Today like the previous days, I went out early in the morning and walked the streets of Dalbey in search of work. It has become my routine for almost a month now. It's crazy what work has become impossible to find in this country. Yet I am not demanding. Even if it's cleaning the toilet, I'm willing to do it, as long as I have some money to pay for my mom's medical care. Indeed, it has been a year since my mother was diagnosed with terminal blood cancer. She wasn't sickly by nature though. Just last year she fell seriously ill.
I am my mother's only son. After giving birth to me, she failed to get married. Since then, she sacrificed her happiness for my well-being. Even though she never told me, I know she must have suffered a lot in her life, especially sentimentally. When I was a child, I used to ask her all the time where my father was. She always replied me that he was dead. I wiped away tears in secret because of my nasty classmates who kept reminding me of not having a father.
This was also the case with grown-ups who called me bastard. They were so mean that it had become my name in this neighborhood. When my mother heard this, she moved to another city. Sometimes I caught her crying in her room because of the mean things people did to me. But I asked her not to worry, because for me, she represents a father and a mother at the same time. And it wasn't empty talk. My mother really was. She is a strong woman who has braved rain and sun, winds and tides to take care of me and give me a fairly modest life. I had nothing to envy young people of my age. She always made sure I was clean and neatly dressed. My mother did everything to bring me up and give me a good education. Initially, she offered her services as a cleaning assistant and at the same time she was learning sewing. When she managed to glean a sizable amount of money, she bought herself a sewing machine and opened a workshop in front of our gate. It was with the money earned from sewing that she paid my school fees till to the university.
When the doctor told me last year that my mother had cancer, I thought my world would end. I cried all the tears in my body. Since then, I have been desperately looking for work so that I can pay for therapies that are highly expensive.
At the beginning, I had found a job as manager of an office automation secretariat. The money was used to feed us and pay for my mother's therapy. However, since a month ago, my boss informed me that the former manager was already there and that I had to stop work. Losing my job was a quite bad new for me. The savings I had collected have already all been used up. I don't longer know where to turn. I am tired of walking around in search of work without a positive result. Even my shoes are all worn out from walking. At all the places I have set my feet, I was told that they no longer need one more employee. Yet, it's even the nicest who take time to answer me. Most often, they snub me, look down on me or ask me to leave their premises without failing to insult me. Today in the afternoon, I went to a house. The guard opened to me and I asked him if his bosses were there.
"What do you want from my bosses?" He asked me the question, looking at me strangely.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for a job. Even if it's for scrubbing the toilet, I'm ready to take it. Do you think your bosses can give me a job?" The man stared at me with a least reassuring gaze.
"I don't know. Go ahead and enter this house," he said, indicating with his finger the entrance to the huge house. "Only my boss' wife is there," he continued saying.
I turned around and walked casually in the direction he has indicated to me. I rang as soon as I reached the door and I waited wisely for someone to come and open it for me. A minute later, a woman in the fifties who looked like a servant opened the door for me.
"Good afternoon"! I said hesitantly as she gave me a look that seemed sympathetic to say the least.
"What are you looking for ? She asked me, staring at me from top to bottom.
"Uh ... is your boss there?" At this question, I heared a voice behind her.
"Mary, why are you taking so long? Who is it?" Asked a lady successively before coming to fall on me.
"Good afternoon Madam ..." I stammered respectfully.
The lady looked at me with disdain, to the point that I lowered my head shamefully.
"What are you looking for in my house?Who told you this is a house where tramps can have access?"
" I'm sorry Madam ... I'm just looking for a job ... You know, I can do whatever you want..." Before I finished speaking, the woman called out
"Out of my sight ! You are looking for a job and later on, when you will have access to this house, I'm sure you're going to steal my furnitures."
"No Madam, I promise that I will keep my check and do all my best to satisfy your expectations, but please give me a job to do..."
"Jules come fast!" She interrupted me, turning to the guard.
He came running towards us and the lady spoke to him with a nod of the head. While I was internally wondering what that meant, the guard carried me unexpectedly. He led me out of the gate and threw me to the ground like a garbage bag. I got up painfully and started crying in silence. I was feeling pain in my back. I wiped off the dust that had stuck to my clothes. Why are people so wicked? Did I have to be chased away like a good for nothing? She could have just told me that she had no work to offer me and I would have gone away without causing any problem. I am just in search of work to save my mom. Do I deserve to undergo such an execrable treatment?
Fed up of my miserable life, I took an unknown direction and I walked to a public bench. I sat in the shade and I began thinking about my setbacks and this unhappy life of mine. Why does God allow all of these trials? So am I not entitled to a little break like other people? Why have I suffered so much since my childhood? My thoughts were so sad and gloomy. Tears began flowing along my cheeks until my sight got blured. I was sitting on the corner and there was no one near me. Therefore, I poured out through my tears all the bitterness from my soul without embarrassment. At least here I could cry as much as I wanted without refraining my tears. Since my mom and I slept in the same room, I made efforts not to show myself weary infront of her. Otherwise she will feel bad. So I always make sure to look good when I am with her. Nevertheless, I had more than enough. I couldn't take this suffering anymore. I wanted to scream out my pain and pull it out like gall.
While I was shedding copious tears, I heared
'Sir, is there any problem?" I lifted my head and snot-drenched face to this person standing in front of me. A beautiful young woman was standing there. She made me a reassuring smile as I set my eyes on her. She kindly handed me disposable tissues and I took them from her hands while thanking her. I cleaned my face. The stranger sat next to me on the public bench where I was. I felt ashamed to have been caught by a stranger crying. I told her then with my head down
"I'm sorry you attended this pathetic show!"
"It's nothing. It happens to everyone to have problems in life. And believe me, it is advisable to cry in order to relieve stress." She replied looking comprehensive.
"Thank you!"
"So why are you crying? What is your problem? I'm sure there must be a solution to this." She said to me in a calm tone.
"I don't really think so. Unless a great amount of money falls to me like a miracle from heaven." I replied on a whim.
"So marry me!"
This was the statement of this girl whom I found like crazy.
