Save me

Chi-May Ling

I felt terrible for Mena when she fell to the ground and started to scream. I had no idea what was happening or why she was screaming in the first place, but it was a good excuse to leave school early and pick up my younger sisters from school.

I ran outside and took my bike out of the stalling. No one was going to miss me anyways. I was always late picking up my sisters, but I will make it on time this time. I rode my bike like an i***t to get there. I had a few red lights on the way, but they didn't stop me from coming on time. I was right there when the bell rang.

The first to come outside was my youngest sister Mira, then came Li outside, then Winnie and then Diyan. They were surprised to see me on time today, but I saw them smile and get there own bikes out of their stallings. It made me smile too.

'You are early Chi.' Diyan said. She was the third daughter my parents got. They had me for nine years, before my mother got pregnant again. We lived in a small village in China where a man and a woman only were allowed to have one child. To be honest my parents were sad they got a girl in the first place. They were excited they were pregnant again. Maybe that time they would get a boy. We all moved to America so they could keep the baby. But Li-Li was a girl so they tried it again and again. I have now four sister before they finally got their dream son. Doni is the last child. Their wonder child, their everything. He has the biggest room, the prettiest cloths and the most toys to play with. They sometimes forgot that they had five daughters as well.

My parents had their own Chinese restaurant, their other pride. In the weekends I had to work their from morning till evening. From Monday till Friday I had the job to take care of my sisters and I worked different jobs just to feed them, because my parents didn't. I worked to get me and my sisters some cloths, just because my parents didn't. No, because Doni got all of their time and money.

I was woken out of my thoughts by sirens. An ambulance raced by the school. I saw Winnie put her hands over her ears by all the noise. s**t, I thought, they called an ambulance for Mena. I wondered what happened to her. I hoped she was okay and that I can talk to her soon. But I had to get my sisters home, get them to make their homework, make dinner, let them shower and go to bed, then I had to work at a bar tonight. I worked from 8 pm till 1 am. At 1:15 I got into bed and my alarm goes at 6:45 every morning. I am tired a lot, but I am used to it now. It's what it takes to take care of my sisters.

'Come, we need to go home.' I said to them. Mira got on the back of my bike while the rest had their own bikes to ride on. We had to ride for 10 minutes before we were home. I let Li drive first because she is the oldest of the little ones. I drove at the back so I can see them all and keep my eyes on them.

When we got home my parents weren't home, they were at their restaurant with Doni.

'Go make your homework girls. If you do it now we can watch a movie later, okay?' I started making dinner. Just some noodles I only had to make warm. I could hear the girls giggle and making funny jokes while sitting on the diner table. They were still so innocent. They didn't choose to born girls, but because they were they weren't worthy of our parents time. It's just sad.

I finished the noodles, put the tv on and let them watch a movie while eating their dinner. After they finished dinner I let them make the rest of their homework with the tv on before I made a bath. I let they youngest two, Winnie and Mira, take a bath while the oldest two, Li and Diyan, where standing in the shower. I put them to bed around 7, so I had time to change clothes before I had to go to work. For one last time I took a peek into their room to see that they were fast asleep. I know the kids aren't alone for long, that is why I could leave them in peace. My mom would come home at 8 every night. She will bring Doni to his room and start the paperwork for the restaurant.

I got back on my bike and rode fast to the bar. I got there just in time.

'Ah, there she is.' My boss Harold was an elder man. He was nice to me. He handed me the apron, which I took and put on. 'How was school today? Have you heard about the girl that got hurt? They say the police is looking for the biker gang who hurt her. Do you know the girl?'

I had been making sure that my sisters were all taken care of, I totally forgot about Mena. 'Yeah, I know her. What else have you heard?'

'Oh, the people around here like to talk a lot. I have heard she was tortured for information by a group of men. She had been locked up for at least a few days. She was cuffed even. I think it's safe to say that all teenage girls have to be very careful at night. First they were just touching the girls, which is awful of course, but now they started torturing them? Are you sure you want to work tonight Chi?'

He had a point but I needed the money. 'Yes, I will be okay Harold. I need the money anyways.' I started to work here when I was fourteen. I lied back then about my age, I told Harold I was sixteen. I was only allowed to clean and sell non alcohol drinks. Now that I was seventeen and in his eyes nineteen, I was allowed to serve beer and everything else too. I liked tapping beer, it thought it was fun.

It was a busy night today. Someone was having a birthday party. There was a group of twenty men and women singing and dancing. They were great tippers too.

'Girl, can I get a beer please? I had a really long night.'

When I turned around the man had his head on the bar, like he was sleeping. I tapped him a beer anyways. 'Here you go sir.' I said, placing the beer on the bar.

Then he looked up. He was surprised, just as I was. 'You.' he spoke soft. 'I have seen you before. You were sitting next to her, next to Mena. Did she say anything to you about what happened to her?'

'Sir, I just work here. I don't know anything.'

'She is your friend right?'

'Can you please talk softer?' I was looking at Harold who was talking to some people in the back. If only he knew I was only seventeen years old, he would have me fired within a second.

'You know more about it do you?'

'I don't know anything.' I said shaking my head.

'Shall I talk to your boss about letting a minor work in a bar serving alcohol?'

'Lance.' Yes, I called him by his name. 'Please, don't do this. I need the money to take care of my sisters. Please, don't tell him.'

'Don't tell who, Chi?' Harold was walking behind bar with a huge smile on his face. He hadn't heard what we were talking about.

'Something about the restaurant from my parents. Nothing serious though, Harold. No worries.' I lied.

'Good.' He answered walking away again. Thank god for that.

Lance looked at me with careful eyes. 'We need to talk. I want you to come to my office tomorrow during lunch. This school has way more problems than the principal knows of.'