Chapter 1 #2
Madison planned to do it all out of her apartment. If she still had an apartment to go to. This issue of money weighed her down like a ton of last year’s fashion pieces. She couldn’t be as excited as she wanted to be with a thunder cloud that hung over her head.
She still hadn’t been able to come up with a solution. She could see if they needed extra people at the restaurant where she sometimes worked part time, but even if they did, the tips would be nowhere near what she could earn at a club.
Madison would be lucky to get the late fee in tips.
“Again, I want to say congratulations to you all. Fashion week is huge, and AS fashion has promoted the race between four up and coming designers. Lots of eyes will be on you, so don’t hold back. The last thing is I wanted to see if you have any questions?”
“Yes. Is there a certain budget range we should stay in?” Madison asked.
“I would say no more than ten thousand, but you also don’t want to go too low. It will show in the quality of your fabric,” Kristy said.
“Do we need to submit our fabric samples for approval?” Kara said.
“No, you can surprise us.”
“Can we re-use designs from previous competitions?” Sabrina asked.
“You could, but we expect to see new creations.”
“Can we modify existing clothes?” Sabrina asked.
“No, it must be your own original work.”
“Do we also need to provide the accessories and makeup?” Madison asked.
“No, you will be able to use what we have in house, but feel free to make or buy your own if you think that works better with the design.” Kristy looked around. “Any more questions?”
They all shook their heads no.
“I know this can be a lot, so if questions come up later, feel free to contact me.”
“Thank you,” they all murmured and turned and left. A ripple of excitement went through them. Madison’s was blunted by her money troubles. She turned to Sabrina as they headed out. “We made it,” Madison said.
“Yeah. Congratulations on being in first place,” Sabrina said.
“Thanks, but we both know how things could change.” Madison lifted her bag higher on her shoulder.
“Yeah, but it’s doubtful you will slip from first place.”
“I don’t know. I won’t take it for granted and think I can coast. I have to work as hard as everyone else.” Madison pushed through the front door of the fashion house.
“I can’t go out and celebrate with you tonight. I have to work.” Sabrina headed for her car.
“Yeah, no worries. I have some things I need to take care of.” Like her place. She needed to figure out how she was to fund her design.
“So, I can’t give you a ride.” Sabrina stopped outside her car.
“Oh, ok. That’s all right. I need time to think. See you later.”
Madison headed to the bus that would take her to the train that would take her out of the city and into the neighborhood where she lived. For now. She racked her brain for what would get her the fourteen hundred dollars.
There was no way her mom still had it, and even if she did, she wouldn’t give it back. She had learned that the hard way after too many piggy bank raids.
Her mom was the epitome of a trophy wife, but one on a middle-class budget. She would do whatever she could to get her hands on more money to buy more lavish outfits or whatever she had seen someone else wear, eat, or drink. Her mother wanted to keep up with everyone.
The bus jostled her side to side, and she held her design bag close.
All she had done in the internship led to this moment.
She had had an idea of what she wanted to do if selected, but now she wanted to do something different.
Something wilder. If only she could free up some mental space to work on designs.
Madison boarded the MARC train and sat down. She had taken a seat alone until a man decided to sit by her even though there were plenty of other open seats. She looked at her phone, willing it to tell her how to get the money she needed and to keep the guy from talking to her.
She wasn’t in a relationship and didn’t have any plans or time to even if she wanted to. But she wasn’t a good liar and didn’t like to tell the guys she was in a relationship to get them to back off. They then said, “Oh, your man doesn’t let you have friends?” It would just become a headache.
She’d prefer to be honest and let them know she wasn’t interested, boyfriend or not. She could move to another seat, but she didn’t want to seem rude. It was something she tried to work on. To put herself and her feelings in the top space instead of as an afterthought.
A message popped up on her screen.
—Sabrina: Hey, I know you weren’t planning on working, but something just came up with Randy that I need to do. Can you sub for me pretty please—
Madison’s shoulders relaxed, and she took a deep breath in relief.
—M: Sure, yes of course I can sub for you.—
Things were looking up.
****
Madison changed her clothes and headed to the hospital to visit her brother, Henry.
He had been in a regular room but had been moved back to the intensive care unit that day.
He just couldn’t seem to catch a break. The breast cancer had spread, and he would get sick between bouts of chemotherapy.
He had to fight off pneumonia now. Last month it was bronchitis.
He had used all he earned as a pro NBA star.
He received some medical assistance, but it wasn’t enough to cover all of his bills.
Madison did her part to help out with the extra expenses as best she could.
But her brother still hadn’t learned how to manage his money, so she paid his bills directly when she made payments.
