Chapter 3

"Where on earth am I supposed to get $200,000 from?" My hands and feet were shaking with the thought of the huge sum of money.

I took another glance at the paper staring closely at it wondering if perhaps I saw wrongly but I didn't, it was exactly $200,000, I gasped in fear feeling totally frustrated. My salary wasn't even up to $2000.

"Are you okay?" My colleague Maryann asked looking concerned.

I nodded, I wasn't ready to bug anyone with my issues, I was sure she couldn't help me.

She shook her head "Selena you don't look okay to me, what's going on? You were late to work today."

I sighed looking up at her oval shaped face "you're right, I'm not okay, my sister is sick and she needs urgent surgery but the fee is so expensive, I can't afford it."

Maryann sat beside me "I'm so sorry about your sister, but how much is the surgery?"

I handed the paper over to her, I didn't know how to say it to her.

"Oh! My God! This is a lot of money! Where are you going to get such from?" She asked in panic.

I stared at her for a while and bowed my head with my hands wrapped in between my legs "Maryann I don't know."

She handed the paper back to me looking a little frightened, I looked up at her, there came that pitiful looking which I despised a lot, I looked away frowning.

"I'm really so sorry that you're going through a lot right now Selena, you don't deserve any of that, you just lost your mother."

I nodded, no one deserves to be treated the way life was actually treating me, it has been totally unfair with me snatching people I loved the most away from me, Maryann was right, I deserved better.

"I suggest you talk to Mr. Chancy about this, he is very wealthy and he seems to like you" Maryann said fixing her stare on me.

I glared at her "I would do no such thing" I said angrily.

"Why? Do you want to loose your sister too? Working here for a hundred years would never be able give you that type of money Selena, it's high time you wake up to reality" Maryann yelled at me.

I stood to my feet "did he pay you to say this to me?"

Maryann chortled "now you're sounding silly Selena, I heard Mr. Chancy is asking you to marry him."

"What do you want me to do? Say yes to a man old enough to be my father?" I asked looking straight at her face.

"What is wrong about that? Listen Selena, if I were you I would gladly say yes to him, it's obvious you're enjoying living in the swamp" Maryann said.

I hissed looking away, I felt insulted but at the same time I felt Maryann was being totally unfair by asking me to do what I don't want to do all because I needed money.

"Selena..." I heard Mr. Charles yell.

My shoulders sagged "not again..."

I walked away leaving Maryann to her ugly words, I hated the fact that I had to relate my issues with her "she is certainly out of her mind" I thought.

I shoved the paper into the back pocket of my trouser heading into the restaurant. Maryann watched me in silence.

As usual, Mr. Charles had called me to attend to his numerous customers, I could see Mr. Chancy sitting at the extreme.

My boss pointed at me and asked me to attend to him.

"I hate this..." I mumbled sadly walking over to where the old man sat to take his orders just like I have been ordered to do.

"Good evening sir" I greeted taking a glance at the clock, I shook my head at the thought of the time, "it really does fly" I mumbled.

"Selena, how are you doing today?" He asked in a polite tone.

"I'm okay" I answered nodding my head.

"What can I get for you sir?" I asked.

"You don't look good to me Selena, is their a problem?" He asked looking at my face.

I shook my head, I couldn't stand telling him anything, after all I have refused to be his little wife.

"I'm okay sir, please what can I get for you?" I asked over looking his concern for me.

"Oh! Coffee would do" he answered.

I nodded my head and walked away, I was sure he was watching me, well everyone was, I was totally off from my environment that day, I couldn't wait to be done with work and head down to the hospital to see my sister, I was glad that I was off tomorrow.

Work was finally over, I picked up my bag and left before anyone could say another word to me, I was so mad at myself and everything else around me, my salary just got deducted because I had to take my sister to the hospital.

I sniffled while wiping the tears that found it's way out of my eyes, I felt like the world has turned his back on me.

I noticed a car coming behind me, my legs were freezing in fear at the thought of the possibility that they might be kidnappers.

Recently I have heard stories about girls being kidnapped in the neighborhood and trafficked and I wasn't ready to be one of them.

"Hello Selena" I heard a familiar voice call from the car.

I turned around, it was Mr. Chancy, my mood grew worse "what do want?" I asked rudely.

"Selena it's late, why don't you hop in while I give you a ride home?" He asked.

I hissed and turned to him "thank you for your kind offer Mr. Chancy but I would rather use a taxi than sit in the same car with you" I snapped waving a taxi down.

The taxi stopped at once, I ran to it at once opening it's door, the cab zoomed off when I was finally sitted.

I knew I was very rude to Mr. Chancy but I didn't care about any of that.

The taxi stopped right in front of the hospital as I hurried inside with my eyes almost everywhere.

I had a blue nylon bag in my lef hand, I bought some food and fruit drink from a shop close by, I knew my sister might be hungry.

I walked into Anabelle's room, she was awake.

I smiled at her moving quickly to her bed.

I lowered and kissed her forehead, she smiled at me.

"I missed you Selena" she said in difficultly.

Tears rolled down my cheeks and I wiped them off quickly "I missed you too Anabelle."

I didn't think or imagine that a day will come when I would have my kid sister lying in a hospital bed like that at the same time I felt guilty for her condition.

I heard my phone ringing, I quickly pulled it out of my bag.

It was Louis, I picked the call at once clearing my throat.

"Selena how are you doing?" He asked sounding worried.

"I'm fine.." I answered running my hand through my face.

"I just left your house, you're not home neither yet neither is your sister, what's going on?" he said expecting me to say something.

I giggled a bit "yeah, I'm yet to come home from work, Anabelle might be in her friend's place, are you still there?"

"Not at all, I'm home now" he answered.

That was a huge relief to me, at least he was home now and wouldn't have to insist on waiting for me to get home "okay, I will talk to you later" I said hanging up.

Anabelle stared at me.

I reached out my hand to her running my it through her hair.

"Why did you lie to Louis? Don't you want him to know I'm ill?" Anabelle asked fluttering her eyes.

"That's not the case Anabelle, I just don't want to get Louis worried about us, he has done more than enough for us already, besides he has his family to take care of too, we shouldn't be selfish" I answered looking away.

Anabelle tried to speak again but I hushed her "don't stress yourself, just rest Anabelle, you need to get better" I said bowing my head.

"How can I tell her that she needs to get better when I know she needs surgery for that to happen?" I thought shutting my eyes.

I opened my eyes and smiled at her pretending that I was cool, I didn't want to tell her anything about the bills else she might ask me to take her home.

More tears fell on my cheeks, I wiped them "I can't loose you too Anabelle" I mumbled in silence.

Louis dropped his phone on the desk looking worried.

He sat on a wooden chair in the living room with his hand under his jaw.

The house was built with bamboo sticks but was larger than that of Selena's.

It had two room and a living room, Louis lived with his parents and two younger brothers.

His mother walked into the living room with few groceries heading to the kitchen, she dropped it on a small table located at the center of the small kitchen, she looked exhausted.

Louis did not notice she was back.

"Louis..." she called out on seeing the look on his face.

He twitched a bit looking up at her face.

"Mother.." He called out softly.

His mother smiled taking her sandals off her feet, she walked up to him and sat quietly beside him, it has been a while since she last saw that look on his face.