MariGold's POV
After selling off what I gathered, I divided the money into two. I passed by Eliza's shop and gave her one half
“hide this for me Eliza. I don't want my auntie to snatch it off”
She rinsed her hands in the little bowl of water. She just finished eating with her hands
“where did you get it?” she asked, taking the money from me
“I just sold off the steel I gathered” I replied and wiped off the sweat that had soaked my hair and making it stick to my skin
“okay I'll hide it. It's just fifty peso”
“yeah. I'll gather more next time, so I can buy a dress for church”
She nodded
“are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?” she asked with sincere eyes
“I'm okay. I'll check up on you later, that's if I can” I said and held my wheelbarrow
“bye Mari” she said, waving.
I ran off to the house with my barrow making so much noise. The phone and wristwatch were tucked into my trousers and covered by my shirt.
I parked the barrow truck at the yard and opened the back door. I began to hear moaning and groaning from the house
I tiptoed to the living room and met my auntie and her man-friend making out and moaning. I almost threw up at the sight. So ugly
They were so engrossed with whatever they were doing so I walked into my room and closed the door. I sat on the bed and brought out the phone and wristwatch. I dropped the phone and lifted the watch. I smiled as it sparkled against the ray of sunlight from my window
"it's beautiful" I muttered and raised it up. I stood up and walked to the stool by the wall, I picked my broken mirror from it and looked at my reflection with the watch beside my face.
No doubt, being rich suits me.
Well I would have been rich if auntie Denny didn't become addicted to drugs. We were doing well until she sold everything to get drugs.
I sat back on the bed and took the phone
"wow" I turned the back and smiled. The pouch is a combination of pink and purple. Must belong to a girl. I stared at the camera heads. Wow, this girl must be the daughter of a senator
I turned on the screen and wowed at the lockscreen wallpaper. It was a very handsome boy. So so cute
"and he looks like a girl" I muttered out with a laugh.
Or maybe it's a girl that looks like a boy. Whatever. Either way, they look good
I stood up and tucked the phone under my clothes so my auntie won't see them and sell them to buy cocaine
Wilbur's POV
I walked in through the gate and hurried to the garage. She came out of her car
“did you see it Will?” she asked, tucking her bob hair behind her ear
“no I didn't Wini. I didn't!” I yelled
“gosh! What are you gonna do now?”
My eyes widened
“what I'm I gonna do? Don't you mean what are WE GONNA DO?"
“hey, stop yelling at me. It's not my fault?” she held her bag well and smoothed her hair. I huffed
“so it's my fault that my phone disappeared into a trash can for a garbage truck to take and smash into molten state” I blurted out and she sighed
“is it my fault you were dumb not to put the info in your laptop instead?” she rolled her eyes and walked past me. I heaved a sigh. Wini's right. I should have transferred it to my laptop instead.
I can't believe I came home to get into trouble. If I had known, I'd have stayed back in my house.
I placed one hand on my waist and the other on my head. I ruffled my hair and bit my lower lip intensely that it even hurt me. I'm so not happy about this. Where should I even start? Should I go to the recycling center? Isn't it too late for that?
No, it's better late than never
I hurried up to my room and took my keys. I came down and drove out my car to the recycling center. I asked where I can find the recently deposited trash. I gave them all the info about my address and all that
They searched the huge metal container but didn't see my phone or wristwatch. They even told me they'd put more effort into finding it and I thanked them and went to see Jay, my cousin to report Winifred
She was cooking when I arrived.
“Will, what brings you here? What did Wini do again?” she asked and picked a pickle jar
She knows whenever I barge in without calling her on phone first, I'm there to report Wini. You know how things are usually opposite? That's exactly how Wini and I are
I'm the good one. Wini is the worst. Always finding faults with people and picking up fights
“she threw my phone and new wristwatch into a trashcan” I said, picking up a piece of coconut from a plate.
Jay chuckled softly
“and what do you intend doing to her?”
“Jay, dad gave us shares from his company and all the information is stored in that phone. The worst is, the garbage truck took out the trash already”
She quickly looked at me
“what?”
