C18 A little conversation

The next Uber comes, a white 2020 Honda Accord. Dexter let Leila in first as he had to prepare himself to get inside the car. He sits on the seat and with his arms, lifts his broken leg. He then grabs his crutches and places them in the middle of the seat between him and Leila.

"I should've helped you," said Leila as the car drives off.

"Everyone wants to help me," said Dexter, "but I am really fine. I don't like being a burden."

"Well, you can kind of afford it since you are injured. You should accept help while you get it."

"No, that's not me. I'm the kind of person who helps others, not the other way around."

"But you are a CEO, right? Don't you have a chauffeur to drive you around?"

"I'm not like that either. My father always taught me the value of working hard and not depending on others. Maybe that last part wasn't such good advice. We all need helping hands from time to time, but for the most part, he put emphasis on self-reliance. But it was also my mother who taught me about giving back to others. To not be selfish. That is why I take an Uber. It helps the economy and those who need the money. A chauffeur only helps one person but I can help many by riding Uber. My assistant, however, insists on a chauffeur, and she just doesn't listen."

"Your parents sound like good people."

"They are, but he was very strict and very disciplinary. He would expect anything less than the best I could be. That's why he gave me the company only after a lot of hard work."

"Wow. It must have been hard. My mom is so hard on me too but I feel like she's just being selfish."

"Your mother is still nagging you, huh?"

Leila stiffened up again. She completely forgot that she was pretending to be an adult. He didn't seem to realize this though, so she figures she can try to play along, "oh... yeah. Ha ha ha. She still expects me to find a husband and give her a million children," she gives him an awkward laugh as she turns the other way, realizing what she just said was so embarrassing. She didn't think about it, she just wanted to say something 'adultish'.

"I guess you have one of those mothers," he replies, "but our parents are only looking out for the best of us. I'm sure your mom is just worried about you. After all, you are now a fully grown woman and are now looking for employment, right? I take it you went to college."

"Oh, yes. I have. I... I just graduated."

"In what exactly are you trying to get into?"

"Huh?"

"What did you major in?"

"Oh... uhh...well..." she was having a hard time thinking of something. She didn't figure he was going to ask these questions, which she now realizes is quite ridiculous. Of course he was going to ask questions about herself. It was still too early to think of such things, but she figures she might as well tell him what she wants to be as if she has already attained it, "Pharmaceuticals."

"Medicine. That's a good profession. How is that going?"

"So far, so good. I'm actually going to a university that specializes in it to further my career."

"That sounds great. Where are you going?"

"Oh, maybe Standford."

"Nice, but it sounds expensive."

"It is, its. But my mom said she will pay for it. I'm not sure how."

"Well, what a good mother to have."

"Yeah, but she can be overbearing. She's always so demanding, using college as a way to control me."

"If she is paying for it, then she probably has a right to do so."

"Really? Come on. She's so controlling and is always yelling at me. She won't even let me see dad on the weekends now. And I do so well in school too. I mean, what do I have to do to please that woman? Man, I sometimes wish I was an adult now so I wouldn't have to deal with her."