Soon that day arrived.
We were all very excited about Ionen's interview. But that day to thunder a call came to me around eight in the morning when we four were having cornflakes for our breakfast.
I picked up the phone. It was the landline number of my cartoon industry.
'Hello?' I said.
'Mr. Nora, it is me, Mr. Oliver. Boss said that today we have an important meeting at three sharp with the famous cartoonists who visited us that day.'
'Hmm, I see. I think some days before I talked to you and boss regarding an early leave today at two thirty sharp due to some family reasons. Boss gave me the permission. So, is there any purpose of saying this to me?'
'What!? Oh yes I remember! But Mr. Nora, I think like me, our boss has forgotten about it due to our busy schedule. It's compulsory for everyone to come. And if someone doesn't comes, his this month's salary wouldn't be given. Now you guess how important it is.'
'What!? This is not good. Boss gave me the permission and I am working on its basis. My all programs are already set and now boss will break his agreement with me and enforce me to come on the name of my salary! I won't come today and I will have my salary! That's it. My family won't starve for a month for the deeds committed by Boss.'
'Oh Mr. Nora, calm down. Actually Mr. Nora, the thing is that those cartoonists are in a much higher position than that of our boss. And if they want, they can strike our entire company at a blink of their eyes. They have actually come from the headquarters of the channel we work for. And thus, try to come today and attain the meeting for your own good. Oh! Boss is calling me. Okay Mr. Nora, I will call you just in a few minutes. Tell me your final answer.' And he hung up.
My phone fell from my hands and fell on the table. I was just blank and confused. Ionen and my parents looked at me with a what-happened-to-him look.
'What happened Mark?' my mom asked me. 'Anything troubling you?'
I looked at my mom, and was comforted by her caring eyes. I felt so much unhappy to say this thing to my parents and Ionen. The choice was a very risky one. Either we had to starve for a month to give Ionen the chance of starting his new carrier of what he loved the most, or we wouldn't starve for that month by cancelling this once-in-a-lifetime chance.
I tried a lot to find a way out but couldn't. I couldn't stop my tears anymore. I looked at my mom and rushed to her, hugging her tightly. I was still sobbing.
'What happened to you Markey?' my dad asked.
I went back to my chair and sat down. I said the entire tale to the three of them.
'Why, is that a problem?' my dad said 'I can easily take a bus and send Ionen to his location.'
'No you don't!' I cried. 'You are not well, mom is not well and Ionen has never left the house himself in his life. Moreover his left hand fingers are paralyzed. No one can leave this house without me!'
There was a big pause.
'Hey, Mark,' Ionen finally spoke out 'I think we can use the 210$ money which the general gave us.'
'No Ionen, it's an asset. I planned to store it in an album by the name, "The First Income of Ionen."'
There was again a big pause and to our horror, the call of horror came. I picked up the number. My hands were shaking. This call I wanted to never come to my life. I received it somehow.
'Hello?' I said.
'What's your final answer Mr. Nora?' Fred Oliver asked.
I was shaking with fear and confusion. What should I do? I can't commit the crime of taking away the once-in-a-life-time chance of Ionen, neither could I make my family starve for a whole month. And moreover nothing could be done. We could not give the tax of my bike, not recharge our phones, burn in the terrible hotness of summer without electric bill etc. What should I do? I screamed with full volume because of the stress. What should I do? What should I do? Ionen's carrier or the non-starvation of our family. My head, aching, I was keeping on crying. My family looked quite worried to see me. I finally couldn't take it anymore and fell from my chair and blacked out.
I still remember the "What happened to you son?" said by my dad. I was also sure, that Fred was saying "What happened Mr. Nora?" all the time. And I am also sure, that after this incident Boss and Fred would feel bad for it and never do this mistake later on, and that's only the true fact till now. They never did this again.