I figured I could borrow some money and pay it right back the same day. I thought someone would trust me enough to do that. I really only had a couple days to do it. My rent was due tomorrow and if I didn't pay it, they would assume that I checked out and would have the room cleaned of everything I had. All my clothes, the money, my dishes and personal belongings that I had acquired over the past three years. I didn't want any of that other stuff, just the money so I could start my life over. I had to act fast. I waited until Shannon got home and I asked her after telling her everything I had been through. Unfortunately, she didn't have the money to lend me and was in a lot of debt herself. I know she would have done it for me, but circumstances had it that she was not in much of a better financial position than I was.
"Can you come bail me out?" I was lucky when I arrived at the police station. The camera had broken and they were out of syringes. The only thing they could do was take my finger prints. In Las Vegas, when you're arrested for soliciting they make you take a blood test and if you are HIV positive you are not only charged with soliciting, but also with attempted murder. The lady who was supposed to take the blood work looked at my papers and said "you are extremely lucky we can't take a picture of you or get your blood work. If you get out of here tonight or tomorrow morning, you should really consider going back to where ever it is that you came from and never come back." As if it were only that easy.
The girl next to me in the holding area was a really pretty spanish lady. She was on the phone with her mom talking really loud about what had just happened to her. "The one guy walked up to me and said you look like a hooker and I just shook my head and roll my eyes and said yea, that's right and walked away. Next thing I knew another guy grabbed me and now I'm in county. I finally earned my ho degree momma aren't you proud?" I honestly couldn't believe she was telling her mother like it was a funny story. If I was her mother I would have been mortified.
"Mommy. I'm hungry!" I still didn't feel at home in Shannon's place. Especially since I knew she was having hardships herself. I was so used to being able to get whatever I wanted when I was in Vegas and going home to be dependent on others until I was on my feet was starting to make my old life look more and more appealing. Sushi would be great right now, but I suppose we'll just have to settle for a peanut butter sandwich. 'It's not going to be easy' kept running through my head. I couldn't even begin to fathom how difficult it was going to get. I just wanted to get my money in Vegas so I could at least have a head start, but who could help me within 24 hours?
"Why do you keep throwing up? Everything you eat gets thrown up... are you pregnant?" "I shouldn't be, but I haven't been feeling good for a few weeks." "I just found out that I'm pregnant and I bought a double pack of tests, the extra one is upstairs in the bathroom. Next time you have to use the toilet you should do the test." Nicky was five months pregnant and making plans to move back to Vancouver. Her mother had passed away and left her with an inheritance. Her father, who was not particularly vested in her life, was coming to Las Vegas next week to help her get ready for the move back.
Nicky was renting a town house in the southern part of Las Vegas. That summer it was so hot that people were buying ice cubes for their swimming pools. We went out for a swim, but had to come inside shortly after. Neither one of us could tolerate being outside for too long. That was when I ran upstairs to go to the bathroom. I remembered her suggestion and I shrugged it off... there was no way I was pregnant. I had gotten my period and still taking birth control. The one time there was even a remote possibility I was pregnant I was forced to use a third measure of precaution.
Later that evening Nicky had this drinking game and had her room mate come downstairs to play with us. We had just come back from going through the Boston Market drive through in our towels. We drenched ourselves in bikinis and wrapped up in a damp towel because her car had no air-conditioning. Vic joined our little drinking game and we ate our food as we did penalty shots and rolled the dice. We were having so much fun that I had forgotten I was stuck in Las Vegas.
In the middle of the game I went upstairs to use the toilet again. When I sat down, I thought about the pregnancy test and thought I would urinate on the stick to humor my friend. If anything, at least it would rule out one reason why I was throwing up all the time. I peed on the stick, put the lid on, wiped myself and started washing my hands. I turned to walk out of the bathroom and quickly turned back around to grab the test. I saw the window changing colors, but I had no idea what the lines meant. I handed it to Nicky and without hesitation she responded "you're pregnant!" "Shut up Nicky, I am not!" "Seriously, you are." When she got up to get the box with the instructions, I knew she was serious.
"How far along am I?" "According to the size of the baby we can only guess that you are approximately 21 weeks along." Nicky paid for me to go to a pregnancy clinic to get an ultra sound. "Wow, you're a week further than me and you didn't know this whole time?" "No, I took a morning after pill in the beginning of February because he thought the condom leaked." The nurse looked at me concerned and said "that would have been around the time you conceived. This could cause some serious complications and you should really consider aborting the baby." "Isn't she too far along for abortion?" "Yes, but in some situations you can do one at this stage, however, we would have to induce labor and force her to have the baby pre-term."
They wanted me to give birth to a still born child. It was too much pressure for me to make a decision right then and there, besides, I didn't have any money to pay for an abortion. I had to leave the clinic. How could I be that far along? I'm smaller than I ever was in my life right now and other than throwing up all the time, I feel fine. "I need to go home." "You could drive with me and my dad if you want." "Sounds good!"
Nicky's father was scheduled to arrive in two days and he was going to stay for four and then they were both going to drive back. One would drive the uhaul truck with all her furniture and the other would drive her car and I would keep her company. Nicky and I spent those few nights doing a bunch of things since we were leaving and never coming back. We went on the big shot, every roller coaster and on a horseback ride through the grand canyon. We toured the strip shows, went go-carting and got to hold lion cubs at MGM. Once again I had forgotten about my plight and didn't contact anyone back home.
When her father arrived, he convinced her that it was a bad idea that I was with her and that I was using her for her money. They went out to price the uhaul one morning and came back to the house with an address to a homeless shelter and dropped me off. "You're not my responsibility. I have to think about my baby." As she drove away, I couldn't believe I had been abandoned twice in one month in the same city. I walked into the shelter and registered myself. I had the ultrasound picture of the baby and got an extra milk with my meals. I was there for three days before the co-ordinator came to me with an answer to my problem. "You can call the embassy of Canada. They can get you emergency funds to get you home. Here is the number, you can use the pay phone outside."
I called the embassy and qualified for a ticket home. They paid for the ticket and flew me out a few days later. The volunteer staff at the shelter pooled together to get me money for a taxi ride and food at the airport. They all signed a card, put the money inside and off to the airport I went.
Write more! I want to keep reading!! :)
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