CHAPTER 1
1054 Words
(Carolina's POV)
After an unsuccessful job hunt, I returned home and found my mother, Lilian Edmond, at the front door.
"Carolina, you are 26 years old, yet you have no job or boyfriend. You cannot continue to eat in this house with us. Take your things and go!" my mother yelled, standing by the door.
"Mom," I said, looking at her face.
Mom was a 48-year-old woman of average height, with fair skin, blonde hair, and a curvaceous body. She wore a blue dress, while I was dressed in a faded yellow top, an old brown frayed skirt, and a pair of black shoes.
I held my old, worn-out black bag and stood silently in front of her. As I tried to speak, "Mom..."
"Carolina, you are not entering this house tonight. You had better go back and look for a job. If you do not find one, then do not come home again. If your father and I had known that sending you to university was a waste, we wouldn't have wasted our money and could have saved it for your younger siblings. How do you expect us to continue feeding a grown woman like you? If you do not want to work, then remain outside!" My mother went back into the apartment and slammed the door in my face.
I stood outside, speechless, looking at the closed door.
It was Friday evening, past 7 p.m., and getting late. I had graduated with a first-class degree in business management, but so far, I hadn't been able to secure a good job in this part of the city. The city was tough, and finding a job as a graduate was difficult.
My parents had five children, and I was the eldest, with two younger sisters and two younger brothers. I was a 26-year-old woman, yet I had nothing serious going on in my life.
I turned to walk back to the road, knowing that my mother shouldered most of our family responsibilities, while my father was just there. He came home only to eat, and we might not see him for days.
As I stood by the roadside, peering at the busy road, I thought about what to do next. It was after 8 p.m. There was no agency or shop where I hadn't already applied for a job. Shutting my blue eyes, I reached for my phone in my black bag to contact my best friend, Lucy Campbell.
Lucy worked in a clubhouse, and I was sure she could help me get money to cover my bills for the weekend.
"Hello, Lucy," I said once she picked up.
"Carolina, what's wrong?" Lucy asked in a soft voice. I could tell she was at work from the music playing in the background, filling my ear.
"I am homeless, Lucy. Can I come stay at your place?" I asked, knowing she lived alone.
Lucy and I had attended the same college, although she hadn't pursued further education. We had remained friends to this day.
"Why? What happened with your family again? Your mom threw you out? It's 8 p.m.—how can she send you away at night?" Lucy asked, subtly annoyed. I tried not to sob.
"Lucy, I cannot blame my mother. The economic situation was too hard, and Mom was trying her best. I needed to get a job. If I could find any job tonight, I wouldn't have minded doing it." I said, sobbing at last.
"It's alright, Carolina. Actually, I'm at work now at the Blues Clubhouse. Can you come to the club? It's the biggest club and hotel in town. I'll try to speak to my boss about employing you, but you must stop speaking locally and talk like a professional, like me. That way, my boss will take you seriously. Also, you must be friendly with the male clients. You'll have to endure their touch and how they interact with you," Lucy said.
"Really? I must do all this to get the job? Will it involve kissing or what?" I asked, my heart pounding.
"No, Carolina. What's wrong with you? You'll just have to put on a smiling face. Well, you know you're a pretty woman, so some of the men might want to ask you out on a date," Lucy said softly. I thought about it.
"I don't have any problem with that, Lucy. What matters is that I earn money to foot my bills, even if it means selling my body. I feel like a failure right now," I cried to my best friend over the phone. She sighed.
"It's okay, Carolina. You're not a failure. Where are you? Start coming over now. Do you have transport fare, or should I send you some money? You know I don't have much right now. My elder sister's wedding is next month, and I need to make preparations for it," Lucy said.
"Alright. I'll pay you back. Please help me, Lucy. You're my only best friend," I said, and she laughed with her contagious laughter.
"Don't mention it, Carolina. I'm sure I'm not your only friend. Anyway, I'll send the money. Get here quickly." Lucy gave me an ultimatum before our call ended.
She knew how hard I had been trying to get a job, to no avail.
I sighed, pacing by the road, when I got a message alert for 5,000. I smiled—the money was more than I needed, but I knew I had to pay Lucy back.
Looking at the busy road ahead, I hailed a taxi and told the driver, "To the Blues Club."
The taxi driver looked me up and down from his seat.
"Are you sure you're going to the Blues Club dressed like this?" he asked suspiciously. I frowned.
"Why? I'm going there to meet a friend," I said, and he shrugged.
"Get in the car. That's not my problem, but your fare is 1,500," the driver said as I opened the door and entered the back passenger seat.
"Why? Isn't it 500?" I asked, and his eyes narrowed.
"You can walk if you want. Why take a taxi?" he said coldly. I frowned and fastened my seat belt.
"It's fine. Take me to the club," I told him. He nodded, started the car, and drove off toward the Blues Club.
- Writer
