A place of Sunset Glow

Alexie

Winter this year was being continuously horrible. A very bad time for cyber security specialists, experienced personnel who protect software and hardware from external intrusion and from unethical hackers who derive maniac peace in seeing business owners hysterical about their business data.

Snowflakes from the previous night shone angelic white where they wrapped the window door glasses and have refused to melt. Smell of dampness filled the room, a typical winter season and heaven knows I have no drop of energy left within me to explore the act of cleaning, even when it’s my own home.

I lay wrapped up in two piece, blanket underneath and duvet on top yet I could still see the cold smoke leaving my mouth as my teeth clattered continuously. Heaters are generally ungrateful, ingrates. I have carried mine to different places for repair at different times, yet it had the effrontery to keep spoiling at the most weird time. Next time I glance it’s way, I’d be getting rid of it to get a new heater, luckily, before I froze to death.

Rotating for the best position while still covering myself tightly, I placed my laptop on my laps, with my back resting on a pillow. WannaCry and Ransomware were really cool malware. The explanations of its method of attack was intriguing. Malware designed not to stress unethical maniac hackers. Remove the maniac though, they keep food on my table. As an ethical hacker, I’ve not been able to experience Ransomware but I’ve attempted WannaCry during one of my freelancing jobs. It was coded with most basic of languages. So basic that is common to miss the trap doors left by the hacker. I watched a lot of videos, paid for courses, studied hard for almost 6 years now to unlock in-depth comprehension of cyber security. I explored a lot of hacking skills both ethical and unethical to hone my cyber intelligence. Only a person who knows the game unethical hackers play, can stop them.

The rise in cyber crimes involving hackers breaking into finance chronological data of companies and encrypting the data after subtle lateral undetected movement of the data until the domain controller is compromised. In addition, they create a back door to get updates in the company's recent data while preventing them from accessing the old ones. A lot of ethical hackers are being called in different zones to stop a full domain control when the intrusion is detected on time.

My previous job took me exhausting 17 hours of working nonstop to close the back door deep into the software created by the perpetrator. The door was malignant and designed to infiltrate the software with bug if ever closure of the door was attempted. I got rid of the bug and the malware together; reason why I’m called Guru in my anonymous group. I’m one helluva of a hacker, at the thin border between ethical and unethical. No brags.

I finished the video explaining different thoughts on Ransomware and Wannacry malwares and I proceeded to check out beginner’s courses I learnt when I first started - revisiting beginner’s courses hones skills profoundly. Try it out. After two hours of intense review, I stood, stretching out the my slender curvy body befitting of a Tech girlie.

I entered the kitchen and made myself a cup of hot chocolate drink. No coffee, sweets are the best. I carried my chocolate drink to the phone in sitting room to check my missed calls.

My bestfriend had cancelled on me. We were supposed to go skiing today to scream my lungs out and get a rush of adrenaline. I’ve been indoors through out the holiday and my body was weak from being hurdled under the blanket. My life revolving around novels, cyber books and videos honing my cyber skills. I needed a gateway.

My dad dropped a message too. I deleted as usual. Some voices are not meant to be listened to or my chocolate drink might turn really bitter. Don’t ask me why, we don’t get to choose our parents but we definitely can choose our lives to be away and different from theirs.

Life has always been a rollercoaster for me not in terms of poverty but in the concept of doing what I love with my life. People say successful parents tend to make one lazy and ungrateful in life. Not true. Many children with successful parents grow in the shadow of their parents, unfulfilled with their lives filled with projections of their parents’ insecurity and missed opportunities. It makes these children susceptible to living the life their parents want, not what they want. Children from successful homes should be cut some slack. They experience a lot of damaged ego and inability to create a life they want for themselves. I chose the life of independence and I’ve lived through the street to become an undisputable ethical hacker. Uncontrolled and undetermined by my parents.

I sighed, so much for wanting independence. Apart from Shalom, my best friend, I was a alone and might as well die a lonely maid.

The day passed like a normal winter day. Short, chilly, unfulfilling with me turning around different positions on the bed to find a comfortable position to use my laptop.

