The street clock struck three at night as Celeste stepped out of Passion Club, unaware of how scary the night could be. Apart from the wind, the only sound was the tapping of her shoes against the concrete tiles of the pavilion. Gripping her phone in her hand, Her eyes searched for Uber, she already booked shared one to save some money. But she found driver already cancelled the ride. Irritation plunged in her.
"Oh jesus! Shasha was on holiday and this happened. I should have left early with a half day leave." For a week, Shasha had been with her, but tonight she had to stay home because her mom was ill. Celeste had to go home alone, and she was scared out of her mind.
She shoved the phone in her pocket and headed towards the road. She thought about getting subway, because it was seventh ride she got cancelled within half an hour. Perhaps the sudden change in weather had reduced the number of taxis nearby.
As soon as she walked through the dark roads, the strong wind began blowing. It was a sign of a big storm, she was not scared of the storm as many scary things were already awaiting her in her life. Dark clouds loomed in the sky, making the weather eerie. She began stepping faster, if it started raining, she had no umbrella.
She walked towards the market, even though she knew hardly any shop would be open at this hour. Even night markets get close by 2 am. It was 3.30 now. Her brother, Jack must be hungry and waiting fot her. She was tired of this scedule but luckily she had morning shift for the next week and she decided to fill the groccery properly as she couldn't able to get everything there.
She just joined as a waitress in a club ten days ago and working in a rotational shifts. The club had huge crowd in the midnight, and hence she was getting late more than usual, plus her manager Martha gave her hard time entire day. Shasha already explained her about their manager and these late night scedules but she didn't know Late night would be almost dawn.
She walked to the supermaket and saw that the door was closed. Disappointed, she continued walking.
"Looks like Jack will have to eat instant noodles again." she said, turning ahead when she noticed that a shop's shutter was slightly open. The light was on. Celeste looked down to see. Luckily, it turned out to be a bread shop, and some cleaning was going on there.
"Sir, can I have a stuffed cheese bread?" She asked, a middle aged men sitting while cleaning the board shook their head. "Please sir." She insisted.
Finally! She felt like she was holding an oscar award while holding a bag of stuffed bread, she headed towards her home.
Celeste was beautiful twenty-one-three year-old girl who was working in the Passion club as a waitress. She was working in a cafe before this but her friend Shasha asked her to switch job because the Passion club was hiring beautiful girls and paying them handsome salary. Even added intensives too. Celeste was the exact girl they wanted to hire, and she really passed the interview at once.
But her dream wasn't of being a waitress. She wanted to be a nurse and even took admission in diploma in nursing from university of Mexico. She was a dedicated student who passed her both years with A+ grade. But someone has rightly said, as soon as something good happens, something bad follows. last year she found about her brother's last stage blood cancer.
Her world was shattered to know that, because after her mother, jack was the only person she could rely upon. He was just fifteen years old but he had maturity like twenty five, He always act like he was elder than her and she was proud of that. But by last year, Jack became so sick and his health began deteriorating. Her life took an unknown turn and instead of paying fees for her tutions, she decided to use every penny of her in the chemotheraphy treatment of her brother. She was dropped out from the third year, and due to incomplete education she was not able to secure a internship. While she was getting into subway, her phone rang.
"Have you reached your home?" She found a message of Andrew in her phone. Andrew was the most handsome boy in the medical school who always got the best personality award for three years. Celeste never talked with him in the school but they got to know each other after she began the treatment of Jack.
"Not yet." She replied back. Andrew was a doctor by profession. He really helped her alot in Jack's case. She was shattered after getting news of Jack's illness but it was Andrew who really encouraged her.
The subway reached to near station and she headed to her rented apartment. Her apartment was in a countryside area near Mexico, she thought it was better to live away from the city as rented apartments in the main city were expensive. It was safer than bustling city. Moreover, people in the countryside were very helpful, and they had assisted Celeste a lot in settling there. She was just few metres away and she would be realxing in her house within ten minutes.
She just about to get on her stairs, Suddenly, she heard a scream. It sounded like someone asking for the help. She stopped and look around, her eyes went to a man lying at the corner of the road behind a black car. He held his hand on his chest and his face grimaced.
"Ahhh.. Someone.. Help..." he was in a lot of pain. Celeste immediately rushed forward. As she had already learned manu techniques, she started giving compressions on his chest, She pushed her both hands on that old man's chest. After giving few compressions that old man came to his senses.
It was 3.30 in the night and finding that old man in the middle of the road was disheartening. That person was too weak to get up. Celeste held him and took in her apartment.
As soon as Jack opened the door and saw Celeste came with an old sick man his brows furrowed. He remembered how once Celeste was tricked by one lady who appeared pregnant and then she turned out to be thug. He was irritated to see this.
"Why did you bring this man here?" Jack asked her. He stared at that old person who was sweating from head to toe. Celeste barely managed him holding by her hands. "Do you what happened last time."
"Jack, Please calm down. He is too old to harm us. What will he do? He had an heartstroke. I can't let him dying on the street." Celeste answered him, Jack irriattingly went back to his room.
Their apartment had two rooms, one serving as a living room with an open kitchen, and the other as a bedroom with two twin beds. The apartment wasn't very spacious, but Celeste had managed to furnish it with a sofa, two twin beds, a 22-inch television, and some kitchen utensils; there wasn't much else.
Celeste made that old man lie on the sofa in her living room. She checked his pulses and relived that it turned out to be normal. That old man almost slept. She thought it's better to let him rest for now and ask about his family tomorrow.
she returned to her room. Jack had finished eating the stuffed bread she brought and was playing a game on his mobile phone.
"Who is he?" Jack asked her without looking at her. Despite being only 15 years old, Jack's mind was as sharp as a 25-year-old's, and his temper was like that of a 45-year-old'.
"I don't know. I don't know who he is," Celeste said, her lips curled down.
"You brought a stranger into our home without knowing anything about him. What if he turned out to be one of debt chasers?" Celeste got up and went to him, sitting beside him.
"Jack, that man is around the same age as our grandpa. Seeing him reminded me of our grandpa. If I didn't help him, he could have died." Celeste explained to Jack. He didn't say anything, but didn't oppose her words either.
"You go to sleep. As soon as it's morning, I'll send grandpa back to his home," Celeste said, turning on the night lamp and turning off the rest of the lights. Jack, turned his face to the other side and fell asleep. He was quite afraid of strangers. He didn't talk to anyone except Andrew, who was his doctor.
Celeste was so tired to be awake, as soon as she closed her eyes she slept. It was almost dawn. Suddenly, Celeste woke up to a loud noise, more like something broke in the living room.