Alejandra was in her office, recollecting what happened at the bank.
<
"Miss Alejandra Ortega?" The accountant called,outside of the counter.
"Yes!" Alejandra replied and stood up.
"The manager will see you now." The accountant informed.
Alejandra nodded and followed her to the manager's office. She knocked on his door once.
"Come in!" The manager said from inside.
Alejandra glanced at the accountant and had a faint smile on. The accountant left her at the door and returned to her post.
Alejandra exhaled calmly and opened the door. She nervously closed the door behind her.
"Have a seat,miss!" The manager offered.
She walked towards his desk and sat down on the chair in front of it. She scanned the office. The air-conditioner was set to medium but the office was cold. Alejandra wasn't wearing a long-sleeved top and had goose pimples all over her arms. She rubbed her arms with her palms, trying to keep warm.
"Miss Ortega,you requested a loan from the bank. Am I right?" The manager started off.
"Yes,sir! I need the money badly." She said sincerely.
"What for?" He asked sternly.
"Actually sir," Alejandra said,
"I need it to pay for my mother's heart surgery. She is in need of a transplant urgently."
"Mm! Okay! According to the slip you filled in, everything looks in order. Except for one thing." The manager said as he glanced at the slip and looked at her coolly.
"What is that,sir?" Alejandra asked eagerly.
"What collateral do you have?" He asked.
"Collateral?" She muttered.
"We need something to hold onto before I can grant you the loan. So that you won't run away without paying the loan." He said firmly.
"I don't have any property to use as collateral. I promise to pay back the loan as soon as I get it,sir." She said desperately.
"This is a huge loan you're asking for,Miss Ortega. There is no way the bank can lend you this huge amount without having you give us something in return as collateral. I'm sorry Miss Ortega, but I can't approve your loan." The manager said coldly.
"Please,sir! You have to reconsider! I need this money to pay for my mother's surgery. She is all I have and I don't want her to die." Alejandra pleaded.
"I'm running a business here and not a charity organization. It's best if you leave my office, right now." He said plainly, keeping the slip she had filled in earlier,aside.
"Please,sir! I'm trying to save a life here. Please,sir! You have to reconsider!" Alejandra pleaded.
"I'm afraid the bank can't help you,Miss Ortega." He said.
"Please,sir!" Alejandra repeated.
"Would you rather I call the security guards to take you out of my office themselves?" The manager threatened.
Alejandra got the message clearly. She stood up from the chair and left his office. She tried hard to hold back her tears until she left the bank entirely. She sniffed a little and wiped off the tears on her face with palms.
She was lost in thoughts and didn't hear Maurice call her from the door.
"Alejandra?" He said, touching her shoulder.
"Huh?" Alejandra said confusingly, startled by the touch,
"It's just you, Maurice!"
"Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.
She nodded and brought out her laptop from her bag. She opened it and turned it on.
"How did it go at the hospital?" He asked.
"Hospital?" Alejandra muttered confusingly and remembered the lie she had told him,
"Oh, the hospital! It went well!"
"Okay!" Maurice said, still looking at her.
Alejandra had her eyes on the screen and waited for the booting to be complete.
"Um,Ale?" He said nervously.
"Mm!" Alejandra hummed.
"I was thinking if we could..." Maurice said but paused when he heard his ringtone,
"Excuse me for a minute."
He took out his phone from his pocket and accepted the call.
"Hello!" He said.
His facial expression changed when he listened to the caller.
"What happened to him? Is he okay?" Maurice asked the caller anxiously,
"I'll be right there in a few hours."
He ended the call and was tense. Alejandra could see he was disturbed and became curious.
"Did something happen?" She asked.
"My grandfather...he-he," Maurice mumbled,
"He had an accident."
"An accident? What happened? Is he okay?" Alejandra asked.
"I don't know. According to his gardener,he missed his step and rolled down the stairs and broke his arm." He replied.
"Is it that serious?" She asked.
"I don't know,Ale. I can't even think clearly right now. My mind is upside and I don't know what to do." Maurice replied.
"I think the best thing you should do is to go and see him. I suggest you tell Mr Anderson what happened so that he can take care of your grandmother." Alejandra advised.
"And what about you? Will you be okay?" Maurice asked.
"Worry about me later. Right now,you need to go and take care of your grandfather. He needs you." She said.
"Thank you,Ale! I don't know what I'd do without you." Maurice said.
"It's okay! Everything will be okay. You just have to have faith." Alejandra encouraged.
"I'll have to go home now. I have to book a flight to Darwin and start packing." Maurice said and walked to the door.
"Doesn't he live here in Auckland?" Alejandra asked.
"No,he doesn't! He lives with my aunt." He said as he got closer to the door.
He got hold of the handle and turned it.
"Take care of yourself, okay?" Alejandra said.
"I will!" Maurice said and left her office.
<
Nicolas was zipping his briefcase when Mady entered his office.
