A young, beautiful girl, Estella was sitting on her
comfortable bed waiting for her parents to comeback
from their work, as they promised her to have a movie
night. She was an 18 years old girl living in California, Los
Angeles, happily with her parents. She was a social media
celebrity with over 5 thousand followers. She had done
some makeup courses so she used to share some
makeup tips on her social media account. Along With
makeup tips she had also posted some videos of her
singing. Her followers were crazy over her voice. She was
writing something in her diary while listening to songs to
pass the time. She loved writing stories while listening to
her favorite band JUST BEAT IT (JBI). Suddenly, her
phone rang, her father's name appeared on screen,
making her smile without knowing that this call would
flip her life upside down forever. Estella picked the call
up and spoke with excitement,
"Hello! Dad, when will you come back?"
Someone else spoke Instead of her father,
"Um....the owner of this phone and his wife had an
accident. Right now they are in 'UCLA MEDICAL CENTER'.
(Estella's heart started beating really fast.)
Without saying anything she quickly ran and took her
pocket money from her purse and ran outside in fear.
She saw both sides of the roads in order to find a taxi.
She stopped an empty taxi and asked driver in terror,
"Driver, pl... please take me... me to THE UCLA MEDICAL
CENTER."
When they reached there, Estella gave him the money
she brought with her and ran inside the hospital. Driver
knew that the money she handed was less but he let that
go, as she was looking in some trouble. The hospital was
super huge with a good reputation. It was very well
maintained. Estella immediately asked a lady at
reception,
"Ma'am can you please tell me, where I can find my
parents"
She took some details of her parents and send her to
room 'no.22'. It was on second floor. She immediately
ran towards room no.22. When she reached, she came to
know that her father was taking his last breaths and her
mother broke her lower back due to which, she could
never walk again, until she goes through a surgery which
was quite expansive and risky. Estella was crying badly.
The room consisted of a small window. Two beds were
placed side to side with bedside tables. A chair was
present beside a bad. A small bathroom was at the
corner of the room and a small TV was placed in front of
beds. She first went to her mother and hold her hand
crying. Her mother asked her through eye signals to go to
her father. She went to the side of her father and said in
a sad and painful voice,
"D...dad!?"
Her father said,
"Ta...take care....of...of yo...your mother...and
your....self. I....I...lo...love you."
After saying this he looked towards Estella's mother with
tears falling and passed away. Estella yelled,
"Dad,Dad!NO!Dad!No!"
Estella burst into tears. She tried to control herself and
closed her father's eyes with her hand. She looked
towards her mother while crying, her mother's eyes were
also filled with tears. Next morning, Estella went to her
father's funeral in Evergreen cemetery with her disabled
mother, who was on wheel chair. Few people also came
on her father's funeral. Estella's best friend Olivia was
also there. They were best friends for a long time. Her
parents and Estella's parents also knew each other for a
long time. Olivia's mother supported Estella's mother
while Olivia supported Estella. Estella put some flowers
on her father's grave with tears falling on her beautiful
pink cheeks. As time passed people started to leave.
Before leaving, Olivia said to Estella,
"Whenever you need me please do call me. Me and my
parents will always be there for you and your mother."
Olivia's mother held Estella's mother's hand and said,
"Please don't hesitate to take any help from us. We will
try our best to support you in all ways."
At last only Estella and her mother left. Estella was crying
badly putting her head on her father's grave. Her mother
approached her, wheeling her wheelchair with her
hands. While putting her hand on Estella's shoulder, her
tears dropped down from her cheeks. Estella looked at
her with tears and hugged her. It was being harder for
even Estella's mother to control herself after seeing her
condition. After a week of that incident Estella's mother
went to her room. There she saw Estella sitting in her
small, tidy room staring her father's photo frame with
watery eyes. She had earphones plugged in her ears. Her
mother said in a sad voice,
"Honey!"
Estella took earphone out of her ears and looked at her
mother, whipping her tears. Her mother showed her a
message from her collage teacher which said,
'Hello Ma'am, Estella is not attending college since a
week. Is she alright?′
Estella's mother asked her,
"What should I reply?"
Estella took a deep breath and said,
"Just tell them that I was ill and I'll continue collage from
tomorrow."
Estella's mother said,
"You're sure honey?"
Estella nodded her head. Her mother badly wanted to
tell her something but she couldn't so she wrote a letter
and secretly placed it on her side table while she slept.
Meanwhile Estella texted Olivia not to tell anyone about
that incident. Next morning Estella woke up early
morning and started getting ready for collage. On the
dining table, instead of eating Estella was staring her
breakfast. Before leaving she kissed her mother on her
cheek. She left to school without noticing the letter. After
that incident Estella was the one who had to do all house
work. She herself made the breakfast for herself and her
mother. Seeing her sitting quiet whole day, her friends
repeatedly asked her if she was okay or not. But every
time her answer was that she is just feeling down. Only
Olivia knew the truth. She tried her best to support
Estella emotionally. In her English period she was staring
out of the window, present in her classroom. Her teacher
called her multiple times,
"Estella!....Estella!"
When she didn't replied her teacher came close to her
and called her name politely,
Estella came out of her thoughts and looked at her
teacher with a shocking expression.
Her teacher asked her,
"Are you ok? You look quit lost. Is anything bothering
you?"
Estella replied,
"No miss, I'm ok. I was just feeling a little down."
Her teacher said,
"If you have any problem you can share it with me.
