Thirty One

"So are you going home now?" I asked him.

"Not yet, but maybe I'll go home later. I don't have anything else to do here." Calvin replied.

"Why don't you come with us, we're going somewhere," I suggested.

"Is that okay? Isn't it too embarrassing?"

"No, do you know how to drive?" I asked him.

"Yeah, I got my driver's license when I was nineteen," he explained, "but I don't have a vehicle to use."
I was too curious to learn about their lives with their mother. I'm still waiting for Arthur to respond. I only told Arthur a day ago to look into their lives.


I can't tell if they're in pain just by looking at them. I'll find out the truth about their situation.

Calvin and I go shopping. I'm not seeing any of the girls. Perhaps they were all in the car.

"This is my car, Calvin," I explained.

He slid the driver's door open. Then I exited through the other door. They were all stunned and staring at Calvin when I turned around.

"Who is he, Miss?" Laica asked.




"Hello, girls, my name is Calvin, and I'm Elodie's brother," Calvin introduces himself.





They all said, "Nice to meet you."

Did I think he was the shy type? Why are you droning on?

"Are they the ones you have at home?" Clavin asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Nothing, how many are they all?"

"There are nine of them in the house with me, and we've been here for four years," I explained.

"You won't be sad because they're there," he said, while the girls just stared at themselves in the mirror in front of us. But I know they're listening.



"Remember the man in the office with me; he's my assistant; his birthday is tomorrow, so I'll surprise him at midnight," I replied.



"I see you're a good boss," Calvin pointed out.


"Of course, which hotel do you want to go to?"

"In luxury hotels," I replied.

"All right."

We were in front of the luxury hotel in less than two minutes. I went out first, and the girls followed.

"Aren't you going inside the hotel?" I'll ask him.
"I'll just wait here, sister," Calvin replied, "and you can go inside."

We all went inside at the same time after I nodded.

"Miss, if you're that handsome to be my driver, I'd rather go out every day," Lazzy said.

I just laughed.

"I'm sorry, but he doesn't want a woman," I explained.

They appear perplexed by what I am saying.

"What does he want a man?" Lucianna ask.

"He also likes a woman but he still doesn't feel like having a girlfriend. Or, more accurately, he is not yet ready."
They appeared to be breathing heavily, which I noticed.

"Why can't you accept that he might be gay just in case?" I inquire.

"Miss, he's handsome, then he became gay, and I'm sure many women would be crying," Glaiza said.

I'm just laughing.

I approached the front desk.

"Hello, ma'am, what can I help you with?" the woman asked me.

"Let's make a reservation or cater for my friend's surprise birthday; are you open until midnight?" I'll ask.

"Yes, Ma'am, we're open twenty-four hours a day; where do you want to be on the rooftop? How many people do you have?" the woman asked.

"One hundred or more, just add it, maybe he has a lot of visitors, and then we're just on the roof," I replied.

"All right, ma'am."
"Please calculate everything and call me when you're finished; we'll eat first," I instructed.
"Of course," she responds.

"Girls, find our table; I'm just going outside to Calvin," I said.

I exited the vehicle and walked to my parked vehicle. When I opened it, I didn't see Calvin inside, but I did see him standing outside a boutique. He was on the lookout for a long-sleeved shirt. Perhaps he liked it. I went up to him.

"What are you doing here, Calvin?" I asked.



"Nothing, I just look while waiting for you," he replied.
But I notice he wants to purchase the long-sleeved shirt that the mannequin is wearing.
"Come inside; we'll eat first," I said.

"I'm still full, sister," he explained.

"It's noon, and I'm hungry as well," I explained.

As a result, he had no choice but to go inside. When he was gone, I went inside the boutique and looked at the blue long sleeve Calvin had been staring at from the outside.

"Miss, I'll buy this and one pair of denim pants and a pair of shoes," I told the saleswoman.
"What size, ma'am?" she asked me.

"Can I have a ballpen and paper, and I'll write the size?" I asked.
She handed me a piece of scrap paper and a ballpoint pen. Calvin's waist and foot sizes were measured. I calculated everything. I hope it's suitable for him.

I went in children's clothing. I'll also buy Calvin's younger brother a new suit and shoes so they can attend Donald's birthday party. I chose a pink one with many flowers and a half shoe. I went to the counter to pay. Then I walked out of the boutique, carrying everything I had bought. I threw it in my car and drove to the hotel. The front desk clerk smiled and waved at me.


"How was it?" I ask the woman.

"Everything is settled, ma'am; here's the bill," he said as he handed me the bill.

I accepted the offer and paid.

I went to our table in the restaurant. It's a good thing that all of our orders are ready. Because I'm starving.

"Have you eaten yet, Calvin?" I asked. "Did you like the food, or do you want to add something else?"

"I'm fine, sister; I'll eat anything," he explained.

I nodded and began to eat as well. Even the girls remained silent. It was only hunger that brought them all to their knees.

