April walked by his side, grinning with pleasure as they stepped out of the shop. Frank would realize at the end of the day that he was only a fool.
"Frank. Don't you think my dad would be mad at me for putting on his clothes? His favorite at that." Frank looked at her, head to toes. "I am surprised you were able to recognize me though."
"Sure. I would recognize you anytime, anywhere. Besides, I was the one who got your dad these clothes for a birthday present, so it caught my eyes, I must say."
"Really?" Her eyes gleamed with delight. "But you never got anything for us!"
He smiled. She knew it was fake. "Don't worry. Once your sister recovers fully, I promise to take you guys shopping."
"Well, me first." she pulled his arm and dragged him towards a nearby mall. Opportunity comes but once.
Like a lamb led to the slaughter, Frank was dragged to the nearest mall, where April selected a few outfits to her taste. He could do little or nothing to resist her request. Two pairs of jeans and five designer tops, a pair of black sneakers and desert boots. She was really delighted. All that she needed now was cash. She could figure a way to get that.
"Oh...thank you so much, Frank. You are the best!" she cooed as he humbly made the payments without a fuss. After they stepped out, she noticed his face was rigid and cold like stone, but each time she turned to him, he would force a smile. Well, who cared? Whatever plans it was he had in his head for her, hers was way bigger. But as each step led them nearer to his car now, she knew she had to act faster or the rest of her plans would be foiled.
Frank turned to her. "Didn't you say your dad may be mad if he sees you with his clothes on? I thought that was why you made me buy you new ones. But you didn't even change."
"Uhmm... Yeah. I would say that was my first reason. But on a second thought, I changed my mind. There is no point pleasing him. Again, I thought it would be a good idea to show off to them that you took me out, you know. I am the first child, and deserve to be treated first." she grinned.
"Alright. If you say so." He shrugged and moved on. "Let's hurry, please. I will still need to get to my workplace." he hurried ahead as he spoke, while she lagged behind a little and pretended to hurry after him.
But the moment he got on the sidewalk and crossed the road to the other side where his car was, along with a dozen other people, April turned around and quickly raced to the left side of the road where there was a canopy with a brand promo ongoing. It was a live advert for a new baby cereal. Their uniform was black, with black baseball caps, logo and design of the cereal inscribed on them. April blended in their midst at once and rocked her head to the music as she turned her back to the road. They seemed to have a lot of customers and looked short of staff as a few customers mistook her for the staff. On seeing this, she quickly approached a very big lady with a red face and short cropped hair, who appeared to be their boss.
"Do you need a volunteer, ma'am? I could help." she said.
"Sure, thanks." The lady was pleased, and ushered her inside to a changing room where she was handed uniforms at once. She only asked her a few questions; her name, ID and occupation, which she answered truthfully without thinking twice. April took her time to change as she kept peeping at the window, watching Frank walk about tirelessly like a wanderer, apparently seeking her. She was so pleased with herself and her new job. Whether she will be paid or not was none of her business for the meantime. And she didn't bother thinking, whether she would be recognized or not. Everyone must be too busy or troubled to take note.
The brand advertisement was fun, though very stressful, and they worked all day till late noon. April had earlier switched from her dark shades to a transparent one which she picked during her shopping with Frank, and also pulled down the bill of her cap lower to her face. No matter how bad the day started, it was bound to end well, she hoped. Though life could indeed be a wonder. She never believed she would become a vagabond overnight. The only thing she worried about now as they wrapped up, was where she would spend the night, if she didn't make it to Nashville in time. Well, on the other hand, that shouldn't be a problem if she was able to take a night bus. But with which money?
"Hello pretty. Good job."
Someone from behind interrupted her train of thoughts, and she turned around sharply. It was a younger brother to the big woman in charge as she had learnt that by observation. And unlike his sister, he was slim and tall with tanned skin. His broad smile was alluring.
"Oh, thanks." she blushed, looking away. Why was he staring at her like that?
"I'm Kyle. And you are?" He extended his hands.
If she told him her name was April, and she happened to be sought, the name and description would easily be traced to her. At the same time, moving around with a fake identity wasn't her goal. How about the name her grandma gave her? Hadassah. Haddie for short.