Around evening, my door creaked open. Phew! Trust Shalom to always saunter into my apartment like we both owned it. I re rotated my body from my studying angle to meet her at the doorway where she was carrying a large grocery bag.

“Spinster Tech Girlll!” Her shrilled voice rang through the cold night.

I snorted, “Spinster jobless girl”

She laughed wildly and blew me a kiss. “Alexie, C’mon, taking care of you is a big time job only. I work harder than y’all combined together. And I even bring freelance jobs at your doorstep”

“And collect 20% from the job pay” I laughed collecting the grocery bag from her. She bought fruits, nutritious drinks and foodstuffs. Finally I could eat healthy meal that doesn’t involve sweet junkies.

I took out tangerine from the bag, peeled it, and gave her half.

“I thought you’d be very busy throughout today and abandon your husband in the freezing apartment” I mouthed with piece of tangerine in my out while holding back laughter to avoid spilling the juice.

“I’m never going to marry your silly ass girl. And you have to change this heater, this isn’t the first time it’s going cold with the cold weather.” She sighed at me and rolled her eyes.

“ Your favorite pizza with corns and hot dogs sprinkles, that’s what I bought to bake.”

I squealed with joy.

Definitely, this is the girl after my heart. I skipped like a little jolly girl to go get her favorite wine to celebrate her decision to come. She had earlier cancelled on me and my skiing offer.

Life with Shalom is above BFF. She was my own parent, sister, friend and best friend. When I had decided to leave home 8 years ago, she’d steal groceries from her home so I could eat for the first few days. Then she brought business ideas always that we executed together to generate income.

Begging disgusts me. People who give people do so in order to control them. Shalom gave me from when I left home till I landed my first tech job and never did she hear me ask before she did anything. She was my own moonlight wish come true.

“Guess what?” Her voice interrupted my happy thoughts.

“Hell is real” I laughed. And walked towards her with the wine and glasses.

She rolled her eyes at me. “Yes, it’s real. And the realest thing right now is I have a crush” She stared at me with her eyes glowing and cheeks reddening. Wo-hoo.

“What?!” I dropped the glasses in the sink and stood aghast to watch her.

“Yes. His name is Matt. Love at first sight on the streets of Chicago…”

“…Uh huh, sisterhood ministry in the mud” I cooed with laughter. Shalom talking about a man with that poker face? We are in for some emotional roller coaster.

“Oh! Alexie. Let me talk! So, we met at Bity Bites, our eyes connected. At the end, he took my contact. You know, and we got talking and the rest and now my heart beats wildly with a whisper of his name.” Her face was all smooch.

“Wait, Shalom, this sounds like weeks, how come you’re just telling me about this right now? Did the scumbag hurt you?!” I eyed her with a little bit of offense in me. She hid a man-story from me!

“It’s just a month girl, I didn’t want to burden you with crush story, I wanted to make sure I knew what I felt and what I wanted before telling you all about it. We went on a date last night, I accepted to be the girl whose ass would always be beneath his huge palms.” She concluded with her face glowing with love and pride.

“Ohh Ahh!” I yelled as heavy laughter shook my body. Shalom was far gone. Whoever this Matt is, I have to meet him and see how he won her over.

We spent the rest of the night cooed up on the sofa watching Netflix and eating Shalom’s unique home made pizza. BFF.

I dressed up for the evening, trying my best to look as intimidating as possible. Shalom set up a dinner date between I, her and our new lover Matt. No one gets to play and hurt Shalom. My dressing this evening is focused on ensuring the message is visibly and efficiently passed without much talking.

Midnight black pants with leather jackets and marching boots to go. I looked like a biker girl down the street, always ready for a punch or two. Well tonight I was ready to deliver punches if Matt tried anything aside loving Shalom adorably.

I picked up my black crossing bag from the hanger and left the house. The sound of my boot crunching the snow was satisfying. It reminded me of the last time I had to wear the boot for Shalom. Soft hearted girls are the best but they tend to attract simps to themselves out of the need to care for everyone. Shalom’s last date had locked her in a hotel room and raped her for days.

Girl code 001, “Always text your location with a new