” It had been two days since, Alice had excused her kids to speak to Marilyn in silence. A critical dialogue of help that had birthed a hundred dollar parting gift to the suffering mother of one. In her wildest imaginations, she could not believe that Alice was going to come big for her at this point of her life when all seemed to be down. Hundred dollars wasn’t much, but it was enough to get enough cereals for her daughter at least till the coming days when another miracle was bound to find her. As she sat on the couch feeling alone and dejected, she decided to call her husband who had not been picking her call since the last time he had rang to neutralize their marriage. Since the lines were still intact and she could call. She picked her phone and dialed the number and this time around, it didn’t even pull through. She tried it a couple more times and it still didn’t go through. It only left her with more emptiness than she already nursed and all she could do was cry. Her daughter was in school, her only friend and confidante was in Cleveland and her husband had ghosted on her. Life had turned from a dream to a nightmare and it happened so fast. The money spent or lost was not her problem. She wanted her man by back by her side like the good old days when she slept in his hands and didn’t have to fear for him getting killed in war.
As she sobbed, all she could bring to memory was the mocking advice of her friend and the invitation to hook by Gallagher. In her hood, she was seen as a figure of luxury with most women looking up to her as yardstick of enjoyment. They envied her lifestyle plus all the freedom she had at her expense, just to think her husband was not in the country. For her to result in doing menials wasn’t going to go down well with her social standards. It was going to make tongues wag and gossips was the last thing she needed for her mind to go haywire. She gazed at the clock in the room that was only illuminated by the free rays of the morning sun. It was some minutes past nine O clock. Erica wasn’t going to be back till at least one O clock. It was true that the cereals of the child was covered for the coming days what wasn’t true was the fact that the child and her mum were eating anything near to a balance diet. Two letters had come from the little girls school and they hinged on the fact that she was less active then she used to be in the past weeks. They also said she had showed signs of emaciation. It was a slap on Marilyn’s face that she couldn’t even feed her child properly. Her best option was to hook in secret.” Who was she kidding?” She asked herself. She was already desecrated by Gallagher. He made her his whore and he did it twice. It was time to make some money off the taboo that he had praised so much. The only issue was the money needed to fare herself to Bear creek. She was broke and didn’t boast pass five dollars Which was the remnant from the hundred dollars Alice had gifted her. It was already past pay date and no shilling was paid into her husband’s account.
” Hello sir.” She uttered almost mumbling like she was negating her own ethics.
” Yes please, who is this.” The voice replied with little courtesy.
” I’m I on to Mister Morris. At the Graw hills hotel.” She asked with a stint of hope in her tone.
” Yes please. Who am I onto?” He enquired again this time around at a hurried pace and she could understand he was a busy man.
” You are still as impatient as ever. So bad for a hotel manager. Its Marilyn.” She chuckled softly after dropping the verbal jab.
” My goodness Marie! How have you been. Why does your voice sounds so different from what it used to be like a few years ago. I thought I was onto some old woman.” Stated the man as he loosened up to rapport with an old friend.
” I’m not an old woman just yet. I may be if don’t get a job anytime soon. As it stands, my husband left me and I have no job to fall onto.” She bemoaned and sighed softly.
” Oh my dearest dear. That’s so sad to hear. Men are really animals aren’t they.” He intoned, trying hard not to say the obvious.
” Yes you bet. I was wondering if I could get my job back. I have my daughter to fend for. Clutching her phone tightly to her hands.
” Oh Marie. You know it’s Been a long time since you left us and a lot has changed. The economy is bad and sales have been on the downside. We had to lay off a dozen of our devoted workers yesterday. It’s really hard for everyone here.” He said, still failing to hit the nail on the head.
” So there’s no vacancy for me I suppose?” She spoke out.
” Sadly so my dear. We have no vacancy at this moment. However I will ring you if a need to employ arises.” Said Morison in a tone of empathy.
” Okay I will wait for your call. Thank you.” She chimed and hung the phone to save what was left of her call card. It was time to Call Gallagher and she had to do so cause she had no other sane choice. If she didn’t want to do it for the hunger in her stomach, then she wanted to do it to end the suffering of her child.
” Hello sir.” She spoke again, after calling the line of Gallagher.
” Hello Marilyn. How have you been?” He echoed with Euphoria?
” I have been fine. And you?” She enquired and was met with silence.
” And you ?” She asked again but head nothing at all. She took the phone off her ear and only then did she realize that her call card was exhausted.
” Oh hell I’m done for.” She said and was about to drop down the phone, when the phone rang.
” Hello Gallagher. I ran out of call time.” She stuttered softly as she clutched her stomach with her idle palm.
” No problems at all. How are you? Is your husband back” He asked her.
” No he’s not. I doubt if he’s ever coming back again. Man’s gone with the winds.” Stated and resulted in awkward silence.
” That’s just sad. I never knew he was such a looser I swear I wouldn’t have let him off that ill-fated squad even if you had brought the bank of America to me.” Said Gallagher in his own way if showing empathy.
” He is a good man. It’s still like a dream that’s he’s doing this to me.” She said and felt pity for herself.
” Well that’s what you think. I have reasons to believe that your husband is more evil than you think. I will let time prove to you that’s his evil just the way time would prove to him that you saved his life. Like I can’t believe his services was yanked off the system and he still chose to stay in Afghanistan. Dude might just have been an informant all this while.” Gallagher said with so much confidence in his tone.
” Is that reason we didn’t receive a pay from the government. His credit card is always with me and we take money for upkeep and save the rest.” She asked with her eyes opened in shock.
” Hell yeah that card is as useless as plastic. It’s all part of the negative package of deal. Of this effects, the one I never saw coming was the one where the bastard refused to come home. Tell no one about this, but I already fixed arrangements with the state personal to enroll him on the social benefit pay list which was going to be a shock absorber in this trying times. It’s unfortunate that he has chose the remain glued to all the Arab pussies his cock can screw cause he is white.” Said Gallagher in the most insensitive manner she could never have imagined existed.
” And me. Can I get the social benefits insurance. I’m without a job and my daughter is my responsibility to.” Said Marilyn and winced softly in emotions.
” I’m afraid the records carry all the health records of the citizens. Do you or your daughter have any life threatening disease?” He asked with a keen tone of interest.
” No. None that I know of.” She said and wondered how her husband was going to be enlisted when he was really not sick as well.
” Well I’m sorry. It’s only for people with sicknesses and disability.”
” My husband’s is truly not sick. How come he was going to make your list.
” Your husband’s record was altered to effect the status of the report we made. The records have him as one with a contagious ailment who needs the help of the government.” Said Gallagher who sounded like a legit administrator.
” Put my name in it and take out his name. One of us can benefit. Me or my poor daughter. Please help me Gallagher.” She begged him trying hard not to cry.
” Yes I believe you can. But do you have another eighth thousand dollars to bribe the social security board. Only that aspect of the deal cost eighth thousand. You see why I say your husband is a cold looser who doesn’t deserve a wife like you. We spent money and effort the deliver my clients needs only for him to waste it all away. Sad.” Gallagher said and winced softly in honest disgust.
” So I can’t be helped then? I have no money to give to anyone anymore. At this point in my life I’m in need of any assistance that can be given to me. It’s winter and in my baby is schooling. The cold and hunger would kill her and I’m not even exaggerating. You need to…”
” I already made you a generous offer. Lots of girls would kill themselves just to get this opportunity I’m giving to you for free. Think about your child and make some money with that arse of yours.” Said Gallagher as he enunciated the good she stood to gain from being a hooker on his brothel. It was she had called for and perhaps just perhaps, it was to call a spade a spade.