30 Friendship

Outside Lina's house..

It was morning. Lina had fallen asleep on the chair, placed outside her house's main door. Soon, she was woken up by her friends - Tina and Willie.

"Have you been sleeping here all night?" asked Tina, who hurriedly placed her right hand on Lina's forehead to check if she had a fever.

"I came outside to get some fresh air. I was too tired. I don't remember when did I fall asleep," explained Lina. She continued to narrate everything to her two friends. Willie and Tina, stood still, with their eyes wide open in surprise, as they listened to Lina with all their attention.

After Lina finished up sharing all her problems, three of them stood speechless outside the house. No one knew the way out from this situation.

Lina continued. "Grandma on one side, and Bob on the other.. both of them kill me with stress. I didn't even get the time to sit down and think of anything. I don't know what to do. Grandma's health, losing the job, Bob getting kidnapped, landlord getting angry.. do all the problems have to come at the same time?" sighed Lina, as Willie and Tina listened to her. "I have no idea how to arrange for twenty thousand dollars in a day. I need a miracle. I really do!" sobbed Lina as she looked at the sky, as if talking to God.

Tina decided to interrupt. "Lina, let me go and talk to my mom. She has got some gold jewelry with her. Maybe, if I try, she might give me the jewelry. We can sell it and get the money," offered Tina.

"Girl! Are you crazy? Your mom is going to beat two of us with a stick. She's going to chase us.. out of the city," rebuked Lina.

"Actually, you are right. Gold is more precious to her than her kids," sighed Tina as she rolled up her eyes in irritation.

Willie decided to share his idea. "We can sell my car. I'm sure, we can get good money from it," offered Willie.

"Cut it! You talk, as if you have never seen your car. Just look at it!" rebuked Tina pointing towards Willie's car. "People are not going to even give you a pot in exchange for that old-and-in-poor-shape vehicle of yours," she continued, as three of them looked at Willie's car.

Tina was right. It seemed that the car's pieces would literally start falling off from it from the weight of the atmosphere.

Lina shifted her gaze towards Willie, who looked genuinely worried for her. "Willie, thank you so much. Your thought is enough to strengthen me," thanked Lina, as she turned her face towards Tina. "I am blessed to have two wonderful friends, who are ready to go to any extent to help me. But, I can't put burden of my problems on my friends. I called you yesterday night, so I could share my problems with you, to lighten my heart. Why do you both have to suffer for Bob's stupidity? It is me who have to solve the problems.. only if I knew the way.." sighed Lina.

Willie and Tina looked at Lina with worried faces. They wanted to help, but didn't know the way to do it. As they stood speechless, thinking of the way they could get their dear friend out of this situation, their thoughts were interrupted by Lina's words.

"I'll go and have a walk on the seaside. I have to calmly think about everything," grieved Lina. "See you later!" Lina walked away as she waved her hand at her friends.

Willie and Tina wanted to stop Lina. But, they were helpless. They knew that Lina had been through a lot and was too disturbed, and she needed time to reflect upon everything. And so, they decided that giving her a little time alone, might help the situation.

Lina walked towards the seaside, and intentionally took the path where she had seen Bob for the last time. Her brain was playing with her. She thought that she might see Bob again, but her hopes were soon met by dejection.

As she walked from the place, where Bob was kidnapped from, words of the bald guy, from the Mafia, echoed in her ears - 'You have 24 hours to get us our money back, or else you might never see your brother again'.

Lina continued to walk towards the seashore. As soon as she reached there, she wanted to sit. Feeling too weak to stand, she sat on a bench and stared out over the endless ocean water.

As she sat on the seaside, dejected, the sound of the waves reminded her of 'the kiss at the restaurant'. She shook her head rapidly, in disbelief. 'How did this thought come to her mind, all of a sudden?' she thought, as she refocused her thinking at her problems.

"Crazy man!" yelled Lina, as thoughts of what had happened at the restaurant filled her brain.