31/12, 10:59:50

Part 1: 10:59:50

-How long until I take my medicine?

-Just 10 more seconds, be patient.

Grace sighed, visibly annoyed. She wished she could be like every other child her age. Happy, healthy, carefree. Instead, she was stuck inside this golden cage of a house, while everyone else was outside playing in the snow. She stuck her nose on the bay window and looked at the children who were running around wearing heavy winter clothes, their feet sinking in the fluffy snow beneath them, that seemed ready to swallow them whole. Just when a frown started clouding her pale face, a girl in the gray car that was passing by waved at her. Grace smiled and ran to the kitchen.

-Mom, it’s 11:00, time for my medicine.

-Yes sweetie, there you go.

Part 2: 10:59:51

           -Jennifer, me and your mother are getting a divorce.

The wide smile that adorned her face disappeared within a moment. Tears aggressively made their way to her eyes as she tried her best to hold them back.

-But why? She asked her father as she clutched the seat belt like it was a life jacket.

-This is grown-up stuff, don’t stress over it. I will come visit you every Sunday, he said nonchalantly and picked up his phone that had just started ringing.

She didn’t say anything and cried in silence because she knew that if she made noise he would yell at her.

-Yes sir, I will be at my office at… What time is it now? Oh it’s 11:00. Yeah I will be there shortly, he said with a professional tone and ended the call.

Part 3: 10:59:52

-Sir, there is someone who insists on talking to you. He says it is urgent.

-Who is he? Is he some poor and ungrateful worker with another sob story? No thank you. Tell him to leave immediately.

This conversation was taking place in a luxurious office with a slightly tacky aesthetic. A young secretary in her early 30s was standing in front of the door with a perplexed look on her face and a middle-aged man in his 60s was sitting in his leather office chair like he owned everyone. He left his phone next to him and lit a cigar. As he was taking in the nicotine someone could be heard yelling from outside his office. A short and thin man in his 40s stormed in, pushing the secretary to the side. She let out a gasp and stood there frozen.

-Linda, leave me and this rude low class beast alone, said the businessman. I want to have a little fun today. Have the rest of the day off.

The secretary hesitantly walked outside and awkwardly left. The old man faced the newcomer with a condescending smile.

-You are wasting my time, so go ahead and tell me what the hell you want, he growled with a triumphant look on his face. It seemed as if he enjoyed seeing the desperate look on the poor man’s face.

-Sir please, my son is dying and I have no money to help. Please, can you give me next year’s salaries in advance? Cried out the poor father, desperate for help.

-Ha! Another lying rat! I don’t believe a word you say! All you lying bastards want to steal the money I’ve worked so hard to earn!

The worker’s face turned from sad to angry immediately and he approached the businessman.

-You will regret being so cold-hearted. May God curse your heart of stone, he whispered with the cold calmness of despair and left the room.

The old man pushed a button under his desk.

-Where the hell is Linda? What is taking her so long to come? He yelled, forgetting that he let her go for the day.

Part 4: 10:59:53

Linda picked up her coat and ran to catch the subway. While she reached the entrance of the corporate building she heard a man’s voice.

-What a fat ass, I’m sure the president gets some every day.

She turned around, in disbelief of what she heard and looked at the man. He was a security officer at the company she worked in, famous for his rude remarks and his crude behavior.

-Excuse me? She asked, very annoyed at what he said.

-If you want me to excuse you, you should do me a special little favor, he replied, while licking his lips.

She stood there for a second, thinking of what to do. He deserved a kick in the nuts, that’s for sure. But then she remembered she had a train to catch and just started running as fast as she could. She bumped into an old woman on the way out and accidentally threw the bags she was carrying on the ground. She reached to help her and the woman left out a small gasp.

-Linda! It’s been so long! She exclaimed with a smile on her face.

Linda looked at her, trying to guess who this familiar person was. Then it hit her.

-Mrs. Donovan, hi! I’m sorry for the mess I caused, she said in a rush, trying to avoid the chitchat that was about to take place. She knew how chatty Mrs. Donovan was. She was her high school teacher and her late mother’s friend.

-Oh darling, it’s okay. I’m just glad to see you. Tell me how are things? Asked the old woman with her raspy voice.

Linda took a deep breath and looked around awkwardly.

-Listen, I have to catch the train, I wish I had time to talk. It was good to see you, bye! She exclaimed as she was running towards the opposite direction.

Part 5: 10:59:54

Mrs. Donovan stood there full of surprise and sighed.

-Oh dear, girls these days! She muttered to herself. Always in a hurry.

She frowned a little. It’s been a long time since she had a meaningful conversation with someone. She had no friends; most of them had died of old age. Her husband had divorced her 20 years ago and they had no children. She felt a wave of loneliness crash over her. She shed a tear and started heading home. She hadn’t moved more than ten steps away from where Linda and she were standing seconds ago, when a gray car hit the wall with full speed. She fell down and covered her head instinctively, but she wasn’t injured. People gathered around to help her up and see if anyone in the car was still alive. One of the passer-bys called an ambulance.

Part 6: 10:59:55

-911, what’s your emergency?

-A car crashed right outside Seaframe Corporation. The driver is seriously injured by the looks of it.

-Do not touch him or move him. I am sending an ambulance.

The dispatcher’s phone lit up. It was a text message from his daughter.

“Daddy are you coming home soon? I miss you

-Love, Gracie xx”

He threw the phone away, looking very frustrated. He approached his boss who was scolding an intern.

-Boss, can I go home earlier today? It’s New Year’s Eve.