We finished eating in half an hour. After I paid, we went out together.
"Miss, we're all just going somewhere; is it okay if you wait here?" they ask me.
"Of course," I replied.
"Sister, I'm going home; maybe my mom is looking for me; I still don't have a phone to call you," he told me.

"Just a second," I said.

I took four paper grocery bags and gave them to him.

"What is this?" he inquired.

"That's for you and your sister. Go to the party later, take her. That's what you're going to wear," I said, smiling.

"I can't accept this, sister," Calvin said.

"Accept that, it's not a bribe to treat me well; I just want to give you that so the three of us can be close," I explained.

"Thank you; we'll try to go, but our house is far from here in the city, and mother might not let us," he says.

"Just tell your mother that I invite you," I advised.

Calvin had already moved away from where I stood. While transporting the paper bags. I knew they couldn't come later because their mother wouldn't let them. I got in first, and then they all did.

"What did you go for?" I ask.
"We intend to re-bond our hair, Miss," Lucy said.
"For a change? That's great. Let's go," I said.
"You're going to treat us again, Miss?" Lucianna ask.

"Sure," I replied.

As a result, I started the car.

"Where is it?" I'll ask.

"Near the Watsons," Lazzy responded.

"It's right around the corner," I explained.

We all walked out and into the salon at the same time.

"Is it okay here? Is it possible our hair will break?" I asked.

"Let's give it a shot, Miss," Hannah suggested.

"You go first," I instructed.

We also began to eat. Our food had all landed in the piece of cloth that had been placed in the sand.
"You come to see me a lot, Mitch, when we're not too busy," mother said.
"All right, Aunt, what are you up to now?" Mitch inquired of his mother.

Mom responded, "I'm your Uncle Augusto's secretary." Mitch gave a nod.

"I'm taking her into the office with me, Mitch, because someone else might take her away from me again, so it's best to keep an eye on her at all times," Uncle said.

Except for Mom, we were all laughing. Her brow furrowed.

"Stop embarrassing them, Augusto," his mother reprimanded.

"I'm sure it's fine, Marla; you're even more beautiful now," Uncle said.

"Shut your mouth!" mother exclaimed.

I stood up and took Mitch's hand in mine.
"First, mom, Mitch, and I are going for a walk," I explained.
"Yes."

Mitch and I have already begun our walk along the beach.

"Are you full? I used to believe you didn't eat."

"I ate a lot in the apartment, and I'll eat more later when I'm hungry. This place is beautiful, and it's very quiet," Mitch explained.

"Yeah, far away from the crowd, it's calm, and the air is fresh," I replied.

"Yes, your mother is intelligent; I'm sorry, but I kept thinking negatively of her; I thought she wanted to see me or get to know me to say something bad," Mitch explained.

I burst out laughing.

"No one, not even my father, is like that; they're kind."
"And Uncle Augusto was familiar to me; I'm not sure where I saw him," Mitch explained.
"He's a well-known businessman in town, so it's impossible that no one knows who he is," I reasoned.
"Yes, it's as if I saw him in the news section of the magazine, but he's also kind. His face is happy, and your sister is lovely. I immediately remembered my brothers and nephews in the province," Mitch said.

"How long have you been gone home?" I'll ask.

"It's been a year, but I always send money there because I'd rather live here in the city than in the province because of the noise of my siblings. They always fight because their husband doesn't have a decent job," Mitch explained.


"That's normal for a couple," I explained.
"My sisters are very brave, but they don't believe they are to blame for their difficulties in life because they chose to marry young rather than study and have a good life," Mitch said.




"It's their decision because you know they care more about how they feel," I explained.

"They'll regret it when they have a lot of kids and are struggling in life," he says. 


"When they have money problems, they don't come to me because I'll scold them all because it's not easy to find money here in the city," Mitch says.




"It's really like that when one of them has worked together; help if you have money, and maybe they won't insist if you don't," I explained.

Mitch indicated with a nod.



Mitch inquired, "Can you tell me what time it is?"



"It's five o'clock afternoon."

"Can you take me to the coffee shop today? I'm on duty from six o'clock until morning; are you all right?" he asked.

"Sure, no problem, let's go," I replied.

So we walked back to Uncle and mother.

"Mom, I'm going to take Mitch home because she has duty later; will you sleep here, Uncle?" I'll ask.
"Yes," Uncle said.
"Come back here or at least at home, Mitch, I'll cook you some delicious food," mother said.
"Yes, Aunt," Mitch said, kissing my mother on the cheek.

"We're leaving; Melissa, we'll play when I come back," Mitch said.

"All right, Sister Mitch, I'll wait for you," Melissa said.

As the two of us walked out the gate, Mitch waved to them.

"I hope you eat again so you can get to work right away; where can I take you to the coffee shop right away?" I asked.

"Yes, I have a uniform there, and don't worry, I can eat there because they provide dinner," Mitch explained.

I drove away from the beach house.

We haven't left the salon yet.