"What if I don't come by such an opportunity again? This could be the only chance for me to fulfill my biggest dream of playing basketball on the big stage," Sophia muttered while pacing around her bedroom.
She let out a deep sigh, sinking into the single-seater sofa at the corner the of room. Her eyes fixed on her younger sister, who was busy crocheting.
"Won't you say anything or all of this doesn't concern you?" Sophia asked after a long stare at Nancy.
"Are you talking to me?" Nancy replied, pretending not to have heard her sister murmuring.
"Are we more than two in this room?" Sophia replied angrily and just went quiet while Nancy continued crocheting.
A few minutes passed, and Sophia's attention shifted from Nancy's response to the small picture frame sitting on the old TV shelf. She gently picked it up, holding it to her chest, and started humming.
Nancy paused upon hearing the song and could tell that her sister's heart was deeply troubled. It was their late mother's favorite song, one she sang to comfort her daughters whenever they were sad.
She put away the crochet materials immediately and joined Nancy on the sofa, wrapping her hands around her sister.
"I have told you to forget about this offer, but you won't listen, or have you forgotten that it's just us? This is all our parents left behind, and I don't see any help coming," Nancy's voice trembled, and the sisters burst into tears.
"Yes, I know help is not coming, but I won't give up on this opportunity easily. I still have a few days to the deadline," Sophia muttered, wiping away her tears.
"Do you have any plans? Let's talk about it," Nancy asked, unwrapping her arms around Sophia.
"You don't want to hear it," Sophia replied and got out of the sofa.
"At least share it with me," Nancy stuttered feeling bothered about whatever her sister was planning.
"I can take a loan using this land as collateral, and everything will be settled once I get to Europe," Sophia replied.
"No! No!! No!!! That's not happening," Nancy said firmly.
"It will because I am doing this for us," Sophia replied.
"That's a lie," She snapped back, her voice trembling with anger.
"You are doing this for yourself, or have you forgotten when I won a scholarship to study abroad? You couldn't sacrifice this house for my ticket and visa processing," She yelled and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
"C'mon Nancy, these are two different opportunities. You should understand better," Sophia stuttered, remembering how she didn't show any concern when Nancy won a scholarship abroad.
Sophia's efforts to win her sister's heart were futile, and it was so bad that they barely spoke to each other at home.
She went ahead with processing the loan the next day but got stuck when a particular document with Nancy was demanded by the loan company. Asking her sister wasn't an option, so Sophia went through Nancy's belongings when she stepped out, but the search was cut short when Nancy returned unexpectedly a few minutes after she left the house.
"What's going on here and why are you going through my stuff without my permission?" Nancy's voice echoed in the room and Sophia couldn't believe her ears.
"I thought you went for rehearsal," Sophia stammered, readjusting her hair bond.
"You haven't answered my question," Nancy frowned, looking at her things scattered around in the room.
"I was just tidying the room," Sophia replied.
"Really? Or you are looking for the land document in my care," Nancy asked, walking into the room majestically.
"Yes, you got me. The loan can't be approved without all the documents and I have just two days," Sophia replied, wearing a regretful look.
"Sophia you are not just selfish but greedy. I bet Dad had seen today before splitting those documents between us and for your information, you can't have it," Nancy replied and started packing her stuff together.
"Please, don't do this to me. I really need the document," Sophia went down on her knees pleading, but Nancy ignored and just continued sorting the mess Sophia made with her belongings.
The deadline passed and Sophia couldn't take the opportunity the basketball agents brought to her town. She felt her world crashing and wept bitterly swearing never to have anything to do with Nancy; she even threatened to leave the house permanently.
Nancy thought it was all a bluff until she returned home one evening and discovered that Sophia had moved some of her belongings.
Days turned into weeks, and there was no sign of Sophia, which left Nancy devastated. She worried about her sister's safety and wished she had released the document when she requested.
Exactly a month later, Nancy saw her sister walking into their compound and she rushed to welcome her.
"I didn't mean to hurt you. I just thought this house holds all our memories, and losing it wasn't an option," Nancy stuttered, hugging her sister tightly.
"I thought I had lost you," Her voice trembled and Sophia patted her on the back.
"I missed you so much and shouldn't have left the house. That document you didn't give me save me from those scammers pretending to be agents," Sophia replied and Nancy was shocked.
"Scammers! How?" She stuttered and dragged her sister inside their room to hear the detailed story.
"Those men had no connection with any basketball club as they claimed and just vanished after getting money from others who were desperate like me," Sophia replied.
"Wow! I can't believe we just escaped a huge disaster," Nancy replied and hugged her sister again. They had a long chat after and made plans about their future.
