Chapter 2

A man walked through the street to his home, he kept cursing at everything he passes, he hates where he is living and the area, they were children running around, playing in the dirt. He cursed at them and continued walking, if God should help him and his project becomes a success, moving out of here would be the first thing he would do. But at the moment, he just needs to make sure that everything is set perfectly and he had the inkling that he would win, he has to, all his life he had been preparing for this, if it doesn t work out then he is doomed for the rest of his life. "Hell no, it s going to work, I have to be chosen, I have looked at the draft of the others, none of them could amount to mine, even Mr. Bridgeton said so," he murmured to himself, trying not to step inside a puddle as he avoided stepping on a banana peel that was on the ground. "Fuck this place," he cursed, if only he has any other choice, nothing in the world would have made him live here, in the slums. "I just need some cash, if I am able to land myself with three thousand dollar bills, I am good to go but where can I get so much, I don t even have up to five hundred dollars in my savings and this constant going around and taking cabs just to look good is draining me, when will it end? Mr. Bridgeton better choose my work, if not, what else can I be doing?" He kept murmuring to himself. He could already picture himself working in Fashionista, the best clothing brand in Chicago, all he just needs to do is bring his design to life before the big day but how can he do that? He needs real cash to buy the materials and one of the requirements in the contract is that every designer should come with their work in their hands. Mr. Bridgeton already expressed his love for his design, if he could just gather the materials and have it sowed, then his life is blessed and he could work as a designer in such big company. Something hit his leg, bringing him out of this thought but before he could notice what was happening, children were running towards him and they all stepped into a puddle beside him, splashing the dirty water on him as they fought to get their ball. Frank cursed and felt like hitting every one of them, he looked at his damaged suit which he had been hoping to wear again tomorrow but now he would need to wash it and pray that it dries before he needs to leave. He ran his fingers through his sandy blonde hair and glared daggers at the kids who were oblivious to his anger as they continued running and playing with their ball. He sighed, now covered in dirty water; he hid his design inside his jacket to avoid future accident like the one that just happened. When he finally got to his house, actually, his girlfriend s house who he had been staying with for the past two years after her parents death because he couldn t afford to pay his bills again, he sighed but the happiness he expected didn t come, he was only staying there for the sake of having somewhere to sleep, he was tired of sleeping in the slums, he was tired of calling that small house that often leaks when it rains his home, he goes to the city always and sometimes he would just wander around till it s late to go home and he leaves as early as possible in the morning. He hates his life, especially having to pretend to like everyone he sees because sometimes he needs to depend on them for feeding. When will his luck shine? He pushed open the creaking door and entered the house, "Athena? Athena?" He called but got no answer, he entered where they called bedroom and started taking off his clothes, he needs to wash it but he was so tired, hopefully Athena could do that for him. He picked up his towel and in shorts, he left the house to the bathroom that they shared with three other families in the compound. He cursed silently when he heard someone taking a bath and had to walk back to the house to wait for whoever it was to be done, "I hate this place," he murmured. "You are back," he had a sweet voice called to him from afar and he looked up to see his girlfriend approaching him, as usual, she looked stressed out and filthy due to her kind of work. She takes out garbage for the richer ones in the vicinity and she works as a cleaner in a diner. She approached him with smiles on her face, her deep brown hair up in a loose ponytail and her brown eyes twinkling as always whenever she sees him. They have been dating since she was sixteen and he was seventeen. Her parents had been in support of their union and he had loved her dearly then, only that now, he can t shake off the feeling that she wasn t his kind of woman anymore. She fits in perfectly in the slum and while he goes around complaining about everything, she faces everything with happiness and she knows almost if not all the people here which he must admit gets on his nerves. He smiled to her when she was closer, "yes." "How was the day?" Athena asked, she reached up and wiped away a strand of his hair from his face, she does that every time she sees him that it became a habit. Frank forced a smile on his face, he hates it when she does that especially with the hands that she had been using in cleaning and throwing away garbage all day, he doesn t like her touching him