SWNOVELS Chapter 24: A fight for Survival
Nancy had been impatiently waiting for the man. She had allowed herself to hope that she could get lucky when it seemed like her luck had turned against her. Nobody to help, her so-called love had deceived her and made her pregnant and she was stranded with no job in a hell hole not suitable for any human let alone a pregnant woman.
The walls were soaking wet and she had no bed just some think cartons, she had torn and spread on the floor and placed some of her wrappers on it as a makeshift bed, believing it would serve till she got a job and better her housing conditions.
But she had been impatiently waiting for the man. Maybe she could have shown him where she was residing, that would have made him realise just how urgent she needed the job.
No! That may have put him off or insisted on charity and she would not have that.
She was Wella le to cater for herself and not live on charity. She had her pride and dignity to protect.
If the man was not going to fulfill his promise, then she would just have to look for a place to be their housekeeper or cook or any such menial jobs since getting an office job was proving difficult but one thing she would not try again was to take her own life. She owed it to her baby to keep alive and stive to survive because she was a survivor.
She had already got herself ready since morning hoping that the man, what was his name again? Campbell! Yes, Campbell something or the other would come but maybe she had just got her hope up for nothing or maybe it was still too early.
'He has to speak to the friend of his and wait for his feedback. It could definitely not be as fast as all that and he had his own business to take care of too'. How did she expect him to forego his own commitments for her? He would definitely help her but after he was done with his engagements and it might take a week at the earliest and she didn't have that time. She could do something else in the meantime.
She put on the only good foot ware she had that was sensible given her delicate condition and stepped out of the house. She walked purposefully, she had glanced at some papers but found no one advertising for a house keeper but she was going to go to the big houses, she found and make enquires. She was sure that before she asked ten of them, one would definitely require her services.
The first apartment just banged the door on her face rudely asking her to look elsewhere.
The second and the third apartments she tried did not bring her better luck than the first except that they spoke a bit politely asking for her cell phone number so they could contact her when there was any need for her services.
Her cell phone was a thing that was long gone. She had had to sell it to feed herself when things got difficult.
What was the use of a cell phone when she could not recharge it and nobody called her anyway except her parents who she was trying her utmost to avoid until she sorted herself out. So, the phone had been sold for less than it was worth. It was one of the gifts Robert had given her and she didn't want to keep it in any case since it reminded her of his betrayal. It was still very fresh in her mind and extremely painful It was stupid of her to think that selling the cell phone would help. her get back at Robert and forget him when the perpetual remembrance of the most costly mistake she had ever made was implanted in her womb.
She was not going to blame an innocent child who never begged to be conceived for her stupidity and gullibility.
She had no contact number to give them and promised to check back in about a week.
Indeed how was she going to get employed now, if she did not have anyone to refer her nor a contact number to give and no postal address as well. It was hopeless. She was losing hope. She didn't know wha to do. If any one of them offered her employment and it came with accommodation, the better for her.
Her only hope now was for the man to contact her. She hoped he would be successful in convincing and persuading his friend to give her a job. Any job. If she had rembered, she would have also asked him if he knew any family who needed a housekeeper
That might have been easier.
Then a thought occured to her. 'What if he had gone to the house to look for me? Or where he assumed that I am living? That would be a disaster'. She decided she would have to get a little phone. It did not have to be a sophisticated one. She wondered why the thought had not occured to her before then. With the phone, she would be contacted by prospective employer s and the Campbell man would contact he easily of he had any job information for her but how to get hold of him and give him her number when she bought the phone was another problem which she didn't know how to solve.
At the fourth house, they were really very friendly.
'Oh, what a pity dear, we just employed a housekeeper because the former one relocated. If you had been here yesterday, you would have started with us today but just give us your contact number and we shall get back to you if there are any developments or vacancies'.
The same issue again. Nancy decided she had had enough. She went to shops where used phones were sold. She felt she would get one auctioned at an affordable rate so that she would still have some money to care for herself.
She actually got one. It was small and had limited apps in it but that was not her problem. Provided it would help her call and answer calls, she was okay with it. She got a sim and fixed it. She stayed at the shop and charged the phone to it's full capacity.
Then she went back to the houses that had asked for her contact number and gave them especially the fourth apartment.
By then, it was getting quite late and she was hungry and getting really dizzy.
She bought some canned foods and took home, happy that she had accomplished something that day.