“you see how serious this is? You know how strict my dad is. He's going to kill the both of us and this is our last hope of getting those shares”
“Wini went too far” she said and returned to her cooking
“just kill her for me when you see her” I said
She smiled a bit
“where's Annie?” I asked
“in her room upstairs” she replied
Annie is her daughter of five years. Jay is married to Alvin Miguel, a barrister. And she's around 29 years of age.
I'm just 24
MariGold's POV
I became hungry so I decided to get something to eat. I walked to the living room and saw auntie Denny serving Monalito food. The old man was sweaty and gross
“good afternoon auntie. Good afternoon sir” I hailed and bowed my head
“where are you coming from? How did you get inside and when?” she asked. Maybe she thinks I saw them doing the dirty
“about a minute ago. I got in through my window because the front door was locked”
Wow, liar liar pants on fire
“go get me some pregnancy pills from Luigi” she said, eyeing me like I'm the one who's in need of a pill.
“okay ma'am” I stood still, waiting for her to give me the money
“what are you waiting for?” she asked with her usual threatening voice
“money” I replied timidly, moving back just in case something comes my way
“stupid girl. Use your money” she yelled and sat beside Monalito
“I don't have any money” I retorted. She glared at me then looked at her man-friend. He looked back at her
“I don't have any money” he said and auntie sighed and rubbed her hands on her thighs
“just excuse us okay?” she said in a very impolite way. I gently found my way out of the house. It's afternoon and I haven't even drank water today. Eliza offered to give me food and I refused. What was I even thinking?
I hurried to her shop and saw her leaving there
“Eliza”
“Mari, hey girl”
“where are you going?” I asked
“going to get some pain relievers for my mom” she replied and lifted the money
“what's wrong? Is she sick?”
“not really. Just a headache”
“let me come with you” she nodded and we walked on together
“I caught my auntie and Monalito having sex when I got home”
She screamed and covered her mouth. I laughed
“OH my God! Are you serious? What did you do?” she asked with excitement
“I tiptoed to my room and they didn't even notice. After that, my auntie said I should go and buy pregnancy pills for her” Eliza laughed and I laughed along
“that old groggy man. He's so dirty and disgusting” she said and I laughed
“and he even wanted my mom to be his lover before. I can't imagine if my mom said yes” she said and wrinkled her face, quite disgusted
“then you'd be the one serving him like I'm doing” I said
“no way. I wouldn't do it. You know I'm stubborn” she said and I smiled
“anyway I'm so excited. We can finally get into the University” she said and that drew my attention
“how?” I asked with anticipation for the answer
“well, my mom got information that the Federal Government has reduced the tuition fee for Federal Universities. And that with just three thousand peso, you can study and get a diploma. And guess what, with a diploma certificate you can get a job and earn about fifteen thousand peso”
“OH my God! Wow! This is great news. It's so great!” I said, jumping up happily
“the diploma form is coming out in about a month. I can't wait!” she exclaimed and held my hands
“how much is the form?” I asked
“just 500” she replied and I smiled
“then I'd have to pick more metals and babysit more kids” I said, grinning
“well, you can get 500 in two weeks. That's without your auntie taking anything from you. And if she wants to take something, then you can put more effort and get the money in three weeks” she said and we walked on
“you're so lucky you know. Your mom can help you get some money. You don't have to work yourself out” I said sadly.
“it's just fate Mari. Everything happens for a reason” she said and squeezed my hand
“so which university are we choosing?” she asked, diverting from the new topic.
“we'll have to do research. We'll choose the one farthest from here. So we can be on our own” I said
“but what about rent? The farther we go, the more expensive the house gets” she said
“come on, Monte isn't that expensive. Isn't it?” I raised a brow at her
“we'll figure it out” she said with a smile
We were silent for some time. We reached Luigi's shop and Eliza bought the drugs and we headed back
“next two weeks is the Sanders' twin birthday. They'll going to show it on TV this time. It's going to be live” she hopped around me and made funny dance steps
I rolled my eyes. Eliza and celebrities. She knows all of them by name and nickname. All the musicians, all the actors and actresses. Even models.