unless she has taken a bath but he couldn t let his distaste be known, he needs somewhere to stay after all. "Better than last." "Don t worry, soon you will find what you are looking for," she comforted him, she looked behind him, "oh Tom is done bathing, want to take a shower?" Frank looked behind him and saw the so called Tom approaching them, definitely to greet them and he hates that, just what is it with the people here, why can t they stay on their own? "Yes," he forced out just as Tom got closer. "Hi Athena, hi Frank, tough day?" He asked, his blue eyes shining in the sunset, he looked really handsome and with the water beads dripping on his body. "No, everything is good," Athena answered and he nodded and walked away. "Why don t you take a shower, I will try to fix up something for us to eat." "Won t you take a shower first?" He asked, trying to hide the scowl on his face. "You want to and I can t lay around waiting for you," she answered innocently. "You won t be laying around, my suit, it needs to be washed, some stupid kids splashed dirty water on me while I was walking back." Athena smiled, "oh Frank, they are not stupid, they probably didn t realize they did that." "Yeah, whatever, so can you wash it for me? I hope it can dry before morning and you can then take a bath after washing it then make dinner." Athena thought about it, "alright," she smiled. "Thanks," Frank smiled, she leaned forward to kiss him and he took a step back before he could stop himself, then seeing the shock on her face, he pretended to be wiping out something from her hair, "you must have had a really tough day, why don t you hurry up with your duties so you can have a rest." Athena sighed and stretched herself, "you are right, it s been a tough day." "Yeah, go ahead now," he said and turned, walking to the bathroom and Athena went back to their flat. *** Athena woke up in the night to find Frank s side in the bed empty, "Frank?" She called but when she got no answer, she got out of the bed and went into the living room, "Frank?" she saw him sitting on the only couch in the living room and closed up their distance. "What is it?" She asked, placing her hand on his shoulder. Frank sighed, "Nothing, just…thinking." Athena sat beside him immediately, "what are you thinking about?" "My life, Athena, look at me, at twenty three I have no source of income, nothing, I can t even look after you the way I want to, the way I promised your mother I would." Athena smiled and placed her head on his shoulder, "but Frank, it s not your fault, I am sure mom understands perfectly. You are trying your best to make things better for us, you go out every morning to return at night because you are looking for a better job, that s already you trying." "But I am not trying hard enough, take a look at me, Athena, I had promised you that on your twenty second birthday that I would throw you a party and your birthday is in three months time, I have no hope of even fulfilling my promise to you." "But three months is still far, Frank, you never can tell what would happen tomorrow…" "Nothing is happening tomorrow, there would be no difference by then. Just face it Athena and tell it to my face, I am a complete failure." "But you are not, you are the best designer I know and sooner than later the world would see that, you would go places Frank, I believe it, I believe in you. Tell me, which man in your age here ever had a contact with the top fashion industry? Tell me." Frank sighed, she is right, no one has which made every man his age envious of him, but he doesn t want to be envied by them, he doesn t want to be envied by lowlifes who have no hope of a better future. Out there in the city, they are men his age who are top celebrities, even the designer of the dress Hillary Queen wore the day he received the best Actor award is only twenty two and people know him, many celebrities wants him to design a dress for them. Many people envy him, even he envies him, as well as many designers, now that s the kind of people he would want to envy him, people of high classes, where he belongs. "Frank, someday and not even far anymore, you will find what you are looking for, you will have that life you have always dreamed of, I strongly believe that," Athena encouraged. Frank let out a deep breath, "I know Athena but the thing is, I might be losing my chance." "What do you mean?" "To win the contest of Fashionista, I need to produce my designer and a model has to wear it to show off at a fashion show that only the workers including their CEO would attend, the design with highest rating will be the winner and the designer would be hired and become one of their many designers," he turned to her then, his green eyes twinkling with enthusiasm, "do you know what that means? Athena, if I win this, our lives would change forever. Have you heard of Augustus Hawke?" Athena shook her head, she never knows anything that happens in the city because she never cares, why should she waste her time studying people who doesn t even know about her existence? Frank sighed at her lack of knowledge, she never knows important people only the lowlifes here, "he is the youngest designer now and possibly the best, everyone wants him to design a dress