A night with Andy

It was raining heavily, and Savannah Louis was packing her little things. She had been called by her brother's doctor requesting for her presence at the hospital. Savannah quickly got out of the shop after taking permission from her boss.

She opened the glassy door of her shop and got outside, so many people were moving about in the rain. Some were with an umbrella, others were using their hands as an umbrella as they were all looking for shelter.

She saw a cab pass by but didn't stop it, she needed to save money for her brother's treatment. Savannah hung her bag tightly across her shoulder and joined the people who were in the rain without an umbrella.

She was running very fast as the rain poured down heavily, it didn't seem to take pity on the young lady who was distressed. Savannah was crying as she ran hastily, her tears were mixing up with the rain.

She got to the hospital half an hour later, soaked by the rain. She smiled to herself because she had won over the rain, which wanted to be a barrier to her today.

Her auburn hair was wet, she brought out a scarf from the bag she had kept hidden under her shirt and dried her hair with the scarf. She then squeezed her cloth, making water splash on the tiled floor.

She went into the hospital and rushed towards her brother's ward, he was sleeping soundly when she got there. A nurse was in the ward, giving a little boy of about ten years old an injection. The little boy was crying loudly, and Savannah couldn't help but frown. She didn't like the way the little boy was crying, what if he wakes her brother?

"Miss," she looked behind her to see a nurse standing with a tray of medical instruments in it.

"Yes nurse? Is there a problem?" Savannah asked.

"The doctor requests to see you once you arrive,'' the nurse said.

"Oh thank you," Savannah said and faked a smile. "I'll go in and meet him right now,'' she added and stood up from her seat. She glanced at her brother for a long time, not willing to leave him alone but after a while she left for the doctor.

She got to the doctor's office and stared at the door. She was hesitant for a while, scared of what the doctor might tell her. She mustered up courage and knocked on the door, she was asked to come in by the doctor.

Furthermore, she opened the door and went into the office. She found the doctor, a young man in his thirties, going through a file. He was wearing a spectacle and his white coat was hung around his chair. The doctor looked up when he saw her.

"Hello Miss Louis," the doctor greeted with a smile. "Come and have your seat," he added. Savannah twitched her lips and dragged herself towards the doctor. Water dripped from her clothes as she moved closer to the doctor.

"Hello doctor," she forced herself to reply at the doctor's greeting. She took a seat opposite him, shivering lightly.

"You know the reason you are here, Miss Louis," the doctor started and shifted his spectacle to get a clear view of the girl in front of him.

"Yes doctor," Savannah replied.

"But I would have to alert you that your brother's health is deteriorating, Miss Louis. He needs more medications, the one you are currently paying for is too little,'' he said, sounding frustrated. Savannah twitched her lips and fiddled with the hem of her cloth, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"I'm deeply sorry about that doctor," she said.

"You don't have to be sorry, Miss Louis," the doctor said. "What I am trying to say is that you need to add more money for your brother's medication! He has been here for a long time, Miss Louis!" The doctor said, anger rising in his tone. Savannah could do nothing but cry.

She sniffed back her tears and stood up from her seat, with a heavy thud, she fell on her knees.

"Please doctor, give me a little more time and I will surely pay the bills and get my brother out of here!" She pleaded and cleaned her tears with the back of her palm.

She went to see the doctor, and he told her that her brother needed more medications, and she was providing too little. He asked her to do something about it, if she wanted her brother to get better and pass this sickness stage.

The doctor looked at her in pity and was lost in thoughts. He exhaled loudly as he stared at the girl in front of him.

"Stand up, Miss Louis," the doctor said. "Please stand up, I don't like the way you are kneeling on the floor," he added.

"Doctor please, give us a little more time and I will surely pay the money!" She said,

"You've said this word countless times and later came back with an excuse," the doctor said, sounding pissed.

"It's a promise this time, doctor! I will surely pay my brother's medical bills!" She said,

"Then stand up!" Savannah quickly stood up from the floor. "You have just a week to pay your brother's hospital bills, Miss Louis. Just a week, after that week, there will be no more chances for you," the doctor said.

Savannah looked at him, grateful he had given her another chance to look for money, so she could pay her brother's medical bills. She dashed out of the doctor's office after thanking him.

She stopped by her brother's ward, he was still sleeping.

"I promise you will be alright, Danny," she said with determination. She kissed his forehead and walked out of the ward, looking determined to bring her brother out of the hospital.

The rain was still dropping, but it was not as heavy as it had been on her way to the hospital. Savannah glanced at the hospital as she stood in front of it. She was sad about the news she had just heard, she wasn't earning enough and didn't know what to do.

She thought about a solution and later decided to visit her friend Lucy, who was a part-time bartender.

