Highest Bidder

I decided then to quit university and find a proper job that would help support us. I also intended to go through the accounts of my mother’s boutique. I would either try to revive the business, or if the situation was too bad, tie up the loose ends and get rid of it. It was time my mother stopped living in fantasy land and woke up to the reality of our new situation.

Once I had made that decision, I felt better, freer than I had since Dad died. I made a slice of toast, spread the caviar on it and ate it. I knew it was the last time I was going to be eating anything this luxurious for a long, long time. When it was all gone, I wiped the table clean of crumbs and went to bed.

By the time I woke up Mom had left the apartment. She left a note that she had a hairdressing appointment. I put the note down and sighed. Obviously, I was not begrudging Mom a trip to the hairdresser, but her hairdresser cost nearly a thousand a visit.

We were both going to have to make a lot of changes and sacrifices.

Just before I headed off to Uni, I called Martin to find out if my mother was at the boutique. He said she had just popped out and told me to come over as there was some leftover cake, Marie, the cleaner, had baked and brought to work. I loved her baking so I headed there.

I arrived at the store and felt a pang of sadness at the sight of it. We were in this mess partly because of me. In the heat of the moment, I’d forgotten that I hadn’t put up much of a fight when she wanted to open this place. I guess we were both reeling from my father’s death. The way he died. I just wanted to make her happy again.

I had known that owning a high-end boutique had been one of her dreams when she was younger. It was only superseded by being married to a wealthy man and playing the part of a socialite.

As I waited for the pedestrian light to turn green, I saw a woman walk in. With her bright red heels and long black coat, she seemed like just the demographic that my mother’s store aimed to cater to. Perhaps my mother was seeing her customer of the day, that is what my heart hoped.

I saw Martin hurrying up to welcome her, but at the sight of her, he came to a dead stop and actually began to retreat.

The light turned green, and keeping my gaze on the store, I crossed the road and stopped by the window. I don’t know why I didn’t go in. I guess I knew I was about to witness something important.

With his hand up, he appeared to tell her to wait. Then he hurried away to the back.

I watched, wondering what was going on.

Then my mom showed up, her reading glasses on her nose. My mother was the vainest person I know so she loathed them and only put them on when no one could see her, and for her to forget and come out into the front shop with them on, must mean something extremely serious was going down. She went towards the woman and listened as the woman launched into an animated monologue.

My mom tried to speak, several times, but the woman would cut her off and eventually her voice rose, and despite the bustle of the people around me, and endless stream of vehicles passing by, I could still hear her voice.

And that was not okay.

My mom was watching her with a placating, almost bewildered look.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I took a step forward, ready to barge in and give the woman a piece of my mind, when she turned and began to go through the racks of clothes. As she did so, she began to snatch dresses and blazers off the racks.

My mom went after her, trying to speak and hold on to the clothes to stop the woman from taking them away. It was then I realized what was happening. I froze and took a step back so I was hidden by one of the large potted plants on either side of the door.

Although, it hurt so much to do so, I forced myself to wait. My mom had to be the one to handle this on her own, or I might make matters worse. The woman was probably a supplier whom my mom had defaulted on payments to.

My heart ached as the woman piled a heap of clothes in her arms. The whole time, my mom followed behind her pathetically pleading with her as she went through the store.

I couldn’t take it anymore, but yet, I couldn’t bring myself to move because I knew that it would hurt my mom more than anything to know that I was a witness to her humiliation. I blinked back tears for my mother. How life had changed for her.

Then suddenly, my mother rushed towards the woman and tried to pull the clothes back.

I watched in disbelief. Oh, Mom! Just let her take them and go.

But my mom wouldn’t let go, until the woman got tired of the tussle and threw the clothes at her. At that moment I forgot my earlier intention to let my mother handle the situation. I stormed into the boutique, and I was just in time to hear my mother’s plea.

“They’ve been paid for,” she cried pitifully, her gaze to the ground. “The clients will be coming tonight to pick them up.”

“That was what you said last month,” the woman screamed into my mother’s face.

I couldn’t move.

“Catherine,” my mother begged the woman. “We need this sale to be able to survive this month.”

“Evelyn!” she called my mother by her first name, and my mouth fell open. “If I don’t get these clothes back to the office, I will not have a job by the end of today and there is no way I’m getting fired because you’re in over your head.”

My mom placed her hands together as if in prayer. “Please, Catherine. Please? Give me one more day. The credit card sales will register tomorrow and I’ll give you the money in cash if you want. Please. The client who bought these is a huge one, and it will bring us the opportunity of more business, which just means more business for you. They will be coming for a fitting at lunchtime, and if these clothes aren’t here, I might as well close down the shop right now and go out of business. I’m begging you, just give me today.”