Well, they have a television.
“so who are the Sander twin?” I asked and she stopped dancing. She loves to tell me things I don't know. And truly, she knows lots of things that I don't know
“their names are Wilbur and Winifred Sanders. The Wilbur is the boy, he's so cute and it's funny, he's favorite colors are pink and purple” she said
“what? Pink and purple? He's gay” I quickly concluded and she laughed
“no he's not. He's just the guy who loves pink. He's also known as the pink model and it looks good on him” she said and grinned
“okay, so tell me about the girl” I said and crossed my arms to listen
“she's WiniRed. That's her nickname because her favorite color is red. She's the bad girl. Some say she has pride but she's still the one with most of the fans”
“and why is that?”
“because she shows them love. She's only proud towards other celebrities”
“wow. So are they identical?”
“So identical! You can't tell the difference between them. They're the same height. Except when Wini wears heels.” she said and held my hand, pulling me from the front of an incoming motorcycle
“don't worry, I'll make mom give me the television when going to school. So you'll get to see these celebs” she said
I chuckled
We got to her shop and gave the drugs to her mother. Eliza offered me some avocados and brought out a magazine
“I was so lucky to find this on the ground last month. It's a magazine about entertainment and fashion” she said and placed it on my thighs. I cut in half the avocado with the fruit knife and looked at the magazine
“who's on the cover?” I asked
“Eduardo Ortiz. Wilbur Sanders best friend.” she said and sat beside me
“he's handsome” I said and ate a piece of my fruit
“yeah, I don't like him though. He has a hot temper” she said and opened to the middle.
“Now that's Wilbur Sanders” she pointed to a huge picture of a brown haired boy with red bright lips and a beautiful smile. The headline was Pink Belongs To Him
“this is the Wilbur Sanders?” I asked her, when I recognized one of the pictures
“yeah” she replied not looking at the magazine
Well all the pictures on this page look like each other. So it has got to be him.
Now about the phone, it's either the owner is a fan of this guy. Or it's this guy himself
How I'm I gonna return that phone to the person?
Should I sell it and get myself in the University?
.
.
Mari's POVI was already on my way back home. I have things to do which includes making raffia hand fans for auntie Denny. And I'll have to do lots of it so I can sell them and gather money. Of course that would be done undercover. She won't be so happy to see me doing things to get money on my own. According to her, I don't need money. She still sees me as fifteen years. And I'm twenty two.Auntie Denny is my mom's elder sister with two years. My mom is a hustler. The other type of hustle. Let me just say it, she sells things illegally and she also works as a prostitute.The last time I heard from her was when I was eighteen years. When we were still leaving fine, she used to come and see me. Buying me lots of things and promising me heaven on earth some of which she fulfilled. She promised to quit her illegal business and come back home fully after the last one she was about to go for. Unfortunately, the day she left f
MariGold's POVI wore my janitors' uniform. It was a blue overall outfit. I tied my hair in a tight bun and took a bucket and mop.I was to clean the stairs leading to the VIP section upstairs. Eliza was in the kitchen wiping plates and she was wearing a white overall with a long white hat. She looked so funny and with the way she glared at me, she knew I was secretly laughing at her.I went to the bottom of the staircase and kept a sign board that said WET STAIRS USE ELEVATORI began to clean them. It's not that people even use the stairs, they always use the elevator. But sometimes when the elevator is faulty, they have to use the stairs. That's what Eliza told meAs I cleaned on, I looked behind to see if I was cleaning well. From afar, I saw a brown speck on the second stair“you tried to escape and you thought you succeeded. Too bad, detective Gold doesn't leave
