Carolina's POV
After an unsuccessful job hunt, I returned home and found my mother, Lilian Edmond, at the front door.
"Carolina, you are 26 years old, yet you have no job or a boyfriend. You cannot continue to eat in this house with us. Take your things and go back!" my mother yelled, standing by the door.
"Mom," I said, looking at her face.
Mom was a 48-year-old woman of average height, with fair skin, blonde hair, and a curvaceous body. She wore a blue dress, while I was dressed in a faded yellow top, an old, brown, frayed skirt, and a pair of black shoes.
I held my old, worn-out black bag and stood silently in front of her. As I tried to speak, "Mom…"
"Carolina, you are not entering this house tonight. You better go back and look for a job. If you do not find one, then do not come home again. If your father and I had known that sending you to the university was a waste, we wouldn't have wasted our money and saved it for your younger siblings. How do you expect us to continue to feed a grown woman like you in this house? If you do not want to work, then remain outside!" My mother went back into the apartment, slamming the door in my face.
I stood outside speechless, looking at the closed door.
It was Friday evening. The time was past 7 p.m. and getting late. I had graduated with a first-class degree in business management, and so far, I haven't been able to secure a good job in this part of the city.
The city was tough, and finding a job as a graduate was difficult.
Well, my parents had five children, and I am the eldest sibling, having two younger sisters and two younger brothers. I am a 26-year-old woman, yet I have nothing serious going on in my life.
I turned to walk back to the road, knowing that my mother shoulders most of our family responsibilities, as my father was just there. He comes home to eat, and we might not get to see him for days.
As I stood by the roadside, I peered at the busy road, thinking of what to do next.
The time was after 8 p.m. There was no agency shop that I haven't gone to apply for a job. Shutting my blue eyes, I reached for my phone in my black bag to contact my best friend, Lucy Campbell.
Lucy works in a clubhouse, and I am sure that she can help me get money to take care of my bills for this weekend.
"Hello, Lucy," I said once she picked up her phone.
"Carolina, what's wrong?" Lucy asked me with a soft voice, as I noticed that she was at work.
The sound of music playing in the background filled my eardrum.
"I am homeless, Lucy. Can I come and stay at your place?" I asked her, knowing that she lived alone.
Lucy and I attended the same college, although she didn't further her education. We remained friends till this day.
"Why? What happened with your family again? Your mom threw you out? This is 8 p.m. How can she send you away at night?" Lucy asked, subtly annoyed, and I tried not to sob.
"Lucy, I cannot blame my mother. The economic situation is too hard now, and Mom is trying her best. I need to get a job. If I can find any job for tonight, I do not mind doing it," I said, sobbing at last.
"It's alright, Carolina. Actually, I am at work now at the Blues Clubhouse. Can you come over to the Club? It's the biggest club and hotel in town. I will try to speak to my boss to employ you, but you must quit speaking locally and speak like a professional like me. That way, my boss can employ you and take you seriously. Also, you must be friendly with the male clients. You will have to endure their touch and how they interact with you," Lucy said.
"Really? I must do all this if I want to get the job? Will it involve kissing or what?" I asked her, my heart pounding.
"No, Carolina. What's wrong with you? You will just have to put on a smiling face. Well, you know that you're a pretty woman, so some of the men might want to ask you out on a date," Lucy said with a soft voice, and I thought about it.
"I don't have any problem with that, Lucy. What matters is that I earn money to foot my bills, even if it means selling my body. I feel like a failure right now," I cried to my best friend over the phone call, and she sighed.
"It's okay, Carolina. You are not a failure. Where are you? Start coming over now. Do you have your transport fare, or should I lend you some money? You know that I don't have much money now to give you. My elder sister's wedding is next month, and I need to make preparations for it," Lucy said.
"Alright. I'll pay you back. Please help me, Lucy. You are the only best friend that I have," I said, and she laughed over the phone call with her contagious laughter.
"Don't mention that, Carolina. I'm sure I'm not your only friend. Anyway, I'll send the money to you. Get here quickly," Lucy gave me an ultimatum before our call ended.
She knew how I had been trying to get a job to no avail.
I sighed, pacing about the road, and I got a message alert of 5000, and I smiled. The money was more than I needed, but I knew that I had to pay Lucy back.
Looking ahead at the busy road, I hailed a taxi and told the driver, "To The Blues Club."
The taxi driver looked at me from head to toe as he sat in his driver's seat.
"Are you sure you're going to The Blues Club dressed like this?" he asked me suspiciously, and I frowned.
"Why? I'm going there to meet a friend of mine," I said, and he shrugged.
"Get into the car. That's not my problem, but your bill is 1500," the taxi driver said as I pulled the car door and entered the back passenger's seat.
"Why? Isn't it 500?" I asked him, and his eyes narrowed at me.
"You can walk. Why get on a taxi?" he said to me coldly, and I frowned and fastened my seat belt.
"It's fine. Take me to the club," I told him, and he nodded and ignited the car before driving off to The Blues Club.