Inside the room, he was hooked up to tubes and wires.
The doctors said his kidneys were failing, and he would need a transplant.
Madison was a match, but each time the operation was scheduled, Henry came down with an illness and it needed to be postponed.
Maybe she couldn’t afford to take a week off.
That would be selfish when Henry needed so much.
She sat down beside his bed and touched his hand.
He took after their dad. Henry had the same toasted brown skin color and the height.
He was asleep but woke up. They weren’t super close, not because they didn’t get along, but because he was ten years older than her.
So, they were always in two different stages.
It was only now that they started to connect when he had received his diagnosis.
“Hey, how are you feeling?”
“Not too—” He coughed. “—bad.” He did his best to sit up and she rose from the chair to help him.
“Here.” She picked up his water from the beside table and handed it to him. She also plumped up his pillows so he could be more comfortable.
“Thanks.” His voice was raspy with sleep and dryness. “How was work today?”
“It was good. I moved to the next round.”
“Congratulations, I know you’ve worked hard for this since you were little.” Henry fist bumped her hand.
“Thanks.”
“Weren’t you supposed to take a week off?”
“I am.”
“Then why are you dressed in your bartending outfit?”
Madison looked down at herself. Her family didn’t know she stripped. She had picked up after a dare in high school, and it had come in handy in college and for her master’s program.
“Oh, that.” She knew she should have worn a jacket over top, but it was too hot in this July heat. Baltimore was oppressive. “I’m subbing for Sabrina.”
“She always could tell you a story and get you to do what she should be doing. What was it this time?”
“It had to do with her brother Randy, and it helps me out too.” Madison was offended that her brother assumed she was a pushover. She was helping a friend out. It wasn’t like Sabrina took advantage of her kindness.
They didn’t hang out as much as they used to. She knew Henry believed Brina was jealous of her, but who wasn’t jealous of someone else? She was jealous of how close Sabrina and Randy were. They were only two years apart, so much closer than her and Henry’s ten-year difference.
The idea popped to tell Henry that her mom took all of her savings, but she didn’t want to burden him with it. Especially when he was still unwell.
“Any news on the transplant?”
“No. With this latest flare-up of pneumonia, it’s on hold again, but they say it should clear up within two weeks, and as long as I stay healthy, knock on wood, it will be a go.” He put his hand on hers. “I really appreciate you giving me this kidney.”
She turned their hands around so that hers was on top. “Of course I would do this for you. I’d do it for anyone.”
“Even for your mom?” He gave her a look.
He had her there. She and her mom didn’t get along, not that she didn’t try on Madison’s part. “I’m not that cruel that I wouldn’t help her out too. It might make her a better person if she had a piece of me in her.”
“You were made from the two of them. You know that, right? Basic biology and all that. I’m sure even those getting a masters in fashion design had to take biology at some point.”
“I did take it and the only thing I can think of is that she has to be mixed together in equal parts to become a decent human being. There needs to be some dad in there. I mean we both turned out great.”
Henry’s chuckle turned into a coughing fit, and she jumped up to pat him on the back. Once it eased up, she gave him the water back, and he took a few sips.
He held the cup in his hand. “I know if I die, you will go no contact with her, and I don’t want you to be alone with Dad sick.”
“Don’t talk like that, and I’m not alone.” Henry always looked for the best in people. He was too optimistic when it came to her relationship with her mom. Her father and Henry made it seem as if it was Madison’s fault her mom got riled up when Madison came around.
“I mean besides friends. Someone special in your life.”
“I’ve seen what that does to a person, and I wouldn’t want to put that on anyone else, especially kids.
” Madison wouldn’t ignore her kid like her mom did, but if she got married and her husband ignored her for the kid or ignored the kid for her, either way it wouldn’t be good.
Although all marriages didn’t have kids and there were plenty of unmarried people that did have kids.
But she didn’t want to be taken advantage of.
She hadn’t seen any healthy marriages to go off of.
Her mother had taught her that love was finite. There wasn’t enough for everyone to have it, and she didn’t want to have a kid and have that end up for them. In marriage, all Madison could see was how her mother took advantage of her dad, and she didn’t want to be in either position.
“Our parents are our parents, and they did their best. I know your mom and our dad made mistakes, but she’s been much better now, hasn’t she?”
Madison didn’t have the heart to tell him that her mom had taken her savings, and she might lose her apartment. “Yeah. You seem tired. Let me let you rest, and I’ll come back and see you after my shift. I’ll let the nurses know to expect me.” She took the water before it slipped out of his hand.
“You don’t have to.”
“I know.” She got up and went to the door. By the time she turned around, he had fallen asleep. “But I want to.”