Wilbur's POVI parked the car beside Wini's car. Thank God she's at home. I hurried to the house and entered the living room. The television was on and a bowl of popcorn was on the table. A tumbler of carrot juice was beside the bowl and a red handkerchief was on the cushion. It's obvious she's been here."Wini!" I called out“Winifred!" I called again and was heading upstairs, maybe I could find her in her room“hey I'm right here” she said behind me. I looked down and saw her drinking a bottle of water“guess what?” I said, climbing down the stairs“Kate finally let you sleep with her” she said and moved to the cushion“what is wrong with you?” I asked, clearly irritated with her guess.“you asked me to guess. And I did” she stated and sat down placin
MariGold's POVI headed back to Eliza's shop. Luckily her mother wasn't back.“you're back so soon. Did you see her by the roadside?” she asked, standing up from the stool she was sitting on“no. Actually, someone else bought them on the road” I stated and sat down on a bench“really? Everything?” she asked and I nodded“a he? Or a she?”‘‘a he. I think he's rich. He looked so elegant and fresh. His car is flashy and even his outfit showed elegance.” I said and she beamed with eyes that said 'go on'“and he bought them for six thousand” I added and her eyes lit up“six thousand? As in six thousand pesos? What?” she, exclaimed and quickly sat down“I was so surprised too. He said he was gonna need it to act a movie&rd
Wilbur's POVI dragged Wini away from the manager's office before she tore his skin away from his body.“leave me alone” Wini said as she dragged her hand away from me. She tried to run back into the office but I blocked her and held her hands“don't embarrass yourself” I warned and she calmed down though she was still filled with hot air and was panting heavily“if he changes his mind about us using his restaurant, it's his loss” I said calmly“after he collected money and after the preparations and everything is getting ready? Allow me to kill that man”“he already said he will refund the money. Now let's get another venue before it's too late” I said and walked awayShe arranged her scattered hair and wore her sunglasses then followed me. Non of us spoke, I was just tired of talking. We too
Wilbur's POVI sat still, with my hand in the air and holding the money. I was surprised at her behavior. Maybe she isn't really as innocent as I thought. I looked back but she was no longer in sight. I shook my head and dropped the wallet and cash on the other seat. I started my car and drove off. I couldn't drop her off because I've heard of how dangerous her side can be and how they can do anything to get moneyAlso, those guys are capable of doing anything. If I have some unfriendly foes there, who may not like me or my lifestyle, they can throw stones at my car.I couldn't risk my life and go there though I felt bad. On the other hand, Marigold was glad I wasn't going to drop her off. I didn't know why she somehow feels timid around me. I've noticed it, she doesn't really like me and it's quite obvious she's not my fan. But I somehow like her personality, she looks like a stubborn and crazy girl. At the same time she looks decent and hardworking.Or
Wilbur's POVI parked my car in my garage and headed to the house. I opened the door and walked in, my television was on and a glass of red wine was on the table. Someone's hereI looked up the stairs, is the person upstairs“Val!.. Val!” I called out. I'm sure she's not asleep yet cause she goes to bed by 10pm and it's still past 9pm.I walked to the table and lifted the wine glass. I sniffed the handle and it smelt feminine. A girl is here.But only Wini has the right to come in here and drink my wine and she's not in the country.I began to hear footsteps on the stairs and it was Wini. Of course it's her, she's the only one who knows my keywords.“hey twinheart, miss me?” she asked as she majestically walked down the stairs with Val behind her“when did you come back and when did you start lodging here?”
MariGold's POVLast night was the best night I had in years. I went to bed with a heavy tummy and I slept so smooth and creamy.Waking up this morning, I feel like a star. Who says eating good food doesn't bring happiness?I sneaked out of my room and went to greet my auntie in her room. I quickly swept and mopped the living room floor then took a bathe.It's quite early and I really wish to skip work today, I need to know how Eliza is faring.Today is Thursday, my shift starts by 9am. OH thank God. I can go and see Eliza.I packaged the food from yesterday into the same white bag. I dropped it on my window and went the other way round to take it. I would go and see her and finally tell her about Wilbur Sanders and I.Wait... There's no Wilbur Sanders and I. That statement isn't appropriate.I headed to her house and I was glad I d