Okay."
Estella nodded her head.
As soon as she came home, she went to her room and
after freshening up she put her mobile on side table and
saw the letter there. She picked it up, unfolded it and
was about to read, that she received a call from Olivia. So
she kept that paper in the drawer and answered Olivia's
call.
Olivia asked,
"Hey Estella what are you doing?"
Estella replied,
"Nothing."
Olivia asked,
"So...can we meet today, 6 pm?"
Estella got suspicious,
"Why, is everything ok?"
Olivia explained,
"Yeah, I just wanted to talk to you to make you feel little
better, as you were so lost today in class."
Estella asked,
"Where?"
Olivia replied,
"To our most favorite place. Griffith Park, at six. You will
feel better there."
Estella said,
"I'll be there on time."
Olivia said,
"Ok then, bye for now."
Estella said,
"Bye"
Estella sigh and kept her phone on table. She went to her
mother and said,
"Mom, Olivia is calling me to Griffith Park at six."
Her mom said,
"Honey, you should go, but I am afraid that the...money
your father left for us is about to finish. I know it's much
to ask a teenager like you, who do house work, cook and
study at same time but…now I think you should find a
part time job."
Estella said,
"I'll search for a suitable job."
Estella's mom saw the time on wall clock. It was 5:30. So
she said,
"Honey its 5:30 already. You should go."
Estella nodded and went to her room, picked up her
phone, kissed her mother and left. She reached there
just on time, but Olivia wasn't there so she waited for
her. She sat on a bench from where the view of sunset
looks beautiful. It was their favorite bench. She was
looking at the park thinking about her happy family.
Someone sat beside her and said,
"I knew I would find you here."
It was Olivia. Estella looked at her without any
expression. Olivia opened her Instagram id and showed
Estella all the comments she received from her fans and
said,
"Hey. Your fans are worried about you."
Estella took a deep breath took out her phone without
wasting any second and started recording a video for her
fans. She said in that video with a bright, fake smile,
"Hey guys. Sorry for uploading the video this late.
Actually, I was ill that's why I couldn't upload the video.
But as I am fine now, I'll be uploading videos up to date.
That's a promise from me."
After Estella uploaded the video Olivia said to Estella,
"No one can compete you in acting."
Estella gave a small smile and said to Olivia,
"Before coming, my mother said that I need to find a job
because, the money father left for us is about to end. I
was thinking if you know a suitable job for a student like
me."
Olivia asked,
"So after collage you would have time for work, right?"
Estella nodded. Olivia continued,
"I think that you should work in parlor as makeup artist.
You are skilled, and you even have taken courses, it
seems appropriate for you."
Estella asked,
"It's a good idea. By this I won't disappoint my fans also.
But in which parlor? Do you have any idea?"
Olivia replied,
"Let's find it out."
They started searching for a parlor who needs a makeup
artist. Finally they found one. They immediately went
there. It was in the middle of her house and her collage.
Parlor's name was BEAUTY AFFAIR. They both went in
and fall in love with that place. It was really beautifully
designed and decorated. There was a young, beautiful
lady standing on the reception who asked them politely,
"How may I help you?"
Olivia replied,
"Actually, we saw your advertisement. You needed a
makeup artist. We are here to apply."
The lady said pointing towards sofa,
"Oh, wait here please, I'll be right back."
They both sat on sofa and waited. That lady returned and
asked them,
"Who's here to apply?"
Estella said,
"It's me."
The lady again said,
"Please follow me for a small test, through which we can
see your skills."
Estella looked at Olivia and stood. Olivia held her hand
and said,
"Do your best."
Estella nodded and went with the lady.
Estella was quite nervous. She did the makeup of a lady
with so much flaws on her skin. While doing makeup it
was her habit to sing. The owner loved her makeup as
she hid all flaws from lady's skin and made it flawless.
Owner was also impressed by her voice. She immediately
hired her. Owner said to Estella with a smile,
"I am Evelyn. I am really impressed by your skills in
makeup…and singing also. Do you always sing while
doing makeup?"
Estella said,
"Yes. It's like my habit."
Evelyn said,
"You can work from tomorrow."
Estella was really happy. She said to Evelyn,
"Thank you ma'am."
Evelyn smiled and brought her hand forward to shake.
Estella brightly smiled with watery eyes and shook the
hand. Meanwhile her mother went in Estella's room and
started searching for the letter she wrote to her. She
knew that Estella hasn't read it till now because if she
had, she would have asked her about it. She opened the
side table drawer and took the letter and said to herself
with watery eyes,
"I don't understand how to tell her...… She even hasn't
read the letter."
She sight and left the room putting that letter again on
her side table
She again said to herself,
"I hope she reads it this time."
After some time Estella came home happily and hugged
her mother. She said to her mother happily and
excitedly,
"Mom I got the job in the 'Beauty Affair'. From
tomorrow, I'll wake up quite early and first I will do
house work then get ready for college and at last we will
have breakfast together, but I am afraid that we can't do
lunch together because after school, I'll directly go to
work and will have my lunch there. But I promise we will
have dinner together. And don't skip your lunch ok."
Estella's mother was feeling really proud to have a hard
working daughter like her. She hugged Estella and said,
"I won't".
Her mother looked at her and asked her whipping her
tears,
"When will you be back from work?"
Estella replied,
"Till 6:00. Don't worry about my studies. I'll be studying
in parlor in free time."