Jamdown

Chapter 28

Terry Arden

I was told anyone could be their own boss. Lies were sweeter than candy I guessed, because I believed it. Now, Benedict was standing in front of me within the kitchen, a receipt of our business bank account laid on the countertop between us.

We had eight thousand dollars left in it. That was not bad, but guess what, our debt was over twenty thousand dollars.

Remember what I said about profit? Guess what, it was negative now.

I said, "I told you." Even though I never wanted to.

Benedict held his palms up. "Okay, you were right."

I narrowed my eyes in disgruntlement. "Who cares, what I want to know is where the money going to come from?"

"We'll figure something out."

"We need a plan, not a promise." I turned away from him in withheld fury.

"It's my fault we're not getting enough work from the hotel right now."

I grabbed my face and wiped it. That was not the issue. Our personal expenses were the thing eating into the business's profit. There were two options, charge more money for tours or fire Vanessa.

Each option had consequences. Well, there was a third option, I could do menial jobs I hated to compensate for the expenses.

There were some window-making jobs I could take.

Benedict started. "It would-"

"Ardeeeen!" Whose voice was that, it sounded very familiar.

Benedict went outside to check. I looked at the receipt and sighed. Benedict returned. "It's for you."

I whipped my head back in surprise. "Me, who is it?"

He thumbed outside. "Johnson sister."

"Johnson?"

He said in exasperation. "The runner guy on Donavan team."

My memory concentrated hard before I realized who it was. "Nodelyn?"

Wasn't Irwin's last name Pristine? Maybe Johnson was a nickname.

"Gwan check still." Benedict was leaving the room.

I called, "Bro?" Benedict stopped. "Don't call Vanessa for the next trip."

Benedict's eyes widened then he nodded without a word. Hard choices, I hated them. Vanessa was from a good family, so she'll be fine. She was not starved for money like we were. I got outside to the evening sun that burned our land without mercy.

If I thought life would greet me with this precious moment of having Nodelyn visiting my home, I would have told them, they were delusional.

Life threw curveballs I liked sometimes. Nodelyn was wearing a pearly white sleeveless, loose round neck blouse and a brown plaid patterned skirt. A square brown handbag rested on her shoulder.

Why was she here?

I sat down on the wall next to the front gate cautiously. "Miss Pristine."

Her face depressed as her eyes bore into me. "Yeah, it's Johnson."

I stiffened.

She gave me a reassuring grin. "Yeah, Irwin teach you that? That's my mother's name, I don't go by that."

"Oh." Why though? I swallowed. "I will just call you Nodelyn. If that's no problem?"

She grinned with more confidence and swayed on shifting feet. "That's fine. So wha' gwan big man?"