DESTINY KNOWS THE PERFECT TIME

From Los Angeles, Mark Cozwell’s family relocated to Nevada due to his father’s work.From being the Superintendent of California State Police Intelligence Division his father was promoted as the Chief Superintendent of Las Vegas Police District.They are now residing in an executive village in Vegas with his parents, and his younger sister. His father bought a 3-storey house in Centennial Hills that is previously owned by his aunt who migrated in the US from Australia three years ago.

Mark is a fresh graduate of Electrical Engineering in the University of California and now reviewing for his upcoming state board licensure examination in Nevada. Whenever he is free from review class, he always go to his cousin who is a member of a rock band. Mark also loves music and play guitar. His dream is to perform in a big stage someday.

“How’s your review class, Mark?”

Mark smiled and softly hugged his mom.

“It’s okay, Mom. Don’t worry, this is just a piece of cake. And let me remind you of your gift when I enter the top 10.”

“Sure! Not a problem. Just be sure that you’re doing well and let me do the negotiation with your dad regarding your dream Ford Escape”

“Nice one, Mom!”

Two Months Later

Cattsy put out the cigarette and threw it into the trash bin. She has been waiting on the wall of a mall parking while watching few teenagers and yuppies enjoying coffee in a nearby Starbucks.

How lucky these rich bastards! she thought.

Aside from daily dose of expensive coffee, they also puff expensive cigarettes. One group of teenage girls even wear slims.

I would like to beat their jaws ’till it breaks!

Sometimes, when Cattsy has lots of money, which rarely happen - she’ll drink coffee in the mall but not in expensive Cafes. She drinks coffee in a cheaper Go Nuts Donuts in front of Starbucks. It offers less expensive espresso together with a stick of cigarette. She smokes and takes her coffee outside.

She was about to light her newly bought stick of cigarette when suddenly she feels that the lighter is missing in her pocket.She’s looking for the lighter in her cheap Hello Kitty bag when someone whistled beside her. Right beside is a man smiling and offered his silver-platted lighter.

“Thank you,” she said.

With a smile, the man approached her.

“Care for a cup of coffee? From what I see we are both alone”.

“Sure, will it be a treat?” Cattsy with a smile replied.

“Of course!”

“Let’s go.”

Cattsy made some steps toward the Go Nuts Cafe.

“Miss, wait.”

“Yes?” in a high character accent.

The man scratched his nape.

“We’ll have coffee there, not here.” pointing at the opposite direction where Starbucks is located.

“I’ll go with you in Starbucks but I’ll buy doughnuts here first.”

Cattsy turned back with two pieces of Go Nuts Donuts and marched her way to Starbucks.

“Where should we sit?” Cattsy asked.

“Seats outside will be fine. I’ll take an order for us. What do you want?” the man offered.

“Anything. Just like what you want, maybe.”

The man nodded while putting out his cigarette. He pulled a chair for Cattsy. Like a queen in her throne, she sat there while puffing her cigarette. The man came back smiling.

“Let’s wait for our orders to arrive. By the way, I’m Mark.” He seated.

“Cattsy.” A short reply with a shake-hands.

“I was watching you earlier.” he said.

“It’s good that I was able to see you. At least I have someone to talk to. I’m just new here in Vegas. We moved here from L.A.”

“Wow, nice. You’re from Red Hot Chili Peppers’ hometown, right?”

“You’re also a big fan?”

“Not really but my aunt loves them so much. She even painted their faces on our kitchen.”

Mark laughed. “That’s awesome.”

“You tried this doughnut. It’s a local brand but it’s good.” Cattsy offered.

Their conversation travelled from cigarettes to different rock bands when the waiter calls in.

“Sir Mark? Your coffees are ready.” Mark nod and went inside to get their order. After getting their drinks, they continued the conversation that went on and on. They even ordered number of press coffee before Cattsy checked the time.

“Oh, it’s getting late! I need to go home or else my aunt will scold me for going out. I’m just chilling here at the mall but I often stay at downtown stores but I got bored with the same sceneries everyday so I went here. I’ll go now. By the way, thanks for the coffee!”.

“Wait.” The man attempted to stop Cattsy from going. “I can drive you home. Where’s your place?”

Cattsy looked at Mark and thought that she can save money, instead of paying for a taxi.“Okay. Just drop me off at Downtown street.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Nice wheels!” she said when they reached the parking lot. “Cool!”

