A Blessing in Tragic Clothes
A pint of crimson red splattered across the white tiles of Arcane Inn. The zephyr hurt the laceration in my right rib, and the huge amount of force I used to protect myself from my attackers caused the blood to cascade quickly. The two unknown guys fell unto the ground before my vision totally went out.
“Help! Sasha is bleeding!” Alexandra screamed.
“Call an ambulance, quickly,” she demanded when the other employees and lodgers responded to her scream.
The rescue team arrived twenty long minutes, blood continued to flow before they finally took me to the hospital.
“She’s lucky enough, it was just a minor cut. She can be discharged when she wakes up,” Dr. Gordon explained.
“Thank God, thank you doc,” Alexandra retorted then went straight to room 503 to check on me. We became close friends since high school. Alexandra was the chief receptionist at Arcane Inn, and I was under her supervision.
*****
My fingers moved slowly one by one while my eyes eventually opened.
“Hey, thank God you’re finally awake,” Alexandra said.
“What happened to them, did they took the money?”
“Who are you talking about, you were bleeding alone when I saw you.”
“The two teenage guys who attacked me. They…came..I...”
“Sasha, calm down. We can talk about it later. By the way, how are you feeling? The doctor said you were lucky enough to have a minor cut. He said, we can get out of here once you are awake.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. We better get going, I have to work tonight. I do not want to lose my job right away. I do not have anywhere to go nor any penny in my pocket.”
“Do not think about it, you won’t lose your job, do not worry I will talk to our boss. I am sure she will understand. For now, you have to rest and gain your strength back so you will have a full memory of what happened.”
“Thank you so much!”
“Nah. Don’t think about it. Common I’ll help you get ready, so we can get you home.”
“Okay.”
*****
When we arrived, everyone at the inn waited for us including Mrs. Alfonso –our boss. She came to check what happened. We talked for a while, then she let me rest.
Meanwhile, Alexandra persuaded her to give my rest an extension and offered to take the night shift on my behalf. Mrs. Alfonso agreed and went on her way.
*****
Julio, the maintenance man suggested to her co-employees to review the CCTV footage last night.
“I was on my desk, waiting for customers. It was past 2 o’clock in the morning when two teenagers came and asked for an available room. I said that I was fully booked and referred them to another place to stay nearby. The two guys stayed for a while, the bald guy continued to ask me about the place while his partner scrutinized the place. He was obviously looking for the right timing. When he sensed that no one is around, he signaled the bald one, and he let out a karambit knife. They centered me and threatened to end my life if I won’t hand out the cash in the register. I was very tensed, but I also didn’t want to lose my job. So I didn’t give in and tried to fight back. I hit the bald guy with a book, the other one was free from my right side. So, he took the opportunity and stabbed my right side. Obviously, they aren’t experts of the business because when they saw me bleed, they both panicked and ran away.”
After watching, Julio immediately identified the criminals. He said that they live two blocks away from the inn. Their parents were both drug addicts and are both extremely poor.
Alexandra decided to inform Mrs. Alfonso right away. She phoned her, so she can see the video. Mrs. Alfonso quickly cancelled her other appointment and went straight to the inn. After watching, they decided to hand out the evidence to the police.
Because their faces were caught crystal clear on camera, the two couldn’t deny of their crime. The police officers arrested them.
*****
I was still sleeping in my room when Mrs. Alfonso thought, “She couldn’t believe the bravery of her new employee. She could have opted to play safe, but she didn’t. It was her first day on duty, and a terrible tragedy welcomed her.” Curiosity ate Mrs. Alfonso, so she rechecked my profile.
Alexandra told her about my life story, “She got beaten by her brothers and daddy put her out of the house. She asked for my help, luckily we have a slot for a job. I offered her the position and it gave her a sense of hope. Her mommy rejected her when she asked for help. I think she seriously needed a place to stay and a job to sustain her basic needs, I tried to help her the best I could because she was like a sister to me. I have been through the same, and it was hard.”
“Sounds too much for a young girl. Did you mean her parents completely abandoned her? What about her education?”
“Unfortunately, yes. She was an undergraduate, stopped her college because her scholarship paid only half of her tuition and her parents couldn’t afford to pay for it. She had a part-time job as a barista, but, it recently closed because of bankruptcy. So, she was forced to stop her education.”
“Pity. She reminds me of my mother, the same bravery and impulsiveness. Tell her to see me when she wakes up. Also, tell her not to worry about those guys, they already paid their debts.”
*****
Alexandra awakened me with a brilliant surprise. She acquainted me to Mrs. Alfonso’s office, and there I thanked God for last night’s tragedy because it served as a blessing in disguise for me. My boss offered me a full scholarship and free house & food and in exchange I will still work as a receptionist at Arcane. I was so happy that day until now. I served the Alfonso’s for a long time until I graduated proud. Plus, I got back the love of my family. They were so happy for what I had accomplished and so am I.