with her. And think of it as my last duty as your guardian.”
Well, I’d wished she could help pay the rent until I graduated, but I wouldn’t take back my words. Overly confident, I’d agreed.
Before she left for Boston, she’d found Lizzy, her church friend’s daughter, to be my roommate.
I sighed and laid my head on the countertop, thinking. My aunt had sacrificed a lot for me, including moving to California when I was accepted as a student at the University of California, Irvine. It was unfair to ask for her help if I was the one who insisted on living in this apartment. I decided to keep trying to find a roommate on my own and, if in one more month I didn’t find one, I would call her.