“My dad bought this for me as a present”, with a little bit shyness he replied.

Must be nice to be rich, Cattsy thought then sat at the front passenger seat of the SUV.

Mark happily looked at Cattsy with a smile on his face right after he dropped her off at McDonald’s near Downtown street.

That girl is different, he thought. She is the first girl to ever caught his interest ever since they relocated in Las Vegas.When he asked Cattsy if she is in a relationship, she said “No,” then she moved out of the car.

“Bye for now.”

Once again he smiled and looked at his phone on the dashboard. He got her digits. Since his car is a new gift from his father when he entered the Top 3 in the Electrical Engineering licensure examination, he is very careful of handling it. He doesn’t even smoke inside it, because he’s worried about making the car smell bad. He just felt that he wants to lit up a stick so he stopped along the way.

Holding his cellphone, he went outside standing next to his SUV while smoking and typing a message for Cattsy.

Please take care and we will see each other soon. It’s me, Mark Cozwell. And I.....

He never had the chance to finish his message because a thief suddenly stole his cellphone.

“What the f-!”

The thief ran away with his cellphone in a speed of light that even his own eyes can’t see where the thief went through.Frowning and pissed off, he just punched the air.

It was seven in the evening. From Downtown street, Cattsy walked another 30 minutes to go home. Her smile can’t leave her lips because of a good-looking guy who shared amazing time for coffee and drove her home. She will never let go of that guy.

She passed by the off-track betting station that holds motorcycle racing where a lot of people came to bet. There are food stalls, stores, gays and musicians everywhere. Whenever she pass by this place, she just feels free from stress. Different kinds of people roam there, from executives with their cars, salesmen from different companies, cab drivers and of course the locals and by-standers. They are altogether for one thing- the race.

She then saw her father Candro who’s sitting comftably with his friends betting for the race.

“Dad!”, shouting to call her father.

The thin man looked at her. Candro is only 39 but he already looks like a senior citizen because of gray hairs. Her father is an alcoholic and an occasional marijuana user - as what she knows at least about him.

“I bet you are from the mall, again.” the man accused.

She put both of her hands on her waist and answered rudely. “Yes! And you? Your day was just about to start, huh?”

“Glad you know.” he answered with the same attitude.

Cattsy laid out her hand and said “Give me some dollars.”

Her father frowned and replied “I just gave you this morning!”

“I have spent it. It’s gone.” she said.

“Candro my bro! just give your lovely daughter what she wants.” Alfred, their neighbor as well as her father’s bestfriend, said.

She smiled. “It seems like we are both thinking mutually, Mr. Alfred.”

“Of course. You are the only daughter so Cadro should treat you like a princess. My bestfriend is so lucky to have a beautiful daughter like you. My daughter’s name is princess but she looks like a prince! She’s tomboy.” accompanied with laughter.

“I don’t know what my wife is thinking when she named our daughter. I said we should name her ‘Amanda’ because she looks like her Grandma Amanda. But she named her Princess. Just look at the outcome. Still God has mercy for He blessed me a handsome son, Norman. You two can be a great couple since you have the best faces in town.”

“Even if you bribe me all day with your words I will not date Norman, Mr. Alfred! He is not my type of guy.” she bluntly said while shaking her head.

Alfred shyly scratched his head and laughed.

She then turned to her father.

“Dad, where’s the money? Just give it to me so I can go home now. I’ll buy food coz I’m hungry.”

“You, holy crap!” shaking his head he slipped his hand into his pocket to get the money. He gave her some penny.

“Cathrina!”

“Dad, please call me Cattsy! A cat so sexy!”

“Shut up Cathrina, you are spending too much ever since you stopped going to school. You always depend on the money I give you.When you are still studying you only spend a little the whole day.”

Cattsy ignored her father’s rant. She put the money in the pocket of her skinny jeans.

“Thanks, Dad! Bye!”.

She continue walking. The area is crowded and so many people. It’s the slum corner of the city and the streets are narrow. There were kids outside and playing. Some women stand-by their houses, the number of them triples outside when the night goes deeper. Some just want to watch people passing by. And one of their favorites is Cattsy.

“Hey Cattsy, what a nice blouse you got there. Is that the latest trend- one that shows your tummy?” a fat woman carrying a child said. Their house is just blocks away from her own. Her name is Brakita, one of the gossip queens in their area.

