Читать книгу Tara - The Journey To One's Self - Anjana Gill - Страница 7

Chapter I

It was one of those days. I was dead tired – and no wonder after only three hours’ sleep. So I got up and put myself together – as best I could with those huge bags under my eyes. Once again there was little time for breakfast, just grab the most important documents, and then out through the door.

In half an hour I was due to meet my fabric supplier. Naturally all the traffic lights were against me. It was as if I was jinxed. And to top things off, a traffic jam. It was unbelievable! The appointment was important – vital in fact. “Oh, drive on, will you!” I thought, my nerves on edge. The success of my next clothes collection depended on my making it to this appointment. After two years of persistent persuasion, I had finally managed to cajole Mr Gonzalez, the fabric supplier, into cooperating with our company instead of our competitors. And the day of our first appointment had come at last. No one was able to supply those high-quality fabrics as cheaply as Mr Gonzalez. I had to be there on time! Finally, the traffic began moving again. Made it! With screaming tyres and my heart racing, I arrived at the company ten minutes late. Mr Gonzalez was already waiting in my office. Anna, my assistant, had already brought him a cup of our delicious coffee and, thank goodness, the mood was relaxed.

The appointment went well. Mr Gonzalez and our team agreed to work together starting as of right then. I felt flushed by a wonderful feeling of success!

The meeting had lasted for three hours and afterwards the telephone never stopped ringing. Questions, decisions, and deadlines.

We discovered we had received the wrong buttons for the new blouse collection and now had to worry about where to get the right ones quickly enough. The patterns for the T-shirt collection were the wrong cut and none of the shirts fit properly! And the loud shrilling of the telephone just went on and on!

I wanted to remain undisturbed but sadly I had to take the next call:

It was Ms Lohmann from our company’s bank. I held my breath. Thoughts kept running through my head – we need that loan; without it we won’t be able to deliver a top-quality collection.

I heard the rest of what was said as if from a long distance away: rejected, not enough collateral, have to talk things through again...

Everything reeled around me. I could no longer think clearly. An inner voice cried out for help and then the floor fell away from under me.

At some point I heard Anna’s worried voice:

“Tara! Tara, wake up! Please, wake up!”

I felt the cooling comfort of a wet towel on my forehead and slowly came round. Anna, my right hand, my pearl, brought me a glass of water – heavenly!

Slowly my senses returned.

What was that? What had happened to me?

“You’re completely overworked, Tara. I’ll take you home now and then you can rest for a while”, soothed Anna, mothering me gently. But I wasn’t having any of it. I had a company to run. There were so many things left to do and today of all days it was impossible for me to take a break. But when I tried to get up, the world began spinning, my legs crumbled under me once more, and all resistance was pointless.

Anna smartly bundled me off and drove me home.

And that is how I ended up in my flat on a very ordinary Wednesday afternoon, lying on my sofa.

I wanted to relax and recharge my batteries but my thoughts never stopped spinning. I felt my head take a roller coaster ride. Since staying on the sofa made no sense, I decided to go out for a walk. Perhaps the fresh air and oxygen would kick start my brain.

Actually I live in a very nice area. A penthouse flat directly overlooking the river. This is such a wonderful place to live, but I’ve stopped taking it in, I suddenly thought.

It was another wonderful day. The sun was out, the air was pleasantly warm, and I felt a light breeze sweep through my hair.

I strolled along the riverbank, enjoying my walk. Slowly the chaos in my head subsided. The sunbeams warmed my skin, the wind caressed me like a loving mother’s hand; the light dancing between the sunlight and the shadows cast by the trees was a wonder to behold.

In the end, I stopped at the ferry terminal and looked down into the river. The sun sparkled on the water and small waves lapped up against the riverbank. My eyes took in the splendour of the shimmering light reflections and I felt my skin breathe in the sun and the wind. For the first time in a long while I felt something akin to relaxation, something almost like freedom!

It was only four in the afternoon, so I decided to take the ferry and enjoy the time I at last had to myself a little while longer. I walked along the pier and stepped aboard the ferry.

And what happened next changed my life forever...