Last Savings

Naomi sat at the edge of her small bed, surrounded by the receipts of the hospital bills, and a rough notebook that she record every dollar she had struggled to save over the years.

The ceiling fan above her was blowing slowly with a weak sound, pushing warm air around the tiny apartment instead of cooling it. Outside, the rain was softly falling little against the window, but inside the room, the silence felt heavier than the storm.

Her hands were trembling as she opened the old brown envelope again.

$43.

That was all she had left.

She was staring at for a long moment, hoping maybe somehow the numbers would magically change if she counted again.

she carefully spread the notes on the bed.

“Ten, twenty, thirty, fourty,”

Her voice slow down quieter after each count. She felt something cracked inside her chest.

Still $43.

“Not even close.” Her jaw and teeth clenched and crushed into each other inside her cheeks.

The surgery alone needed hundreds of thousands. the doctor had already warned her.

Without payment, treatment could stop.

She slowly covered her face with her hands. Her heart raced. For a second, she allowed herself to break.

A shaking breath escaped her lips before tears rolled silently down her cheeks.

“I’m trying, Mum,” she said to herself. “God knows I’m trying.”

Suddenly Her phone vibrated beside her. She quickly clean up her face and picked it up.

It was the hospital Nurse in charge. She suddenly felt a stong uncomfortable feeling in her stomach immediately.

“Hello?” she answered gently .

“Good evening, Miss Naomi,” the Nurse said politely. “We’re calling to remind you about the outstanding balance on your mother’s account.”

Naomi closed her eyes.

“Yes I know.”

“The doctor requested that payment should be made as soon as possible so treatment can continue immediately .”

“I’m working on it,” Naomi replied

“Please, just give me a little more time.”

There was a short silence between them for fews minutes.

“We understand your situation,” the Nurse replied gently, i understand what you are going through I know it’s not easy “But the hospital management is already asking questions.”

“I’ll pay, pls just exercise patience for me.”

“Alright, Miss Naomi.”

The call ended. The room suddenly felt smaller. Naomi threw her phone on the bed angrily, she sighed dramatically.

“How am I supposed to find that kind of money?”

After pacing around, Her eyes finally landed towards the framed photograph near the television.

It was an old picture of her and her mother years ago. Back then when their life was still going smoothly.

Back then when her mother use to laugh without pain. Naomi picked up the frame gently, and start crying.

“You always told me things would always get better,” she whispered. “So why does it keep getting worse?”

A knock interrupted her thoughts.

She quickly placed the framed back on the wall. She opened the door. It’s was Her neighbour clever, she stood outside holding a small plate.

“I made stew,” clever said gently . “I know you barely eat these days.”

Naomi forced herself to smile.

“Thank you.”

She studied her face carefully.

“You’ve been crying again.”

Naomi looked away immediately.

“I’m fine.”

“Hmm.” Clever folded her arms together. “You are fine again.”

Naomi gave a fake laugh and reply.

“I don’t want to bother anybody.”

“My dear, suffering quietly does not win awards.”

That almost made Naomi smile properly.

She entered the room without waiting for permission. She sat on the chair near the window.

“What did the hospital say?”

Naomi hesitated before answering.

“They need more money.”

“And?”

“And I don’t have it.”

She sighed deeply.

“Have you tried those loan apps people use these days?”

“I already owe two of them,” Naomi answered her quietly.

“But I’ll try another one tonight.”

Clever shook her head slowly.

“These loan people can be dangerous.”

“I don’t have a choice.”Naomi replied.

She hold Naomi’s hand tightly with a sympathy look on her face.

“You do have one choice. Don’t destroy yourself trying to carry the whole world alone.”

Naomi’s eyes burned again.

“If I don’t help my mum, who will?”

She had no answer to that.

Later that night, Naomi sat at the small table with her laptop open. The screen light reflected against her tired face as she filled another loan application form.

Monthly income. Outstanding debts. Employment status. Each question felt like an insult to her .

She typed it carefully. Maybe this company would say yes. Maybe this time luck would finally pity her.

Her finger move over the submit button.

“Please,” she whispered softly before clicking it.

The loading symbol was rotating in the circles over and over for several seconds. Naomi held her breath.

Then the message appeared. APPLICATION DECLINED. Her heart dropped instantly.

“No.”

She refreshed the page quickly. Maybe it was a mistake But the same message appeared again.

Due to your current financial records and existing debt obligations, your application cannot be approved at this time.

Naomi stared at the screen Then she laughed. A small, broken laugh filled with frustration.

“Of course,” she muttered bitterly. “Why would they help somebody already drowning?”

Her phone vibrated again almost immediately.

A message from one of the old loan companies.

YOUR PAYMENT IS OVERDUE. FAILURE TO PAY MAY RESULT IN ADDITIONAL ACTIONS.

Naomi throw the phone away angrily.

“Oh my God.”

“Leave me alone!”

Her voice echoed through the apartment.For a moment, she sat there breathing heavily.

Then exhaustion slowly replaced the anger. She sit back on the chair and covered her eyes.

Everything collapsing too fast. Bills. Debts. Hospital payments. Work stress.

No matter how hard she worked, it never seemed enough then Another memory flashed through her mind.

Her mother smiling weakly from the hospital bed.

“Don’t worry too much about me, Naomi.”

“How could she not worry?”

The woman lying in that hospital bed was the only family she had left.

Naomi stood up suddenly and walked toward the mirror near the wardrobe. She barely recognized herself.

Dark spot on her face . Tired face.

Shoulders weighed down by pressure no twenty four year old should carry alone.

“You can’t give up,” she told her reflection quietly.

But even she could hear how uncertain she sounded. Outside, thunder rumbled across the dark sky.

Rain began falling harder against the roof. Naomi returned to the bed and picked up the brown envelope again.

$43.

Her last savings. The money she once promised herself she would use to start a better life someday.

Now it looked painfully small against the mountain standing in front of her.

She held the envelope tightly against her chest and slowly lay down on the bed.

The room was dark except for the weak streetlight shining through the curtains.

Naomi stared at the ceiling for hours, unable to sleep.Somewhere deep inside her, fear was beginning to grow. Not just fear of losing the money.

But fear of losing her mother.

she is doesn’t know what next to do.