Chapter Two

The taxi had already driven into the highway before Sia slowly pulled the hoodie slightly away from her forehead. The lights in the streets shone brightly providing enough illumination for the cars and pedestrians to go about their daily business as though it was past mid-day.

As for the people who went about their usual business; she had nothing to do with them, she as well was about to go about her normal business. She pressed her head against the window of the taxi, the cars fleeting and lights blinding her a few times. Her head remained pressed to the window until the taxi rolled to a stop in front of an hospital.

She dug her hands into her hoodie pocket and paid the taxi driver before getting down from the car and walking towards the sliding doors. A girl with a shrouded hoodie walking suspiciously into the hospital at minutes past 11 definitely wasn’t an everyday occurrence and so Sia had a few heads turning as she walked further into the hospital.

She pulled down the hoodie from her head revealing a messy packed bun at the back of her head. She walked towards the receptionist who immediately wore a fleeting smile.

“Good evening ma’am” she greeted her hands running across her keyboard.

“Payment for Miss Loway?” she asked raising her head to meet Sia’s eyes. The latter nodded without a word. Digging into her pocket again, she dropped the bundle of money she had snatched earlier on the counter. The receptionist seemed unfazed as for why a girl probably less than twenty had over ten thousand dollars with her. Instead, she grabbed the bundle of notes and in a minute, she was offering Sia a smile and a receipt.

“Thank you” she said grinning. Sia collected the receipt without another word before turning and heading towards the elevator. The receptionist who had just attended to her chuckled shaking her head.

“She’s so cool” she muttered as her partner hitched her chair closer to her.

“Isn’t that the girl whose Mom is on the VIP floor?” her partner while the receptionist nodded.

“She is”

“I wonder where she’s getting all those money”

“She certainly isn’t selling herself to get that amount to money is she?” her partner asked while and the receptionist chuckled.

“Why are you asking me that?” she asked.

“When she comes back downstairs later; you should ask her” she added.

“Why would I ask her? That’s so embarrassing” her partner gushed unhappily.

“It’s much better than talking behind her back” she shot back. her partner seemed offended by her words and quickly rolled her chair back to her seat muttering words that neither of them could hear.

By the time the elevator landed on the VIP floor, it was empty and deserted; one would even doubt if a soul was on the floor but Sia knew better. She walked towards a room at the far end of the walkway wincing while touching her lip. There was an obvious cut on her lip and she groaned internally before sucking in her breadth and pushing the door open.

Inside the ward was a huge hospital bed with someone sleeping in it, more than two drips were attached to the person’s arms and upon closer look; the person looked sickly and as though at any moment could give up the ghost.

Realizing that she was sleeping; Sia intentionally walked quietly in the room; removing her hoodie and rolling the ends of her shirt to her elbows. She walked towards the bathroom splashing water repeatedly on her face. The cut on her lips seemed more evident after she washed her face and Sia stared at her reflection in the mirror.

A girl with a clean face stared back, her charcoal black eyes staring back into her soul, her nose hung in the air perfectly complimenting her small round eyes and heart shaped lips – that was technically not really hear shaped anymore with the presence of the cut. Her hair still remained messily tied up into a bun and knowing her terrible skills at tying her hair up, Sia chose to leave her hair bundled up like that. She stepped out of the bathroom and realizes that the woman who seemed to have asleep on the bed now awake and looking around.

Hurrying her feet, she walked straight to her kneeling beside the bed “Mom”

The woman turned to her a soft smile gracing her lips. Her hands moved and she cupped Sia’s face still smiling.

“Cupcake” she said softly and Sia’s blank face was instantly replaced with a bright one. Her lips pulled apart forming a smile on her lips. Her round eyes narrowed in slits perfectly portraying a girl who seemed to have zero worries. If anyone from the underground boxing club had seen this scene; they would not only be mortified, they would be alarmed.

“Have you eaten yet?” Sia asked.

“The nurse fed me before she left” her mom replied and Sia nodded her head.

“You feel good?” Sia asked again.

“Mmmm”

Both stared at each other without another word smiling. Sia’s mom was the first to break the silence a small frown appeared on her face.

“What happened to your lips?” she asked and Sia immediately swallowed her saliva.

“It’s just a small cut I had in school today. I hit the wall and ended up biting down on my lips” Sia replied chuckling at the stupid lie she had cooked up.

“You have to be very careful when you are walking. You don’t want to give your new classmates and teachers a scare” her mom replied and that when Sia remembered that she had indeed changed schools but for some funny reason hadn’t resumed.

Before she could reply, there was a knock at the door and Sia rose to her feet walking towards the door to see who it was. A middle aged woman stood outside the door with a smile. The frown on Sia’s face also creased out upon seeing the woman.

“Auntie” she called quietly while the woman pulled her into a hug. A hug that Sia didn’t dare return back. Her arms merely stood limply beside her while the older woman hugged her.

“She’s inside” Sia said quietly moving backwards and giving the latter space to come in before closing the door behind her. She moved to where the chairs were placed and lied down on the larger cushion sighing softly.

When her mom had first fallen sick and everyone refused to give a helping hand; Sia was the one who had to run helter skelter to find not just the hospital bills but also ways to make sure she didn’t die of hunger. It was a terrifying circle until her mom’s best friend who had been away from the country came back.

She didn’t have much and immediately took over the duties from Sia taking care of them in every way she could. And as well; the questions Sia had been finding answers to desperately; she had the answers to them.

Some people would easily refer to her as her family’s knight in shining armour or their saviour but Sia knew it was nothing like that. She indeed was their saviour but she carried no cross; she handed over the cross for her to carry and surprisingly, Sia was willing to carry this cross.

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“Your mother says she had you changed to a private school”

Sia nodded her head quietly in affirmation.

“I did my transfer a week ago but I’m yet to resume” Sia replied turning to the older woman.

“That’s good” she replied and another bout of silence ensured between them.

“I’m going back to Hong Kong tomorrow and I don’t know when I’m going to be back” the older woman said breaking the silence.

“If anything happens, give me a call” she added and Sia nodded.

“Anna” the older woman called and Sia turned to her eyes narrowed in silts. Only her mother called her that.

“I know you are hell bent on finding him and I’m not going to stop you; I don’t feel any regret for telling you what happened back then either” she started pausing mid-way.

“I just want you to know that sometimes, there’s more to what we know and see. And the truth might not necessarily be the truth” she added while Sia sneered.

“Have a safe trip Auntie” she replied turning and walking back into the hospital.

The older woman remained in the same position staring at the back of the girl who walked in long yet firm strides into the hospital. A lot of people had praised her when she came to their rescue asking them to be eternally grateful for her help. But she knew what she had done for the family, she had forced the little one to be an adult and this adult seemed capable to taking anything life threw at her.