Maureen's Heart

“Where are you coming from? And which clothes do you have with you?” Maureen's mom asked as Maureen was left in shock without knowing what to say. She had not been taught how to lie, so she had no choice other than to voice out the truth.

Maureen is a girl with a good character and heart. She saw everyone as equal, even though she came from a family filled with pride. She is the firstborn of the family of Mr. and Mrs. Craig. Maureen and her other siblings (Iona and Isla) have always been kept indoors, except when they are going to school.

Maureen has been so close to her younger brother, Iona.

“Mum! You are taking me with you to the market today," Maureen said, as she just wanted to go out to experience what's happening out there.

“No way. I only want to buy some clothes for my younger brother's and your uncle's wedding. I will stay longer," her mom replied.

“I will bear it, Mom," Maureen who wanted to go out at all costs, replied to her mom.

“If you insisted," it was a glorious day for Maureen as her mom agreed to take her to the market.

She got prepared and jumped inside her mom's car as they accelerated to the market. Her mom parked her car beside a female beggar who was begging for money.

“Please, beautiful madam, good afternoon, ma. Can you please help me with some money? I'm hungry," the female beggar asked.

Maureen looked at her mom as if she were going to give her something, but the more she expected, the more her mom put up a bold face. The girl began to follow them right from the place where they parked their car to almost some meters ahead. “Will you leave at once?” Maureen's mom raised her voice at the girl.

As they went further, Maureen saw a line of beggars who were adults. “Something must be wrong somewhere. How would she beg at this age?” Maureen murmured within her as she followed her mom to the market.

“Mum, why didn't you give her some money?” Maureen asked.

“That's how they behave here. Everyone in this environment, young and old, is a beggar. Don't they have legs and hands they can use to find themselves something to do?” Her mom replied.

“Bu…t” Before Maureen could reply, her mom shouted at her to shut up and never ask questions related to the beggar.

They got home, and Maureen was unhappy. She met her siblings while watching a film. She was not ready to join them, but then she saw something that caught her attention in the film. A girl who puts on a costume with makeup. “No one would know the identity of this girl, right?” Maureen asked her siblings, as she had devised a plan.

Her parents were not always at home, as they had their office to tend to. They always go to their offices every day except on weekends (Saturdays and Sundays).

“Nice, I have to use the traditional costume I had used in school alongside some makeup just to look like a clown," she murmured within.

When it was Monday, as they were on holiday, and her parents had gone to work, Maureen had to put her traditional attire in a small bag and tell her younger brother, Iona, where she was going. “Please don't let anyone know about my whereabouts. Just tell them I'm sleeping or maybe reading in my room," she said as she sneaked outside. Although the place was not too far from their house, Her mom, being a proud woman, only wanted to go by car.

“Hey little, why must a little girl like you beg on the street?” She asked the girl.

“My mom is sick, and my dad died two years ago. There is no one to take care of me and my mom, and this is what I do to cater for my mom and myself." Her story touched Maureen.

“What's your name?” Maureen asked.

“Nessa,” the little girl replied.

Pedro Diaz

Maureen changed into the native costume she brought beside a packed car and painted her face so that no one would recognize her. She came out and started performing. She was performing something strange and dancing some kind of funny dance, singing some funny songs. Likewise, she began to dance so intensely just to draw the attention of people around her. Everyone gathered, and Maureen began to do some funny things that made the viewers laugh, and they gave her some money.

She made a tangible amount of money, which she gave to Nessa. “Please go home for today, and tomorrow I will come back," Maureen said.

She repeatedly carried out this act for about four consecutive days and made the little girl save some tangible amount of money.

Maureen took a different costume that looked so scary and funny. She went to meet the little girl as she changed into the costume. She painted herself up and started performing. As she was performing, people were dropping money. The basket filled up.

Mr. and Mrs. Craig were driving home and sighted the costume from their car. “This costume looks familiar," Mr. Craig said.

“Oh, you are right. It's like the one you used to play with your kids a few years ago. But how come it's the same as this?” Mrs. Craig asked.

Maureen saw her parents standing among the crowd, immediately ended the show, and somehow disappeared among the crowd.

“Where is the clown?” Mr. Craig asked.

“This little girl looks familiar. Oh, I remembered the beggar we met when we came to buy the clothes for my brother's wedding on Saturday," Mrs. Craig said.

They drove home.

“Where is Maureen?” Mr. Craig asked.

“Oh, she's nowhere to…" Before Isla could complete her statement, Iona, who knew where Maureen had gone, answered, “She is reading in her room.”.

“Go fetch her for me," Mr. Craig said.

Iona was not balanced, as Maureen was not back yet.

“She is sleeping.” Iona came back, lying.

“Wake her up," Mr. Craig ordered.

As Iona was going to Maureen's room, she saw Maureen's shadows coming towards the main door, thinking her parents would have gone to their room as usual.

“No, Maureen, pass through the back door.” Iona was murmuring to Maureen, who would not even hear what he was saying.

“Did you say something?” Her mom asked.

“No, not at all," Iona answered.

Iona was unbalanced.

“Iona, are you alright?” Mr. Craig asked.

His gaze and behavior directed their focus to the main door, and immediately Maureen opened it and saw everyone in the parlor. She was out of words, and in her hand was the costume of the native cloth she had used to showcase the clown.

“Where are you coming from, and which clothes do you have with you?” Maureen was shaking, and it was as if the ground should open and swallow her, as her mom asked.

In her mind, she was trying to put up a lie. Meanwhile, she was not taught how to lie, and so she decided to tell the truth. “I'm… em… Em. I'm coming from…” Before she could finish, her dad immediately said, “This is the costume we saw some minutes ago in the market on someone who was acting, performing, and collecting money from people.” “Oh yes, dear, you are right. So, you are the one inside this costume, right? Are we not feeding you enough? What are you not getting in the house that will make you go out there to beg for money?” Her mom shouted in anger.

“I did not beg for money, but I did it for her," Maureen said with a shaky voice.

“Who is her?” Her dad asked.

“That little girl who was beside me. She has no father, and her mom is seriously sick. I had to do this act just to help her out," Maureen said.

“How long have you been doing this?” her mom asked.

“Today would make it four days," Maureen answered while clearing her throat.

“I'm going to ban you from going out henceforth," her mom replied.

“No dear. Maureen! Can you please take me to this little girl?” Her father said it in anger.

Maureen was not ready to go, as she knew what her dad would do when they got there, but something in her told her that it was going to be a good thing.

“Ok, Dad,” she replied.

She took her dad to meet the little girl, and she was surprised to see her dad giving the girl a tangible amount of money to give to her mom, and he promised to train her through secondary school.

“Thank you, Dad," Maureen echoed.

“Thank you too for opening my eyes towards helping someone today," her dad replied with enough joy deep in his heart.