4 - Giving her a second chance

"Dan," Justice called to the guard who failed to send Danica to the correct room.

"Boss," Dan responded, his head bowed.

Justice strutted towards him and pulled out a revolver. "Do you realize your mistake? If Daniella was smart, we would have lost our money because of your silly mistake," he said through gritted teeth.

Dan remorsefully responded, "Yes boss, I'm sorry it won't happen again."

"You know that sorry doesn't work for me but you are right about one thing. It won't happen again," Justice said solemnly. He pulled the trigger and just like that, Dan's body dropped, dead, in a pool of blood.

Justice puffed his cigarette and said, "Clean up this mess," he called to his other guards, who seemed unperturbed at the turnout of events. To them, it was nothing new for justice. "This is what happens to anyone who makes a mistake. There would be no second chance. If Mr. Somo gets angry, someone else would have to pay," he said, spun around, and left, puffing on his cigarette.

*************

In Danica's best friend, Herty's house, Danica sat on the wooden floor and wailed like a widow. Regret replaying constantly in her mind. She cursed herself internally, as she recalled the events to Herty.

"I don't believe it. You mean, you lost your virginity to this stranger?" Herty exclaimed after listening carefully to Danica's words.

Danica sniffed and nodded.

Her best friend Herty was lost for words.

"So, what will you do?" She asked in frustration.

Danica blew her nose with a tissue and threw it into the bin. Her eyes were red and puffy as she said, "Nothing. At least I managed to escape."

"Of course, without your virginity. What I mean is, what about your sister? Where is she and how could she do this to you?" Herty asked? Danica continued to sob, but this time softly, as she said,

"I haven't seen her but I did the right thing, right? At least she would come with us to church."

A frown crossed Herty's face as she spoke, "What if you are pregnant? What about Jones? You know the guy loves you and he loved the fact that you were pure. You two were made for each other," Herty reminded Danica, completely ignoring her question. At Danica's state, she couldn't expedite the fact and consequences of her actions. She had always admired Jones and they related on a friendly basis. Jones hadn't made his intentions clear to her.

"I have to forget about him. I'm not pure anymore," Danica said, her voice teary.

"Will you tell him?"

"No. In fact, I will stay away from him. We weren't courting anyway," Danica emphasized.

"But you will go for confession right?"

"Yes. I will do that. Maybe, God will forgive me."

"I'm sorry, Danica. The cab driver charged double the normal fare."

"It's nothing. I will pay you back as soon as I get paid."

"No, you don't have to. I was just telling you to be careful when picking a cab next time. These drivers take advantage of innocent passengers like you," Herty pointed out.

"I will remember that. But I should still be grateful to him. He appeared the moment I got out of the elevator. At that moment, he was my angel. I was barefooted and I don't know how long I could have gone in the cold, in this skimpy dress and my feet bare. Please lend me some clothes. I have to change before I go home. I will call the restaurant to make an excuse. I can't go to work today," Danica said.

"But will you volunteer at the shelter later today?" Herty asked.

Danica wiped her tears with another tissue, tossed it into the bin, and said, "Maybe, after confession. There's just too much on my mind at the moment," she said truthfully.

"You are not going to continue crying, are you?"

"Who wouldn't? I just lost my most treasured possession to a stranger. What would you do in my situation?"

"I'm so sorry Danica, you should have called me to go with you but the harm is already done. Crying won't bring it back and it won't wipe the memory."

"You wouldn't have allowed me to go if I had called you. I just want to see Daniella change for the better. With God, all things are possible."

"I know. That's why you should have told me," Herty insisted, as she picked a long casual dress for Danica.

"The harm has already been done. Thanks for the dress, I'll be on my way."

"It's okay. I will drive you home. You can put on these slippers and I hope you have some food in your fridge," Herty asked eye-wide.

Danica let out a small smile, "Sure. More than enough," she said. She loved to cook.

They got out of Herty's one-bedroom apartment to the parking lot and Herty drove to Danica's house.

Danica got home with Herty, to see Daniella munching on the leftovers in the fridge. Daniella stopped eating and glared at Danica guiltily.

"I'm sorry, Danica, I didn't know," she said remorsefully.

"It's a lie. You planned it," Danica exposed. Herty sat on the couch and listened to the twin sisters quietly. She intended to give her opinion only when asked.

"Look, I didn't have a choice," Daniella said, looking away from Danica, who had strolled towards the dining table and sat in front of her.

Danica's face was red from tears but she remained expressionless. "You could have told me the truth," she insisted.

