TWO WORLDS APART

CHAPTER 2

"Your father came to me begging that I loan him ten thousand dollars. I think this was before the time poor Hilda, your mother passed away " said Uncle Jordan as he kept driving. His pupils were like little beads and kept moving from side to side as he searched for his incompetent brother.

"So he signed me as his next of kin. If you can't get him then I'll have to pay off his debt" said Amelia. Her father was a scum. All men were, but surely her uncle would not hold a child as a debtor, she thought to herself as she stared at his chest rise up and down. Deep down, she hoped there was a heart down there.

"I don't like the situation as it is but yes I'll have to make you work till you can clear his debt" said Uncle Jordan as he took his eyes off the road for a while so he could look at her. His eyes were as dark as coal and cold like a night in Iceland. His stare was hard and carried little emotion. He wrapped his hands around the steering wheel and held on tight like he wanted to squeeze something out of it.

'Ring… Ring' her cell phone rang from the inside of her bag. Four eyes watched as she stretched to see who the caller was. Perfect timing, Dad, she thought as his caller ID showed on the screen.

"Hello. Dad, what have you done? "said Amelia as soon as she picked up. Hearing his voice from the phone broke her once more and took the very last ounce of strength left in her. "I'm sorry Amy but I'm running away," said her father as he began talking to her. "Don't you say you are sorry because you are not. I'm your child and you signed a contract with the devil and I'm your price" said Amelia as her voice began to break. Her throat ached and so did her eyes." I'm sure Jordan came to get you. I just sold the house and I'm already long gone from town. Take good care of yourself, Red. I love you, " her father said before hanging up. "I'm not a f*****g babysitter, Adam! "her uncle screamed at the phone.

"I had a dream, I got everything I wanted but when I wake up I see you with me and you say… "

The radio was on. Billie Eilish, her favourite artist, was singing. It's like she knew her dilemma. Normally she would be singing along but not now. Never at a time like this. Her father had just abandoned her to debt she couldn't fathom how to pay off. Just like magic, poof! Her life was put on a halt. No graduation for her. Her father just disappeared like that.

Her uncle had thrown a tantrum and directed his anger towards her but now he seemed calm and kept making suggestions on how she would pay him off. How did I not see this coming? She asked out loud, not expecting any response. She was still in shock.

The journey to Los Angeles finally ended. Her uncle had decided to take her home with him to keep a close watch on his debtors. "Don't take it personally, it's just business," he said. She couldn't even say a word anymore. What was the meaning of everything? I thought a child was a gift. How come her mother's dead and her father abandoned her, she thought to herself.

The city of glitz and glamour. Everyone dreams of hitting it big. Everyone's struggles are kept unseen, as they try to meet societal standards. The toxic atmosphere and 'fake it till you make it' seemed to gross her out.

There weren't this many lights back at Beverly. You need at least two or three bulb lights to find your way in a room. This is a waste of money, Amelia mumbled to herself.

"Now it is just noon. The night view is the best, trust me" said Uncle Jordan from his seat. She had almost forgotten he was there, of course, she couldn't forget her father abandoning her and deep down she knew she would never forgive him.

She recalled the saying 'To err is human, to forgive is divine' but she knew her father and herself were both far from that. He was a monster, not human. She wasn't divine, she was cursed probably by her mother's ghost for leaving her that night. Why did everything hurt so much? she thought as she wiped a bead of tears that had escaped her eyes.

Honk! The loud noises came from the vehicles stuck on the freeway. She watched as her uncle blasted his horn in response. It was 7 pm already and they were still stuck in the freeway. The Volvo beside theirs had its paint smeared by some hideous scratch marks. The driver was probably a street racer or an underaged driver. The thought of that made her buckle her seat belt.

She was trying to adjust to her new reality. She could get a job as a cleaner or waitress and maybe work for six years to be able to pay off her debt. She was studying fashion design, so a new world like Los Angeles would allow her to study recent trends. She loved the lights that glowed in the night, her uncle was right, the night view is the best. She hated the casino life, it would always remind her of her father.

Her uncle seemed to be enjoying himself. He grinned at some half naked ladies that stood at the corner of the road, like he was some horny teenager.

"A few more turns and we would be home. My eyes are f*****g tired" said her Uncle after they were beyond the busy streets of L. A; things were now more silent. She tried remembering her last experience with her uncle and his family.

Jordan had married his wife Ann after he had eloped with her, when her family disapproved of their union. They had 3 daughters of which two had brown hairs like their mother but the eldest, Emily had a light coloured red. All were poorly behaved. She remembered how Emily had screamed at her mother to dye her hair with a darker shade of red because she wanted hers to look better than Amelia. Her mother had gotten a cheap dye that caused Emily a traumatic hair loss. Emily spent the whole Christmas blaming Amelia for everything and her mother, Ann for her hairloss.

Now I think about it. That was pretty stupid of Emily, she thought as she rolled her eyes as the drove into the garage. She grabbed her bags and followed her uncle to the doorway.