Chapter-3

Yonnah Mullins, had always been reserved than other women in her neighbourhood. It was not that she preferred to talk less. It was just always worried too much about everything to think about something else. She had always been a worrywort. So she did not spend time with women gossiping when she could not contribute anything in the conversation. She had never shown her anxiety too much having aware of it from childhood. After marriage, she would always worry about her husband. When he would be back from work? Did he eat lunch? Was is he late? Was he healthy enough? After she had Eloisa, she started worrying about her daughter. And then about Ethan. Most of her life was spent worrying. She knew she had nothing to worry about but it had become a habit of hers. Always worrying and fretting. It was not like that she worried for no reason. Her husband, Edan Mullins, works in a shipping business. It was a risky profession considering where they lived. Plymouth was a city known for crimes nowadays more than its rich history and culture. It was a sad fact but this was the reality now. People lived in fear as the crime rate increased day by day. Yonnah did not know the details of her husband's business. Just knew that he worked as the middleman between shipping companies. Her husband was a good man and that's what worried her the most. People could easily use him as their scapegoat if anything went wrong. And his business was susceptible to that kind of problems.

Eventually, her worries did not just remain within the boundary of her brain and turned to reality. Someone framed him for transporting something illegal and as a result many companies stopped working with him. Edan had been most upset. She had told him to stop this business and start a new safe business. But he refused to listen. They fought on it which they rarely did. Everything started to go downhill from there. They had more fights. And even Eloisa once caught them fighting. At that point, Edan had become desperate to save his business. Then one day he told her that he business was saved. He had shared with her about his involvement with some sort group that would pay him well. They were a group of mythical creatures that she did not believed existed but later did. She warned him to not get involved with questionable people but again he did not listen to her. Worse came to worst and her husband had to lay for the consequences of his deeds. She had told no one about the truth behind Edan's sudden death. Though it was made out to be an accident but she knew. She knew it was not just a simple accident. She had not even told her children about it because they were far too young and she did not want them to be targets too. She showed everyone that she too believed that her husband died from a car crash. Because she feared that if she did not keep up that false charade then her children would fall in harm. As people say the truth which is not known never hurts anyone. And so she kept it to herself only and cried at their distressing fate. Things were never the same in their household after Edan's death. Her kids. Her precious kids matured too fast. Eloisa had already started working abandoning her studies. Taking some of the burden off her mother's shoulder. The burden of running the house and Ethan's education along with the debt that her father had left behind to pay.

Even Yonnah did not know about it until it came knocking on their front door five days after Edan's funeral. They had just came in terms with their loss and tried to bring some normalcy in their life by stopping to grieve. It was lunch time and Yonnah just finished setting the table and called for her children when the doorbell rang. Yonnah went to see right away. She opened the door to see some unfamiliar people. Four, to be exact. She asked them politely.

"Hello. How can I help you?"

One of them replied.

"We have something to talk about. It's regarding your husband."

Yonnah did not know if she should trust these people and let them in. The same man eased her worries.

"We are not here to harm anyone. You just need to cooperate."

It was clear she did not believe him but let them in anyways. What could a weak woman like her do if they forced inside?

She led them to the living room and saw Eloisa and Ethan lurking around the staircase. She told the people to sit and turned to her children.

"Go to your room now."

The man who had been doing the talking, spoke again.

"Let them come. They need to know about this too. After all, not every father burdens his family with his shameful deeds."

The other men laughed at his words. Yonnah felt insulted but did not utter a sound and nodded towards her children to come in the living room.

After they were all seated, the man begun again. He told them how Edan had come across their group in a bar and in a drunken stupor admitted that he needed a lot of money for his business that was not going well. If he could just find someone who would lend him that much money then he would do anything for them. The group of men looked at each other. They were loan sharks and had a quite good business with it. They told him that they could provide him the money if he could return it at the end of the year in double or they would seize all his properties. He agreed and they told him to meet them in that bar the next day during lunchtime. As Edan was drunk, he did not realize what he was getting himself into. But he was desperate. He met them the next day. Money was exchanged as contract was signed. Edan told them that he wanted to pay in installments instead of paying the whole at year end. They did not find fault to that and so they agreed. He had paid for seven months before he died. Seeing as he was faithful in his installments and did not pay a day less, they were considerate to let his family know the truth before they would take away their property or whatever they had left.

Yonnah sat in stone silence. She did not know how to process what she had just heard. She knew Edan was desperate but she never thought that he would do something like that. Their very first fight had been over that very thing. He had told her that he planned on taking some loan and use it for the business and when the business would run good, he would pay up. Yonnah had tired to make him see sense but he did not listen. Then they fought. He had finally conceded that he was thinking rashly and he would be more careful in the future. And look what he did ultimately. Yonnah thought bitterly and looked at the four men.

"So what do you want now?"

Their leader, the one who had been speaking till now, said with a predatory smile.

"What? The house? Where will I go with my children if the house is gone?"

"I don't think that is any of our concern." He said.

"No. I can't give you the house. Please. I have two small children. If they have no roof over their head then how will they survive?"

"How street kids do."

"No." Yonnah shouted as she stood up.

"Please. Please please spare us. Pleas....."

Yonnah slumped on the floor. She started crying and begging. Begging because her husband could not fulfill his duty as a father. As a husband. As the head of the family. She begged for her children who were innocent in all these mess. She begged for their future which was now uncertain.

Everyone was silent. The children watching silently with confused and fearful eyes as their mother knelt before some unknown men and begged for them. The girl looked on with fearful anticipation. She was not the brightest kid of her age but she was not dumb. She understood most the things said. But not all. She looked at her brother and his eyes shone with questions at what was happening. He did not understand why those strange men want their house or why his mother was begging to keep it. Wasn't this their house? Did they live in someone else's house all these years and now that his dad was gone they want it back? Why was his mother crying? Did they really have nowhere to stay? So many questions. Both looked at the scene infront when the man spoke again.

"Well then, how do you think you can pay off the debt?"

"I'll work. I'll work day and night and pay the debt."

"It is not a little amount, you silly woman."

"Give me a few months please. I..I promise I'll pay you back." Yonnah begged.

Her tears constantly running down. Her voice shaking.

All the men laughed.

"Then before you finish paying, you'll die off like your husband and we get nothing." They again laughed.

"No No. I'll pay you each month. But please. Please spare us this. Please please...."

The other three men opened mouth to shout at her silliness but the leader held up a hand and all fell silent.

"You'll pay every month until the debt is cleared?"

Yonnah looked up.

"Yes. I'll. I promise I'll."

"OK. On the fifteenth of each month I'll personally come to collect the money."

"OK. Thank you." Yonnah sighed in relief.

"But Boss...."

"What I said is final. I wanna see how long can they carry on like this!" The man gave a dark chuckle.

A shiver ran down her spine but Yonnah barely moved.

"Well it seems our work here is done. Let's go, gentlemen."

The leader got up and went to the door with others following. When he was at the door, he turned back to woman kneeling on the floor.

"I hope you don't regret your decision."

With that he was out of the door and gone along with the other three men. Yonnah did not get up from the floor even when the men were long gone. She sat on the floor with her head down and hot silent tears leaking out of her eyes. Her children rooted to the place they had been standing; not moving an inch. Both fearfull of approaching their mother.

"Mom?" Eloisa called bravely.

Silence was the only answer she got. Then she took a step towards her mother leaving her brother's side.

"Mom?" She called again.

And this time she received a choked sob and she ran to her mother's side and pulled her to her chest. Her mother cried as she held on to her. Her brother came too and wrapped his arms around his mother and sister. Together the family cried for their cursed fate