-James, you know we are understaffed. No one wants to be here today, but we have no choice. If we leave, the newbies will be alone and all hell will break loose, answered the tall woman sternly.

-But I want to see my wife and my daughter-

-Well you will see them later.

-Don’t you have a husband and a child? Said James with a raised voice. Don’t you understand how I feel?

She smiled bitterly.

-I am getting a divorce and I only see my daughter on weekends because of this damn job. My mother-in-law hates me and calls me names every time we have a family gathering. So no, I don’t understand how you feel.

He looked at her speechless and looked at the ground, feeling guilty. She sighed and her voice softened.

-Go see your family James. I’ll cover for you.

His face lit up and he smiled brightly.

-Thanks boss, I owe you one. Happy holidays!

-Happy holidays James.

He stormed out of the room while she stood there, thinking about how miserable she was.

Part 7: 10:59:56

The intern she was previously scolding looked pretty shaken. He had picked up an emergency call that was meant for her. He shouted in despair to get her attention.

-Mrs. Blake! What should I do? He said with a trembling voice.

She ran to him and grabbed the headphones from his head.

-911, what’s your emergency?

The man at the other side of the line was clearly struggling to speak coherently.

-Stroke… Ambulance… Help…

-Sir, where are you?

-Seaframe… President…

The line dropped and she immediately called an ambulance.

-Why is everyone in crisis today? She complained. I just want to end my year peacefully.

The intern tapped her on the shoulder hesitantly.

-Ma’am, your phone is ringing. It says Julio is calling.

Part 8: 10:59:57

She looked at the screen of her phone for a moment and then answered the call. Julio was her estranged brother. They hadn’t talked for years after a major fight they had that got physical. She didn’t know what to tell him.

-Maria, can you hear me? Julio cried from the other side of the line. He sounded desperate and deep in hysteria. Juan is dying! He has leukemia! Please help me, I have no money… No help… Nothing…

-What? She asked, terrified that what she heard was true.

-Please help my little boy… Please…

-I am coming by your house. Don’t move and try to stay calm, she said commandingly.

She looked at the terrified intern.

-Looks like you’ll have to make it on your own, good luck kid, she yelled as she was walking outside as fast as she could.

Part 9: 10:59:58

Julio was walking up and down the room non-stop, occasionally hitting the wall or letting out a pained scream.

Suddenly, his phone rang. Once he saw who it was he considered not picking it up, but he felt so hopeless that even his neighbor, the old nosy lady was good company right now.

-Hello Mr. Rodriguez, are you busy right now? I was hoping we could spend New Year’s Eve together, said a cracking but polite voice through the phone.

-We are not celebrating anything this year, Juan is sick. Sick, do you hear me? Sick! He yelled angrily and burst into tears.

-Oh dear, she gasped. I am coming over right now to help and I won’t take no for an answer, she said with a panicked voice and ended the call.

The old lady dialed a number on her old cell phone but no one was picking up. She tried a different number and a man picked it up.

-Mr. Riley I am going to need 10,000$ immediately and I will not give any explanations, she said with as strict of a voice as she could. And if my husband asks-

She stopped speaking and slowly covered her mouth with the palm of her hand, as she heard the bad news.

-Heart attack? She whispered slowly, as if she was trying to grasp what had just happened. Please notify me if anything happens. I have another serious thing to do right now but I will stop by the hospital as soon as possible.

She ran inside a taxi and gave the driver Julio’s address.

Part 10: 10:59:59

-Elmer Street 21, if you get me there fast I will give you 100$

The taxi driver widened his eyes when he heard that proposal and accelerated in seconds. He looked at the rearview mirror to see the generous woman.

-What a coincidence, I used to live in Elmer Street too, he laughed.

Mrs. Donovan (that’s who the old lady was) didn’t answer and kept biting her nails.

-My father bought the house there for my mother and I. The bastard had a wife but eyed my mother and got her pregnant, continued the driver like she had asked him. He bought her the house to shut her up.

-He must’ve been rich, she replied, clearly not interested in the conversation.

He laughed.

-Rich? The man is filthy rich. So rich it’s ridiculous. He’s the richest man in the city. Got a whole damn Corporation he owns.

A spark of anger and interest could be traced inside Mrs. Donovan’s eyes. She looked at him with anticipation.

-What’s his name? She asked slowly, like her whole life depended on it.

-Carter. Richard Carter. The president of the big ass building a few meters from where I picked you up.

Her jaw dropped. That was her ex husband.

She remembered all the times she had begged him for a child. How he kept rejecting her. How he always had an excuse ready about why he would come home so late. The business meetings, the extra projects. It was all a lie. And he had a child with someone else. She grabbed her purse so hard her knuckles turned white. But quickly, her anger subsided and turned into a smile. She remembered that he was in the hospital. He was old so there was a good chance he would not recover. She started laughing non-stop. Laughing. And laughing. And laughing.

When suddenly…

Part final: 11:00:00

Juanito!

Juanito opened his left eye and looked around the room. His father walked inside and caressed his hair.

-Wake up, our guests are here, he said with a smile on his face. Come meet my friends’ daughter. Can’t you hear her laugh?

Juan lazily went to the living room. He looked up and yawned.

-Juan, let me introduce you to my friends, they will be here tomorrow too. We will spend New Year’s Eve together! Said his father excitedly. This is Amanda, this is James… And this is their daughter Grace.

Juan’s eyes widened. A pale little girl was standing in front of him, firmly shaking his hand. And oh did she look familiar…