CHAPTER 17 — SILVER LINING

For the nth time this week, I pored over the financial documents of All That Jazz. We had a maximum of two weeks before the dance hall closed down and I was in a rush to find a solution. Nothing came to mind.

I closed yet another file and brought out the expenses file. Maybe if we could cut down our expenses, there would be more revenue. Except that would take more than two weeks to gain a significant amount from the dance classes. Bummer.

I puffed my cheeks out in frustration, blowing off a strand of hair that had strayed out of my bun. What to do? I asked myself. No answer. Still wallowing in the dark thoughts swirling in my head, my phone rang. I zoomed in on the caller ID. Mother.

Darn it. I let out a loud groan. I didn’t want to pick up, I really didn’t but it had been weeks since we’d last spoken. So, it was with great reluctance that I swiped the screen of my phone.

“Verity, honey! It’s been days since you called, how are you? Also, how come you didn’t tell us about the happy news?” Her excited voice met my ears at high volume, making me wince. I pulled the phone away, keeping a little distance before my poor ears bled.

“Calm down, Mom. I’m fine and what joyful news?” I asked, not at all in the mood.

She hummed and I could imagine her gray eyes beaming in happiness. “Oh, don’t play coy. I understand if you wanted it to be a surprise but how could you keep that to yourself? That you would be coming back soon?”

Taken aback, I echoed, “Coming back?”

“Yes, dear! Mr. Covel called and told me he’s selling ATJ and that since you wouldn’t be working over there any longer, that you’d be coming to see us. After so many years. Oh, I’m so happy, honey!”

Wait, what? I cut her off, my already frustrated mood turning to irritation. “Hold on, Mom. I never mentioned such. And how can you even call this good news? I’d be losing everything that mattered to me, and you think the first thing on my mind would be running back home?” I scoffed bitterly. “That would never happen, Mum. Never!”

Her voice became uncertain, sad even. “I thought that you would…”

“You thought nothing.” I snapped, the knuckles of my fingers turning white as I gripped my phone tighter. “I’m not planning on coming back anytime in the future and also, you know how you called it a joyful news? Well, the ‘joyful’ news of ATJ closing has been the fuel to my nightmares and so has the thought of coming home too. Goodbye, Mom.”

I cut the call and placed my head in my hands, feeling useless. I was fed up, just literally tired of everything.

After a moment of hating myself, I stood to check that all the students were gone and everything else was in place before locking up for the day. Dragging my foot, I walked across the hallway. A sound filtered into my ears, raising the hair on my back. It sounded like a…muffled sob. Someone was crying.

Concerned, my own worries forgotten, I dashed into the dance room. My eye widened at the sight that met me. A crying Shaye was sobbing her heart out, head placed on her gathered knees and shoulders quivering.

My heart broke, worry and anxiety filling me up. I sat down beside her on the ground, keeping my hand on her knees. “Shaye, what’s the matter? Why are you crying?”

She hiccupped. “Nothing.”

I frowned. “Those cries you’re making doesn’t seem like nothing to me. You can tell me, maybe there’s something that I can do.”

She finally raised her head, her eyes and nose tinged with red. She croaked out. “My dad doesn’t love me anymore. He always comes late to pick me up, unlike before. Whenever I ask, he says it’s work.” More tears streamed from her eyes. “I think he loves his job more than me, V.”

Oh, Lennox, what have you done?

“Hey, shh. Don’t cry.” I gathered her small body into my arms, rubbing circles on her back. “Your dad is a busy man and the reason he stays so late at work is because he wants to make more money and provide for you. He still loves you, so very much, so never doubt that.”

Her sobs quieted, and with a tiny voice asked, “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Shaye.” I assured her, stroking her hair. “Your father loves you. Like every father does.” I added, ignoring the twinge in my heart at the fact that her father didn’t regard me or to talk more of loving me. He’d said it himself, the only things that mattered was power, control and money. Most likely Shayetta as well.

“You okay now?” I asked in a gentle one.

“Yeah, V. Thank you.” She sniffed loudly. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay, dear.” We stayed like that for a while, locked in each other’s hold, our breathing the only thing to be heard. Rocking her on my laps, I decided to talk to Lennox about Shaye. Even though I would loathe to do that, I had to. He needed to be aware that his daughter missed his absence.

“What’s your Christmas wish?” Shaye asked, disrupting the stillness of the room.

“To save this dance school.” I didn’t know how the words fell out of my mouth, but they did.

Shaye looked at me, brows knitted in confusion. “Save ATJ?”

“Yes. Save ATJ. I have not told anyone until now but Mr. Covel, the owner of this place, is planning on selling it. He has to do it because he wants to use the money realized from the sale and pay for his wife’s hospital bills. We have only a few weeks left. If there’s a way that Christmas wishes were actually answered, then yes, saving ATJ would be my wish. I have tried all that I could but…” My voice trailed off, the emotions rushing in full force, anger, ire, dejection, all mingling to form a myriad of overwhelming misery. And for the first time since a long while, I let the first tears drop.

“V? Do you really mean that?” Shaye questioned, her tone uncertain.

Quickly, I cleaned the pesky tears off with the back of my right hand, embarrassed. “Sorry, don’t mind me. It’s just nerves. And yes, I do mean it. I’ve spent the better part of these last few weeks pondering a way to stop Mr. Covel from selling but,” I heaved a tired sigh, “there hasn’t been an idea yet.”

Downcast, Shaye bit her lips, deep in thought. “That’s such bad news. I know what it feels like to lose someone that you love. You know, back at my old school, there was this sick girl whose parents couldn’t afford her hospital bills just like Mr. Covel. So, one day, they came up with an idea of raising money…” Shaye paused for a second and then, her eyes lit up. “That’s it! You could start a fund raiser!”

“A fund raiser?” My mind was foggy, not grabbing at the suggestion she’d brought up. I was still weighted down by an acute sense of hopelessness.

“Yes!” This time, her excitement was vivid, and she was grinning. “What if you started a fund raiser for Mr. Covel’s wife? There are a lot of generous people out there who would be willing to help out!”

I pinned my stare on her, slowly nodding my head in agreement, the dejection I’d been feeling earlier evaporating as her idea took root in my mind. How hadn’t I thought of that? Shaye’s impromptu proposal was a really smart one.

“It could work, V! Who knows?”

I gave her a sad, hopeful smile and pulled her close to me for another well-deserved hug. “Thank you, Shaye. Thank you so much!”

Who knows? Maybe things weren’t looking so bad anymore. Maybe this was actually a silver lining.