Stumped, I replied: Stock? Did the man just refer to organs in people’s bodies as stock?
It seemed like the man did not even bother to explain things to me as he merely replied: Yes. There were no more texts from him since.
After contemplating for a moment, I contacted Boris and requested him to tag along for the trip tomorrow. I initially wanted to let Anthony know, but he had been held up in the study all day for work. I did not wish to disturb him.
The next day, Anthony seemed like he had something urgent to attend to, and headed for the door right after he bade goodbye to me. I sorted out things around the house, and it did not take long for Boris to arrive at my place.
Brandon sent me an address and a message that read: Let’s meet at the Second Highway exit. It’s going to be a long journey for you. Don’t be late.
After replying to him, I headed out with Boris. There was a lot of traffic for mornings in A City. We had only managed to meet up with Brandon past the agreed time. The man seemed a tad furious since he had been waiting for quite some time.
He was driving a black Mercedes and did not get off the car even after we had arrived. Even though I could not see his figure, but judging from his face alone, it was not difficult to guess that he was a little plump. The dark-skinned man looked like he would own a successful coal mining business in the nineties.
He pursed his lips into a hard line at the sight of me. “Our stock is in the mountains. I will bring you there later. Did you bring along everything you need? There is nothing to buy there. It’s going to be troublesome if you need anything else.”
He must have had his fair share of dealing with fussy people for him to make an upfront statement like that. However, I was puzzled by his question. “Aren’t we heading to the hospital? Why are we going into the mountains?”
He pursed his lips again, this time with disapproval. “Aren’t you going to take a look at the donor’s parents since their daughter is giving you what you need? You can choose not to accept it though. Since you’re Mr. Murphy’s friend, I won’t sign any contracts with you. Consider it a deal done if you’re satisfied with what we offer.”
Bewildered, I cast a glance in Boris’s direction.
The man was calm and composed as he nodded his head at me. He was telling me that it was fine for us to go take a look.
Brandon did not beat around the bush either. He told me to trail behind his car, and got into his car right after.
As he mentioned, it was a long journey. We drove for easily seven to eight hours straight. Brandon’s car had only come to a stop after night fell.
I fell asleep along the way. After noticing that the car had stopped, I looked outside and was surprised at the surroundings. It was a village on the hillside, populated by around twenty families.
Brandon stopped his car by a well in the center of the village. He got off the car and splashed his face with the cold water. After gulping down a few mouthfuls, he looked at us and said, “We’ve arrived. Get off the car and drink some water. Follow me!”
Boris got off the car, and he seemed slightly stunned by the surroundings. He fished out a bottle from the car boot and handed it over to me. Then, he gave me some bread that he had brought along and said, “Eat some.”
Naturally, this eighteen-hour car ride was exhausting.
Boris prepared water and bread for Brandon. I started to eat next to the car, and Brandon followed suit. “There are about twenty-seven families in this village. However, the population is considerably higher. Every family has seven or eight children. I’ll bring you around later. If there aren’t any problems, I’ll contact a doctor as soon as possible to start the surgery,” he said.
I was slightly confused and frowned. “The surgery can take place so soon? It isn’t easy to find a suitable bone marrow and kidney donor,” I said in surprise.
He ignored me and gobbled up the rest of the bread and gulped down a few mouthfuls of water before proclaiming, “Let’s go!”
The villagers stayed on the hillside. Perhaps it was because of the recent rain, but the roads were flooded with mud and water. One step in and our shoe would sink in, making it really difficult to walk. Soon, our pants were also covered with dirt.
Brandon was used to it. When he saw Boris and me struggling, he frowned and said, “Don’t walk clumsily. Find places where there are rocks or where people walked before you and step there.”
I nodded and raised my head. There were still a few hundred meters to walk. We were not driving because it was impossible for the car to move in the mud. On such rainy days, only bullock carts were used.
Boris and I followed him for a while. We noticed that the sky was darkening. Luckily, our phones still had battery and we used the flashlights to light our way.
We arrived after much difficulty. Both Boris and I were covered in mud to our knees and our shoes were full of water and dirt. It was extremely uncomfortable. Brandon stood outside a house and shouted, “Is there anyone home?”
A black stray dog was leashed to the door. When it heard someone coming, it started to bark fiercely. A rope was tied around its neck but I was still frightened as I stood next to Boris.
The house they were standing in front of was built with red bricks and some parts were covered in black tiles. It was built in a slipshod manner and from afar, it looked like it was going to collapse at any moment. There was a patch of concrete floor in front of the house with a black coal stove on top. There was also a thin weather-worn film on top. When the wind blew, one corner of the film that had been stained black would flap and produce noise.
A hunchbacked man walked out of the house. He had probably heard someone shouting outside. He pushed the old wooden door open and stuck his head out to see. When he saw who had come, he smiled to reveal a row of yellowed teeth and said, “It’s you, Mr. Dumphy.”
