Chapter Eight

"Alright, thank you doctor." Then I suddenly remembered. "What about the medical bills?"

"I wanted to speak to you about that. The catering company covered a percentage of the bills. However, there is still an outstanding and your mother also needs medication. I'll have the nurse inform you about the exact details."

Just then, there was a beeping noise.

"Excuse me young man, but I must attend to another patient." Dr Barnes said as he got up to leave.

"Thank you again, sir." I said as we both left the office.

I found Ola and Ayo seated in the lobby and walked over to them.

"Michael, I want to see mom." Ola said as she stood up from her seat and walked towards me.

"Of course, you can go ahead." I replied.

I watched as she walked into the room where our mother was and I wondered how mom planned to break the news to her.

"Laura and Idris are here. They said they're waiting downstairs and want to know if they should come up." Ayo glanced up from his phone.

I smiled a bit at that it was just like them to rush to my aid. I already felt better when my closest friends were with me.

"Sure, let them know which floor we're on." I replied.

Minutes later, I heard the elevator doors open and they both hurried toward us.

"Michael? We heard what happened. Is your mom alright?" Laura grabbed my hand and squeezed tight.

"Yeah, Ayo told us everything. We would've gotten here sooner but my phone was switched off and I didn't see the message until a while ago." Idris said.

"Guys, it's okay. My mom is going to be fine." I said, even as I forced myself to believe the words.

When it was late, the nurse suggested that we leave so that my mom could get some rest. We said our goodbyes and headed outside.

"I'll drive you and Ola back home. Idris and Laura can ride back together." Ayo said as we approached the parking lot.

Laura gave me a tight hug.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to call." She said.

Idris patted my shoulder twice, no words were necessary. I knew he had my back. They all did.

 I woke up the next day after a restless sleep. It was 8:00 am on a Sunday morning. Usually, by that time my mom would have had us up and ready for church. But now, I couldn't even bear the thought of going. My dad had always said that we should be strong in the day of adversity. Well, I guess I wasn't that strong because after his death, I practically shut down.

 "Michael? Can I come in?" I heard Ola ask through the door.

"Sure." I replied.

I noticed that she was already dressed.

"You're not ready yet?"

I was still in my pajama bottoms and loose white T-shirt.

"No, I'm not going today." I said.

"Oh… well, I'll go with the Johnsons." She said.

"Yeah, you go ahead." I said.

"Alright, see you later." She said as she left the room.

About half an hour later, I got up and freshened up. Once I was dressed, I made my way downstairs. I recalled the conversation I had with my mom just a few days ago. She'd said that I was too young to take up responsibility. Well, I guess life had other plans.

#

Most shops were closed due to it being a Sunday morning, but I found a few that were open. A brief search revealed a somewhat decent-looking building which had a neon red sign displaying the word "Donny's". I decided it was worth a shot and walked in.

  The ground floor was split into two sections. To the left was a café where a few customers sat and to the right was a small convenience store which was separated from the cafe by a glass wall an in-built door. I walked over to the counter behind where a man who looked to be in his thirty's stood.

"Excuse me?"

"Good day, shall I take your order?" He took out a notepad and pen.

"Oh no, I'm not here for that. I'm actually looking for a job."

He paused and stared at me.

"You're here for a job…" He trailed off.

"Yes please, I'm kind of desperate."

"Alright, give me a minute." He went through the 'employees only' door.

Shortly after, he returned with a younger guy in tow. He seemed to be around my age.

"Ricky, cover for me will you? You, come with me." 

I quickly followed. We made our way through the door in the back and up a flight of stairs before he stopped and knocked quietly on a door.

"Who's there?" Came the gruff reply.

"It's Sam, boss. There's a guy here for a job."

There was silence for a while and then the sound of shuffling.

"Come in."  The voice said.

 My eyes immediately went to the silver-haired man on the two-seater couch. In his lap was a young woman who looked to be half his age. My eyes widened in surprise before I quickly masked my emotions.

"Why don't you excuse us for a while, sweetheart. I'll call you when I'm through." He said to her before he turned to face us.

  The girl obliged and walked out of the room. Subtly, she winked at me.