CHAPTER 14: ODE TO MOTHERS
When it comes to money, Trinity wasn’t one to procrastinate, so she made a call to her neighbor and informed her of the availability of the money.
[I will be there in a moment,] the neighbor replied urgently before hanging up.
Trinity looked at her phone with a helpless smile on her face. This was the first time that she had seen this loyal customer of hers, so desperate like that. Maybe she was truly in a bind. She couldn’t help but wonder what kind of problems she was facing.
Anyway, having such kind of thoughts wouldn’t make sure that her house gets cleaned. So, with her curiosity tucked aside, she climbed down from the bed and visited the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and washed her face.
Once she was done, she changed into a clean old tracksuit, ready to do some work.
She wanted to clean the shop and start selling the latest tomorrow.
Before cleaning the shop, she needed to deal with her house first. When she was in the middle of doing so, there was an urgent knock, followed by the calling of a familiar voice.
“Trinity, it’s me, Diana!”
Upon hearing the name, despite knowing the voice, Trinity went to the door and unlocked it, revealing the person who had made her earn a lot from the moment she started the lending business.
“Good morning, Diana,” Trinity greeted politely the other as she let her in with a smile.
Diana smiled flatteringly at Trinity entering the familiar house with ease and replied, “Good morning, Trinity,” her eyes darting around the full house. “Oh! You bought goods to send home already?”
Trinity laughed faintly when she heard that as she closed the door and answered, “No. It’s not for home. It’s for the tuck shop. I will be selling starting tomorrow,” revealing her project to the customer-neighbor, Diana.
When Diana heard that, her eyes lit up as she looked around. “That’s good. Now I don’t need to go that far away to buy things. Just make sure you add a few more things!”
“Hahaha!” Trinity’s eyes lit up as she listened to that, Diana looking more pleasing to the eye. “I will. And as long as you all support, I will fill it to the brim.”
“Hehe, I will be waiting to see that.”
The two familiar people exchanged some pleasantries, and in the process, Trinity found her book, which she records when lending people loans.
She wrote down the IOU which stated that she, Trinity had lent Diana, B$1,500 as of 12.12.79. the interest rate of the loan was 30%, which means that Diana on this date, 05.01.80. would be required to return a total of B$1,950 on the due date.
Once that was written, she signed her name and let Diana sign hers as well.
She then got the account details from Diana and made a transfer. When the money reported in, Diana sighed with relief, a glint of relief flickering in her eyes.
“The rest of the money. You can come and take it tomorrow,” Trinity didn’t forget to remind Diana as she was leaving.
With a smile on her face now that she had some money, Diana nodded as she responded, “Sure. Thanks!”
After giving Diana money, Trinity entered the house and continued with her chores.
With the house clean, she prepared some cereal to pad her stomach first. It was still too early for her to have a normal breakfast.
With something in her belly, she picked up her cleaning tools, exited the house, locked the door, and marched to the shop.
“Good morning, Trinity!
“Good morning!”
On her way, she came across her neighbors who she exchanged some pleasantries and started gossiping in the morning.
When they saw her unlocking the tuck shop, they became curious about what she was doing. Trinity didn’t hide the truth from them and truthfully told them about her opening the tuck shop.
There were different reactions from the tenants, especially the females. However, the males seemed eager for the tuck shop to start operating. After all, buying cigarettes at home made life easier for them.
Trinity understood that women were creatures that had never had enough and couldn’t be pleased. Envy, jealousy and sourness were part of life. She also felt the same when she watched those who were superior to her in many ways.
So, she didn’t get offended by those who didn’t seem happy with her project.
With so much work to do, she put on earbuds and selected her favorite playlist, which happened to be the first album of someone she really liked. An idol who was different from all these idols. She was the most successful socialite she had ever seen, or rather, the world had ever seen.
Her straightforwardness and kind heart attracted her. The way she splurged money to help others made her feel sour and motivated. What started as hate turned out into worship. And now her songs were her favorites, especially the song titled Ode to Mothers.
It was a song sung by Diamond, a popular socialite and influencer, who hailed from a neighboring continent called Orkney and lived in a country called Athary. She was the richest woman she had seen and recently when the month started; she did it again and gifted her fans five million in her national currency.
When that money was converted to Botwaru currency, the money was equivalent to three million something. But it was still a lot. She didn’t even know what the other was celebrating, but it should be good.
Anyway, with the song on, Trinity was pumped up and started working earnestly.
Her energy especially increased whenever the chorus of Ode to Mothers was sung.
[So, here is to mothers near or far,
Whose endless giving knows no cease;
You are the light, the guiding star,
And in every step, you make your children know peace.]
She couldn’t help but be reminded of her hard-working mother, who disregarded what society said and raised her alone until she became the twenty-seven-year-old woman she is right now.
Without her mother’s love, protection, and dedication, who knows where she would be right now?
For all the effort she put into raising her, she couldn’t help but sing along.
After all, she was a child who still hadn’t made her mother proud in the way that she wanted.
She was going to work hard until she made it.
She wasn’t going to renegade on that promise.