I was heartbroken all day. Ruin and disappointment pervaded my countenance, and while on my way home I wailed bitterly. I thought about what would become of us, especially my mother who was slowly dying of a mysterious ailment. I could barely say what mother was suffering from because we could barely feed her well, let alone afford to take her to the hospital.
The previous day we struggled to earn a square meal and I can recall promising mother that today would be better. I wondered if mother perceived the falsity of my promise because of our poverty. She had never believed life could get better for us. She only had consolation in her reverie.
After promising to buy good food for her with the proceeds from our vegetables, she only responded in tears and kept staring at the ceiling while she lay in her sick bed.
And today being the day I promised her at least two square meals, that billionaire's mad son ate all my raw vegetables and left us to die of hunger.
"What nonsense a billionaire's mad son is that?" I wailed in my head, while trudging home.
Why would they leave him hungry to feast on people's means of livelihood, people like me?
Now he was probably being fed with the best of delicacy while mom and I were left to die.
I couldn't continue walking home. I dashed to the ground. My life was devoid of any form of motivation to make it home.
I wasn't mettlesome at all. My feet had lost verve and I couldn't lift myself anymore.
What would I tell my mother now? Would I tell her that even yesterday was better off? If I told her, would she believe the grisly news? Would she believe that a disgruntled billionaire's mad son rendered our vegetable business useless and ineffective?
Certainly, mother would lay a curse upon me and gnash her teeth in disappointment over my carelessness. Although my mother was sick, she knew how to flog offenders with her mouth.
My throat was tinder-dry. Neither water nor food had crossed it. I was dying of hunger too. If mother didn't die before me, I would.
"Please sir, I need some money from you," I sounded respectful. "I just lost my entire vegetable to the billionaire's mad son," I wailed coldly.
That was the only option I was left with; else at dawn Rio Hondo would bury mother and daughter. As hunger churned my stomach, I believed the same was happening to mother.
The haggard-looking young man swirled around, gave me a remarkable smirk and drifted to me.
Innocently, I stood, wondering the type of food I would buy for mom, because this young man was being generous. My eyes gleamed, and they were sparked with joy; you know the joy that beclouds you when a giver approaches you with his hand fondling in his pocket.
Beclouded by my misery and thought, I didn't know when the haggard-looking man touched my breasts and squeezed them.
A slap!
"You must be stupid!" I barked and covered my bust with my nervous hands.
The ugly-looking offender was all smiles. "Do you want my money?" he queried and dug out a wad of dollars, "We can tuck away at the dark corner of the street for a quickie. Prostitute!" he cursed, laughed tauntingly and walked away.
I held my face in total frustration and fell on the ground to weep for my horrible fate and impending storm.
I was wailing right about then when a note struck my sight. I quietened, wiped my tears and peered at it for yet another time.
It was a one dollar note when I picked it up.
"Oh my God!" I exclaimed and cautioned myself with my palms on my mouth to turn down my voice. "Wow!"
My nerves opened for excitement. That quickie-demanding young man must have been careless over his money that he didn't notice it fall off.
I took a breath of relief, squeezed the dollar into my hold and scuttled to the grocery store to buy decent food for my mother and me.
My lips curved, and I simpered from cheek to cheek. Excitement hung over me until I got home.
"Mother! Mother!" I chanted fervently, "We are going to eat a decent meal after a long while!" I sounded at the top of my voice unaware of the tragedy that had befallen my mother.
When I got to her inner chamber she wasn't in her sick bed. She had fallen to the ground and around her was a pool of blood.
"Mother! Mother! What happened? What happened to you, mother?"
I shook her heavily and noticed she had no sign of life when I felt her pulse.
With the help of our neighbor, we rushed her to the hospital. All night at the hospital, I lay by her side, and prayed for a sustainable life.
At dawn, the doctor invited me to his office and brought it officially to my notice.
"Your mother is suffering from autosomal dominant polycystic,"
My lower lip trembled at the mention of that disease. I didn't know what the disease was, but from its annoying name, I could tell mother was ill-fated.
The doctor explained further once he saw the color drain from my face. "It is a kidney disease and having lingered, it is right now at the terminal stage. Half a million dollars is needed for her treatment and if nothing happens in twenty-four hours, I am afraid we may lose her." the doctor's voice beamed within me.
Those words of the doctor still sounded in my head, with the ting effect of a bell sounding in the cathedral, even after I had dashed out to go in search of money which we didn't have.
Later, while swallowed in my misery and gloom, a young beautiful nurse by name, Stella, told me of a billionaire by name, Fanny Luis, who was worth fifty billion dollars and the richest family in Rio Hondo.
"Listen Melissa," Nurse Stella had said, "If you could get to the billionaire he would certainly be of help," she told me emphatically. "He is very generous. I can count quite a number of Rio Hondo he has helped."
Later, at twilight, she took me to this huge edifice, a villa with plaster of gold and precious stones. It was situated on the Island of Rio Hondo. No other inhabitant could be found anywhere around the Island except this magnificent mansion.
"Over there is where billionaire Fanny Luis lives. You just have to try your luck. I believe he would be of help. He certainly will." Her jaw clenched.
I was all tears and shivering without any eagerness to move. I pouted.
"Go Melissa. Your mother must not die of kidney disease! Autosomal is a kidney disease nobody should toil with. Go and hug your good fate."
Those were the last words of the nurse as I swirled to take a bold step.