"I'm Haddie." she finally said, temporarily forgetting that she had given his sister her original name and showed her ID to her. "Nice to meet you too." she flashed her prettiest smile. Who knows, he could be her ticket to Nashville. But on second thought, she wasn't sure letting anyone know her destination would be a good idea, since the police and investigators could be really thorough at times.
"Uhm... Thanks for volunteering. It's rare to have pretty young volunteers like you." He stacked some cartons of cereal quickly as he spoke.
April waved a hand in the air. "Oh, come on. It's nothing."
"So, are you heading home yet? Or are you free to grab a drink?
She hesitated. The earlier she set out, the better. "No, thanks. I need to hurry somewhere and I'm running late already." She turned around. Thankfully, she had been able to charge her phone already after taking off the sims. She would need to get another number. It was a good thing Maya was recovering. She would miss her friends and family, yeah. But she gotta move. The only question was how?
Lost in her thoughts, she absentmindedly dug her hands into her pocket when she felt something. Her credit card. It was thoughtful of Adrian to keep it there for her. She still had her credit card with her. She hopped with delight, not minding the heads turning. Quickly, she made for the nearest ATM machine to make her withdrawal. She was returning to the tent where the promo was packing up, when she sighted someone in their midst and quickly ducked by a wall, behind a pillar, heart in mouth.
Meanwhile, back home, her dad was mad with worry as he spoke with Ned , Jean and Jorge. "Where did you guys say she was going yesterday?" he asked for the umpteenth time.
"It was not like she actually told us where she was going. So we all assumed she was heading back home. Which she did. Because the old lady with a kiosk in front said she saw her enter the house and leave. She says she was dressed in black like a boy." Jorge reported.
"She confided in me previously that she wouldn't mind going to Nashville if things turned out pretty bad." Ned spoke up.
Tony, April's dad sighed. "I phoned her grandma, and from her response, there is nothing to indicate April is in Nashville. She was even asking after them. If I should ask the old woman directly, whether April is there, and she isn't, she would definitely have a heart attack. And unfortunately, I don't have the contact of her aunt who lives with her. I lost it." He looked tired and weary.
Ned fixed his eyes on Frank, who was behind Tony, fidgeting. He looked more troubled than Tony himself. "Where did you say you saw her, Frank?"
He wiped sweat off his brows with the back of his hand. "She refused to come with me. She didn't follow me. I thought she did, but when I turned around, she had disappeared. She fooled me." he rambled incoherently. "Then I moved on, assuming she had returned home."
"What are you talking about? I don't get you." Tony said, his ears perked up.
Red in the face, Frank narrated his tale with April from the beginning to the end.
"So, from all indications, she really wanted to come home with you then and even bought stuff for her sisters as well. Then what must have happened on the way? Was she kidnapped or something?" Tony thought aloud. " I am very sure she couldn't have missed her way."
Jorge, Ned and Jean exchanged knowing glances. None of them liked Frank. Not April in the least. She would be the last to want to go out with him. From Frank's story, they could deduce she only used him to get extra clothes and food on a platter of gold. So why was Frank himself and her dad so clueless? She never planned to come home, and only used him as a means of covering her most important needs. Deep down, Ned knew another place asides Nashville, that she wouldn't hesitate to go. But he said nothing.
Jorge's phone rang and he excused himself and went out. It was one of his long-time friends from high school. "Hey, what's up Kyle. You said you saw her?"
"I'm actually with her right now. She only stepped out to get some cash from the ATM machine nearby and would be back soon. I tried to stall her to have a drink with me, but she says she is in a hurry and heading somewhere." he spoke fast.
"Where is she heading to? Did she mention?" Jorge inquired.
"No. I didn't press either."
"Come on, man. You should. You know her sister is still alive. She didn't die as we thought, so this one definitely has to go, okay? Even if she chooses to remain secretive as she does sometimes, you could just trail her. But I want her alive first, okay?"
Kyle took a deep breath on the other end. Then there was a pause. Silence.
"Kyle? Are you there?" Jorge called.
"Hold on, man. Something is about to happen. Let's talk later." He hung up before Jorge could say another word.