Travis stares at her for a few seconds unbelievably, with so many thoughts running through his mind.
“My sister is blind… I’m not trying to raise the money for her surgery… I just need to work to be able to put food on our table. I… I just need to work for our upkeep,” She further says as more tears find their way out of her eyes. She hates being a beggar, but at this point, she has no choice but to do this.
“Here’s my card. Send your account details to the number there. Don’t bother to show your face here again,” He says to her calmly as he hands over the card to her and she takes it from him.
She stares at the card for a few seconds with so many thoughts running through her mind. She isn’t asking for his money, she just needs to work to help her life and that of her sister, but she still takes the card anyway.
“Thank you,” She says to him before he walks inside the mansion.
Trevor stares at them from the car, and he can’t help the scoff that tears through his throat. He has been in the car waiting for him to get done with the bitch so they can go inside, and he just walked in like that as if he wasn’t the one he has been waiting for. That’s crazy. Turning the car ignition on, he sets it in motion and drives into the compound.
She stares at the car until it’s out of her sight. Returning her gaze to the card, she sighs briefly. He could’ve just told her that he don’t want to help her, right? Why give her a card to keep her hope high?
You won’t blame her, right? She has gotten cards from one or two people that never replied to her messages, and since then it has been a big turn-off for her.
Walking hopelessly over to the roadside, she hauls down a cab and hops in.
As the cab drives down in the direction of her apartment, she keeps staring at the card in her hand, holding on tightly to it as if her life depends on it. She feels like throwing it away, but a part of her keeps convincing her to give this a try and see how it turns out.
“We’re here,” Pulling out of her trance, she realizes that he’s already parked in front of her apartment. She hops off the car and pays him, before heading to the building.
Stepping into their small room, she stops abruptly as the usual horrible sight welcomes her. Her blind sister, Oliver is sitting on the floor in a pool of tears as usual. This is what she does almost all the time, crying her eyes out and wishing that she can see with her eyes.
“Who is there?” Feeling the presence of someone, she manages to stand up to her feet, while staring into space with her eyes open, trying to find her way with her walking stick.
Seeing her like this breaks her heart, but what can she do than to keep praying for miracles to happen? The imagination of the pain she’s going through hits her, and more tears stream down her cheeks. How cruel can this world be, snatching their parents from them, and leaving her to cater for blind sister?
“It’s me, Nadia. I’m home,” She announces her presence, wiping her tears from her eyes, then walks over to her and pulls her into her arms, embracing her tightly.
“Nadia, you’re finally here… I thought you’re never going to come back,” Oliver cries happily, whilst hugging her tightly, as though she’ll run away if she let go of her.
“Shhhhhh! Don’t cry, I’m here now,” She hushes her, as she strokes her hair slowly.
Pulling away from her arms, she leads Olivia to go sit on the mat lying on the floor. At least that’s where they sleep. She couldn’t have gotten the money to afford a bed, right? She could barely feed herself and her sister, so how was she supposed to get money to buy a bed?
“Where did you go, Nadia?” Oliver asks worriedly, as she stares into space. She has been worried sick about her after she left hours ago. She thought something had happened to her, and she wished she had her sight, so she could go search for her, but sadly, that happens to be a wish that may never come true for her.
“I went out to look for help… I need to find the money for our upkeep, and also to get your medicines. I’m sorry for making you worried about me,” She apologizes to her while stroking her hair. Oliver is lying down with her head on her sister’s lap.
“Must you always go through these pains because of me, Nadia?…” Oliver pauses, and gulps down the lump in her throat before she continues, “Why don’t you quit looking for help already? Nobody will help us. This is our fate, so why not quit trying to change it? You don’t have to go through all those embarrassments because of me again, Nadia. I know you’ve tried a lot, you’ve done your best, but… but I understand… can you just please stop? It hurts,” Oliver says with pain resounding in her voice, tears streaming down the corner of her cheek.
Tears stream down her cheeks as she stares down at Oliver’s face. She’s right anyway, nobody will help them, but she’s not ready to give up. She’s determined to get help, they can’t keep going hungry all day, right? Even if she can endure the pain to some extent, what about Oliver? She isn’t supposed to be hungry in her condition.
Wiping the tears from her eyes, she reaches out to the small button phone on the mat. Staring at the card given to her earlier, she sighs briefly. What if she’s just going to waste her time sending the account details to him? What if he never replies like other people have done to her before?
“Come on, just give this one more chance,” She urges herself. Reaching out to the small button phone beside her on the mat, she picks it up and sends her account details to the number on the card. Not that she’s expecting a reply from him anyway…