“Yes, Brakita.”she mockingly said while walking with her high heels.

“It’s a shame on you that you will never be able to wear this kind of clothes. It will not hide your flabbiness.”

“You piece of shit... This bitch got a nerve eew,” pissed off.

“I’m just saying the truth, Brakita. Don’t be offended.”

She was meters away from Brakita when she heard another insult. “Such a whore!”

She stopped momentarily and went back with rage. “Pardon Brakita?”

“Why? Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear me say that you are a whore?” Brakita mockingly said.

Putting her hands on her waist she replied. “Don’t you ever call me a whore because I am not a whore. Next time I hear you saying bad things about me I will make your mouth burst in blood. Try me!”

Brakita stood up and carried her baby. “Don’t you know? You are known in this area as a ‘whore’. Isn’t that a fact?”

Cattsy pointed her finger towards Brakita.

“You! You are lucky since you’re carrying your ugly baby! If not you probably have french kissed the asphalt here!”

“Oh? Why don’t you try it?” she angrily said.

“You are a feisty one. Try it to see who are you talking with. Maybe it will be you who will french kiss the drainage. Bitch!”

People started to circle around them. Even the kids are watching the fight.

“You two! Stop this!” Madonna said then turned to Cattsy. “Cattsy, go home!”

She showed an about-to-punch stance to Brakita. Cattsy wanted to say some dramatic lines to end the argument like what she hears from television dramas but instead she just turned back and walked away. She was about to explode because of that contention. She may have to spend a night in jail if she failed to calm down.

“You looks mad, what happened?” her aunt Mitsy said after she entered their small house. She is the only younger sister her father has. She has two sons, both in grade school, who have different fathers and no husband. Inspite of it, her eldest son receives support from his father who works abroad.

“That fat piggy Brakita ruined my day! She called me a ‘whore’. She’s just jealous for not being able to wear this kind of clothes!”, she sat on the sofa that also serves as an orphanage for different insects.

Aunt Mitsy shook her head and looked at Cattsy.

“How come you will never be labeled a ‘whore’ if you wear that thing? Like your soul is even exposed because of that blouse.”

She suddenly stood up.

“You are even siding with that fat woman, aunt Mitsy?” she said irritatedly and went inside her room like a child throwing tantrums.

“After your Mom passed away, you have changed Cattsy.” Aunt Mitsy added.

Mitsy ignored what her aunt is talking. Inside her messy room she took off her pants and let her body fall on the bed.

Her eyes were fixed to stare the ceiling for awhile. What her aunt Mitsy said is true. After her mother passed away almost two years ago, she went through a phase called teenage rebellion. She stopped concentrating in her studies.

Her mom’s sister lives in Arizona. Her mom needed to move there where she was offered with a domestic job. This convinced her to earn more money compared to when she’s still selling vegetables in a local market. But her mom failed to support them financially. In the fourth month she collapsed. She was rushed in the hospital because of high fever and diagnosed with a high-grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or NHL, a cancer in lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. NHL attacks the lymph nodes or any internal organ associated in the lymphatic system. It was already in stage 4 when it was discovered.

Through the help of her aunt, her mom was able to get home. She refused to undergo chemotheraphy. She thought it was just a waste of money and they don’t even know where to get money for her treatment. After a month, she passed away.

Cattsy can’t take her mother’s death. Apathetic and depressed. That was Cattsy for a month after the death of her mother. Thanks to Pamela, she was able to recover little by little. Pamela is a comedian that always make people laugh. There will never be a dull moment with her. Her home is far away from Cattsys’ and she went there for some reasons. From then on, they became good friends despite of the difference on their social status. Pamela’s mother is an owner of dress shop located in the mall and her father is a seafarer.

Similarly, Pamela and Cattsy are both 20 years old and a solo child. Because of poverty, Cattsy stopped studying. Indeed, Pamela is a rebellious daughter who also went out of school and is now a home body as if she doesn’t have anything to do.

The next day, her phone suddenly rang. She thought it was Mark, the guy she met, but it was Pamela.

“Let’s hang out tonight, girl. Me and Jhonny will pick you up at 8PM. Give me a thumbs up if you’re in.”

Jhonny is Pamela’s boyfriend.

“Okay, I’ll wait for you two.” She replied immediately.