Corporate Bride

3.

 

 “Get out!” The landlord yelled and threw a bag out of their house.

 Sydney saw this from the taxi and immediately the driver stopped, she rushed out. Running up the stairs, she got into the house and saw that most of the furniture was missing.

  “Mr Kofi please don’t kick us out. I am working very hard to make the money.” She told the raging man who was pushing her mother’s bag with his foot and she was kneeling in front of him, grabbing his other leg. That sight stung her heart, but she remained silent.

  “No, that’s what you said two weeks ago.” He yelled while moving into Caleb’s room.

  Sydney followed him there. Caleb was busily stuffing his clothes into a bag with trembling hands. “Mr Kofi, please give me, one more week and this time, I promise I’ll get it for you.”

  “No Sydney, not another chance. You people had deceived me over and over again for two months.” He told her.

  “We were trying our best.”

  “Then your best is not enough.”

  “Okay, tomorrow. Give us until tomorrow to move out, but if you kick us out this late at night where will we sleep?”

 “I don’t care where you sleep. What I do care about is that, you people are not spending another night in here and that’s final!”

  
********

      The night was dark and silent. Everyone in the neighbourhood probably heard the noise from their house. They knew that Mr Kofi kicked them out and they were probably peeking through their windows to see the miserable family sitting outside the locked house with their bags.

   “I need a drink.” Adeline, their mother grumbled.

   “You are thinking of drinking at a time like this?” Sydney asked and the miserable mother replied.

  “Yes, why can’t I?” Obviously she didn’t understand the situation they were in, however, Sydney did.

  “We were just kicked out of our house. We have nowhere to sleep tonight and drinking is all you care about? It’s clearly obvious that you don’t care about your children.”

  Adeline rose to her feet from her crouching position and said. “I raised my children to be strong during difficult times. How the hell, do you think you're able to sit calmly when we are in danger of being robbed or killed? That’s because mama raised you well.” She smiled proudly at her children and then added. “Mama also raised you to think of solutions during difficult times, so bring in your suggestions on what we’re going to do now that we’re homeless.”

     Sydney knew they needed help right now. They needed a place to stay and unfortunately, they had no money. She has not received this month’s payment yet. And payments usually came at the end of the month. Unfortunately, the end of the month was two weeks away.

  Oh, what to do? She thought desperately.

  She knew she had to be the one to stand up and take control of this situation because her mother and brother couldn’t. They stopped taking responsibilities a long time ago.  

    At this desperate moment, she would do anything to keep her family safe. Yes, she has decided. Picking up her bag, she took out the business card Mr Niles gave her when they were about to leave.