One word I can use to describe my parents, is the word, “Dreamers”. They aspire to earn piles of money in one go by investing blindly. This is how I’ve been accustomed to taking many part-time jobs, ranging from working as a bicycle delivery girl to being an employee of a sanitation company. After being through so much, I have learnt how to juggle both work and studies. Also, despite my parents’ foolishness, I continued to work hard and earn a living, because they are after all my only kin. Until one day, they left.
They abandoned me with their $50,000 debt and simply took off, with their unceasing and thoughtless dreams.Written in the last note they left for me, I learnt that due to their failure of returning the $50,000, I was to be given to some “very generous” people, who really are just merciless loan sharks. My parents hardly ever thought of the consequences tied with the decisions that they made, but I never imagined that they would go this far.
After reading the note and clenching it with resentment, I was forced to leave our rented apartment due to both the unpaid monthly rent and my fear of being located by the “very generous” people. Without a second thought, I grabbed my jacket and ran out of the door, running and running as far as my feet could take me. With the cold winter air biting my frozen cheeks, tears started falling from my eyes. First, a drop. Followed by another two, and not long after, tears were trickling down my face. These icy tears were shed, because of the shock and utter disappointment I had in my parents. Thoughts of them overwhelmed me, letting me come to realize that I, as their child, was poorly cared for all these years. When I was sickly in bed, my mother was busy planning her next investment. When I needed to pay the school fees for the next month, I had to earn the money for it myself. When I came home exhausted from a packed day of school and work, my parents did not even bother to check on me.
Anguish filled me. I felt like I had just been on a long and steep hike, where I have used up every ounce of energy I can find within me and took every bit of encouragement from remaining sprinkles of hope I had in my heart.
Wandering alone in the park with only a few coins in hand, I wasn’t even able to buy myself a warm drink to
chase away the chill that filled me. “What is wrong with this thing? This is irritating me so much! I think it really is spoilt!” The liveliness of the unfamiliar voice hit me, causing me to look around quickly. There was no one else in the deserted park this late at night, except for a young girl at the vending machines. Upon closer inspection, she was actually trying to use a shiny and sleek looking card to buy a drink. I went up to her to explain that the vending machines only accepted cash, and that credit cards were not usable on them. She pointed to the warm sign in the machine, “I really need this ‘warm’ now. I’m feeling very cold, so without this ‘warm’, I will freeze up!”. Her innocence made me feel pity for her even in my extremely depressed state, so I threw her my jacket for her to keep warm.
I introduced myself by first telling her that my name was Miri. I came to know more about her family background and learnt that her name is Nina, and she is the only heir of a well known family, the Sanzenin Estate. She had run away from a function, as she felt lonely and bored. This habit of hers has also led her to be frequently kidnapped. “Please do not tell anyone what I have told you today, okay? I prefer to keep my thoughts hidden. You have been very friendly to me and kept me from being lonely this evening, so I really do think that you are a good person. As a form of repayment, is there anything I can help you with?” Nina looked at me with yearning eyes. I decided to share with her about my own family background, and when Nina heard of my desperate situation, she asked whether she could help to pay off my debt to those dangerous loan sharks. I could not live with an experience of a rich little stranger repaying my parents’ debt, so I kindly rejected the extremely attractive offer Nina gave.
“So, you are Miri, are you not?” A nasty, cold voice sent a chill down my spine. I had totally forgotten about avoiding those loan sharks, and now they have discovered me on the streets! I took a hold of Nina’s hand and started sprinting to the park where we could try to lose them. Nina exclaimed, “What is going on Miri?! Are those the loan sharks?!” I continued running, while making sure that Nina did not fall prey to those ferocious beasts. When I felt that we were in a safe area, I collapsed onto the ground with exhaustion, while Nina brought out her sleek, pink cell phone and dialled a number. Almost immediately, 5 buff looking men in black suits rushed out and were at her service. When the horrid beasts found us yet again, Nina ordered the men to step forward. One of them also brought out a suitcase and opened it up, allowing heaps of cash to fall out onto the ground. One word to describe my feelings. Shock. Utter surprise engulfed me, as I witnessed the authority this frail little girl had over these men who could easily crush her. “Here is your $50,000. Now, disappear. I never want to see you monsters again,” Nina seemed not one bit disturbed.
