Chapter 3

It has been three days since the loan shark came to our house, in those three days I kept thinking of his "job offer". It was 9:30 pm when I decided that I will go to his bar. I had quite a hard time looking for it, but finally I found he's so called "Sizzling Hot Republic".

Outside it stood beautiful yet impulsive women trying to get as many customers as they can. "Hi there tootsie!" the loan shark casually greeted me, gesturing me to come in. I followed him as the other men looked at me, I was so scared.

Even though my father told me not to go, I still went. I'm so sorry father; I am such a thick-headed girl.

"So you wanna work here right?" I nodded having second thoughts along the way. "If you want to work here you should know how to be attractive, ok?" he suddenly pushes me to the dressing room and said, "Here she is girls! Please take care of her now!" I bumped to a very charming redhead. "You must be Darice, I'm Natalie." "I'm Christine!" "Leila!" "The name's Courtney!" "Hi! I'm Zerille!" the all started to introduce there selves to me, but I can't remember all of them though…

They started to fix my hair, put some make-up on me, and made me wear different daring outfits that I've never tried before. Then after a few minutes I was done, "You look good!" the girls complimented as they circled around me. "Now go out there and hook some men!" they showed the way outside, there was a party with lots of hookers dancing.

There were many girls of pleasure or fille de joie as the French would call them. Men were staring at there bare bodies as they danced sexily. Then a creepy guy approached me, even though I was scared I thought that I'm doing this to get money for my family. He introduced his self to me, the drunk invited me to do it, and he said that he was going to give me big amounts of cash.

We walked out of the bar, "Good luck rookie!" Natalie waved at me. It was so cold outside, he lead me to the dark side of the town. "Let's do it here." "O-o-ok…" he started to kiss my whole body passionately.

I felt so much discomfort, as lust takes over his body. "I'd rather wait for you as you look for a decent job that seeing you sell yourself to men!" I remembered what my father said earlier, so I hopelessly break away from his hands…

I almost choked at my burger as he bluntly told me "And so he raped you…" "Y-y-yeah… that's how I got into this mess…" "Don't worry I'm sure he won't bother you again." As he gave me a warm smile, I suddenly thought of the time. "W-what time is it?!?" "It's 1:00 am…" shocked I stood up, "I really need to go home now."

"Wait! I'll walk you home." He stood up following me outside of the store. We chatted as we walk to my place, "You know what?" "What?" I asked him.

"It seems that I've met you somewhere before." "Me too, you really look familiar to me. You look like someone that I've before." maybe we really met before… but I just can't remember when. "Are you sure we haven't met before?" "I don't know…

I have this strange feeling that we have." that kept me deep in thought for a while. "Oh, where here…" I looked at the window in my father's room. He was staring at Alfred. "So this is good-bye huh?" "Don't worry; maybe by chance we will meet again."

"Are you sure you don't want to report it to the police?" he asked me again, I don't want to 'cause my father more pain. "Don't report it to the police anymore, please." "Ok, if you say so… Oh!" he took a piece of paper and small pen from his back pocket; he started to write some numbers.

"Here, if you ever need any help call me ok?" "Wow, how did you get a paper and pen?" "I always have it inside my back pocket so that I can write random things on it." he is quite random himself isn't he. "Ok, I'll call you if I need some help." "Bye Darice…" "Goodbye!" I waved at him as I shut the door of our apartment.

I went towards my room, "Darice, please come here…" My father called me to his room, "…that guy from earlier, who is he?" I carefully thought of an answer.

"He's my friend." he's my new friend actually, "Oh… friends huh? Just like before?" confused to what my father said I asked him "…before?" "That guy you were talking to earlier… he was old your old playmate." I remember now! So that why he seemed so familiar, he was my old playmate… the playmate which 'caused my mother's death.

It a sunny day we on our way to the park, my playmate, Alfred, was playing with his red ball while my mother bought as some ice cream. As my playmate was playing with his ball, the ball slipped from his hands and rolled to the road.

Now I remember everything, I remembered how my playmate ran after the ball as a fast car was to pass. My mother ran to push Alfred away from the car's path, and instead of Alfred my mother was hit. Blood… there was blood on the road; the driver didn't even stopped to see what he did to my poor mother.

It was quite ironic though, the boy who caused my mother's death just saved my life. Maybe it was just one of God's joke… but it one of the best jokes he made in my life. I don't know why but I have a feeling that we would meet again, I wish that by that time we would still remember each other…