2

"It's a magic box." She said, "I swear it is." Red tried to convince the old woman in front of her.

"I don't believe you child!" The woman said sternly clutching her purse in her hands like she knew Red was gonna steal from her.

Red rolled her eyes, "It can make your wishes come true." She tried to persuade her further, "Trust me, it's a family heirloom."

"Oh really?!" The woman snorted, one hand on her hip now, "If it is truly magic, why haven't you gotten all rich and affluent?"

"Uhhmm..." She stared at her dumbfounded, "Bye." She scurried away from the woman's sight knowing she had been found out.

            Red has been homeless and hungry for days. She didn't know what to do anymore. So, she resulted to selling an old rusted metal box she found in an alley and it wasn't doing her any good.

You thought anyone would fall for it? Her subconscious sneered, you thought wrong.

She got tired of walking and she sat in front of a coffee shop.

Red scanned the area making sure no one saw her and then when the coast was clear, she pushed her beanie lower, put on her old dark sunglasses, wore a nose  mask and hung a sign on her neck that read 'I AM DEAF, DUMB AND BLIND, HELP ME PLEASE', and then she sat down and waited.

            Moments passed and people passed by her, shook their heads pitifully then dropped dollar notes and coins in her outstretched hands with Red shaking her head and smiling inwardly.

This new venture of mine is really good, She thought has the sound of notes and coins dropping sounded like music to her ears.

When she got to the abandoned alley where she slept, she brought out the money and counted it excitedly.

Red realised four hundred dollars and she almost leapt for joy. She was definitely going to continue with this one.

           She continued her falsely handicapped ventures and limited her pick pocketing but not stopping it completely. She just had a thing for petty theft, for taking things that didn't belong to her.

With the returns she got from begging, she could feed and also managed to get herself a one room apartment in an old house but in better conditions than the last.

She only prayed and worried that she wouldn't be caught or discovered that she wasn't really handicap. If it did happen, her new found comfort would be temporary.

As she finished her half eaten bugger that night and gazed into the starry night through her open window.

She smiled.

She was happy, not that she hadn't been happy before but she was happier this time.

She got away from the window, laid on her new mattress and pulled her covers clothes snuggling into the warmth.

She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

         

_________________

           Daniel walked down the street with brisks steps, his head hung low, hands in his pockets and a frown etched on his face.

He was mad.

His car just broke down and he tried calling his house staff to get him another but none of them was answering the phone.

He made up his mind to dismiss them all once he got home.

He steps got faster and his anger rose when he glanced at his watch and saw he was late.

Late! He hated being late. It was never a part of him and never would be.

He had a reputation to keep up.

"Please kind one." He stopped on hearing a feminine voice as he walked past a shop, "Please be kind." The voice repeated.

His gaze travelled in  the direction of the  voice and his eyes found  a young lady sitting on the floor in front of a shop.

A beanie was atop her head but he could see the long red hair flowing from underneath. She had on some old shades and he couldn't see her face well for she wore a nose mask.

He also noticed her clothes were baggy and old.

"Please help." He heard her sweet innocent voice again. He read the sign hung on her neck that he hadn't noticed and felt touched, he had to do something.

           Red watched the man in a sleek suit pull out a dollar bill and he placed it in her hand.

A dollar?? She questioned, or maybe I can't see well cause of my guise.

She made sure he had gone and the coast was clear before peeking and seeing it was a dollar bill actually.

"What the fuck??!" She screeched inwardly, "Such a selfish person."

               Red was angry as to why a man in an expensive looking  suit would give only a dollar.

He should have given at least 10 to a hundred, She thought.

She dropped her sign, put all the money in her pockets apart from the dollar bill. She solely held the money he dropped and took to the streets in search for him.

Luckily, he hadn't gone far, she spotted him about 10 feet away.

Red ran to him and tapped him harshly on the shoulder.

"What is it?!" Daniel turned when he felt someone tap him, he was trying not to be harsh. He had to get to work soon and he got interrupted, great!

"Look at me!" Red growled staring at him.

"Wait?! What the heck?!" He bursted out on realising who she was, "Aren't you suppose to be blind and completely handicapped?"

"And aren't you suppose to be generous young man?" She growled looking up at him, "Take you fucking peasant money." She slapped the dollar bill to his chest.

Daniel stared in shock, what the hell is going on?  He was confused.

"You should be ashamed of yourself!" She scolded, "you are wearing an expensive suit and yet you can't be generous."

"Excuse me young woman..."

"Shut up stingy man." She cut him short, "People like you are the problem we have in the society today."

"Me?!" Daniel asked angrily, "You are the problem here. You lying to everyone that you are handicapp leeching them of their hard earned money."

"Uhhh..." Red stared down for a second, "That still doesn't give you the right to be fucking selfish."

"Get out of my way I don't have time for this." He gently pushed her aside but Red didn't move.

"You are selfish, mannerless and you lack courtesy." She told him, "And you are arrogant."

"Really?!" He asked staring at her, "You are only describing yourself and plus you are dubious."

She said nothing. She stared at him for a while. He was tall. He towered over her but she wasn't sure how tall he was.

