Chapter 7

Now that it was late and she was on her way home alone, the two groom picked up her  friends. She was the only one left in the Mall, she went around here until she reached the Book store. She went in here and looked for a book

"When will I be the Author of the book, and be one of the best insternational selling autho?" she maid whispered and sat down on the tiles. She was looking for something to buy and to read. "Wow so many new books! I wish I could buy this though," she stood up from her indian seat. Suddenly, Maria's leg got numb from sitting down the floor.

"Oops!" A man grabbed her arm because she almost fell off onto the cold tiles.

"VICTOR!" she was amazed because of the man who helped her was Victor.

Maria smiled at this.

"Hi Maria Juliet. Are you okay?"

The man asked and looked at the book she was holding, about romance books.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Are you looking for a book too?" Maria asked here.

"Ahh yup. Well, I will give you something!" The man was stunned and looked excited.

"Okay okay, what's that?"

They left the bookstore and walked to the mall at the same time.

Victor took the book out of his bag. "This one, philosophical poetry about hmm... I won't say first." He promised and handed over the book.

"Why don't you say?" The woman even looked at the book.

"The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho? Wait, he's the writer of Veronika Decides to Die, isn't he? This is my brother's favorite author," voice from Maria.

"Yup, you read that book. It's just you too." The man said.

"Weh? Seriously?"

"That's my second copy. I have my hardbound book." 

"Really? Thank you huh? I'll read it." Maria answers him.

"Are you going home? Do you want to come with me?" The young man asked him.

"I'll check your kindness go ahead sure!"

Second Annex of the Mall where his car is parked. Maria was happy because she could still save on the fare.

"How are you? Did you get an entry in the contest?" Maria asks here.

"I can't focus. I don't know if I'm going to do a real life story, romance or prose poetry." The man said while looking down the aisle.

"You should set a goal, for example this week you should observe or think about where you can excel better."  the woman said.

"I want to do that but I'm not inspired." The man replied. "

Ahh next, you should week start, until this week  don't come back to me if you still don't have a synopsis to your story. But if you will have, let me just read and review it. You can go to my house or if you want to be asked," Maria presented.

"Sure, but please don't be offended. I don't have a big paycheck for your brain." The man insisted. Maria looked at him and laughed.

"What? As your friend, I'm going to help. Maybe only now  I had found a friend who will also fit the genre or goal  I want in life! It's just a support! What's the matter?"

The man shook hands with her when they reached her house. "Wait, I have books, so you can build an idea in case. You just borrow them!" Victor went with her and Maria handed the man five books. "Thank you  huh? I hope I'm inspired by your books" the two looked out the window of the sudden rain and lightning.

"OH SHIT!" When Maria screamed.

"Why?" The man was surprised as he ran into the bathroom and took a tub and bucket.

The man followed her and Maria placed a pale t in front of her light switch. The ceiling is leaking from the roof hole.

"Wait ,that's dangerous."  Victor himself volunteered to make a repair for the ceiling.

"Wait do you have materials and tools?"

"There is" was Maria's short answer and she ran again to get the item.

"That's right, you know how to make a roof and patch the ceiling, I have something to do with this before the water falls in the electricity." he said and just looked up at the man.

While Victor was busy fixing her celing, she took the food from the refrigerator and cooked. She was shocked that she had stock so she would feed the man dinner.

"Maria, your wires are knotted, do you want me to fix them? It's dangerous when it gets wet in the rain and you might burn foam." The man approached her as he wiped away the sweat.

"Hehe it's embarrassing, but go ahead."

Victor just laughed at her and heard  her.

Night after night he hammered and what a noise along with thunder and lightning, as well as the force of the rain. A few minutes after Victor fixed it, he looked at the woman who was cooking because the food smelled.

"Come here for dinner! At least taste my cooking!" The woman approaches him for a closer conversation. "Aaah!" It howled as it stepped on the nail sticking out of the wood.

