At the hospital, Eve pours the porridge into a bowl and places it in front of her grandmother.

"Are you alright?" Her grandmother says, sitting up on the bed.

"Watched TV all night. Feeling groggy. I'll go freshen up," Eve says and leaves the ward. She walks around women with bellies thrice their widths in the maternity unit and reaches the Payments Office.

Olivia, a familiar cashier for Eve, looks up and sees Eve coming. "Please tell me you have got the payment this time, Eve. I can't keep the manager off your back much longer," Olivia says.

"I'll need only one more week," Eve says, making Olivia slouch back in disappointment. "Dad's salary was delayed because of a strike. He'll get it next week. In the mean time," Eve says, taking out the three hundred she received from Mason before and sliding it over to Olivia under the glass panel. "I've got three hundred."

"Next week, for sure?" Olivia says.

"For sure."

Olivia takes the money and types on the clacky keyboard. Next to the computer, a white and boxy SONY thermal printer with a slit at the top whirs to life. It rolls out a thin pink colored receipt. Three hundred down. One thousand and two hundred more to go.

After receiving the receipt, Eve heads back to her grandma.

"Why don't you go back home and rest?" Her grandma says.

"I'm good," Eve says and pulls out a textbook and note to do her homework. She sits on the stainless steal stool and spreads her things over at the side of the bed.

"In fact, it's time I come back home, as well," Eve's grandma says, "I feel completely fine."

Eve continues to do her homework. Her grandmother has been through this with her son, and Eve agrees with her father's decision that her grandmother needs to stay here at least another month as per the doctor's recommendation.

The surgery was hard on her old body, and her heart had weakened. If she doesn't recover fully and leaves, there's a chance her heart might give in suddenly. Neither Eve nor her father can bear to see that happen.

After she's done with homework Eve gets a sandwich from the vending machine in the hallway. It tastes like paper, but it's cheap. While she chews on it, her grandmother says, "The nurse came by in the morning saying the hospital wanted to talk to your father. They said the call couldn't go through. I told them about the poor signal at the construction site."

"It's nothing," Eve says, "they called me when they couldn't reach him. They wanted to hand over the lab results. But I'd already downloaded the digital copies from the hospital's website. Result is normal."

"I told you we didn't have to do those expensive tests. I was feeling completely fine."

"Better do what Dr. Winston says, grandma. It's good to get those tests done."

A while later, Eve cycles back to her home. And much later at night, her dad comes home. After he's finished with his supper - leftover porridge - Eve tells him about the phone call from hospital.

"Did you ask them for an extension?" Her dad says, taking out a beer can from the ice box.

"A week," Eve says.

"A week?" Eve's dad says.

"That's what you told me," she says.

Eve's dad breathes out, takes a sip from the can and sits down opposite her at the dining table. "I forgot to tell you. We will have to wait until the end of the month for the pay."

Eve looks concerned.

"Don't worry," her dad says, "I'll ask JP for a loan."

That worries Eve even more. She shrinks on her seat. Her dad had already borrowed a lot of money, and also that they had put the kind cashier, Olivia, through enough trouble already; Eve doesn't want to ask for another extension.

"I had applied and got a paid internship at an overseas research institute. They are taking in high-schoolers as part of their students' program. It can pay the hospital fee, and it's great for my college application. I can take a few days off school, and then it'll be the summer vacation anyway, so this is good timing. What do you think?" Eve says.

"Overseas? Where?" Her dad says.

Eve realizes she never asked that question to Mason.

"I don't have all the details yet. But I want to go. I was putting it off because of grandma. But this way, grandma can get the care she needs at the hospital longer. Let me confirm with the research institute and get back to you on the details."

"You sure? You have never travelled before."

"I won't be alone. I heard another kid from my year had also applied. And there'll be kids from other schools, too. I'll be okay. And it'll be nice to fly. They'll cover the travel and accommodation. Food too."

Eve's father, with slight reluctance, agrees.

Next day at school Eve looks for Mason.

"Your grandmother's at the hospital?" Mason says.

Eve nods. "If you pay me in advance, I can pay the fee," she says, biting her lips. Eve thinks she's asking too much from Mason, but also is hoping he'll agree.

"How about this? Why don't you tell me which hospital she's in, and I'll clear the fee and have her moved to a private room with a personal nurse and doctor appointed."

Eve can't believe what she just heard. "You can do that?"

"I told you, Eve, whatever you need taken care of, I'll have it done. If caring for your grandma was what stopping you from coming with me, then I'll make sure she's taken good care of at the hospital. You won't have to worry about her. Leave that to me. Anything else?"

Eve shakes her head slowly, and then starts nodding. "I told my dad I'll be going for a paid overseas internship at a research facility. He asked me where? You never told me where your uncle's house is."

"Cairo," Mason says.

"Cairo?" Eve says.

"Cairo," he repeats.

"Cairo, as in Cairo, Egypt?" She says.

"That's the one," Mason says.

Eve never thought her first ever trip would be to Egypt.

"Bring me your passport tomorrow, I'll need it to get the travel papers ready. We leave day after tomorrow. I'll pick you up at your house at ten," Mason says.

End of chapter