The loan sharks grabbed the money and the suitcase before running away into the darkness. “We shall be off now, Miss Nina,” and the men disappeared into the darkness as well. As I got up, I displayed a look of amazement and gratitude towards Nina. In response to my reaction, she simply talked calmly, “From now on, you shall work as my personal maid in the mansion and serve me until your debt of $50,000 to me is repaid.” I was filled with jubilance and thanked her very much for helping me in my most desperate time. Now that I had a job and a place to stay in, my negative outlook on life has been discarded off. After the start of a lonely evening, comes the start of a whole new life.
A week after living with my new job as a lady-in-waiting to Miss Nina, I am still slowly repaying my debt to her and trying to locate my parents. Regardless of what they had done to me, they are after all my parents, the people who brought me to this world and indirectly helped me to gain independence. I went through daytime cleaning up the large mansion while the evening was spent scouting parks and such for any chances of bumping into my parents. Sadly, my efforts were thus far in vain. Nights in bed, I tossed and turned with worry for my parents’ safety and well-being in each passing day, then it chanced upon me. Did they worry for me as I do for them? Thoughts kept on flooding my mind, and this period of reflection on my family lasted for a whole month. My parents. My parents. My parents. Dad, Mom, where are you? Everything is fine now, you don’t need to hide yourselves in fear any longer, just please come back to me. I...I...I miss you, I really do...Tears fell again, this time however, down cheeks that were warm and well-fed, thanks to Miss Nina. If only Dad and Mom could enjoy this lifestyle I’m living. If only if only if only. All those useless thoughts filled my empty head yet again.
One and a half months have already gone past. I was once again wandering alone down the path of that park, that park where my life took a turn. Where I met Miss Nina and led my new life, without my parents. The grocery bag fell out of my hands and the apples spread out across the concrete pavement. “Ouch! Oh my! I am extremely sorry, I wasn’t looking clearly as to where I was walking. Please forgive me,” I bent down to pick up the fallen apples strewn all over the ground and wondered if I was like these apples, being so messed up. “Miri...Is that you Miri?Oh please say that you are Miri...”
I froze, and the apple in my grasp rolled out. That voice. That all so familiar voice. Oh my goodness. I lifted my head and looked straight into both their eyes. “Mom! Dad! Where have you been all this while?! Do you know how long I’ve been searching for both of you? I was so worried for you!” I exclaimed and started crying with joy and great relief. They were both safe and well, so I was glad. They were more shocked than relieved to see me, as I was in a marvellously sewn up dress made of high quality material and lined with beautiful laces. I was more than willing to explain to them all that have happened, telling them what happened after I got home, the events in the park, Miss Nina, then about my new job and shelter.
My parents gave looks of amazement, and then I could see some sort of sadness in their expressions. “Miri, our darling girl, we are so...So terribly sorry. Sorry for everything we have done. When we left you, it was a very rushed decision and we felt nothing wrong about it. However, in each passing day, we couldn’t help but wonder how you were doing with those loan sharks, if you were still alive. Then, our hearts felt so grief-stricken that we’ve decided to look for you, but thankfully we met you here. Oh Miri, our dear daughter, we promise never to do such a thing again. We have learnt our lessons my dear Miri, ” Mom used her palms to cover her face and started sobbing, Dad put his arms over her shoulders and had his head hung low. I felt a wave of pity for my parents, but also a tint of happiness that I actually meant so much to my parents. I went forward to hug them, and then, with a maid’s courtesy I said politely, “Please Sir and Madam, would you like to follow me back to the Sanzenin Mansion for a cup of tea?” My parents smiled delightfully at my cheeriness, and accepted the offer. Miss Nina understood my situation, and permitted me to spend some time with my parents in the mansion.
After a whole afternoon of catching up on each other, I walked them to the Sanzenin Gates to bid them goodbye, and that was when I learnt they had no shelter. I was struck with the thought of them suffering in the cold while I slept comfortably under the cotton covers. At this moment, Miss Nina ran out from behind a tree and announced to us, “Miri, for your hard work and loyalty towards the one and only Sanzenin heir, I have allocated a house just one kilometre away from my mansion, to your elders. On top of that, the house is all ready for accommodation. ” My eyes widened in elation. “Did you Miss Nina? Oh thank you so much my Lady! ” I went on my knees and thanked her greatly. I did not have to bother about those loan sharks anymore and I did not have to worry about my parents’ well-being any longer. I could just live and work as Miss Nina’s personal maid.
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