Ghost In Red

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“No, you can’t go up there in the attic. You shouldn't." I asserted, and she smirked.    

"I will. I can. And I think you are hiding something up there." She insisted, and I inhaled deeply to keep my cool. Yes, I hid some things up there from you and everyone else.    

"You see, there are lots and lots and lots of… cockroaches and other insects up there. And it's dusty as hell. That's why I haven't been visiting it for so long because I just… I don't have time to clean it. So, no, you can’t go there for now.” I explained, and thankfully it changed her eagerness and curiosity.    

“Really? Ew! Fine. I'm scared of those filthy little devils with wings and antennas. But you should cease them all soon, okay?" She cringed, and I showed her two thumbs up, nodding my head as I agreed with her.    

I sighed in relief and turned my attention to my food, and began eating. I just hope she bought it. I'm not ready to show her the things I painted there. Well, maybe if we get a bit closer or if she can finally be back with her physical body here. We might have a sleepover up there.    

Ooh, damn, I feel so excited at the thought of it.    

---    

“Look at this picture, Oj. Your mom lived somewhere around the south of Chicago or somewhere near there before, during her college days. Chicago State University, she went there. Well, I have something in mind that we could do to find her faster. Do you happen to know if Mimi knew a few things about your mom? I mean, if Mimi could have known where exactly did your mom go when she left you. Have you ever tried to ask her?” I said and asked OJ since something just came into my head about her mother's whereabouts. She mentioned before that Mimi had been her nanny since she was born. Maybe they were close.    

“I tried so many times, Syd. But she always says she doesn't know. And if she could have known, she would tell me." She answered and stood up from my bed to go near me here at my study table to look at the picture in my hand.    

"Wow, I never noticed this shirt of her before. It's been a long time since I saw this picture." She muttered, looking at the photo in my hold, and I nodded my head lightly.    

I tried to think of another thing we could do to help us locate her mother somewhere in Chicago, Illinois, which is about two thousand miles away from here. And I let out a heavy sigh and turned my chair to face my computer to open my newly made face book account.    

We will continue stalking people named Veronica Dawson in the hopes we can find something about her being this girl's mother.    

---    

"Seriously, Syd? How anti-social are you? No F.B. account? No insta? No nothing? What do you use for easier communication other than texting and calling?" OJ whined as we were now about to open the insta gram app I had just downloaded on my phone to search for things there.    

"Hey! I'm not that awful. I have an email. G-mail, okay? You, people, are just so… you people love to brag about great things about you on the internet, share information and tell lies, and lots more in there." I defended myself, and she laughed maniacally.    

"Look who finds social media useless? You even hoped that you could locate my mother from anywhere on the internet! Pathetic! You are!" She countered and sat beside my computer on the tabletop as she was so done with me.    

"Seriously, Hunters? Are we going to argue about it now? Why don't you just shut your mouth and try to see if there is anything you could help me with, and nothing else is you are to say. Okay?" I ordered sternly, and she blew up her cheeks, trying to make annoying faces at me.    

Thankfully, she agreed just to keep quiet while I dealt with my phone.    

"Do I really have to make another account for this sh*t?" I cursed, frustrated at the process I needed to do in order to explore the app.    

"Mm, you could link your F.B. account or G-mail with your I.G., by the way," OJ suggested, and I did what she said.    

Another few minutes passed, and I was about to complain about what I had been doing and encountering.    

"Why can't I f*cking see people's posts? I could look at the other profiles of dozens of Veronica Dawsons here. Why does this one and this one, then this one here need to be accepted first? And follow? F*ck! We are going nowhere!" I groaned and looked at the girl behind me with my eyebrows meeting in unrest.    

"Oh, it's like that, Syd. So… you give up on I.G.? I guess my mom is someone like you--hates social media. Who knows?" She replied, and it didn't help our situation even a bit.    

I let out a sigh of frustration and stood up to head to my bed to cry. No, I wouldn't. There must be another way. This is just one plan that had failed. There are more letters in the alphabet. I will never give up.    

I buried my face in my pillows, and I tried to think harder of another plan.    

When something struck my skull, I hastily got up and faced the ghost on the couch.    

"I'm going to buy a damn plane ticket. We are going to Illinois tomorrow." I asserted enthusiastically, and OJ seemed stunned by my new plan.    

"Are you going to Chicago without any assurance that my mother could be there?" She asked, and I sat on the edge of my bed while looking intently at her face.    

"We have one—she went to Chicago State University. We could find anything in the university records about her. Addresses. Old addresses. Or maybe we could find people who knew her, her bestie, friends, colleagues, neighbors before, and things like that, Oj. If Chicago is her home place, she could still be there right now. Anywhere, we will find her. We could even ask the authorities there, police, mail people, and anything. We can find her. We will." I told her, optimistic about everything, and I was so sure about it.    

"Damn! I like the spirit. Do what you want, Sydney Roswell." She agreed with a smile, and I stood up to go to my computer to look at the available flights and book one. Hopefully, it will arrive in the mail early tomorrow.    

