CHAPTER 4

Now that i had lost my main and most important job, I just knew that there was no other option but to find this girl. But finding a girl where I had no idea where she lives or to start with her name? That sure wasn't gonna be anywhere near easy. I couldn't even sleep well throughout the night. I just kept tossing and tossing on the bed. Immediately it was dawn, I headed to what we called a bathroom and picked out one of the dresses Mario gave to me the day before. Whether I was poor or not sure did matter but the least I could do was look a bit presentable.

I looked at my mum and even in her sleep she still looked stressed, I would do anything I could to make sure she's fine. My dad would be released soon anyways, it was just a matter of weeks but I doubt that would change anything. The scandal he left behind would only be stirred up if he tried to work and it sure would pull us all along. I wasn't ready for the time. At the same time I wanted to finish my senior year, could things be any harder?

I stepped out of the house after pulling a note out of what I received the day before as my salary, this would at least transport me and get me breakfast. My family needed the rest for the day. I placed it where they could see it and went to catch an early bus.

I headed to the restaurant first. At least that was the only place I could check and then hope to find something close to talking to her or even meeting with her in the first place.

On getting to the restaurant, what I met wasn't favorable in any form. I saw the man who made me feel like dirt standing at the entrance of the restaurant. I then decided that going to ask him at all would be a very bad idea and so I just stuck around for a while thinking about the next course of action. I couldn't just come all the way and go back the same way like I had been doing all this while. Or should I just give up and go search for another job like the one I lost?

At least that one would be less stressful, unlike this one where I have to perambulate for a while all in the name of getting a job. It was getting more hectic than I thought getting a job would ever be. But then it was worth it anyways, the pay and the benefits given to the workers there was really worth it. But wasn't that if she ever got employed here? Getting employed seemed very bleak.

Just when I was about to make up my mind and turn to my way home I saw her come out of the restaurant, I hadn't met her before. Neither did I know her name but then I just knew that she was the one.

There was this grace and aura around the way she walked and talked that made me know that she was the one.

I felt so lucky until the realization hit me. She wasn't alone, she had walked past with two men that looked daring. If I tried to move an inch towards her, I would be thrown miles away from her. I still wanted to try my luck anyways.

"Please sir, can I speak to her for a minute?" I asked as I ran towards them. Careful not to get too close.

"She's late for school already, maybe some other time if she's interested"

I got the chance to look at her more closely now. She was almost my age or maybe she was my age. Money and affluence meant a lot so I couldn't quite tell. She was still in school? It never occurred to me that she could be a student. It could be college though. It struck me then as she entered into the car that she wore a uniform. Okay, I think I can get her school with that. It would be hard as I didn't know the school yet but it was sure getting easier... Maybe not so easier, I didn't know her name yet.

"Sharon, you left your purse" her father called out to her and I was glad... Now I know her name. One of the men with her races like a little child to pick it up and I raced home happily. Now all I needed to do ask around for which school uses an ash shirt and a blue skirt with striped short tie. It would be easier to find, it was probably the richest school in town.

I actually considered trailing her but then I didn't even have a car and I couldn't do that with a bus. Moreso, if I get caught doing that. I would be blowing up everything possible, maybe even my chance to ever get any job anywhere close again and I wasn't prepared for that at all. I decided to walk home and get something to eat on my way home. I felt a bit acheived, like I already had some kind of foundation to build on. Of course I did.

I sat at the edge of a little stop over food joint and got tart, the one I could afford of course. I slowly munched my tart with relish, I'm allowed to enjoy a bit of my life right? I mean who isn't?. I got a bottle of coca cola and sipped it as slowly as I could. This meal went in two ways, if I could do this well and excel... It would be the last meal I would have to eat thus slowly because I'm trying to be economical and if I just mistakenly blew it all over... It would probably be the last meal I would eat that would be this good in days.

Either way, I made sure to eat it as slowly as I could.

When I was done with my meal, I headed home. It was almost sad walking home because the food i ate was almost gone by the time I got to where I was going. Nevertheless, I was glad I got the meal...and above all I got her name and would soon get the school she attends.

I decided to stop over at Mario's house, maybe she could even help with getting the name of the school as she goes out a lot. She was working just one shift and she's probably doing that just because she was feeling guilty about I being the only one working... I doubt she needed it anyways. Her parents could take care of her well and she was even the only child. Luck shines on people it chooses I guess.

I still thought I should check on her mother anyways only for me to meet her at home

"Mario... What are you doing at home? "

"There's a public holiday today" she simply answered as she came to hug me. She did that ecerytime, i wasn't used to it when she started but then I got so used to it that now I would hug her first even.

"Oh...and nobody told me?" I said with raised eyebrows.

