Chapter 1
Positive.
Maria stared at the word transfixed as if daring it to change and become negative.The bright morning sun shone on her through her bathroom window making her feel hotter than she already was.
She quickly scanned the four other tests she had taken and they all came out with the same result. ‘What have I gotten myself into’ she sighed to herself slowly getting up from the floor.
She didn’t know what to feel, happy, sad, excited or mad. She started experiencing morning sickness about a week and half ago but ended up deceiving herself that she had a fever that would soon go away, but now she knew this was something that won’t go away for close to 8 months.
She slowly exited her bathroom and into her bedroom. Her bedroom had nothing to really appreciate. It consisted of a worn out suitcase for her clothes, and a mat for her to sleep on and just outside her bedroom was her kitchen.
She rummaged through her suitcase for her finest skirt and blouse and the business card of the man she ought to pay a visit.
She did not even bother to bath after the task was done for she began to feel so tired that sleep was the only thing she could think about.
She woke up the next morning and was surprised to find out that she had been sleeping for several hours. Presently, it was six am and she needed to be at the Sanchez enterprise at seven am if she wanted to be there before the start of its official working hours.
Maria sighed as she alighted from the taxi that transported her to the enterprise. She looked around lost at what to do. Her emotions were soon occupied with hope when she saw a man whom she guessed was the security man opening the gates to the building. “Hello sir” she greeted when she was at close distance with him.
“What do you want?” he asked harshly. Almost immediately, all sense of glee left Maria’s demeanor. “Um .....I...I want to see the boss” she stammered. “The boss is not around” he replied rudely, finally looking at her at full length. “I will wait for him then” she said. “I said go away!” the man shouted at her face giving her an unfair whiff of his morning breath.
She was about to plead when he took her arm roughly and threw her onto the pavement. Her hands immediately clutched her stomach amidst giving out a cry of pain.
“Mr. Lowbow, don’t you think that’s a little too harsh?” A person whose voice she clearly remembered spoke getting closer to the scene. Maria scrambled up painfully to get a better view of the man who spoke. In her perspective, Mr. Sanchez looked very different compared to the last time they were together because this time he was in his business attire.
“I am guessing you want to speak to me?” he asked Maria who nodded meekly in return. “Then up we go, oh, and Mr.Lowbow, be a little gentle next time” Mr. Sanchez cooed.