THE BILLIONAIRES JEWEL

Chapter 1 - It's Her

“Hurry up Eva, we are getting late.” I walk faster my sister in tow trying to beat time for evening tea. My sister and I attend a school not very from our home. We come from the other side of town where stray dogs bark at any passersby scaring them away for fear of getting scabies, where drunkards decorate the once upon a time office pavements now turned garbage parks, where you can’t walk without having all your antennas high otherwise the shoes on your feet will be sold without your knowledge. Where dark shadows lurk and animals of the night howl. Dad would tell us everyday to take great care and not talk to strangers to which Eva always adhere to but me on the other hand, well, do we say I was the black sheep that loved her family to the moon and back?

“I am literally running Olivia. Could you be a little slow?” She asks me sounding irritated.

“As if you do not know where we are passing through. But then again, what do you know?” I mutter to her refusing to slow down.

“Just know mum will hear of this,” She tries to rile me up.

“As if she minds!” I shout at her, “Go ahead baby, go on, continue whining, wait, not just that, start rolling on the floor and chant, ‘I want! I want! I want! crying your ass out,” I release my pent-up anger on her. I don’t really know what is wrong with me today.

“Olivia, I feel a slight headache,” I feel she is trying to slow me down. This girl…

“I am used to your tantrums and lies. So what…I get headaches all the time and nobody does nothing. You can die if you want.” I continue taunting her rendering her speechless.

We pass a dark allay which always has the hairs at the back of my neck stand up. I hear the voices in my head again as always.

 “its her,” One says.

“Shes beautiful,” another one hisses.

 I walk back and grab Eva’s hand in anger moving with her pace until we are off the dark zone. I see our small house with the white fence, one that was done by my dad as per my wanting. Well, I am not a spoilt brat but my dad sure loves us and could move mountains just to make his children smile.

Our house is a small two-bedroom house with minimal furniture as we can’t afford some luxury. Dad works as a mechanic for a rich man, Sir. Dominico Garcia who owns half of New York. My mum is also a housemaid at the mansion and Sir loves her to the moon and the back. Story has it that he was once in love with her but mum left him because she couldn’t handle the limelight. This made him angry and made her his maid to punish her after making sure she couldn’t get employed in any other company. She couldn’t have it any other way as long as her family was happy, it didn’t matter what he thought of her.

We hurry inside the house and sweet aroma wafts through my nostrils making my mouth water. I hurry to our small kitchen to find mum busy making dinner.

I take a deep breath and smile widely when I see what’s cooking, “Ahhhh….some lasagna, and are these meatballs?”

“Good evening to you too my pretty girls. I have missed you too,” She smiles adorably at us making me feel a little guilty for not noticing her before.

“Oh, sorry mum, its just that…it smells so nice!” I told her hugging her tight together with Eva.

“Group hug it is,” I hear from behind me making us squeal, “Dad!” We jump at him hearing an ‘omph’ from the impact of holding us.

“How are my favorite girls fairing?” Dad asks with a smile.

“Which amongst us all is?” mum asks smiling from ear to ear making my dad peck her on the lips and wink at her.

“Eww, get a room,” I say releasing the hug and walking to my room to take a shower and prepare for dinner.

I come out of the bedroom to find Eva lying in bed holding her head but closing her eyes.

“Eva?” Should I get you your meds?” I ask her rummaging through my few dresses. I choose to wear a beige sweater top and a pair of shorts.

“Naaah…. I will be fine. Give me a few minutes, its subsiding.” She says still closing her eyes.

I decide to let her be and walk to the sitting room for dinner. Before mum serves dinner Eva appears looking a little sullen and pale and sit down quietly. We start digging on the delicious dish making small talks except Eva who seems to become paler with each spoonful.

“Mr. Milocovich has offered me a job once again. I feel like just working for him. He is an equally good young man.” Dad breaks the silence carefully chewing his food.

“Its okay Federico, go where your heart wishes but make sure to let Mr. Gracia know before his son takes over.” Mum says assuring dad.

“Eva, are you okay? Is it the headaches again?” Mum asks Eva looking a little worried and Eva just stares at her.

“You have not touched your food,” She explains further.  I panic and blurt out that Eva had been complaining of a headache since we left school and hasn’t taken any meds.

“Yeah, and you said I could die,” She says glaring at me.

“What the fudge Olivia?” Mum gasped.

“Is hat how I have raised you? Truthfully I have failed then!” Dad said throwing his arms up.

“I am sorry, I was just so worked up and…” I try explaining hoping they would give me a chance. Hearing it coming from somebody else makes me feel guilty. I love my sister, she is my only friend and confidant, young as she is.

“And that gives you the right to talk like that Olivia? You are sixteen for crying out loud!” Mum shouts at me throwing the towel on the table and dragging the chair noisily. She leaves her dinner half eaten and goes to the kitchen. I follow and hugged her from behind, “I am sorry mum. I sincerely didn’t mean it. Please forgive me.”

“You know better that uttering such words. She is unwell, don’t you understand?” She says sniffing and I notice that she is crying.

Mum is a blue eyed blond and very humble. Something as small as saying s**t will rile her up and make you her smacking object. Strict as she is, she has been my confidant ever since time immemorial and she understands me more than anyone else. I have been the black sheep in the family since I was thirteen but she always stood by me, correcting me as much as she could and whipping me when necessary. I do not remember much about my childhood though. I only

“I am sorry mama. You will never hear of such words from my mouth ever again.” I assure her as she calms down.

Dad rushes inside the kitchen shouting, “Fast, Eva has collapsed!”

“What!” We both exclaim rushing towards the sitting room.

“Call the ambulance fast!” Mum says holding Eva’s head on her lap, tears flowing easily from her eyes.

I grab our house phone and dial 911. The phones are dead. I run to my bedroom and grab my cellphone to call the paramedics as fast as I can but the call doesn’t go through. I get devastated and run back to the sitting room to tell them there’s no network. Before I get there, the lights go off limiting my movements for a minute. I feel cold breeze run through my body and I face the window only to see a figure lucking in the dark. I hide and that is when I hear a loud shrill from my mother and my dad begging someone to spare his life. I crouch down and crawl to our bedroom. Finding my window open I heave myself up and jump getting a big gush on my thigh rendering me helpless. I suppress the scream by placing my palm on my mouth and the other hand on the gushing wound. I start feeling dizzy and before long I lose consciousness and welcome the darkness.