for them and Fashionista don t joke with him and they had got him through this process two years ago when he was twenty. If I win this, I can be like him, even the manager, Mr. Bridgeton is impressed with my design and he also said to me that I have a shot at winning this." "Isn t that good? You don t need to worry anymore," Athena said, really happy for him. Frank shook his head, "not really, I don t have money to buy the materials for my design and since it would be for a fashion show with their CEO present, I need to buy at least a better quality. Of course I can t buy the ones of high quality and they also said that the winning design would be reproduced with a better quality before being sold. But in order to be considered a winner, I really need to buy something catchy that could attract people s attention," he heaved a deep sigh, "and it s not really that cheap." "How much is it?" She asked, she didn t even know when she did but she would love to support him in a any way she could, since he believes so much that he could win, the least she could do is provide assistance. Frank looked at her immediately, his heart beating loudly in his chest, does she want to give him the money? He knew her parents left her their savings but he just doesn t know how much or where she could be hiding it, he had searched so hard for it but never found it. "Three thousand dollars." "Oh God," Athena gasped, "so much?" Frank s spirit died, seemed that the savings isn t a big deal after all, "yes, I priced it on my way back." "Oh, that s really too much Frank." "I know, which is why I told you that I am missing my chance, there is no purpose going back to the city tomorrow anyway. What will I be doing there?" He sighed, "just go and sleep, you have work tomorrow, I can always sleep later in the day." Seeing the look on his face, Athena felt her heart weighing down, all his life he has only talked about making it big and taking care of them, then this contest came up, giving him something to look forward to, something to hope on and now, he was just going to give up? She bit her lower lip and looked away from him, her thoughts running wild, she has two thousand dollars, it was her parents savings and it was all they left for her to be surviving on. If she should offer to give it to him, it still won t be enough, where would they get extra one thousand dollars? She could always borrow from her employers but what if Frank doesn t win? How could she pay back? She is not even talking about her parents saving; she could always endure losing that but what of the one they borrowed? Should she do this? Frank looked at her, he could see that she was lost in thought and his hope revived again, maybe she really has such amount and only considering giving it to him, no, he can t miss this opportunity, "the worst part is that the deadline is in a month s time, how can I raise three thousand dollars in a month and still buy the materials to sow the dress so that I can meet the deadline? Just forget it Athena, this is not my chance, in fact, I doubt if I would be getting another chance. I m a complete failure; I won t be able to look after you Athena, so if you find any guy better than me, just go with him, okay?" Athena glanced at him sharply, "how can you say that, Frank? We are meant to be, we have been together for six years now." "Exactly Athena, but what have I offered you since then? What have I done for you?" "You have been there for me, Frank, during my most trial times, that s the most important thing, things will get better, you will see." "This is the only chance for me, Athena, if I lose this, I don t think I will ever get another, don t you understand? I have no future if I don t win this." Athena closed her eyes, seeing him degrading himself so much was hurting her, besides, this is for both of them, if this become a success, she would benefit from it right? She bit her lip, taking the decision was so hard for her but she doesn t like seeing him like that. At the very end, she relented, "I have two thousand dollars." "What?" Frank shouted, although it s not up to three thousand but it was something, "really? Please Athena, this would be changing our lives, if I win this, we can finally move out of here and we would live in the city, see beautiful people every day, invited to luxurious parties. We would even be counting in millions." "But it s not enough, you said you need three thousand." "That s true, but we will find a way, you know almost everybody here, can t we borrow from them?" "But Frank, what if you don t win? How can we pay back?" "I will win and even if I don t, we can always sell the dress and use the money." Athena nodded, "well, I can ask all of my employers, see if I can be able to raise it." "Oh Athena, you are really going to do that for me?" "If it makes you happy." "Oh it does, it does so much. Oh thank you, thank you so much Athena, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me," he pulled her into a hug and soon he was kissing her, "thank you," he murmured in between the kisses. "You are welcome." "Now, let me drain a little of your strength before you leave for work." "Oh Frank, no," she giggled as he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.