Chapter 9

• ……...
• "Good morning, Kat." A cheerful voice greeted me.
• I looked up to the doorway and saw Nuelle smiling at me, carrying a tray of pancakes. Grinning, I waved at her, "Good morning, Elle."
• "Do you want some pancakes?I made it myself." She told me proudly, I smiled and sat up on the bed.
• "Okay…"
• She walked further into the room and sat on the bed. I picked one of the pancakes and took a bite. "Humm..it's really nice."
• She giggled, "Right?."
• "100%." I replied and smiled while chewing it quietly.
• Then she looked like she wanted to say something.
• "What's it?. You look distant." I said.
• She nodded, "You know, hm. My mom is out of cash and..I ran out of cash lately. Can you give me some money?, and I'll pay you back, I promise."
• I dropped the pancake and looked at her. "I spoke to your mom yesterday and she did not tell me this.."
• "Ah..she called me last night, while you were at work." Elle replied.
• I scoffed, "Elle. You know that I know you're lying to me. Stop this nonsense now." I waved her off and pushed the tray towards her.
• There was silence.
• "I'll give you some money if you need some, you don't have to lie with your mom's name." I stated.
• "Which money?" She asked.
• "What?."
• "Where do you intend to get the money?."
• "From my boss, I'll ask my boss to increase my payment and also I can start working on all tables."
• "Just if. Just if you hadn't been so stubborn not to listen to anyone about a life time promised job, could have prevented this."
• Oh god!. I can see where this talk was leading to.
• "Gosh I can't take this anymore." I stepped out of the bed and put my coat around my back.
• "Keep running and I'll keep telling you the truth." I rolled my eyes at her and grabbed my phone before exiting the room.
• This is how it has been. Hell, I can't sleep at home because of Aiden and his job proposal. Even at work, I am also persuaded by my boss who I had gotten close to over the week.
• And then I haven't gotten to see Aiden after that night.
• I pushed open the door to the Ice cream shop and walked in.
• I sat by the window and watched people come in and leave. My life was a mess, as usual. And it didn't feel pressurable because I've gotten used to all the mess that comes into my life.
• "Hey,"
• I looked up to find the ice cream man staring down at me with a smile.
• I smiled back and watched him sit opposite me. He had an apron around him and an apron cap on his head.
• "Morning." I greeted.
• "Morning.."
• A couple pushed the glass door open and walked in. "Aren't you supposed to serve them?." I asked.
• He looked back.
• "My boy is there." He replied, and I nodded, wondering what he was doing in front of me.
• "You don't wanna buy, Kat?." He asked. My eyebrows raised when he called my name. He knows my name.
• "How did you get to know my name?" I asked him.
• "Are you kidding me?. You were here yesterday, remember. The both of us sat at this corner yesterday.."
• I thought deeply, my god!. He was right, how can I forget?His name is jim.
• "Jim. I'm sorry. I've had a lot going through my mind. Okay.."
• "Yeah. You told me. How did it go?. With your best friend." He asked.
• "Same. I just wanna sit right here till 5:pm. I'm tired of being reminded of Aiden."
• "Quite a load, huh. Try working in the daytime. Maybe you'll get more money to pay your bills." He suggested.
• I shook my head, "You have a point. Yeah."
• My phone rang, I put my hand into my jacket pocket to bring my phone out. I rolled my eyes when I saw Elle calling. I dropped my phone back.
• "She's the one?, maybe she's got something important." Jim told me.
• "There's nothing more important to her than this job."
• "Pick your calls." He urged.
• Then my phone beeped. I rolled my eyes and took out my phone again.
• She sent a voicemail.
• Hey, Kat. Mom broke down at home, I'm currently at Virginia Mason health center. Call me.
• I looked at Jim and rised up from the seat.
• "I'm sorry, I have to go now. Very urgent." I said and ran out of the shop.
• …….
• Running towards Elle, she looked up and quickly hugged me, crying.
• "No, it's fine. She's going to be fine."
• "I told her to rest today but she wouldn't listen." She said,
• I led her to sit down and pushed her head to my shoulder. "She's going to be fine. Nothing is going to happen to your mama." I said reassuringly.
• "Are you Mrs Addison's daughter?." A voice interrupted us. Elle and I looked up, "Yeah. It's me." She replied to the doctor..
• "Come with me." The doctor said and we stood up and followed him.
• We walked into his office and sat down. The look on the doctor's face tells everything isn't fine.
• "She has breast cancer."
• Nuelle gasped, "Calm down." I muttered, rubbing her palm.
• The doctor continued, "She has stage Iv cancer and needs to be operated on immediately."
• "What do we do, Doctor?." Elle asked him.
• "You have to deposit some money immediately." He replied. I and Elle looked at each other.
• There was no money, I just payed up the bills with my two months advanced payment from my boss.
• ……….
• I led Elle to the chapel section and sat her down on the bench. There were people lurking around the chapel, patients sitting quietly and staring into pace.
• "Mom never told me and I didn't care to find out. I'm such a fool, when I suspected something was wrong, I could have gone home, I could."
• "We shouldn't be blaming anyone now, we have to find the money for the surgery." I said.
• "A hundred and thirty-four thousand dollars is pretty much for now." I added.
• "I will quit the gig and get a better job. We could start up a business together, or…"
• "Elle. This isn't going to help. The doctor gave us until tomorrow."
• She looked at me, you could notice the dark circles around her eyes. Her makeup was ruined.
• "I know exactly how you love the gig. No, you won't quit, rather I quit." I told her..
• She was confused, "I consent to Aiden Smith's proposal." I announced.
• Her eyes widened when she understood, she shook her head negatively, "No. I don't want to force you if you don't want to work for him. Please don't do this.."
• I breathed out and rubbed her arm, "I made the decision, no one's forcing me. Come here.."
• Quickly she hugged me passionately while I ended up patting her back gently.