His hair was brown. She didn't know the length, she wanted to peek behind him to know how long it was. He had dark orbs, a pointed nose and nice lips. His skin was beautifully tanned.

She thought he looked like 'Jeff' from 'can't buy my love' but the tanned Jeff.

"Can you get out of my way please." Daniel glanced at his watch, "I am running late." He said, "And quit staring."

"As you wish, your royal selfishness." She scoffed, "I wish you a terrible ass day."

He shook his head and continued his walk still not being able to process what just happened.

Red smirked as she watched him go.

She opened her hand and look at his wallet. It looked pretty expensive.

She checked it contents and smiled to herself, he was sure gonna have a terrible day, and her day was going to be splendid with his money.

           Daniel decided to take a taxi. It was a terrible idea at first trying to trek to the office.

He stood by the road side and flagged one down.

The yellow taxi trafficated and parked next to him.

"Where are you going sir?" The middle aged driver asked after rolling down the window.

"Hart's corporative." He said to the driver, "Make it quick please."

"Alright man, hop in." The driver told him.

"Wait." Daniel said, "Let me get my wallet."

He put his hands in his pockets and found nothing.

He felt himself all over and still got nothing.

"What the fuck?!" He clamored.

He searched his suit pockets and trench coats, still nothing.

This can't be happening, He nearly cried out in frustration.

"Hop in man! You are wasting time!" The driver grumbled.

"I can't seem to find my wallet." He replied the driver counting his words while ransacking himself, "It was right here."

"Sorry." The man shook his head, "I do not drive broke people." He then stepped on the gas pedal and zoomed off.

Broke?! Did he just call me broke, He stared unbelievably.

He, Daniel Hart, America's most successful business man was just called broke.

Daniel couldn't take it anymore. It was insulting. First, the rude lady called him selfish, now a taxi driver called him broke.

He was frustrated and angry.

He needed to let it out and then he screamed.

______________

"Do you all want to fucking get sacked?!" He screamed.

All members of his house staff quivered.

"Why didn't any of you dumbasses answer the phone?"

No answer.

"I fucking asked a question."

"We were all sleeping." The butler said.

"YOU WERE WHAT?!" Daniel screamed louder and it echoed in the gigantic hall way.

"So assuming thieves were to break in, it will be possible cause you were all fucking sleeping." He said, "Do I fucking pay you to sleep?"

"No sir." They chorused shaking their head.

"All of you get out of my sight before I lose my temper completely." They all scampered away leaving their boss there in fear of aggravating his anger.

          

"Stupid ass workers." He grumbled as he watched them disperse.

_______________

          Red entered the coffee shop with two things in mind to get coffee and to steal as usual.

She gave up begging.

After the incident with the selfish man, her cover was blown and now she was fully back to pick pocketing.

She got into the shop to meet with a very long line of people waiting for coffee as if there was a scarcity.

She sighed and joined the waiting queue.

          Daniel breezed into the coffee shop. He was on a phone call. He could have easily asked his driver to get him coffee but he decided to do it himself. Every member of his house staff have been getting things wrong of late so he took to doing most things himself.

He frowned at the queue  and moved briskly to the front of the line

"A Cinnamon Dolce Latte Tall." He said to the waiter before slapping a hundred dollar bill on the counter.

"Hey!" Someone shouted from the line.

"You can't do that!" Another said.

"That is not fair!"

Several protest statements and noises came from the line but Daniel didn't care, he just continued his call while his coffee was being made.

           Red tapped the woman in front of  her, "What's all the fuss about ma'am?" She asked not understanding while everyone was getting mad.

"The rich looking guy who just entered cut the line and he's getting his coffee before everyone here." The blonde haired woman said.

"What the hell?!" Red said suddenly hating rich people.

First, it was the selfish guy.

Now, this guy too.

           She got out of the line and stomped to the front breathing angrily.

"Hey you!" She slapped the guy hard on the back when she got to the counter.

"Owww." Daniel was forced to end his call and he turned back to his source of pain.

He was met with the face of a blue eyes red head girl with freckles and a lot of pimple marks.

"Don't I know you?" He asked in deep thought.

"Oh it's you shit head." Red snorted, "Aside being selfish, you are also corrupt and unfair."

"It's you!" He exclaimed, "It's you, the bloody liar."

"You can't be cutting lines."

"Says the person who lies." He snorted, "Is my Coffee ready yet?" He turned back to the waiter."

"Almost sir." The waiter nodded.

"Look at me when I am talking to you." Red poked his back.

Daniel turned.

He was perplexed by her audacity.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked her angrily.

"Yes I do." She smirked.

"Here you go sir." The waiter interrupted them.

"A man drenched in coffee." Red said before quickly snatching the coffee from the waiter and then she poured it on him.

Daniel screamed. Not because the coffee was hot but because it was his newly purchased favourite suit.

"I am going to kill you." He fumed fisting his free hand.

"Not if I kill you first." She jumped on him and bit him on the shoulder before racing out of the shop.

The crowd was rowdy and in support of Red for they hated Daniel for cutting the line.

Red ran off with his wallet as expected.

Daniel's Monday was ruined.