Lost and Found
When Maria first started her job, she became quite good at tuning out the overwhelming sounds that assaulted her ears. She knew if she were to acknowledge the constant jarring noises, she would never have the opportunity to consider her thoughts. She once believed the thoughts that roamed around in her head were things that kept her afloat doing the dirty work people never thought about. She kept to herself as a creature of solitude, despite working in a sea of people. However, fate had other plans.
She never missed a piece of trash the kids threw on the floor or hesitated to wipe up the rivers of spilled milk trickling down over the lunch tables the way other custodians did. Although cleaning up after hundreds of messy children (and sometimes teachers) wasn’t the most glamorous position, Maria cared about her job. Little thanks were given, and there was no “Custodian Appreciation Week,” like the teachers’ designated week of receiving gifts and tokens of gratitude. Maria was never bitter because she knew they needed her, and she thought that was all the validation she required…until it all changed.
From an early age, she had learned not to waste time dwelling on her feelings of loneliness (though they were strong and present) or lusting after things that went above her most basic and primal needs — the few things survival depended upon. As a child, her parents had always made sure her…
