The kind heart of a friend>>>>>>>>>>>>
Joanne brought down the pan as she placed the palm cakes on the plate. Gabriel entered the kitchen holding his sketch pad. He had not been himself since Roy had been taken away by the Carnegie's.
"Mom,Aunty Gwen is in the living room."
"Oh okay".Gwen picked up the kitchen napkin and wiped her hands. She opened the refrigerator and brought out a bottle of water and some ice. Gwen was sitting in the parlour with her hands folded in between her laps staring ahead.
"Gwen,snap out of it." Joanne said and clicked her fingers to catch Gwen's attention.
Gwen sighed deeply before she smiled slightly at Joanne. " I have got too much on my head right now ."
" I understand,Gwen. And I want you to know I am here for you as always." Joanne said and squeezed Gwen's hand fondly.
" Were you allowed to see Roy?" Gabriel who had been standing in front of them all along,asked.
"I...I saw Roy,Gabriel."
"Is he doing okay? 'cause I was talking to some of the other kids at school. They heard of how Mr Carnegie forcefully took Roy away and one of them said his father once owed Mr Carnegie some amount of money. He is still in the dungeon till today."
" Gabriel, go to your room."
" Mommy!"Gabriel protested.
" You heard me right, Gabriel. Don't make me have to say this the second time. I need you to give the both of us some privacy. We need to talk."
Gabriel grumbled loudly as he left the living room leaving Gwen and Joanne alone.
"Tell me what happened at Mr Carnegie's home. Did you really see Roy?"
" Roy was locked up in a dungeon like he was some kind of prisoner. Roy was looking lean and battered. I really don't know if they had beat him up or had done something to him. Roy did not even touch the meal they gave him."
" Oh my goodness! So what did Mr Carnegie say?"
" That he and dad had the deal about three days ago. It is already past their agreed time that was why he sent his boys to take Roy".
" Why did your dad not tell you about this before hand?"
" Because he was trying to run away to save his own head."Gwen sniffed again," Can you imagine that arrogant,selfish, and ruthless man called Mr Carnegie called my brother a property. Like...like Roy was some sort of family inheritance!"
" People usually say Mr Carnegie is ruthless. But we won't let him take Roy from us.I won't watch that happen."
" Carnegie says I have to pay him the money within four days else I would never see my brother again."
" What?! What sort of person is he? Roy is just a teenage boy! A boy who has dreams. A boy who needs to go to college. He can't just cut his life shut like it was some kind of movie he controls." Joanne yelled angrily.
Gwen could not say anything but cry even harder."Look Gwen,we have to take this matter to the police. Roy needs to be released. I won't sit and watch that devil in human form lock up Roy like that! I won't let him add Roy to one of his numerous workers."
" I stopped at the station before coming here. I spoke to the Sheriff Rolland."
" And what did he say?"
" Of course,he is one of those officers that Carnegie usually sponsor their drinks at the local bar. Rolland told me straight to my face that my father was the one who made the deal not Mr Carnegie and that if I have issues with the choice my father made,I should go question dad instead."
" What?! How can he say such a thing?"
" He even said it will be of my best interest that I do not try pursuing the case and suing Mr Carnegie. He told me Mr Carnegie has the best lawyers and would win the case. And then that will be the last time I would hear or see my brother".
"Then what do we do?"
" I don't know! Joanne.I honestly don't know what to do. I could hear the fear in Roy's voice. He is depending on me to take him out of that...that dungeon Mr Carnegie had locked him up. I have nothing on me, Joanne. The tuition fees I have saved up for Roy won't be able to pay up for my father's debt and I have just four days which is already ticking now."
" We are in this together,Gwen. We will not let Mr Carnegie get away with this.We will get Roy out of there."Joanne said and squeezed Gwen's hand in assurance.
"Joanne, I know you really don't want to hear this but...I have to sell the shop."
" You have to what?!" Joanne shook her head angrily," No! No!!! That is a wrong choice, Gwen! You can't sell off your shop. It is your only means of survival. It is what you can use in supporting Roy while he is in college".
" He won't get the chance to go to that college if he stays in Mr Carnegie's dungeon."