"Are you leaving,sir?" Mady asked.
"Yes! I have an urgent matter to attend to at home." Nicolas replied coolly as he kept his phone in trousers' pocket.
"Is Ivan missing again?" She asked.
"No,he is fine!" He replied plainly.
"Did something happen to Mrs Patricia?" Mady asked concernedly.
"No,she is fine as well!" He said, already annoyed by her questions.
"Did-?"
"No,Mady! Nothing bad has happened to anyone!" Nicolas snapped, cutting her off,
"Why does it bother you so much with what is happening at my home? Are you planning on hurting my family?"
"No, sir! I can't think of hurting you,let alone to your family. I was only thinking of their well being." Mady said nervously.
"Well, don't! Next time, keep your harmless thoughts to yourself. Understood?" Nicolas said plainly.
Mady didn't hesitate and nodded immediately. Nicolas got all that he needed and walked to the door. He nudged Mady on his way out. He left the office and went to the lift. He pressed the button on the wall and the doors opened. He got in and the doors closed immediately.
Mady came out of the office with a sad look on her face. Beatrice was passing by his office and overheard him yelling at her. She approached Mady and hung her arm around her neck.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Beatrice asked curiously.
"It's nothing!" Mady said plainly.
Nicolas drove out of the car park and went to Alejandra's workplace. He parked along the pavement,not too far from the building and waited for her. He checked the time on his wrist watch constantly and looked at the entrance of the building to see if someone was coming out.
He sat in his car for an hour and waited for Alejandra. He checked the entrance of the building and got the same result. He laid his head frustratingly on the headrest. The sun had set and night gradually fell. The street lights turned on automatically and the street became dark. They made the road visible for drivers and pedestrians to use.
Nicolas sat upright and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. He looked at the entrance again and saw someone leaving. He focused his eyes on the figure walking towards the pavement and waited for the person to get closer to the light.
When the person walked under the light,he saw it wasn't Alejandra and groaned disappointingly. He checked his wrist watch again and grew impatient.
"How long does it take her to leave her office?" Nicolas complained to himself.
He got tired of waiting in the car and got out of the car. He leant against the driver door with his arms folded and heaved. He checked the entrance again but saw no one coming.
"I'm going to be here for a while." Nicolas said inwardly.
He got tired of waiting and almost kicked his car out of frustration. He faced the car and leant his head on the roof.
Alejandra was leaving the building and caught a glimpse of Nicolas along the pavement. She walked to the security guard who was listening to a football match on his radio.
"No!" The security guard groaned as the announcer called the score of the match.
"Hey,Carl!" Alejandra called softly.
"Miss Alejandra! Are you going home?" He asked, decreasing the volume of the radio.
"Yes!" She said,
"Um,who is that?"
"Who?" Carl asked, wondering who she was referring to.
"That man over there, the one facing his car." Alejandra said, pointing at Nicolas.
"Him?" Carl asked, following the direction her finger was pointing at and she nodded.
"I don't know,Miss Alejandra! He does look familiar but I can't remember where I've met before. Looks like he is waiting for someone." Carl guessed.
"Oh! Okay! I saw him standing over there and was curious. Thanks anyways." Alejandra said.
"Okay! Go home safely!" Carl said and waved at her.
Alejandra waved back at him and left. She walked passed Nicolas and walked to the bus stop. Nicolas heard footsteps behind him and turned his head around. He saw Alejandra and called her.
"Alejandra!"
She didn't hear him and continued walking to the bus stop. Nicolas groaned inwardly and got into his car. Alejandra arrived at the bus stop and sat on one of the plastic chairs. She waited for the bus to come.
A man dressed in blue anorak with the hood on, stood in front of the bus stop. His hands were hidden in his pocket of the anorak.
He looked mysterious and his presence made her feel uncomfortable. He glanced at Alejandra twice with the suspension look he had. He looked away when she caught him.
Alejandra stood up from the bench and left the bus stop. She held onto the strap of her handbag tightly and turned her head around to know if the man was following her.
He was and Alejandra increased her pace, trying to get him off her tail.
Suddenly, another man stood in front of her. This frightened Alejandra. The other,who was behind her, pulled out a pocket knife from his trousers'pocket.
Seeing the knife made Alejandra more scared than she already was. She swallowed hard and drew her handbag to the front.
"Hand over the bag and no one will get hurt." The man in front of her said.
Alejandra turned around and looked at the one behind her. She looked at the other in front of her and shook her head nervously. She held onto her bag tighter.
"Give me the bag, now!" He howled.
"N-o, I-I-I c-an't!" She stuttered frighteningly.
"I guess I'll have to take it the hard way." The man in front of her said with a smirk.
"Give me that!"
They both dragged the bag. The other behind drew his knife closer to her and wanted to stab her. Alejandra was still struggling with the other in front of her for her bag and had no idea the man was close to her.