Chapter 3
1513 Words
Lily's POV
My eyes widened when I saw Cardo getting closer. The handsome stranger still had a firm grip on my hand. We couldn't run faster, as the squatter area's narrow paths were crowded with children playing, people doing laundry, and those drinking on the side of the alley.
Despite the fear, I found myself inexplicably staring at our intertwined hands. His hand felt remarkably soft, unlike mine, roughened by years of heavy labor.
But what intrigued me most was the expensive-looking wristwatch he was wearing. With my experience in thievery, I could tell if something was valuable, and I was convinced I could sell or pawn that watch for a significant sum.
But hesitation crept in because this man had just come to my rescue when I was about to be harmed. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I needed to prioritize my safety; we were being pursued, and I knew Cardo wouldn't hesitate to harm me if he caught up.
As we turned into one of the alleys, my mind raced to think of a plan. I pulled the man when I spotted a potential hiding spot. We slipped into a small space with walls made of plywood.
Only then did it dawn on me that it was a toilet room, and the toilet bowl still had something inside.
I gestured for the man to remain silent. I could see his face reddening and his neck veins pulsating as he struggled to stifle his breath. The stench was unbearable, but we had no choice; we needed to stay hidden because we heard footsteps approaching.
There were holes in the walls, so we had to press close together where there were none.
Through a tiny hole, I caught a glimpse of Cardo, who unfortunately stopped right in front of our hiding place. It seemed he was debating whether to continue or change direction. Finally, he chose to go the other way.
As Cardo turned the corner, and once we were certain he was gone, we left our hiding spot. The man was still clutching his stomach, looking like he was about to vomit. His face displayed disgust.
"Damn! Damn!"
"Sorry," I said, feeling embarrassed. I was about to pat his back, but he moved away and signaled me not to approach.
"Why did I get dragged into your mess?" he asked angrily.
"I'm really sorry."
The man glanced at his expensive-looking wristwatch, cursed again, and turned away without saying a word. He walked quickly, but I managed to catch up.
"Mister—"
"I'm late for my appointment, Miss!"
"But I just wanted to thank you."
"Okay," he said.
"Thank you for saving me. I'm sorry if you got involved in my trouble. But why did you have to play the hero?"
He stopped walking and faced me with a raised eyebrow. "Are you blaming me for helping you?"
"That's not what I meant. I mean, I can handle myself, even without your help."
He scrutinized me from head to toe. "With your small figure?"
"Yes, of course!"
The man shook his head and continued walking. I followed him until we reached the road.
"Mister!" I grabbed his arm.
"Miss, I'm in a hurry. You have no idea how much trouble you caused me." He entered a waiting taxi and instructed the driver to go.
"Mister!—I'm sorry," I said, unnoticed by him, I had managed to take his watch when I held onto his arm.
A deep breath escaped my throat as I watched the taxi drive away. I felt guilty for taking advantage of the man's kindness, but I was desperate.
I wanted to live decently and honorably as much as possible. But sometimes, I couldn't help but resort to such wrongdoing because my mother had been in the hospital for months, and the expenses were no joke. On the peaceful days, I relied on vending to avoid illegal activities.
I tucked the watch into my pants pocket, believing that the man could afford to buy even a dozen of them. Given his demeanor, that clearly showed how rich he was.
In all fairness, he smelled really nice. I tried hard to resist the urge to close my eyes and embrace him as our bodies pressed together. However, the restroom's foul odor ruined the magical moment. Imagine, I even managed to fantasize despite the danger earlier.
"Too bad I didn't even get his name," I said to myself.
I started walking back to the park. My intention was just to collect my goods and head home, but my shoulders slumped when I found it all scattered on the pavement.
Even the glass shelves I used to display my candies, biscuits, and cigarettes were shattered. All the bottled water and soft drinks had spilled, and my ice cooler and large umbrella were damaged. I knew the gang was behind this.
With nothing left for me, what was I supposed to do? I wiped my tears and picked up the candies, trying to salvage what I could. Once I gathered everything into a plastic bag, I approached the children to give it to them.
"Thank you, Miss Pretty!" the children chorused, thrilled to grab the candies.
"My name is Lily, not pretty. Thank you for not letting them take the goods," I replied.
"We wanted to stop those men from ruining your goods, but their faces were scary."
I stroked the hair of the girl who spoke. "It's good that you didn't confront them to avoid any harm."
"Anna almost got pushed by them."
"That's why you should stay away from those men if you see them."
"Yes, Lily"
I waved goodbye to the children and headed to the bus stop, making my way to the hospital where my mother was confined. But I bought some cup noodles outside for Rina, the girl who had helped me care for my mother.
I had no blood relation to Rina, but the girl had stepped in to help. She had stopped attending school when she lost her parents, and stayed with her aunt for a while but eventually left due to mistreatment.
To survive, Rina had briefly joined the pimps in our area, but I had taken her in, saving her before any harm befell her.
Rina's family had been our neighbors for a long time. I had witnessed how kind the girl was. I considered Rina an angel who had come into my life because without her, I wouldn't know how to juggle taking care of my mother and finding a source of income.
I promised myself that in the upcoming school year, I would enroll Rina. It would be a waste if the girl didn't finish her education, considering she was already in the second year of high school. I didn't want her to end up like the young people in our neighborhood who married early.
I, too, had been tempted to join the pimps in our area. They promised a significant amount of money because I was fair-skinned with a good figure. Most people said that when I dressed up, I could easily outshine famous celebrities.
But I had never succumbed to the pimps' offers. Selling myself was the last resort for me. If I ever did that, it would be to expose those who had wronged me and my mother.
"How's my mother?" I asked Rina when we reached my mother's hospital room.
I handed over the noodles I had bought. "Eat them later; you might not have had a snack yet."
"I'll eat it later, Lily, I'm still full from the hospital's food."
"Alright, eat it when you're hungry," I said, kissing my mother's forehead.
I carefully adjusted my mother's position to avoid dislodging the medical equipment attached to her body. Then, I wiped my mother's back.
My mother's back was swollen and irritated from staying in the same position for a long time. I regularly wiped my mother's back, but it still wasn't enough, she still got bed sores. I applied ointment to ease the discomfort.
I took the towel to the restroom to wash it, and upon returning, I continued to gently pat my mother dry.
"Rest for a bit, Rina. You might be tired," I said.
"Oh, no, Lily. I've been sitting and reading books all day."
"Okay, tomorrow, I'll borrow another book from our neighbor so you won't get bored here."
"Thank you, Lily."
After finishing drying my mother, I held her hand. "Mother, I have a watch. It must be expensive. You have an MRI scheduled for tomorrow. I hope there's good news about your results. Just hang in there. I can't bear to lose you."
I had lost count of how many times I had promised myself not to cry in front of my mother, but I couldn't help it. My heart every time I saw my mother in this condition.
I wiped away my tears, taking a deep breath to ease the tightness in my chest. "We'll fight through this because I will never give up on you."
- Writer