"You wouldn't have gone with me if I had told you," Daniella said with a mouth full. Danica wondered how Daniella could still eat while she was hurt and depressed but she didn't expose her and rather said, "

"You are right about that, but I would have still found a way to help you."

Daniella was about to leave the dining table to escape her sister's wrath when a newspaper fell from her hand. There was an ID card with a picture of Daniella but the name was different.

"Chantelle Hall, what is that?" Danica asked curiously.

"It doesn't interest you," Daniella said expressionlessly and turned to leave.

Danica held her by the arm and sat her back on the chair. She calmed down and said, "but at least you owe me an apology. Don't I deserve to know?"

Daniella thought for a while and began to recount the past. "When I had an argument with mum and dad and left years ago, I worked for a mafia named Ray in Russia. I was supposed to deliver some goods. I didn't know the content but it got stolen on the ship. I got up and they weren't there. When I returned to inform Ray, he blamed me and insisted that I should pay for it. It was worth two million dollars and I didn't have the money."

"Then I met the guy you spoke to at the pub. He helped me to fake my death and brought me back to Mexico. It wasn't for free. I owe him fifty thousand dollars. When I got to Mexico, I met Justice. I did so many things for him in exchange for money. When he didn't need me anymore, I couldn't make any more money so I started borrowing money from him to survive. So far, I owe him two hundred thousand dollars."

"He said he will kill me if I don't return his money. I begged him, asking if there was something I could do. He said there was nothing I could do because what he needed was a virgin for his boss, Mr. Somo. Then I thought about you. So you know the rest."

Danica felt her head becoming light as it panged with a headache. She found her voice and asked disappointed, "So Mr. Somo is the name of the man who slept with me?" Her voice was low. The discovery that the handsome man she woke up with was a dangerous mafia boss, was too difficult for her to swallow.

"No no. I don't know the one you ended up with. When the drug knocked you out, the guards took you to the wrong room. So now, I've been given seven days to pay back the money," Daniella recalled. All along, her tone has been humble because she wanted to use her sister again.

Danica was greatly disappointed for not having known the name of the man she woke up with but she also found a softness in her heart that sympathized with her sister. Blood is thicker than water, as the saying goes and that must be true in Danica's case.

"That's so cruel. Seven days is so little," Danica said.

Daniella, upon seeing her sister pity her, began to take advantage. Her eyes widened in realization as she asked, "Didn't you say you will help?"

Danica said after careful thought. "I will talk to the church committee."

Daniella laughed mockingly. "Come on, Danica, your church is small. Your offering on Sundays would not be up to five thousand dollars. They possibly can't help me."

Danica knew that her sister was right but the church was the only place she had in mind. "So, what do you intend to do?" Danica asked Daniella.

Daniella paused and said, "I need your help."

"With what?" Danica asked, not hiding her fear and shock. Last night had at least given her an in-depth knowledge of Daniella's ways and she knew that whatever her sister was going to propose might end up a disaster.

"When I was coming back, I saw one of the old papers. People are looking for surrogates and they pay very well," Daniella said, showing Danica the newspaper. Herty stood up as well and walked towards the dining table to take a glance.

Danica frowned and asked, "You intend to be a surrogate?"

"No, I won't pass the health check. I mean, you," Daniella said to Danica with pleading eyes.

"No way am I going to carry someone's baby when I haven't had mine yet," Danica rejected Daniella's proposal.

"Please Danica, all they need is your womb. The procedure is by artificial insemination," Daniella continued to plead.

"I know, Daniella, but I'm very sorry, I can't."

Daniella was dejected and raged, and said rudely, "Would you rather watch me die?"

The trio fell silent at her question. A minute passed before Danica asked thoughtfully, "fine. What is the process involved?"

Daniella's eyes lit up with hope. "Herty can go with you to the hospital for registration tomorrow. They will call you for further questioning and testing if you pass the first stage," Daniella explained.

"Why won't you come with me?" Danica asked with disappointment. After all, she was considering all this for Daniella's sake.

"Because I'm supposed to be dead, remember?"

"But you are called Chantelle by your ID," Daniella recalled.

"That's true but my features haven't changed. They are still the same," Daniella said convincingly.

"Fine," Danica succumbed.

"One more thing. You will have to sign some cheques down and give me your phone when you succeed. That way, I can get the money for them," Daniella said and continued "I promise that I will go to church with Herty every Sunday. I've changed, Danica," Daniella promised.

"I hope so," Danica muttered.