After coming back from the hospital, Savannah went to her apartment. She changed her wet clothes into a dry new one and headed for Lucy's apartment. She knocked on the door when she got there and it was opened by Lucy.

"Hi Savannah!" Lucy greeted with a smile.

"Good evening Lucy," Savannah greeted as Lucy opened the door for her to come in. Savannah slumped on Lucy's couch looking exhausted.

"What's up with you baby girl?" Lucy asked worriedly.

"It's my brother's doctor Lucy," Savannah replied and broke into fresh tears. Lucy walked over to her and patted her.

"It's alright Savannah," Lucy soothed. "You can tell me what the problem is," she added. Savannah looked up at her with tears in her eyes, she then told her what the doctor had said. Lucy listened carefully and sighed when Savannah finished telling her about her odeal with the doctor.

"I don't know what to do Lucy," Savannah cried.

"It's alright girl,"

"Lucy please, lend me money and I promise to pay you back!" She pleaded, Lucy stared at her in pity.

"I'm sorry Savannah," Lucy apologized and Savannah stared at her.

"So you won't help me Lucy?" Savannah asked and tears started dropping from her face.

"I don't have money Savannah, you know that. If I had money, do you think I would not help you?" Lucy asked.

"I'm sorry," Savannah apology and cleaned her tears.

"It's alright," Lucy soothed. "I know of a part-time job you can do, if only if you are willing to do it," she said, Savanna's face lit up with hope when she heard Lucy's word.

"What work is it?" She asked.

"It's a part time job at a pub," she replied.

"A pub," Savannah murmured, this was the last place she wanted to step her foot in. That crowdy place that is always filled with bad, corrupted people.

"It's just a night job Savannah, all you have to do is serve people drink" Lucy convinced.

"Argghh," Savannah groaned and stood up from her seat. "I will do it," she said.

"Then go and prepare yourself, I will be waiting for you," Lucy said and Savannah walked out of her apartment.

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At a pub,

Savannah scowled at the sight of the pub, it wasn't really that big. It looked shabby and she wondered how people will come to a place as shabby as this.

Stenches of smoke mixed with alcohol polluted the air and Savannah felt like going back home. But the doctor's word rang in her head and she was alerted. She dragged her feet and went into the bar.

"Are you the newbie Lucy was talking about?" A man asked, Savannah looked at him and almost puked. In her whole twenty five years on earth, she has never seen anyone as ugly as this man standing in front of her. His teeth had changed its colors due to cigarettes. And his nose, a flat nose that will make people wonder if this man actually had a nose.

"Yes Sir," she replied after scrutinizing him in her mind.

"Did she tell you what your job is?" He asked again and glared at the girl as if she was his prey. Savannah didn't mind him, all she needed was the money and after she has gotten it, she promised herself never to step her foot into here.

"Not exactly Sir," the man sneered at her and Savannah could swear that the man looked like a gorilla. She was beginning to get scared of his ugliness and she wondered how people didn't mind the man's ugly features.

"Then I will have to tell you myself," he said and started pointing at the customers in the pub, the man looked proud and she secretly rolled her eyes. "You must not be rude to any customer because if you do so and they come complaining to me, I won't pay you a dime," he warned and Savannah nodded her head.

"I understand Sir," she said. " I won't be rude to any customer," she added and the man smiled, his teeth came into view and Savannah scowled. So irritating! She said to herself.

"Then start working with your peers!" He ordered and gave her a little instruction as he had caled it before. She joined a group of young girls that were serving people drink.

She was called by a young man, she went over to him and smiled as her boss had ordered her to do anytime a customer called her.

"What are your orders Sir?" She asked still smiling.

"Get me two bottles of whiskey," he replied and sge went away to bring his orders. She later came back with the bottles of whiskey and a glass cup, she placed it on his table and walked away to serve other customers.

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It was late and most of the customers had left, Savannah was waiting for her boss so he could pay her for what she had worked for. After waiting for a while, she decided to drink a little so she could forget her worries.

When it was 15 minutes to closing, Savannah discovered that the man she served once was still there, drinking to stupor. Then she went over to him to tell him it was time to go.

"Excuse me sir?" She bent over to him and he raised his head to look at her. The man looked in a pretty bad condition and she felt pity for him.

"What us it Miss?" He asked in his drunken state.

"It's late Sir and I wanted to remind you about that," she said.

"Ohh," he stared at her for a while and said. "Are there available rooms upstairs?" He asked.

"Yes Sir," she replied.

"I would like to stay in one of them please," he said and she went to get a key to one of the rooms, she came back few minutes later.

"Here it is Sir," she stretched the key to the man but he didn't take it from her.

"Can you please help me to ths room?" He asked in a pleading tone, Savannah was feeling tipsy from the little drink she had drunk. She looked at the pitiful nan and helped him to go upstairs.

