CHAPTER 5 The Face-off
E arlier, Eloisa was like an idiot while sitting on the chair in front of the counter where she needs to pay for the bills. She was shocked when she informed about the amount that they need to pay for the transfer. She almost burst into tears as she stared at the piece of paper she was holding. Thirty thousand, she was stuttered when she utters the words. She seems wondering how many baskets of vegetables and fruits she should sell to earn and save money for the hospital bill. Even if she owes money in the bank, she will not be able to get such a large amount easily if she does not sell her kidney. Why is that such a government hospital seems to have a rich price?
Why are we poor people really oppressed even more? Her sentiments in life were interrupt when a nurse approached and handed her a paper.
“Ahm... Ms? What is this?” she asked the nurse in astonishment.
“That was a receipt!” the nurse said while rolling her own eyeball and obviously annoyed at her.
“Receipt?”
“Yes, read it! You can read, right?” the nurse scolded her. It’s annoying to thin that there is such a person. Instead of being polite, well because of their profession, they are rude and feeling high and mighty.
When the nurse left, Eloisa immediately read what was written. Her eyes instantly widened. There was a signature of someone with a good heart paid their expenses.
“Creed Galvez?” she wondered who it was. That sounds so familiar to her. At the last she thought maybe this was just one of the politicians who needed a vote in the upcoming election.
She felt lucky that they will also benefit from those electoral candidates and wants to make a name on themselves. Or maybe, because she was a good girl she was blessed by heavens. Later, her thoughts were interrupted when the stretcher passed in front of her with her grandmother.
“Wait a minute! Where are you taking my grandmother?” She waved to the nurses who pushing the bed.
“She will be transferred to a private hospital in town, Miss.” The male nurse replied as he accompanied them out. Until she boarded the ambulance to town, the name of the person who paid for all of this never leave her mind.
“Is this sponsored by the City Mayor candidates?” Eloisa asked innocently. She even heard the ambulance driver giggle so even the two nurses laugh at her question.
“What’s so funny?”
“The sponsored thing, Miss.” They still laugh. “I worked at this hospital for about half of my life but I never heard that the Ca city Mayor sponsored someone e here,” he added.
“Ahh? If it weren't the Mayor, it might be the Governor? She asked naively.
“Do you have no idea who helped you, Miss? Eloisa shook her head in response.
“Oh well, Mr. Galvez, he paid all your bills. He also answered the operation for your Grandmother.”
Eloisa has read the name on the receipt. He helped with her grandmother’s bills to move to private hospital, as well the surgery. Then he must be rich. Maybe this is an old millionaire who loves to donate in charity because there is no place to store his wealth. Tomorrow morning, she will go to him and she will be very grateful for what he did for her grandmother. If she needs to work for him, she will do it wholeheartedly. She owes her grandmother’s life whom she loved dearly.
An elegant and private hospital in town. It looks expensive. They put her grandmother in a private room, with its bathroom and television. Eloisa’s grandmother was still unconscious. The doctor told her that the operation would be scheduled for the next day after the test that would be conducted on her grandmother. Eloisa just nodded while the doctor is talking because she does not fully understand. She was smiling while she watched the old woman. In the palm of his hand, there was a card, the nurse had given earlier inside the ambulance. It says the name, address, and contact number of the person who helped them. Tomorrow she will go to him to give thanks.
Creed leaned on his swivel chair, taking a sip of his black roasted coffee while staring at his laptop monitor. He’s not the sort of guy who makes charitable contributions. He is not the type to just t, throw away money for a donation. He will not invest in something he does not get benefits from. He did not care if anyone was pressured. Creed was raised that way and that is why Galvez is well known in the business industry. He just gets what he wants, if the price is right. But it was before, he wasn’t sure of that now. After what he’d been through, it was very difficult for him to regain his lost self-confidence.
He thinks deeply as his eyes settled on the picture on his monitor. He did not even realize that he had run out of coffee. He was cut off by a knock.
Eloisa was restless waiting in front of the huge building. She just wanted to thank that person for the help they received. She could understand how nervous she was when she stepped in front of the huge office.
“Ms. Eloisa Ruiz, you can come in, Mr. Galvez is waiting.” She almost fell on her seat when she heard that. She became even more nervous when she heard how the woman speaks the English language. Probably her boss was the same. It looks like her brain will bleed in no time. Eloisa took a deep breath before knocking and slightly pushed open the door. When she entered, she was stunned by the luxurious things that were exposed to her.
“Oh my... God!”
“Are you done checking my stuff?” a baritone voice from which she did not noticed surprised her. Someone is sitting in the chair but she can't see it because it was facing the magnificent view outside.
“What?” Wow, that was her first English. Sometimes because of nervousness, you will be able to speak English unexpectedly.
Eloisa heard him slightly laugh which was partly the reason of her frown. It was not an old man she had in mind. All she wondered was why he was not facing him while he was talking to her.
Creed Galvez. That was the name engraved on the marble that looked like a tombstone in front of its huge table. She even laughs a little at what she had in mind. “That was a nameplate.”
“Enjoying the view, Ms. Ruiz?”
“Ah yes, oh, no... sir!” she said confusedly. After all, with that tone of his speech, you will be confused
And to her surprise when he faced her.
“You!?”
Creed, grin widened as he faced her. This man is none other than the arrogant and insolent man who feels like the owner of the road. The shameless man who owns the car. The man she thought was old. Eloisa stood up straight to face him but his presence is so intimidating., especially when it is so close to her. Eloisa has no choice but to distance herself a little because otherwise, she might eat everything she says.
Eloisa, cleared her throat before she speaks. “Ahm... Mr. Galvez, I’m just here to say thank you for helping my Grandmother. Please accept my gratitude, Sir,” she finally said in full, straightforward and not stammering English that she had been memorizing since this morning.
“I’m not accepting just thank you, Ms. Ruiz.”
“Sir?”
Eloisa knew what is that mean, but she did not know what exactly he is up to. Not accepting thank you? Then what? This man is not only arrogant, but also a rude one. What is he need in return for helping them? Eloisa looked at Creed Galvez angrily but their eyes just met. The Creed Galvez is looking at her intently and its feels like his peeling him off, alive. She was the first to look down because she no longer meet his.
“If your done checking my features, you may sit Ms. Ruiz, so we can discuss the matters.”
Very format speaker. Pride cannot be hidden. Yes, she knows, he looks good. But does he have to told and embarrassed a woman for staring at her supposedly “features”.