Chapter 4: The Envelope.

(TANYA)

I thanked God for every morning that I wake up. Even though I couldn’t see the beautiful mornings I still love it. I walked down the stairs carefully and went directly to the kitchen to prepare our breakfast. Sometimes Dad prepares it but there were times that he wakes up late.

I placed the pan in the stove and started to heat it while waiting I beat some eggs in a bowl. I’m thinking to cook some omelettes.

I heard the television turned on and I knew that Dad is now awake. “Good morning,” he kissed my cheeks.

“Morning,” I greeted back. I am now slicing some onions. I can feel that Dad opened the fridge probably taking out the milk. I also heard some clashes of plates.

“You know that I can cook for us,” he said as he placed the plates on my side.

“I know, Dad, but I want to take care of you too. You’ve done so much for me, this is the only thing that I can do,” I said back.

Dad sighed and kissed my forehead, “I really don’t know what to do if you also are not here with me.”

“I love you too, Dad,” I smiled.

That’s how our mornings work. It would be perfect if Mom is here with us. Only if.

After breakfast Dad went to the shop and while I insisted that I’m the one to wash our plates. I went to my room upstairs to read some Braille books. Those are the one of my past times but sometimes I also listen to music in my Ipod. By the way, where is my Ipod?

I searched for my shoulder bag because the last time I remember I put it there so that I can get it when I got bored while Olivia and I are on the mall yesterday. I found it lying on my bedside table but I found something which shouldn’t be in my bag.

It is an envelope and a bulky one. I touched its contents and I got surprised on what I found. It’s a bundle of money I know it is because it’s smells new. I also found a small rectangular thing. I think it’s a hard drive. Why in the world they are in my bag? I don’t remember having them in me. What I’m I going to do with it?

I grabbed my phone and clicked the number two in my speed dial who is Olivia.

“Hello?” she answered sleepily.

“Olivia? This is Tanya. I know it’s too early for you but I don’t know what to do,” I said trying to be calm.

“Why?” she asked there’s still a tint of sleepiness in her tone.

“I was looking for my Ipod in my bag but I found an envelope and inside it are a bundle of money and a hard drive. I don’t know where it came from and I don’t know what to do with it,” I replied.

“What? Did you say a bundle of money?” she is now wide awake.

“Olivia, I’m being serious here.”

“Okay, okay, I got it. I’m going there now. Don’t do anything with it. We’re going to figure it out when I get there. Just wait for me,” she said hastily and the line ended.

I sighed, really what is this?

***

(SEAN)

“Boss, do you want something?” Gino asked.

I am working in my office to finish some paper works and he keeps asking me if I want anything.

“No, I don’t,” I replied not bothering to look at him.

“Maybe you want coffee or something,” he asked cheekily.

“I’ll just ask Tomas to get me that if I want it,” I said firmly.

“Then do you want anything Tomas?” he is now asking Tomas who is on my side reading some papers.

“Gino,” I threaten.

On the cue the door suddenly opened that it caught our attention and only to reveal Matt with a laptop on his hands.

“Woah Matt, what’s the rush?” Gino asked.

Matt walked in front of my desk and placed the laptop in my front not minding the papers I’ve been working.

“What is it?” Tomas asked.

“I was looking to the mall’s surveillance cameras hoping to get some information on what Jackson’s doing in there. I was thinking that maybe he is going to meet with someone because it’s so impossible and it’s stupid for him to think that he can shop first before running away from us----,”

“Could you just get to the point,” I interrupted him not really care on his subtopics.

“Sorry, as I was saying, I was looking at the videos and found this,” he played the video in the laptop.

In there, Jackson is running away from us and we are chasing him, when suddenly he collided with a brown haired woman who just got out of the pizza shop. They fell to the ground and I think the woman fell hard but what caught my eyes is what Jackson was doing. As they fell the woman’s bag fell also from her grasps and that was the time when Jackson placed a brown envelope inside the bag before he stood up.

That woman was the same woman I helped and talked to. I still remember her, her wavy brown shoulder length hair, a little skinny but still fit. She was with a long straight blonde hair woman.

“Inside the envelope I’m sure it is the money and the hard drive,” Matt said.

“Why did Jackson put the money in the woman’s bag?” Gino asked.

“That is the question we wanted to know too,” Matt answered.

He is right. Why Jackson did it? Maybe it is not the right thing to kill him however he is insane. I also know that Jackson will not tell anything. He’s that hard headed.

“What are we going to do, Sir?” Tomas asked.

Of course, there is just one thing we must do. After all I needed the hard drive, “Find the woman.

***

(TANYA)

“Oh my gosh! This is one hundred thousand dollars!” Olivia shrieked.

“Olivia, keep your voice down,” I reprimanded.

“One hundred thousand dollars,” she mumbled. She really has lost it.

“Olivia!”

“Sorry, Okay, how did it go to your bag?” she asked.

“I don’t know too,” I shrugged.

“We need to give it back to the owner. That’s the right thing to do. Gosh, one hundred thousand dollars,” she decided.

“How are we supposed to know who owns the envelope?” I asked.

“How about we check the contents of the hard drive? We may found something in there,” she suggested.

“You’re right but I don’t like to meddle in other people’s belongings. We might found something that we shouldn’t.”

“But that’s the only way we could find the owner,” she insisted.

I don’t really like to intervene with the things that aren’t mine because I don’t like people do the same thing to me too. This is really troublesome.

“Fine,” I agreed in defeat.

“Good, I’m going to borrow your Dad’s laptop since you don’t have one,” she went outside my room. Few minutes later she came back with Dad’s laptop.

“Okay here it comes,” she sat beside me in my bed. I’m just waiting for her to tell me something she found.

“Oh my!” she cried.

“W-what? What have you found?” I asked worriedly.

There is a pause and it really ticks me off, “Olivia,” I said impatiently.

“I can’t understand everything. There are a lot of names in here and there are a few writings that I can’t understand. I think it is a different language,” she answered.

“You scared me,” I sighed in relief. She’s really good at making me feel nervous.

“This really doesn’t help us,” she sighed.

“I think I’m going to keep it for a while,” I said.

“You’re going to keep it? Why not give it to the police? I think they can help.”

“I’m going to think about that too, there’s really something about this that I don’t know but it’s telling me that I should decide carefully. I think I need more time on what I’m going to do with this,” I answered truthfully.

“Okay whatever you decide.”

I placed the envelope in my drawer at my desk table. I am hoping that the person looking for it will go to the police so that it will be featured in the television or radio. In that situation it will be easy for me to decide things.

“Do you think the owner will notice if I get a few dollars from the bundle?”

“Olivia!”

***

Beware: Grammar may be bad.

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