Volume 1

https://read.cash/@curiouscat/new-document-vol-1-38084bae

Volume 2

Chapter 3: Home

I woke up early so I won’t get stranded on the road because of traffic. I used my old uniform which is a polo shirt with the logo of the company with my department name printed at the back partnered with denim pants and white shoes. I haven’t dressed up like this for two years so it’s making me feel awkward. It’s a good thing that I didn’t remove my old stuffs especially my id inside my bag; I remembered to look for it as soon as I boarded the bus so I panicked a little.

Since my work starts at 7:30 am and I arrived 30 minutes early, I went to the cafeteria to grab some coffee since I can’t prepare breakfast a while ago. I can see unfamiliar faces at the information desk but the lady who sells my favorite pie in the cafeteria is still there, and that is what mattered to me. I saw her bright smile as soon as she saw me approaching her store.

“Hey young man, it’s been ages. Would you want to order the usual?”

I smiled at her and nod.

I ate my pie and brought my coffee with me. I returned my plate, pay for what I ate and thank the old lady. As I walk through the elevator I can sense stares from a lot of people. Maybe they heard about the news how I abandoned my work and my team 2 years ago and now I am suddenly popping out of nowhere. I just sighed and put my head down the whole time and wished I’ll reach our department and my office (if it still belongs to me) faster. As soon as I opened the door of my office, my boss is sitting there with her eyes closed. I think it’s rude that I didn’t bother to knock wherein I’m the one who hates people going inside my room without notice in the first place. I looked around and the whole room is still the same, my carved name and position on the glass is still on the table. There are no dusts as well, every single person in our department knows I’m a clean freak, I don’t want to assume that they never let this room dirty for me but I felt a bit of happiness for which I think I already forgot.

“That grin can become wider” I heard my boss’ voice and I saw her looking at me with a teasing face. I admire her looks, despite her age she still look young and her fashion sense is on a different level. Even if she’s only wearing a shirt and pants she looks like she’s a model of some expensive branded clothes.

“Good morning Ma’am, it’s been a while”

“I was really nervous that you won’t come back. I thought asking you to train a newbie won’t work but you’re here and I‘m so happyyyyy”

She’s smiling at me widely and wiping her tears as if her prodigal son came back home after running away. To be honest, I can’t let her down anymore because she did a lot of good things for me. She became my mom and supported me not just financially but also gave me all the love she can give as soon as we met eleven years ago.

“I’m sorry” I’m loss of words, I am so guilty that I can’t look at her she told me it’s okay, hugged me and pat my back.

“C’mon wipe your tears Ash, the whole team is waiting for yah”

Chapter 4: Play Again

The fear of rejection or fake acceptance filled my mind. What if my team no longer wants me to be their leader anymore? Or maybe they’ll accept me just because they have no choice.

My boss and I are walking towards the department’s meeting hall. Since I showed up today, she assumed that I’ll be working at the office again and I can’t run away from my responsibilities again and again. The door opened and all the members of the department looked at me. I stand frozen. I can’t move my body and I don’t know where I will lay my eyes on. I just put my head down because I have no idea what are the right words to say.

“Ash I hate you so much, I really do” I expected this kind of phrases and that voice, I clearly recognized it.

“Me too”

I heard similar phrases from different people and I can’t blame them for that. I was irresponsible for leaving them because of personal feelings. I can’t look at them I will stay like this until they finish venting all the frustrations they want to say about me.

“We hate you because you won’t let us fight beside you. We thought we’re family why did you have to leave like that and carry the burden all alone? We miss you so much”

I looked up and saw all of them crying; they ran and jump at me all shouting how they miss me and how happy they are that I’m back. I cried and cried because of the love that they showed me from the moment we became workmates and eventually treats each other like family and up until now. I am so much grateful with all these wonderful people.

“We have a gift for you” Snow was holding a long box and gave it to me.

“We made that as a team, like what you always taught us. I ahh uhhh copied some of your style and technology to polish that hahah” we are all laughing with Snow’s confession. Snow is my best friend. He was there through thick and thin, and aside from my boss who have all the rights to get angry at me because of what happened, Snow also deserved apologies because he always ask me to come back, check on me from time to time and never leave me even I always pushed him away.

As I opened the box, I was amazed of what I saw. I nearly thought it was real.

“How, how did you made this. The skin tone and texture it’s all perfect”

“You’re the one who discovered how to do robots and prosthetics like that and you shared it with us, I know you’ll soon remember Ash, you’ll know soon. Just give yourself time kay? ”

It’s a fake arm but it looks real. I am already wearing a prosthetic arm but it’s like the usual metal colored. I now remembered that it’s because of my fake arm that’s why people kept on staring at me a while ago. I overthink that all people who works on the same company knows the issue. I laughed at my own assumptions.

The welcome party became livelier as time passes by. We ate and started rewinding a lot of good and funny memories, all the team buildings and projects that we worked on. Even those projects which nearly get us all fired because of miscommunication and lack of teamwork, we remembered it all to learn a lesson from it to avoid each and every one from repeating it.

It was 5 pm when I realized that the newbie that I will train is not yet introduced to me so I asked Snow about it and he didn’t know. I asked other members and I’m surprised that all of them have no idea about this newbie. Our boss just told them to prepare something for me two weeks ago because she’s planning to ask me to go back.

“Waah our boss is really unpredictable” said Rica, our marketing head, and let out a deep sigh.

The door opened and our boss showed up all of a sudden. She’s pouting like a child then sat beside me.

“Our newbie can’t come. She’s near the company when she has an upset stomach. She went back to her house then boarded the wrong bus coming here again”

“Eh?”

What a clumsy girl

Volume 3

https://read.cash/@curiouscat/new-document-vol-3-5f9bbd85