He rushed to greet us. He was wearing black clothes that gleamed with an oily sheen. I peered closer at it and noticed that the clothes were originally grey and had fur. They were dirty from constant wearing and all the fur had become matted and coated by layers of dirt which was the source of the oily sheen.
“I brought friends with me to visit your house. Are you done working?” Brandon spoke to the man in the local dialect. The man nodded hastily.
He replied gruffly in the local dialect, “Yes, we’re done. Come in and sit. It’s freezing outside.”
Brandon led us into the house. When we went in, I was immediately stunned. The house was only about twenty square meters, but there were seven or eight children and a frail woman huddled around a coal stove. They were cooking something on the stove.
The fifteen-watt lightbulb provided a dim glow. I could barely make out the contents in the steaming pot. It was some vegetables and a few slices of meat.
A few children noticed that there were guests. They quickly stood up. When they realized that they were lining up against the wall, they scattered.
Brandon was accustomed to this. He spoke to the children in the local dialect. I could not understand what he was saying and took a seat next to the stove. I placed my hands near the stove to warm them up. His stocky legs stood in front of the fire and took up most of the space.
The man shot the woman a look and she stood up. She looked at me and spoke stiffly in the local dialect, “Sit next to the fire here and warm yourself.”
I hastily tried to reject her but she had already stood up and spoken to the children. They gathered at a small wooden table nearby. The woman scooped out some vegetables from the pot into chipped bowls and placed them in the middle of the table. The youngest child looked to be about three or four years old while the oldest seemed to be about ten years old. They held up their bowls and scooped rice in before digging in.
The man told Brandon that we should sit and eat alongside the children. Brandon turned him down and said, “We’ve come for a reason. When the children received their check-ups, the doctor realized that one of your children has a compatible blood type with my friend’s daughter. She’s sick and needs a bone marrow and kidney transplant. We discussed it with you previously and if you’re okay with the price we’re offering, let’s make the arrangements. The little girl is waiting for the surgery!”
I was taken aback by how direct Brandon was. However, I did not expect the man to reply without much hesitation, “Fine, we’ll accept whatever price you’re offering. Although this child is young, she will finally be of some use. She wasn’t born for nothing after all. My wife is pregnant again and we need money badly. Please help us to spread the word. My house is also old and needs to be fixed. It’s been leaking recently and it’s extremely uncomfortable to live here. If anyone else has similar needs and has money to pay us, please bring them here.”
I instinctively clenched my hands together. I looked at him and choked out, “Hello mister, we are talking about getting your daughter to provide bone marrow and a kidney for my daughter’s transplant.”
The man nodded and smiled without surprise. “I’m aware. There have been people like you who’ve come before. Don’t worry, it’s my daughter’s honor to be of service to you. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
I found it difficult to breathe, and I thought that it was due to the small size and intense fumes of the coal stove. For a moment, I could not say anything.
They did not care about the child’s body or health at all.
Brandon seemed used to this situation. “Fine. Ms. Stanhope will get to know your daughter. Once they’re comfortable, you’ll pay you tomorrow. In order for your daughter to undergo the surgery, we’ll have to take her to the city for a few days. Are you okay with this?”
The man shook his head and said with a smile, “No problem. You can take her anywhere.”
The woman looked at us silently. It was clear who wore the pants in this family.
Boris had been quiet the entire time. After hearing what they said, he said to the man, “Can I trouble you for a clean set of female clothes?”
The man was slightly stunned. He quickly nodded his head and quipped, “Yes, I’ll go right now!” He turned to the woman and barked, “Go find some clothes for them.”
The woman stood up and went through a door. Brandon chatted with the man. I scanned the group of children eating around the table.
They were wearing ill-fitting clothes. Some were wearing layers of dirty t-shirts while others wore thin fur clothes. They were trying to dress warmly as best as they could. It seemed that they had put on all the clothes they could find, but it was evident that it was not enough for them to stay warm.
My eyes landed on a small girl who was squeezed in the corner. She looked to be about three years old and her face was flushed due to the cold. She was busy chewing on food. Due to the cold weather, her nose was running and she wiped her mucus away with her sleeve. However, she did not wipe it all away, and it was spread all over the sides of her mouth and the utensils in front of her.
I could not help but frown. The woman walked out holding a set of clothes and said to me, “Try it on.”
I nodded and thanked her before asking, “Can I borrow a dry pair of shoes from you?” My shoes and pants had been completely ruined on my way here. Moreover, it was extremely uncomfortable to wear drenched shoes in such freezing weather.
The woman nodded and rummaged through a cabinet. She took out a pair of new cloth shoes. From its design, l guessed that she had made it herself.
Boris frowned at how thin the shoes were and asked, “Do you have anything thicker?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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