CH 3

"How much do we owe?"

The question hung for a while. No one ready to answer.

Having had enough of the suspense, Sofia lost her patience and screamed, "HOW MUCH DO WE OWE!?"

Finally the answer came.

"$1 million."

Sofia did not hear who said the number, all she heard was the number it self; $1 Million. "$1... 1... 1 Million!?" she shuttered. "How did this happen?"

As if a dam had broken, Rose's tears began to fall. In a sad voice she narrated all that had happened over the past 2 years.

"One day on the way back home from school," half a year after Sofia had left , "Sam was hit by a drunk driver in broad daylight. He was sent flying 3 meters in the air, before hitting the ground. The hit and fall had lead to broken bones and an injured spine. With all the treatment's and medications added together, the price was too high."

"We asked everyone we knew for help." added James in a broken voice.

"No one was ready to part with their money for a 'lost case' according to them. With no other choice we went to the King's Mansion. There we got the money... but at a condition."

"What condition?" asked Sofia in a valnerable tone.

"The condition was to pay back in 2 years time, or he will take something himself." after a slight pause, she continued in a soft voice "But he did not say what that 'something' might be."

After much consideration, Sofia finally asked the hardest question;

"When is the deadline?"

A question was asked that no one wanted to answer. But the most unlikely person to step forward at a time like this, the 10 year who should have been out playing with kids his age, and should not have been part of the grownups money discussions.

"The deadline is .... in two months."