They got to his room and she opened I, she helped into the room and they both fell on the bed. Savannah was feeling hot and weird. Suddenly, the man started kissing her and she responded to him, from kissing her to another thing and the unexpected happened. They did something they shouldn't have done, something that was going to bind them together.

Savannah woke up the next morning to find herself sleeping on a bed with the man from last night. She frowned and stood up from the bed only to discover that she was naked. She was shocked and sharply turned to look at the man, he was also naked and Savannah quickly guessed what could have happened between them the previous night.

She was heartbroken and broke down in tears, how could she have allowed a stranger take advantage of her. She stood up and picked up her clothes that were on the floor and wore it then went back to seat on the bed.

The man's eyelashes fluttered slowly and his eyes opened, he turned to look at Savannah who was sniffing. He stood up from the bed and started wearing his clothes, he didn't spare Savannah a glance and she was furious.

After wearing his clothes, he was about to walk out of the room but halted, he turned and came over to Savannah.

"Here." He threw an envelope of a substantial amount on the table.

"What! You want to pay me off for that?" She said looking angry.

"Yeah. Isn't that enough?" He asked looking like he didn't care.

Savannah stood up from the bed and slapped him hard. "How shameless!" She said and hissed.

"There's nothing shameless here Miss," he said looking nonchalant which made Savannah infuriated.

"How can you be so heartless?" She yelled. "You took advantage of me and now hear yourself!"

"How does it concern me? It's not like I forced myself on you. We were both drunk at that time and had sex, I don't understand why you will put the whole blame on me when the both of us was actually at fault" He retorted and she slapped him hard again.

"Keep your filthy money" She said through clenched teeth and walked out of the room in tears. What an heartless man! She thought as she walked over to the boss of the pub.

"I see you really enjoyed yourself," the man mocked and gave her her payment, she snatched it and walked out of the pub with the money in her hand.

Outside the pub, she cleaned her tears with the back of her palm. She stood at one corner of the pub and counted the money she had been given.

"Fifty dollars," she murmured and sighed, she had three hundred dollars in her saving box and the money for her brother's treatment was ten thousand dollars. "Arrgh...still not enough! " She said to herself and headed to her apartment.

Savannah got home and cried, she was so heartbroken and blamed herself for being reckless. She decided to visit her friend Lucy and tell her about it.

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"I'm sorry about that Savannah," Lucy said after listening to Savanna's heartbreaking story.

"Damn him to hell Lucy! He couldn't offer and apology!" Savannah cried and was hugged by her friend.

"It's alright," Lucy comforted.

"I can't let this slide Lucy! I really can't let this issue slide!" She said through gritted teeth.

"Do you know the man?" Lucy asked and Savannah shook her head. "So how do you think you can bring him to court when you don't even know him?" She asked again and Savannah was stunned, how could she not think of it? She had let a stranger take advantage of her and wanted to bring him to court when she didn't even know him.

The thought of it broke her heart and she broke down into fresh tears.

"Even if you know the man Savannah, you cannot win this case since the both of you were in a drunken state" Lucy said and Savannah nodded in approval. Truly there was nothing she could do and it was nobody's fault.

"To hell with him Lucy!" She yelled. "It's all my fault for letting my guard down! And the heavens are not spared!" She said.

"I need to see my brother's doctor," she said and stood up.

"It's going to be alright Savannah, do take care of yourself,' Lucy said and escorted her to the door.

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"Miss Louis,is this all you have?" the doctor asked as he stared at the notes Savannah had given him.

"Yes doctor," Savannah replied looking embarrassed, she knew the amount she had gotten was not enough.

"This is nowhere near the medication bill," the doctor said and dropped the money on his table.

"Please doctor, just keep it and I will come back with the rest of the money." She pleaded.

"This is your brother's life we are talking about Miss Louis," he said. "I'm sorry I can't take this little amount of money" he added and returned the money back to her.

"Doctor please," she pleaded.

"Miss Louis, I have given you a lot of chances! There are so many people out there that also need this chance," he said.

"Please doctor," she cried as her vision became blurry, her tears were too much and were blinding her.

"Miss Louis, until you pay your brother's medical bills, no treatment will be given to him!" The doctor said and Savannah knew that was the final thing. There was nothing she could do that could make the doctor change his mind, he had done his own part as the doctor and it was left for Savannah to do hers.

She stood up from the chair and grabbed her money, she murmured a goodbye to the doctor and walked out of his office. She went to her brother's ward, he was sleeping when she got there and she took a seat beside him.

He looked pale, a strand of his hair was on his face and Savannah shoved it away. She moved forward and kissed his forehead.

"Just a little more time Jaden," she whispered. She stayed for a while and later left when it was half past three. She needed to look for more money, she needed real jobs, she needed...argghh! She was so frustrated.