"Okay. But… I… I need money. Lots. Maybe… In case stuff happens. Who knew how long we would stay there?" I said, and our gazes fell on her wallet beside her phone near my computer.    

"You can use every penny you need, Syd. My MasterCard is there. You could even book a VIP flight so that we could have a place to talk without people thinking you are crazy. Go on." She professed, and I couldn't agree more.    

When I was about to book a 3 PM flight tomorrow and entered her card details, I rubbed my eyes to see the things written on the screen clearer.    

"Holistic burger, biatch! It's invalid! Your card is blocked." I cursed after I had read the error message, and the owner of the MasterCard gasped.    

"No! Why would it be blocked? I didn't… ugh, f*ck Dad! He could have done something with it! Damn it! Now, what are we going to do? We have no access to my funds. There are thousands of bucks in there. Why?" She grunted and facepalmed, and I bit my lower lip. Damn... This is... Hard.    

Well, it's another problem. I have only a little money in my savings account.    

A few deafening silence passed, and my eyes turned to my closet, where my "college money" was kept inside a ceramic piggy bank, and I tried to think if I should spend it for this mission I have with OJ. Whatever it takes. But no, I have sworn never to break it until I am admitted to college. But I need it more than anything right now.    

Should I? I should.    

"Are you okay, Syd? Do you think the bills inside my wallet could help? Damn, I know it's just a few." OJ asked me, worried that we had been so broke, and I stood up from my chair to check if I could get the guts to break my five years savings. I know it would be more than enough for what I needed. OJ's life is more important to me now. Whatever it takes, I'm ready to risk everything for her.    

As I was about to reach for the piggy bank, I got a glimpse of the box beside it. Inside, it was another thing that is so important to me that I had kept since my parents left me.    

"What are you doing?" The ghost asked me, and I opened the dusty box.    

I saw the jadeite pendant my mom gave me before she died that night at the hospital. It's from my grandparents and was passed to the youngest child of each generation. It's real Imperial Jade and could be so expensive.    

Ooh, sneaky Mommy! Damn, our problem had just been solved!    

"Mom said I could use this when things get rough during the times they aren't around to help us. I don't know what she meant by that before, but I had just kept it here for so long because I was afraid that I could lose it if I wore it. I guess I know what she meant now. Come on, let's get this one appraised and pawn it." I told OJ, and I took out the precious necklace from its box. She shrugged her shoulders in response and followed me out of my room after taking my phone and bag.    

We don't need to break my piggy since this pendant could be worth thousands of bucks, and we could use more than enough money for this journey we are about to take. I would just redeem it soon from the pawnshop after everything is settled.    

"I'll borrow your car for a moment, Wen. Can I? I would just buy something downtown." I asked the woman who was busy eating grapes on the couch, watching TV, and she pointed somewhere at their bedroom.    

"Okay, the key is on the top drawer of the nightstand, Syd. Also, buy a tray of eggs, too. Money is on… somewhere there in my wallet. Thanks!" She agreed, and I dashed to the master's bedroom of this house.    

After getting the car's key, I went to the garage to drive off to our destination. Maybe after we have the money, we can deposit it to my bank savings account.    

We can do this. We are going to Chicago tomorrow and find my dear OJ's mother.    

---    

"How could it be that cheap? It's ancient! It's real Imperial Jade. It's from seven generations of my family! Check it properly, please." I complained when the man jeweler said that it's only worth three hundred bucks, and I don't want to accept it. No way!    

"Yeah! What I know is jade worth something bigger than just a hundred! Screw you, mister!" OJ supported me even if she couldn't be heard, and I sighed and looked at the bald man sharply.    

"I'm sorry, Miss, but it seemed that---" He was cut off by someone, and an old woman came out from the door behind the man.    

"Give me that, Max." The person, who I presumed could be his mother and owner of this pawnshop, said and took my pendant from his hold.    

Hmm, hopefully, she could see with just her one eye clearly since the other was covered with a patch.    

She examined it for a moment, and OJ and I looked at her, full of hope that she could tell its exact worth.    

After a few minutes, she looked at the man and told him something, and he nodded his head and went to get some papers from a table on the left side inside their establishment.    

"Syd, want to bet how much it's worth? I'll go for 7K bucks. How about you? Price it 7K, Madam! We need that money so much! We have a life to save!" OJ asked me and yelled, and I chuckled softly and whispered to her. "Five for me."    

Then the woman's attention turned to me by the counter, and she smiled warmly.    

"I could give you seven for that, dear." She said, and I looked at her with my puzzled face.    

"Seven what? Dollars?" I asked to confirm, and she wetted her lips and spoke, "Seven thousand dollars as per request by your companion."    

My jaw dropped as I heard her words, and I looked at the ghost on my left with my wide eyes in surprise. And OJ seemed shocked, too, and we both looked back at the woman.    

"You can see her?" I asked her in disbelief, and she just smiled at me.    

What the…? Seriously?