“Athena, please….” Frank called back her attention and she stared at him, seconds passed as everyone waited to know what would happen. Sean could feel his heart breaking into a million pieces by the second. Leo and Gloria walked out to witness what was happening and Gloria gasped.
“What the heck, is this guy stupid?” She muttered to Leo who said nothing and glanced at Sean, he knew about Sean’s proposal tonight but what he couldn’t understand was why he would just stand there and do nothing. He glanced at Athena, silently reminding her in his heart about their deal and that he would not hesitate to carry it out and he would make sure that she and Frank lived in wretchedness.
What happened next shocked everyone, Athena took a step forward to Frank and Sean closed his eyes, he knew that would happen, guess he wasn’t more important than her mother’s wish. He was contemplating on how to walk out of there in his shame w
Athena smiled, “Sean, most of us have done things we are not proud of, but that doesn’t make us evil, I believe whatever it is you did, you did it for a reason.”He nodded with a smile, not looking up at her, “yes, for a reason.”“Well, you have my promise that I won’t judge.”He chuckled, looking up at her then, his hazel eyes shining brightly with the lights surrounding them, “I can feel that you won’t.”“See, even your heart believes in me.”He laughed softly then and closed his eyes, he sighed, “I wasn’t burn rich.”“I know that already.”He nodded, “I have a traumatic past. You see, my family was the perfect one when I was growing up. But then, my dad lost his job when I turned six and everything changed, he began drinking, wasting all his savings in gambling and alcohol. My mom would often try to understand him and w
Sean sighed but continued, “I took her back home to stay with Amber and I left in search of Leo, we went to my father and I told him about Amber’s case and he threw us out, saying he has no business with his past. Leo had told me we don’t have any other thing to do but the obvious, we had to steal. We attacked different stores that night and were lucky to escape without getting caught. On our way home, we saw a wounded man, we didn’t think twice and ransacked him, taking every cent with him but we couldn’t leave him there so we took him to the hospital and left him in front of it. The money we got wasn’t enough; I couldn’t go in and see mom’s disappointed face so we left. We stayed on the road, robbing anybody we could. We did it for days, five days I think, until I believed we have gotten enough that could take us to the city.When Leo and I got to the hospital, mom saw us and started crying, Amber passed on the previous night,
“Have you ever heard from your father?” Athena asked in the car on their way home.Sean kissed her knuckles with his ring on it, “do you remember the man I excused myself to talk to at the hotel?”Athena nodded; her head was resting on his shoulder, “yes.”“He is my father’s assistant. Turns out Amber’s illness was hereditary, he has been sick for the past ten years, nursing his health back with money but I guess the money can’t save him anymore, he is dying and his only wish is to see me.”“What for?” she raised her head to look at him.He kissed her forehead and made her rest her head on him again, “maybe to apologize? He has been trying to do that for two years now. His wife didn’t give him a child, they had adopted a boy and girl, I wonder why. Anyways, I guess he wants to make amend on what he did, but he made a mistake, my mother might have easily forgiv
“Just take a look inside, Athena,” He said, pointing at the door that leads into the hall full of dancing and chattering people, “what do you see?”Athena did as he asked, she looked inside the hall and saw them, people dancing, women dressed in beautiful attractive clothes, men dressed in nice tuxedos, talking to them and some dancing with them. She looked back at Frank with a gulp, “but Frank…”“Now take a look at yourself and me, what difference do you see?” He interrupted.Athena looked at herself, at the dress she was wearing that was not in class with the ones worn by the women inside, she looked at him and he was dressed in a nice tuxedo, just like the men inside. She knew what he wants to prove but she just doesn’t want to accept it, “Frank please…”“Do you see it? What I am talking about? I belong here, Athena, with this people but you don’t. Look at you, take a look at what you wore to a party.”“This is my best dress and you know it, Frank, I will never int
A man walked through the street to his home, he kept cursing at everything he passes, he hates where he is living and the area, they were children running around, playing in the dirt. He cursed at them and continued walking, if God should help him and his project becomes a success, moving out of here would be the first thing he would do. But at the moment, he just needs to make sure that everything is set perfectly and he had the inkling that he would win, he has to, all his life he had been preparing for this, if it doesn’t work out then he is doomed for the rest of his life.“Hell no, it’s going to work, I have to be chosen, I have looked at the draft of the others, none of them could amount to mine, even Mr. Bridgeton said so,” he murmured to himself, trying not to step inside a puddle as he avoided stepping on a banana peel that was on the ground. “Fuck this place,” he cursed, if only he has any other choice, nothing in the world would have made him live here, in the slums.
Athena woke up in the night to find Frank’s side in the bed empty, “Frank?” She called but when she got no answer, she got out of the bed and went into the living room, “Frank?” she saw him sitting on the only couch in the living room and closed up their distance. “What is it?” She asked, placing her hand on his shoulder.Frank sighed, “Nothing, just…thinking.”Athena sat beside him immediately, “what are you thinking about?”“My life, Athena, look at me, at twenty three I have no source of income, nothing, I can’t even look after you the way I want to, the way I promised your mother I would.”Athena smiled and placed her head on his shoulder, “but Frank, it’s not your fault, I am sure mom understands perfectly. You are trying your best to make things better for us, you go out every morning to return at night because you are looking for a better job, that’s already you trying.”“But I am not trying hard enough, take a look at me, Athena, I had promised you that on you
Frank ran through the dirty streets he had always hate walking on, he stepped into many puddles but he didn’t bother to curse as always nor was he worried at the dirt on his pants. A bright smile was clear on his face and his green eyes were shining like never before. When he finally saw their building, he increased his space as he spotted his girlfriend talking with their elderly neighbor, “Athena, Athena,” he shouted.Athena turned at the sound of her name, she was shocked when she saw him running and how dirty he looked and for the first time, he doesn’t have a deadly scowl on his face for being dirty, what is going on? She wondered before excusing herself from the woman and walking to his direction, “Frank?”When Frank got closer to her, he picked her up and swirled around, Athena gasped and wrapped her hands round his neck to keep her from falling, “oh Athena, my life has changed, my life has changed!”Athena pressed her hand on her chest when he finally put her back o
The elevator chimed and the man from earlier came out, he stopped, frozen when he saw her sleeping, what the hell? He wondered, he approached her and wiped away the hair from her face, she didn’t even flinch and he guessed she was really tired and she should be, it has been ten hours since they got into the elevator together. He fetched his phone from his pocket and dialed a number, when the line connected, he sighed, “em, Frank, I’m usually good at minding my business but there is a lady waiting for you in front of your door and it’s been hours, you think you can come attend to her?”“Shit, she came today?” Frank asked.“Em, am I supposed to answer that?”“Listen Fred, I am in a party right now and I can’t come out, you think you can take her in with you till I am back?”“Frank, I called you to tell you that someone is waiting for you not for you to ask me to babysit,” Fred replied.“Then there is nothing I can do, let her stay there, nothing is going to happen to he