Chapter 14: No Title
"Judging by my current progress," Frank thought as he counted his money, "I'll need a few more months. Hopefully I can pay off all the credit card debt before spring."
$7,500 is an enormous amount for a poor person—and that's just the principal. The credit card interest alone is brutal.
When it comes to saving money and stretching every cent, no nation in the world can match the Chinese. In the U.S., even the poorest still grab a coffee before work.
Take Frank's family, for example. As broke as they are, Fiona and Veronica still go clubbing and drinking when they get a break. The fridge never runs out of alcohol or juice.
If they were in China, with their situation, the family would be hemorrhaging money. Just scraping together enough to pay the electric bill would be a struggle. There's no way they'd still be spending on booze and soft drinks.
As a former Chinese national, Frank held tightly to his frugal instincts. Nearly all the money he earned recently had been saved. He wouldn't even spend on bus fare—he walked whenever possible.
"Ha…" Frank exhaled, his breath forming a white cloud in the wintry air as he rubbed his hands together for warmth.
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"Dad!" As soon as Frank got home, Debbie came bouncing over.
"My sweet little angel—miss me?" Frank grinned, dropping the bag of bread to the floor and scooping her up into a hug.
No matter how exhausting the day had been, moments like this made everything worthwhile.
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Later, after dinner and a shower, Lip handed Frank a laptop.
Every night, after a long day of scavenging, Frank would come home and take on translation gigs online. It had become his new routine.
"Your studies are more important," Frank said, trying to push the laptop back. With so many kids in the family, Lip was the only one with real academic promise.
"I don't need it right now." Lip sat down, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and tossed another to Frank.
"Smoking's bad for you. You should quit." Frank hesitated, then said it anyway.
"Heh. That's rich coming from you," Lip smirked.
"Oh, by the way," Lip continued, "Karen wants to see you. Said you should stop by when you have time. Sheila's really worried about you—you know she can't leave the house."
"Karen… Sheila…" Frank muttered, trying to recall who they were. A moment later, it clicked.
Karen was Lip's classmate—also his kind-of girlfriend. Or maybe more like friends-with-benefits. And Sheila was her mother.
"Sh*t…" Frank suddenly remembered what had happened with Sheila and felt a chill crawl up his spine. Eyes wide, he cursed internally.
Frank's predecessor had really left behind one trap after another—each one more absurd than the last. The mental strain was starting to fry his brain.
The memory of Sheila hit him harder than the shock of his maxed-out credit cards or Ginger's mess.
As the thoughts rushed in, Frank's body began to tremble involuntarily. His limbs felt restless, cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he couldn't sit still.
"…It's happening again." Frank clenched his jaw, trying to endure the discomfort.
With trembling hands, he pulled a small sealed pouch from inside his jacket. Inside were a few hand-rolled cigarettes, made from dried tobacco and plain white paper.
He lit one, inhaled deeply, and exhaled a thick plume of smoke. Slowly, the trembling eased and his body began to calm.