Marrisa Bonifacio
Throughout the ride back home, I couldn’t still believe I earned two hundred dollars in just one night only from stripping and twerking on the pole.
If someone had told me I would be earning this much I could never have believed that person. I can’t stop looking at the nylon sack that I’m holding.
It’s so filled up with money, smiles formed on my face, as a thought suddenly came to my mind,
What if I decide to strip for a whole month?
No…. I wouldn’t be doing that, I can’t let my desperation for money get the best of me, I’m only going to strip for a week, I’ll save the money I earned for that week and work hard…. If I save enough money from my salary maybe I’ll open my own bar
“Ma we’re here” The Uber driver’s voice jolted me out of my thought
“Ohh…..” I raised my head and saw we’re in front of Mrs. Kathrine’s house.
I stepped down from the car and paid the Uber driver before walking into the house.
I opened the door
“Ohh my gosh….!” I screamed in shock holding onto my chest, Mrs. Kathrine stood before the door with her two hands folded below her chest
“Dear I was worried….” She muttered in a panicked voice, I sighed and closed the door,
“Come I’ll tell you something” I took her hand and walk her to the couch, I helped her seat down
“Why did you came back so late, I was starting to get worried and so many negative thoughts were already coming into my head”
“Calm down Mrs. Kathrine, I’m perfectly fine…..”
“Are you sure?” She asks checking out all my body for any injury or hurt
“I’m fine ma, actually I’ve something to tell you”
“Something like what? Is everything okay, did anybody hurt you?”
Seeing the worried look on her face, smiles formed only face, even though my mum is not here, Mrs. Kathrine makes me feel like my mum is here, she’s the mum I have here, she cares for me just like my mum would
I didn’t know tears were already trickling down my eyes,
“You’re crying?” She asked with hurt in her eyes, I watch as she brought her wrinkled hand closer to my face and slowly she wiped my tears
My heart suddenly warms up to her, I adjusted closer to her and engulfed her in a right hug
“Thank you so much, Mrs. Kathrine, thanks for always being the mum I needed here, thank you for always supporting me, even at my darkest time you never left me, thank you so much…..” I cried on her shoulder
“Come here dear” She slowly pulled away from the hug and held onto my two hand
“Always remember that I’m not leaving you, I’ll always be here for you and see you through this situation, just hope that one day you will have the courage enough to open up to me about what really happened to you”
“I’ll Mrs. Kathrine, but maybe that will be some day and not now”
“So tell me how was your first day at work?”
That question hit me like a rock, how will I tell her that I’m stripping for one week, how will she react? Will she be disappointed in me
” Marissa dear….” She called caressing my cheeks with her left hand
“Did anything happen”
“Mrs. Kathrine….. I…I…”
“Calm down honey, remember no matter what happens, I won’t judge you…. never I won’t do that, I’m a mother and I understand certain things and situations that we don’t have right over are bound to happen, we must control every situation but we can always control how far it goes, so tell me dear what happened?”
“I got an offer its either I leave my job or I strip for a week”
“What???, what will your boss do to you?” She asked looking at me with pity suddenly her eyes landed on the nylon sack that I was holding
She sighed and held onto my two hands looking at me straight in the eyes she said
“I won’t judge you”
“You won’t…..?” I ask looking surprised
“No…..” She shook her head smiling at me
“So you’re not upset, you’re not disappointed at me”
“Listen child” She muttered caressing my hand
“I understand that everything g you did was for the good of your child, nobody is perfect, and I believe that whatever you’re doing your child well being should come first”
“So you ain’t angry with me?”
“I’m proud of you, come here give me a hug”
“Thank you….” I smiled engulfing her in a right hug
“You’re going to be a good mother” She whispered into my ear
“And you’re the best grandmother my child is going to have”
We pulled away from the hug and she looked at my tummy
“When do you want to register for antenatal? You know it’s vital since you’ll be entering the second trimester soon?”
“Ohhh I never really thought of that” I replied scratching my hair
“Alright, you said you’ll be stripping for a week right?”
“Yes sure…”
“As soon as the deal is over, we will go to the hospital and register you for antenatal, hope it’s okay”
“Yes sure” I smile, I stood up yawning I made to go inside when suddenly Mrs. Kathrine held onto my hand
“I have something to tell you too”
“Alright go on” I smile sitting down, I watch her clear her throat, she observed me before she finally said
“I got a job”
“A job…?”
“Yes, as a house cleaner…”
“What…. no you ain’t being no house cleaner”
“But dear I want to be helping out”
“No Mrs. Kathrine, I won’t allow you to do any house cleaning job, especially at your age it’s too stressful and tiring”
“But I’m not complaining trust me I’ll be fine”
“And I said no, I can walk for all of us I’m not handicapped”
“And what about when you give birth, how are we going to survive my child”
“But……”
“Alright fine let’s do this, I’ll stop the job as soon as the baby comes of age, I just want to be helping out and I know you need to save some money, you have dreams and goals you want to achieve I don’t want to pull you down, please dear understand”
I wipe the tears that were already trickling down my eyes
”Why are you so good to me?” I asked not knowing the good I did to deserve Mrs. Kathrine
“Come here we’ll go through all this together, I promise to stand by you” She smiles.
“Thank you”
“It’s fine, go in and freshen up, I made dinner”
“Alright” I smile walking inside.