"BERNA, can you please check this one? I'm not sure about the figures."
Roxanne handed Bernadette the folder she was carrying.
"Give me fifteen minutes, and I will look at it, okay. I just need to finish this report," she said, then glanced at the computer in front of her.
"Take your time. As far as I know, Mr. Gomez will not come today because his son from Canada just came back."
She nodded then quickly turned her attention back to what she was doing. She was about to save the file when the phone next to her rang.
"Hello... Oh, Emily? Why the sudden call?"
Emily was her neighbor who she asked a favor to take care of her son when she was at the office. She didn't feel secure to leave Andrew to her own relatives because they don't show any concern and compassion to them. It was obvious that they were still unwelcome to their house despite her regular financial support on household expenses.
"What did you say? Where are you now?!" she asked tearfully after she heard what Emily said from the other line. She immediately grabbed Roxanne's arm as if she was her lifeline. Then, she hung up the phone and grabbed her bag.
"Berna, what happened?" asked Roxanne.
"My son! My son, Rox!" she screamed while crying.
"Take it easy, okay. What happened?" her friend asked while holding her arms.
She sat back in the swivel chair when she felt like she was going to fade. "My neighbor, Emily, told me that Andrew was playing when he suddenly fell to the ground. Oh, Lord, my son! It was not the first time that he fainted!"
Roxanne clutched her own chest. Bernadette's friend knew what happened to Andrew when he was just two years old. His head accidentally hit the floor when he suddenly fell one time that he was also playing. Good thing that the result of his CT scan was negative, but the doctor told her the painful news. He said her son had a heart condition, and he needed to undergo two different surgeries to survive.
"Berna, you have to be strong. Your child needs you, so you shouldn't lose hope."
Bernadette shook several times. "It's easier said than done. I'm seriously afraid of my son's condition, Roxanne...I don't know what's gonna happen next. "
Roxanne gently stroked her back.
"I need to leave, Rox. I need to see my son at the hospital," she said after a while.
"O-okay. You may go. I'll take charge here," Roxanne replied.
Bernadette hurried to the door, almost running until she went out of the building. Emily rushed Andrew to the hospital and fortunately, it was near their office. It was not long before she reached the hospital. She felt her world crumble when she heard the doctor's statement. Andrew had a tetralogy of Fallot, and he needed an immediate operation. Fear and anxiety immediately filled her heart. Her son was still young to undergo this kind of surgery. What if his young body couldn't take the medical procedures he needed? Apart from that, she was also worried about the expenses that they need for the surgery.
"What are we going to do now? Where will you get the money for Andrew's operation?" Emily asked. Her face was also filled with worry and concern.
"I don't know what to do at this time, Emily. But I need to find ways. I will do everything for Andrew's surgery. "
Emily nodded sympathetically. That was a big help to encourage her. She had to look for possible ways on how to raise enough money for Andrew's operation. Would there be a Samaritan that can help her in this time of crisis?
"HOW about you apply for a loan? There are many institutions out there that could be of help. "
It was Roxanne. She immediately asked about Andrew's condition when she came to the office the next day so she told her that the amount of money needed for Andrew's surgeries.
"Loan?" she rolled her eyes in desperation. "You know that I don't have any collateral. I already brought my only jewelry to the pawnshop. How can I get a loan?"
Roxanne immediately moved around her desk and gave her some flyers. "There. One credit agent says you can get your loan within the day. Another one says that you only need to wait for a two-day process with low interest. The other one is—"
"Rox, I appreciate it a lot; but payslip is the primary requirement for any kind of loan, and you know that I won't be qualified once they check it," she said hopelessly.
Roxanne became silent for a moment. Her take-home salary was just enough for Andrew's milk and vitamins due to her advances and loans from their company.
"What are we going to do now? How about if we rob a bank? What do you think?"
Bernadette rolled her eyes and seriously looked at her. "This is not the time for jokes, Roxanne. I'm serious just in case you don't notice it. "
"Hey, I'm sorry! I just want to ease your burden. Don't take it seriously so you can think of a better solution."
"Yeah, right. Thank you. Maybe I will accept any kind of job this time just to raise enough money for Andrew."
Roxane fell silent as if thinking, then suddenly turned to look serious. "Everything? Are you sure to that everything, Berna?"
She glanced at her friend. It was only then that did she notice the expression in her eyes. "Yes. You heard it right. Everything."
"Are you ready to do everything even if you need to forget for a while your dignity just for the money?"
"Didn't you hear me, Rox? I told you I'll do everything!"
"Even if you have to leave your son for a while in exchange for a big amount of money?"
Bernadette annoyingly glared at Roxanne. "Of course!"
"What if... if you need to..."
"If I need what?"
"Are you willing to carry and give birth to the child of a man you don't know just to get the money you need for Andrew's operations?"
Bernadette felt she was slapped by what she heard. She would give birth to the child of a man she did not know? Could she do that?
"Roxanne, I'd rather consider the bank robbery thing!" She was about to turn her back when Roxanne spoke again.
"I'm serious, Berna. Some people really do that."
"I know. But I think my situation is not enough for me to do the worst."
Roxanne shrugged. "Okay. I just thought you would do everything, that's why I told you about that."
"I can only do what I think is right and possible."
"I actually mentioned that because I know people with similar situations and they chose to do that. I happen to…know some people like them. So everything is still possible, right?"
There is no word for the shock she was feeling right now from what she heard from Roxanne. Never in her whole life did she expect to hear that kind of story. She thought that such things were only possible on romance books and TV.
"Everything you heard is true. Now, it's up to you if you can do that just to earn money. If you ask me, I do not agree with that, but I still leave it to you to make the final decision. "
Bernadette was stunned by what she heard. The amount of money that Roxanne said was unbelievable, but she wasn't prepared to do the "task" in replacement of that money. She also did not know if she had enough courage to do it.