CHAPTER 2

  (THE OFFER)

  “I’m not doing this because I want you to become a model, fine, it’s part of it..but I want the best for you. You can get the chance to see your father over there in America.

  Your father is f**king rich, but here we are dying of hunger, I don’t want you to live the life I lived. Just take a good look at me. I am sick but couldn’t get the best treatment for myself…no money to go to the hospital, only these f**king herbs are what I’m using. I might die any moment from now” she cried out.

  “Mum no one is dying..stop saying that” Ariel snapped

  “Then do what I want Ariel…save your ass from this suffering. Go with Miss Peggy to the States and find a suitable job for yourself. Find your father also. I can’t be with you here forever…..”

  “But mum, I thought we talked about…..”

  “Fine….if you don’t wanna go…it’s just fine…fine” Gina threw her hands into the air and went to stand beside the window, staring out as tears rolled down her eyes.

  Ariel stared at her mum as she sobbed, she felt bad for raising her voice at her, which had not happened in a long time.

  Her mum got a point, she wanted them to be free from this sticking poverty life, but going to the States was out of it. What if she gets rejected there also, how is she gonna cope, she thought

  “Hmmm” she sighed, staring at her mum, who backed her, still sobbing

  “Mum will surely get over this,” she thought

  **********

  The Next Day**

  “Grrrrggg” Ariel’s wooden alarm clock rang making her jerk up from her sleep. She hissed loudly throwing the clock across the room as she struggled to get up from her old shabby bed, which made a crackling sound as she did so.

  Yawning loudly, she checked the time on the wall clock and gasps

  “Jeez…it’s 8 o’clock, I’m late for work, Mrs. Thompson is gonna kill me”

  “That stupid alarm clock didn’t ring at the exact time I set it to, I have to get a new one,” she thought as her mind flashed back to the dream she was having earlier. She dreamt of being punished severely at her workplace

  “I pray that dream doesn’t come through” she mumbled and hurriedly freshened up. She was about to prepare breakfast when she noticed a letter on the kitchen cabinet, it stated:

  “I made pasta with sauce for breakfast and yours is on the table.

  I’m off to work, make sure you take good care of yourself

  And don’t engage in danger

  Xoxo

  Your mum”

  She sighed and dropped the letter, glancing at the food on the table

  “But why will mum go to work, she is not yet strong and she….oh” she paused, remembering the fact that her mum’s two weeks leave is over.

  She felt irritated staring at the food in front of her but had no choice but to eat it. Pasta and sauce have been their breakfast for a long time now.

  Stolen story; please report.

  “Only the rich get to eat what they want,” she thought and devoured it in a twinkle of an eye.

  ************

  “What time is it, Ariel” Mrs. Thompson, her boss barked as she glared at Ariel who was shaking in panic.

  Mrs. Thompson is a well-known woman who owns a big shop where flowers are sold. She distributes them to customers and Ariel is one of her workers. She always pretends to be nice to the world, but a demon to her workers.

  “It’s …it’s 8:30 am, ma’am” Ariel shuddered

  “8:30…a….m..? When is resumption time” She snarled

  “8: 00 am”

  “Can you see that you are 30 minutes late, lots of punishments are waiting for you” she snapped, turning to leave.

  “I’m sorry ma’am, I overslept” Ariel pleaded.

  “Oh!!! Really? Well, just have it at the back of your mind that you are not getting any payment today, except you agree to work double time…now pick up these flowers and deliver them to Mr. Hudson, idiot” she spat and walked away, even before Ariel could utter a word.

  “Hmph” She sighed sadly.

  “What sort of life is this…now I would have to work twice the time I do work before getting paid, f**k that dream I had” She cursed, and climbed her old, worn-out bicycle, ready for her first delivery for the day.

  *********

  Finding Mr. Hudson’s house was a bit stressful but she managed to pull through and deliver the items.

  Riding back to the shop, she saw a group of people, mostly teenagers, watching the video of a young white boy, who was singing beautifully, from a billboard along the side of the road, which was just a few meters from her workplace.

  She is a fan of many artists and wishes to sing like them, but this boy’s singing captivated her heart. He seems to be new in the music industry, or perhaps she hasn’t watched any of his videos before. But the way he handles the Microphone is intruding, not to mention his mesmerizing beauty.

  Kabria and her friend stood among the crowd. One look at her shows that she is already in love with the new musician.

  Her eyes glint and she blushes each time he smiles while singing. She felt like the smile was meant for her, as different weird imaginations filled her mind about getting to meet him and kissing his juicy lips.

  Every other girl there has the same thought, except for Ariel, who is only in love with the way he sings.

  Although she felt a tingle each time she stared at his face, and also wished to meet him physically, singing with him on stage. But he is white, fine, she is also partly white, and who will wanna fall in love with a half-breed?

  “Can I even get to meet a rich dude like him, being a poor girl? No, I can’t, fate doesn’t always work in favor of the poor” she thought.

  She was about to take another glance at the projector when a voice screamed her name; it was her boss.

  “Ariel!!!! Get your God damn ass over here” she screamed

  “Oh my gosh” Ariel gasped; she had forgotten that she was going back to the shop, and her boss had been staring at her all along, being that the shop is just close to where the billboard is. She hurriedly rode down there and parked the bike.

  “I’m sorry Mrs. Thom…”

  “Sorry for yourself, just know that you are doomed, you will work triple times to be late again”

  ************

  Arriving home, she met the door unlocked

  “Is mum home?” she thought

  “Maybe she arrived early from work” She shrugged and went in

  Her mum stood beside the window, still in her workcloth

  “Mum?? You are back” she said, as Gina faced her

  “How was work baby…you didn’t close early today?” she asked, looking sad

  “Yes…Mrs. Thompson made me work triple times today, and gave me a half payment” Ariel muttered sadly, taking off her shoes

  “But why…I asked you not to get into any trouble with her” Gina snapped

  “I didn’t, she was just being harsh on me. It’s because I arrived at work late”

  “But you shouldn’t have gone late, what happened to the alarm clock”

  “It’s worn out…I’m sorry” she mumbled, Gina sighed and toughed her temples, facing the window again, as silence took in before Ariel spoke up

  “And you? What happened, you came back early…but you look sad” She bit her lips

  Picking up a handkerchief from the bed, Gina made a muffling sound and blew her nose into it

  “Mum?? What’s wrong, you are crying” Ariel said, going close to her as she held her hand

  “I … I…lost my job” she cried, sobbing loudly

  “W…what!!! I mean, how?”