Contract Marriage

Mia was tired. She was exhausted. It was barely 11am, but she was exhausted. She had been strolling the streets of LA, in search of any kind of job. She had earlier on worked four jobs, but she had lost two since she always slacked and arrived late. Now, she had to find two more to cover for the two she had lost. She was exhausted. It was barely 11am, but she was exhausted. She had been strolling the streets of LA, in search of any kind of job. She had earlier on worked four jobs, but she had lost two since she always slacked and arrived late. Now, she had to find two more to cover for the two she had lost.

While she entered into different shops to search for jobs, she noticed her brother approaching her. From the look on his face, Mia could tell her fears had become reality. She could feel her eyes watering. Asher walked over to where she was and stopped before her.

"What happened, Ash? Why aren't you in school?"

"Sis." Asher hugged her. "I can't afford anything in school. Exams are starting next month and I can't even buy one single textbook."

"Ash… was that why you left?" She asked softly. She knew Asher was very self conscious and hated being embarrassed. "You could have endured."

"It's not about that sis." Asher answered with his gaze low.

Mia frowned. "Then what? Did you commit any crime in school?"

"No!" He answered immediately. "The headaches. They returned more fiercely. I passed out in school. When the nurse revived me, she immediately requested I be sent home."

"You… what? Ashley, are you thinking too much? I told you I will have everything sorted out!"

"No, sis. Look… my health is deteriorating. I can feel it."

Mia looked at him. He indeed looked pale. She frowned as she put her hand to his head. "Jesus, Asher. Your body is so hot." She exclaimed. "What are we going to- ahh!" She broke off in a loud scream. Asher had just passed out before her. She reached out to him on the ground.

"Help! Please! Anybody, call 911 please!" She begged. People would simply just pass without paying attention to her. Until someone took pity and called the emergency unit. Although they didn't stay to assist. Mia held her brother's burning pale body in her arms while she cried. Until the ambulance arrived.

Mia was pacing the hospital corridor, waiting for the doctor who was checking Asher to come out. When he did, she followed him, bombarding him with questions upon questions.

"Miss!" He cautioned. "This is a hospital. Your brother is not the only patient here."

"I'm sorry doctor." She was full of tears and her voice was shaky. She didn't know why she had a gutted feeling that her brother was suffering from something extreme. She cried in her heart, and it was evident in the way the tears kept falling off her face.

"I would like you to fill this form firstly, we would like to know the details about the patient. Does he have a medical record?"

"Doc, I can't tell. Those things were usually kept by our parents… now they're no more. We can't access any of those files." She explained tearfully. "But I will write the ones I know."

The doctor watched as she filled in very little details about her brother. He felt his patience grow thin immediately.

"Look, miss. I'll just go straight to the point. Your brother is having a growth."

"Growth?" Mia asked in shock. "As in a tumor?"

"Yes. He's having a brain tumor."

"Br… bra… brain t… tumor? Asher?" She gasped lowly and then the tears came rushing down like a broken dam. Was she going to lose her brother too?

"Doc… how severe is it?" She asked, willing herself to calm down. "What's the way forward?"

"Well, it's in a very delicate place. And he requires a surgery within 48 hours. Otherwise, his chances of survival aren't much."

Mia gasped again, her breath was shaky. She took deep breaths to try and calm herself down. Why was all of this happening now?

"Doc, you said a surgery was required?"

He nodded.

"H… How much is it going to cost?"

"Eight hundred and fifty thousand dollars." He replied.

"Sir?" Mia asked to be sure. That was almost a million dollars. All she had in her savings was five hundred dollars. Five hundred, removed from eight hundred and fifty thousand, was $849500. She still had a long way to go!

"Yes miss. And you must pay before the surgery can commence."

"All of them? Doctor, there's no way I can raise such money even in a week. Is there nothing you can do for me?" She cried. "Please doc. I beg you, my brother and me, we're orphans. Nobody to assist us… please doctor-"

"I'm sorry miss, but you fail to notice that it's your brother's life that's at stake here. This has nothing to do with me. If you can't raise the money then you might as well say goodbye to him."

"Noo!" Mia screamed. "I… I will raise the money. I will raise the money sir. But please, can I deposit a little first? Please save my brother's life." She begged. Her tear stained face touched the man seated opposite to her. He sighed angrily.

"Go and do something to raise 50 percent of the money. Make sure to send the deposit before 48 hours. We will begin the surgery once the deposit comes." He said slowly. Mia sat, staring at him. She didn't know if she should thank him for reducing the amount she was to target at first, or if to tell him that $425,000 was still a huge way to go. Slowly, she got up from the chair.

"Thank you." She whispered as she left his office. She first went to see her brother. Asher was laying in bed with drips and tubes connected to his body. She could see how pale he was. She sat beside him, holding his hands.

"Ash, I will definitely do something for you. I can't let you die." She sobbed. Asher's hand moved in hers. "I can't let you die at all."

"You are all I have left in this world. So, if I lose you, how can I survive? How?" Her voice was very unstable. Asher could hear her, and feel her pain, but he couldn't respond.

Mia was walking down the street of Los Angeles, for the second time that day. But she was. Completely oblivious of her environment. She couldn't concentrate. Her mind was going different directions. How could she raise such an amount of money? In such a short time? The doctor had said the earlier she brought the money, the more chances of Asher surviving. Each time she remembered how vulnerable Asher looked in that bed, tears would fall from her eyes all the more.

She sniffed and wiped her tears on the sleeve of her dress. She saw a lounge that was being cleaned out. It was very big. She found herself walking into the lounge.

The bouncers at the door stopped her. She didn't look like she worked there, neither did she look like she was ready to party. She looked like a homeless beggar. She tried to enter in, but they kept on stopping her. Then roughly, one of the men picked her up and threw her down to the ground. Mia groaned in pain as she rolled over to her be