Two Faced Europe

Chapter 2: The change

Approximately 3 years later Amani's father lost his job. He was a business advisor. The economy was blooming and there was no need for business advisors. The monthly salary of €25.000 was nowhere to be seen. The lunches and dinners were cut back. Amani's father saved some money, but he never expected to lose his job. He was a good spender and his new girlfriend seemed to be a good spender as well. Although they didn't have the money she bought herself expensive clothes and went to lunches and dinners with her friends. She demanded jewellery from Amani's father and he would gladly buy it for her.

Half a year before Amani would graduate, problems became to pile up. They didn't have the money to pay for her school. She asked for an extended pay and it was granted to her. Her father still didn't find a job and Calinda was spending money they didn't have. All the credit cards had major depts. Everything together would be a small million euro's. The bank convicted their house and they were forced to move. Their house was sold for one and a half million. With the money that was left, they bought a small house in the middle of Barcelona. They traded their view over the ocean for a view at the street.

Calinda and her dad forced Amani to sell her bike for food. She was against this measure. The bike was a present for her 18th birthday. She wanted to do everything for her father, except for that. One of the friends that didn't leave her when they became poor, promised to keep the bike safe for her. Amani got a key for the garage the bike was in. Sometimes she went to the garage to make a ride on her beloved bike. Instead of selling her bike she searched for a job. Amani found a job as a waitress in a small café. De L'Opera. It's situated at la Ramblas. One of the most well-known streets in Barcelona. During the day you can find painters and small stands which sell almost everything. At night the bars and clubs open up and there is a huge variety in music and people in each club. On the streets are street performers they dance, make sketches or do a play, all for money. The job didn't pay that much but she was able to pay little bits of her debt to school.

The first time she noticed money vanished from her bank account was one month after she told her father and Calinda that she found a job. The missing money wasn't that much, €157,00. Amani didn't pay that much attention to it. Maybe she just forgot one payment she made. It's possible. Next month it happened again, this time the amount was higher. She expected someone was withdrawing money from her account. She put all the money she didn't use onto her savings account. After a few months all her savings were gone. Amani didn't know who did it, but she was clever enough to know this couldn't go on like this.

She asked her father and Calinda about her missing money. Her father had a troubled look on his face and Calinda just sad there with a satisfied look. Her dad told her that he had given Calinda permission to withdraw a little amount from her bank account. He felt really guilty about it but they needed the money to pay some bills. And because Calinda knew how to spend the money in a better way than him, he gave her right to do it. They reached an agreement that she wouldn't take more than €300,00 each month. However, Calinda took more than that amount. Although Amani understood that they wanted to pay the bills, she didn't want them to take the money she worked so hard for. It was hers.

She put up with it until her 21st birthday. That day she received money from the few friends she had left and her grandparents. She decided to keep it somewhere in her room. It was one thing that they used money to pay bills. But another to take her birthday money.

The day after her birthday she went to her work. Because she wasn't able to pay school, she quit it. It was another half year and then she would graduate. After her quitting school she went to work fulltime at the café. When she came home and went to her room, she saw a mess. Her clothes were lying everywhere. The matrass was lifted of her bed and lied casual on the floor. Her sheets in a pile in the corner of the room. Drawers were opened, her closet was emptied. Fear came over her. They were looking for something! She pushed her bed aside and lifted up the piece of carpet she cut lose earlier. Her money was luckily still there. This was one step to far.

She went downstairs, her father was talking to Calinda. They were laughing like nothing happened. With her fists clenched together and fury in her eyes she asked why there was such a mess in her room. Calinda answered that if she didn't clean up her room, this is what you get. It made Amani even more angry. "I didn't do this, you know I don't make such a mess out of my room, right father?" She said to her dad. "Calinda said this would happen. Go and clean up your room, we'll talk about this in the morning." Amani snapped "That bitch tried to steal my birthday money!" "Go upstairs, you heard what I said." Her father said with a raised voice.

Amani went upstairs, she couldn't believe what happened just a second ago. She went to her bed and punched her pillow as hard as possible. She was outraged. How could that bitch do that to me? Why did my father believe her and not me? The pain in her heart became worse. I don't want to stay here anymore. A plan developed in her mind. Tonight she would go and never return again. She packed a backpack with clothes, a toothbrush, a brush, some make-up and other stuff she would need. While she was doing this she cleaned up her room a bit. She couldn't handle the mess around her. Even though she decided to leave tonight. Once she had everything she needed she went downstairs. "I'm going to Bailey" She yelled to her father. "No" he answered "You are grounded." Amani saw her plan falling apart. "Sweety, let her go this once. She needs it." Calinda said. I bet she wants the time to search for my money, but that is not going to happen! You're too late Calinda, I took it all and you'll never see me again. Even though Amani knew this was the reason she could go, it also was the first time in a long time she was happy with her being here. Her father sighted and let out an ok. Amani smiled and left.