"Ohh fuck!" Victor took the bucket and first poured a few drops of rain when he approached the woman,

"Ouch don't stress!" The man tried to bleed his wound because she stepped on a rusty arrow. "I need to take you Maria to the hospital." She was surprised when the man suddenly lifted her onto the bed and sat her down.

"Hospital right away?" Maria was about to stand up to get her first aid kit but the man stopped her.

"You stay here, where is your med kit?" He asked, she just pointed and the man himself treated his wound.

"Wow ha, you're smart." Maria said as she stared at the man.

"Basic first aid." he answered to this.

"Oooh ahh, Vic! It hurts me so bad!" she poorly said it. Victor looked at her foolishly when he suddenly poured alcohol on her.

"Hey it hurts!" Maria siad while crying like a baby.

"Tomorrow, you need a vaccine for this right away. I'll go with you. The rusty nail may harm you if you didn't see the doctor for tomorrow." Victor looks very worried to Maria. She never answered and she just nodded her head.

"Nobody wants that, let it be, it's just a nail away from the intestines. Come and eat the food I cooked for us." 

She invited Victor to go to the dinning area with her.

"What's that cooked food?" The man asked.

"Pastel, a white chicked filled with white sauce and vegetables. I hope you like it." She said and Victor nodded. It didn't say a word and finished eating.

"Isn't it delicious !?" Maria asked.

"Yeah, you can have your own family now."  Victor joked and Maria laughed because she didn't saw herself carrying a baby until she finish paying debts.

"I'm not done yet, don't hide! I still plan to get married!" Maria also said jokingly. The man just sat and stood while watching where Maria lived.

"You know, you should enjoy the story, you can write a story I mean a true to life story, you can interview someone and get some idea about their lives."

"Okay okay, but is your foot okay? I mean is it too painful?" Concerned man and touched her foot.

"I'm crazily fine! I'm one hundred one percent okay!" she pulled her leg and she returned to her seat. Only now has she found a friend who can understand her innocence like madness in books. "A while ago you said, Paolo is your brother's favorite author, where is he?" Victor asked.

"The destiny separated us, we've been kicked out because my father is a demon since my mom  died.

"You know what, my brother too. My father's favorite son. He likes that Author too.

" When Victor tells the story here. Maria laughed and focused on reading again.

"Why did you choose to be a stripper?" The man asked her seriously

"I know I answered that to you when we were drunk. But go ahead, I have a big income, apart from the fact that I have to pay for the house, and find my brother ..." she said it.

"So you didn't continue your studies?" he asked while looking at Maria's blue eyes.

"If I'm the only one asked, I want to go back and finish. But I promise Mama that I will pay her twenty million debt even if I will be beaten for life," hse said and there was a hint of sadness in her tone of voice.

"How about yourself? Are you going to cut your wings to fly?" Its a serious question.

"You know it's not normal for me to talk about my life. But it looks okay right" Maria said sarcastically.

"I have a question?" Maria suddenly asked the man.

"Hmm?" He turned to her and looked at Maria's side view face.

"Is anyone so serious about me?" she asked here. "I mean, in this state of mine, more deeply in debt, and then my brother is still looking for me, will time pass me by?"

"There is." The man answered.

"How about an example, if you are?" Maria turned to him and stared at him but without malice.

"If right now I'm just poor, I'll like you but it seems impossible because I can't buy you." Its a serious answer. Maria stared at the man.

"I didn't mean to hurt you by what I said. I mean, you need a man, a better mn with financially stable, and  you will be accepted, you will be helped and you will be accompanied in your dream." Explain it again.

"But what you said is true, I'm probably too much to be loved." Maria was silent when she finished speaking. "If I can buy you, why not." The man whispered and smiled. "Hey what did you say? Repeat!" Maria sighed here while laughing, "it's okay, I'm going to go to sleep, the rain has subsided a bit. You go to the hospital tomorrow, right?"

"Don't take me, I'll just lock your door and gate. It's not allowed to get wet, okay? Don't go to work tomorrow." He stared at it with too much to say and the door closed on him.

Maria just peeked out the window at the man in her mouth. "Mom, I met a very nice guy again." she whispered while smiling at the window.