Whitney wanted nothing more but to keep her siblings safe. That night Gracey could not sleep well. She had a couple of bad dreams, crying and struggling while sleeping. Whitney was worried, but there was little she could do.
Kelly felt that his sister was not in a good mood, so he stayed in the room he used to share with his father. That night he cried quietly. He was already used to sleeping alone as his father did not return home every night before his death.
It was not until six am in the morning that Gracey slept, allowing Whitney to rest her eyes, but in less than thirty minutes, someone Was knocking on the door.
The continuous knocking also awakened Gracey. She immediately held on to Whitney, "Don't open the door," Gracey said when she saw that Whitney seemed to want to go out.
"I have to find out who is there first," Whitney patted her hand. Gracey did not let go, "it could be another man who wants to molest us. The news of us owing the devil so much money has spread. The man mentioned it yesterday. When all the neighbours heard, they did not bother to call the police.
Moreover, that man slapped me in the face with a stack of money. I was so scared, but I picked up the money, " Gracey said. Although Grace did not mention which man Whitney knew, she was referring to the man that attacked her.
Whitney was shocked when she heard this. Her sister picked up the money. Kelly did not mention this.
"How could you? That man molested you," Whitney could not help but scold her sister. What was her sister thinking?
"What? The man threw the money at me and walked away. If I did not take it, someone else would. Don't forget I was the one molested. I will not get any other compensation. I did not even get to see his face clearly," Gracey justified her actions. Why had she picked up the money even if she was humiliated?
It was simple. They needed money to pay back what they owed. The man had already touched her anyway. This bit of money could increase their chances.
When Whitney heard this, her body stiffed. She could guess what Gracey was thinking. Money was what they needed most. Her sister did not mind the humiliation. No one would testify of seeing anything. They were now people who the Devil targeted. Even if her sister was killed yesterday, those neighbours would claim not to have seen him clearly. She did not know if she should praise her sister for daring to pick up the money or scold her for having no shame.
There was the sound of knocking again. "Stay in the room and lock the door. I will see who is outside," Whitney said. She could not continue to talk about the money. Her sister already picks it up.
They needed money, this was a known fact. Gracey calmed down and let go of her sister. Whitney got up and left the room.
" Who is it? " Whitney asked when she got to the sitting room.
"It's Natalie," the person outside the door answered. Whitney was surprised and immediately opened the door for her.
Natalie was her only friend in the neighbourhood. After they finished high school, she got admission into a school in the northern province. It was one of the best medical schools in the country.
The school was not close by, so Natalie did not return often. The two would contact each other over the phone from time to time. Natalie was not like Whitney, she had her parent's support, but she was very busy in school.
As soon as the door opened, Natalie walked in and hugged her friend. She knew that Whitney was not a person that would cry to others. She had grown up since her mother's death and always thought of her family.
Whitney would have also loved to be a doctor. They talked about going to the northern province together when they were younger. Back then, Whitney's mother was still alive, and Grace's sickness was still unknown. The couple just thought her body was weak.
But after her mother died and Grace's sickness became serious, Whitney gave up her dream to go to the northern province. The school fees and medical books were too expensive. Her family did not have much money, and she could not save so much.
Although there were a few scholarships for medical students, the competition was fierce. Whitney was also scared that her father worked late at night and could not take care of her siblings, so she gave up her dream and chose a business course.
Not only could she get scholarships with her excellent grades, but Sunshine College also had the best business school professors. So Whitney compromised, but no one in her family knew about her efforts.
Natalie had witnessed Mr Warmer saying that Whitney was not very sensitive. She dared to find a part-time job when there was a baby brother at home to care for. Natalie felt it unfair Mr Warmer did not give Whitney any pocket money. How was she to pay for her lunch in school if she did not get a job? Moreover, she would need a lot of money to go to college. Her friend was only planning her future. As a father, he failed to do this, but he still had the face complain.
When Whitney wanted to give up her dream for the family's sake, Natalie was against it. She believed that Natalie could get a scholarship with her grade. She even reminded her that no one would see her sacrifice. When she told Whitney that her father was complaining about her to the neighbours, Whitney defended him.
"Dad is stressed. Losing a wife and having a sick daughter is not easy on him. Moreover, there is still Kelly, who is a small child. I am not doing enough. It okay for a father to complain,"
When Natalie heard this, she felt that her friend had turned into an old aunt, but she pursed her lips. She would also be happy if she had a senior sister who cared about her, but her brother was nothing to mention.
Natalie had felt relief when Whitney finally got to her last year in school. She thought that after graduation, Whitney could get a good job and live a better life.
She thought that since Gracey sickness had been cursed, Whitney would not suffer so much. She did not expect her father to suddenly die and leave a debt of twenty million to Whitney.
It was okay if he owed a bank or other legal institution. At least they would give her time to pay. They would obey the law of the land. Unfortunately, that man chooses to owe the devil.
"My friend is really unlucky," Natalie could not help but comment as she hugged Whitney. She saw how tired she was, and her heart ached.
"What nonsense are you saying? I am not unlucky. Who knows, they might be a miracle," Whitney said and let go of her friend. She knew Natalie was just worried for her, but she did not want to hear all those pitiful words. What she could not lose was hope.
"I am sorry, I am talking without thinking. Your future would definitely be bright," Natalie cleaned her mouth as though she was taking back her word.
Whitney laughed at her silly behaviour. "When did you get back?" Whitney asked as the two of them took their seat.
"Yesterday," Natalie answered. Natalie returned as soon as possible to comfort her friend when she heard about her father's death. She wanted to come to the funeral, but she was delayed because of schoolwork. When she arrived, she thought Whitney had only lost her father. She did not expect that things would be worst than she imagined.
She looked at the empty sitting room and sighed. Who would have thought that the Warmer apartment that had one of the best furniture before would become so shabby?
When she was younger, she always envied Whitney's house, who knew that things would change so much after a few years.
"Where are Gracey and Kelly," Natalie asked. After looking around
"They are sleeping. Gracey could not sleep at night, anyway. I will call their school to take permission for a few days off later," Whitney said. Natalie was like a sister to her, so she did not hide things. After what happened yesterday, she was scared to let her siblings go to school, but she also knew it was impossible to lock them at home forever.
" I heard what happened. What do you plan to do?" Natalie asked. She felt helpless as there was nothing she could do to change the situation.
"What can I do? The Devil already has his eyes on us. I can't run away, so I can only deal with each day as it comes. Who knows, there might be a miracle," Whitney said. When Natalie heard this, she unconsciously held her breath.