"You mean your younger ones went to school? Rita probably took them to her boyfriend's house" she said and laughed out loud. I frowned immediately. Mario's the one for making jokes like that.

"She doesn't have a boyfriend" I said with a serious face but she just laughed in my face. "You really think every one would be like you. In fact if you sit there without a boyfriend, your youngest sister would bring home a guy soon...before you od course" she ended laughing.

"Just get the fuck out of here" I said and laughed too.

She was just so annoying.

"Where is your mum? She's the one I came to see and not you so just leave me alone "

"Go search for her since you came to look for her and not me. I was actually gonna tell you about my new boyfriend but since you've gotten yourself a new best friend which is my mum... I would rather go share the gist with someone else and make her my best friend fast" she said and rolled her eyes.

"This is just the best time for my mum to go shop for the groceries anyways so you are stuck with me babe" she laughed and hugged me. I was very interested in the boyfriend gist anyways and so I didn't refuse the hug .

Then my phone rang... I rarely got calls and most times they were my family members or Mario and here I was with Mario so automatically it was from home.

For them to call me, it was a bit scary and so my heart skipped a bit when it rang.

"Hello mum" I said as I picked up the phone

"Chantel..." Her voice sounded cracked like she had been crying. Now this was more scary than the phone ringing.

"What's wrong mummy?" I asked with my voice laced with fear. Mario noticed something was wrong and looked a bit tense too

"We have been sent packing... I was thinking I could redeem the situation and so I didn't want to call you" she was now crying and I couldn't help the tears that ran down my face too. Mario kept gesticulating trying to understand what was wrong.

"Since when? Where are you guys now? What of our things? " I asked all the questions that poured into my mind as fast as I could get them out.

"We are some where in the neighborhood. About three hours ago. We are with our things too" she sniffed.

My head bowed in utter embarrassment. We had been too busy searching for ways to feed ourselves to remember that we were supposed to pay our rent and we hadn't done that in months now. The landlord actually tried his best for us. "I'll be there now" I said and hung up.

"What happened? Talk to me...why are you crying? " she asked immediately I dropped the call.

"We have been sent packing... Mum said she couldn't tell me since morning.. I feel so terrible right now. Me going there doesn't even change anything, I'm literally with nothing. There's nothing I have to offer them . I feel so useless, I'm all they have right now and I can't help them ...I can't even help myself. My whole body racked with tears as I couldn't hold it in any longer. I cried till there was nothing left in me anymore. Mario allowed me cry and didn't console me much. She once told me that whenever she cries till she's satisfied she always feels better about whatever she was crying about.

I truly felt better when I was done though but that still didn't change the fact that I felt so useless.

"I was thinking maybe I should talk to my dad if he could pay some amount... At least so you would be allowed to stay die a while longer till you got this job we are working on" I would have cried again if I hadn't literally exhausted all the tears in my tear duct. "It's fine " I squeaked while she quickly put a call through to her dad and explained everything to him, he asked for the price and told her he would inform her mum as he was working at the moment.  Her mum called her back in minutes and told her she was on her way home already that I should call my mum to tell her I would come home soon.

I did that immediately and her mum came around minutes later. I felt really grateful because I basically had nothing I could have done about it. He gave me the whole amount I needed to clear our debts and I ran home happily.

Which ever way if I wanted to pay next month's fee without begging, I would have to find this girl...Sharon.

I hope she is truly as she is described

*************

Days had passed and finding Sharon had proved harder than I thought. The highest information we have been able to get and confirm is the name of the school Sharon attended and that was just yesterday night. So much for me thinking I could find her on my own. She wasn't easy to find at all and when I found the school, just like I thought and expected... It was the biggest school in town. There were a lot of schools that had duplicated the uniforms and that had made it harder to find her. They were of less standard anyways.

I and Mario were gonna head to the school this morning, I had never been there before but I sure as hell wasn't ready for any interviews at the gate or something. I waited till it was 8'am before calling Mario because we fixed the time to leave as 7:30 and she wasn't here yet.

"I'm Sorry, I was just gonna call you right now Chantel... I have a test in school by 12 and I have to be there before that time. I'm really sorry for standing you up."

"Oh.. No problem. I wish you the very best in your test..." We exchanged our I love you'd and hung up.

Now I had to do this ...alone...again.

Guess it was time I realized that grabbing the reins of my life was solely my job and anyone trying to assist was simply doing that... Assisting. I huffed and headed to catch a bus.

Locating the school was sure very easy and I didn't need to answer any questions at the entrance like I thought. There were even a few pizza delivery guys around. But locating her seemed very hard though. She didn't have a surname and it sure did seem like Sharon was a household name here. I didn't know her class or any other information. Not even a picture or a phone number.

I finally got something close and after attending a few classes and getting really weird looks here and there I was able to meet with her one on one. Hugh! Finally!