" Then what happens to you, Gwen? "
" I can be able to get a job at one of the factories around. I seriously don't mind. All I want is for my brother to get out of there."
" Gwen, that shop is your only inheritance from your mother and your grand mother. They left you with their legacy. You can't just sell it off like that. That shop has a lot of strings attached to it. That shop means a lot to you".
" My brother means the world to me. And if it was my mom who was in this situation,she would have done the same too."
Joanne sighed and looked at Gwen ," What about Gilbert?"
"What about him?"
Gilbert, who is one of the best furniture maker in their town, was Gwen's Fiance. They have been dating for about a year now. But Gilbert is not so serious about the relationship and was not ready to get fully committed. He always promised that he would marry her one day but if course whenever she brings up the topic,he just brush it aside like it isn't relevant.
"What do you mean by what about him? He is your fiance,Gwen.He deserves to know about all of this."
" He would have probably heard from one or two of his customers. The news is everywhere already. Did he even bother to come see how I am holding up?"
" Gwen,you still need to talk to him. He might be able to help in raising some funds to pay Mr Carnegie."
" Joanne,you are my best friend and you know Gilbert as much as I do. Does he look like he would give me a dime? He does not care right now."
" Did both of you have an argument before now?"
Gwen sighed deeply. " I saw him holding hands with Jane when I came to pay him a visit at his work. He said they were just having a normal business talk and was even trying to push it aside saying I have insecurities and trust issues." Gwen rubbed at her forehead like it would ease all the headaches that had come along with her father's debt," Can we not talk about Gilbert right now?"
"Okay,fine. Then we have to find someone who can either help us or talk to Mr Carnegie."
" The problem is who?"
Gwen and Joanne first made a list of names of some of people they knew in town that can help them talk to Mr Carnegie if he can release Roy.After so many canceling and dismissing of name, finally they stopped at Coach Greene.
"Joanne you might have to speak to Greene while I go talk to Mr Cleeve. "
" Come on,Gwen.you know I can't do. since I chose him over my ex husband.Greene and I have done our best in avoiding each other since he came back. He even had to leave just because of me! I don't know why he came back but I have tried avoiding ever since then."
" Please,Joanne. Please do this for me and for Roy. From what I heard, Greene has personal relations with Mr Carnegie. Maybe he can talk to him on our behalf.Please?"
Joanne sighed," Okay,I will. And I hope it goes well."
"Me too. "
" Tomorrow,when I get to the shop. I will try talking with our customers if they can help or assist in one way or the other. If we can't get people to get the money,then we have to protest."
" Would that not land us in big trouble?"
" No,Gwen. I promise it won't. If we can get people to protest with us,maybe Mr Carnegie would want to listen to us."
" I don't want to have problems with Sheriff Rolland. I don't want to be denied the chance of ever seeing my brother again."
" We won't let that happen." Joanne smiled and squeezed Gwen's hand in reassurance. "Hold on. I'm coming." Joanne stood up and left for her room.
Gwen sat there picking at her fingers just as Joanne returned with an envelope. She sat down beside Gwen again and placed the envelope on her hands.
"Gwen,you can have this."
"What is this?"
" Money,Gwen. It is not so much but it is just my little contribution and a way of helping."
" No I can't take this from you,Joanne. You need to save up for you and your son. Gabriel would want to go to art academy and as a young boy,he has a whole lot of expenses. You are struggling for yourself and trying to find your feet."
" Gwen,just take it."
" I can't, Joanne. I understand and really appreciate your kind gesture but I can't take this from you."
" Let's just say it's my own way of saying don't sell the shop. Just imagine I am buying the shop."
" Joaaane..."
" Nobody would be able to run that shop the way i will. Our memories baking side by side with your mother lies in that very shop and I won't want to throw that away.It is my own way of saying thank you when my parents kicked me out and wrote me off after I got pregnant. But your mom never for once did. She gave me a job and even stood up to Gabriel to marry me even though it didn't work out at last. But she stood by me and so did you. And if we still have the shop,we can be able to at least gather up money to recover all we lost.Together we can save up again and go back to our normal lives putting all of this behind us."
" Thank you ,Joanne. You are the best I could ever ask for." Gwen said and hugged Joanne bursting into tears.
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