Chapter 2: Jamela
The Bangkok sun beat down on Jamela's apartment like a mean Tam Sung aunty with her spatula beating the wok. (>_<) The air hung heavy and humid, clinging to her skin like a wet blanket. (-_-) The super realistic dream about the rogue Roomba chasing her around the furniture was still fresh in her mind, leaving her with a strange sense of unease. It was shaping up to be another day in the life of Jamela – a chaotic symphony of mishaps waiting to be conducted. (ツ)
Just as she contemplated adding "fend off ANOTHER ROGUE shit" to her daily to-do list, a rapping on the door shattered the silence. The sound was insistent, like a hummingbird with a vendetta and a very important message to deliver. (O_O) Jamela, a not-so-bad-looking lady at the age of 25, launched herself towards the door, her long black hair bouncing with each step. Her tanned skin, a souvenir from countless afternoons spent getting lost at different corners of Bangkok, glowed even in the dim hallway light.
Jamela peeked through the peephole, and a vision that defied the sweltering heat filled her eye. A man stood outside, his appearance as out of place as a snowball in a sauna. He was dressed in a pristine white tuxedo, a stark contrast to the Bangkok sun and her own casual attire. His pale white skin and snowy white hair seemed to shimmer under the harsh light, making him look more like a mythical creature than a real person. Jamela couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. 'Interesting choice for hair color and attire,' she thought, her initial confusion blurring into a touch of amusement. (^_^;) Despite the absurdity of the outfit, there was something undeniably striking about him. His face, though handsome in a sculpted marble statue way, held a hint of exasperation in the lines around his eyes. They sparkled like a rare whiskey beneath that thick white hair, and for a moment, Jamela felt a strange sense of familiarity, like she'd seen those eyes before, but with how he looked, this was probably still a dream, Jamela thought before reaching her right hand to open the door, the heat from the outside flew in, and that's when she realized, she was not dreaming
"Hi hi, let me introduce myself…" he boomed, his voice the kind that could wake the dead (or at least a particularly lazy gecko). "I'm Hank, a first responder of the Afterlife aka the Afterlife consultant." (^_^)
Jamela blinked. Twice. "Yeahhhhh...yah crazy!" Jemela caught Hank's crazy words and this was the first and only response she managed to let out. (-_-)
The man chuckled, a sound like wind chimes caught in a gentle breeze. "Crazy? How?, Jamela. You see, about last night's near-death experience with the runaway Roomba..." (^_~)
Jamela's jaw dropped. "Hold on. You know about the Roomba?" She said, slightly surprised (O_O)
"Know about it?" Hank raised an eyebrow, his face as handsome as a sculpted marble statue come to life, his eyes sparkling like whiskey beneath a canopy of snowy white hair. "Jamela, I've been preparing for your death for the last three years or so or I don't know anymore how long but I can tell you it feels like an eternity." (¬_¬)
Jamela stared at him, her mouth agape. "Excuse me? My death?" Now, with her face as confused as the day a tennis ball flew and hit her forehead. (๑•°□•°๑)
Hank sighed, a hint of exasperation in his voice. "You have got to be the luckiest unlucky person I've ever encountered. I swear, I've had to prepare for your untimely demise more times than I can count - from that disastrous chemistry experiment in high school to the countless rogue animals and things that attacked you out of nowhere." (−_−;)
Jamela felt a chill run down her spine. "How do you know about all that?" (⊙_⊙)
Hank gave her a crooked smile. "It's my job, Jamela. I'm an Afterlife Consultant, and I've been keeping a close eye on you for a while now. You, my dear, are a walking natural disaster. And frankly, I'm tired of being on standby every time the system senses that you are about to pass but it happens more often than normal people pass gas. Like you are a magnet for bad luck!" he said with great frustration. (ꓭ_ꓭ;)
Jamela crossed her arms, a mix of indignation and bewilderment on her face. "So, what, you're here to put me out of my misery?" She didn't like his tone so she replied madly (^_^メ)
Hank laughed, the sound rich and melodic. "Not quite. In fact, I'm here to do the opposite." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden vial filled with a shimmering liquid. "This, Jamela, is the Fortuna Elixir. It's a special potion that will grant you the luck and protection you so desperately need to stop cheating death every other day." (^_-)
Jamela eyed the vial skeptically. "Luck and protection, huh? Sounds too good to be true and How or why should I trust someone with such peculiar style, hair and clothes included." (ಠ_ಠ)
Hank nodded. "I know it sounds crazy, and I look amazing but I'm telling you the truth. I've been watching you for years, and I can't take it anymore. The near-misses, the close calls, the unbelievable string of catastrophes that seem to follow you around like a lost puppy - it's driving me insane!" He paused, taking a deep breath. "That's why I brewed this elixir. I need you to be safer, Jamela. For both our sakes. I'm this close" he put his index finger above his thumb with little to no gap " to start day drinking again" (._.)
Jamela stared at him, her mind racing. On one hand, she wanted to slam the door in his face and dismiss him as a crazy person. But on the other hand, the idea of having better luck and protection was undeniably appealing, especially after the Roomba incident and countless other mishaps that had plagued her life.
"Alright, Mister Afterlife Consultant," she said, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Let's see what this magic potion can do." (@_@)
Hank's face lit up with a triumphant grin. "Fantastic!" He held out the vial, a gleam of excitement in his eyes. "Just a sip of this and you'll be unstoppable. No more near-death experiences, no more disastrous kitchen fires, no more rogue nothing trying to do you in. Just good, old-fashioned luck and a whole lot of protection." (^_^)
Jamela couldn't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm. "Well, if it means I can finally stop being a magnet for mayhem, then I'm all for it." She took the vial from his outstretched hand and studied it for a moment, the golden liquid shimmering in the sunlight. With a deep breath, she uncapped the vial and brought it to her lips, savoring the sweet, earthy taste as the elixir slid down her throat. (^_~)
As the seconds ticked by, Jamela waited with bated breath, half-expecting something extraordinary to happen maybe a glow. But to her surprise, nothing seemed to change. She glanced up at Hank, a quizzical expression on her face. "So, uh, when does the magic start happening?" (^^;)
Hank chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Oh, it's already started, my dear. Trust me, you're about to embark on the luckiest, most charmed adventure of your life...I also hope so at least hehehe" (^_~)
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