The Rise of James Winslow

CHAPTER THREE

James had managed to fall asleep last night, he was doing the dishes in the morning when his phone rang.

"Who could be calling me this early morning?" James muttered to himself as he hurriedly dried his hands, he brought out his phone from his pocket and as he answered the call.

"Hello?"

The person on the other line answered"Hello it's this James Winslow?"

a wave of anxiety washed over James as he replied"Yes, who am I speaking with" 

"This is Nurse Sharon from St. Mary's Hospital," the voice on the other end of the line said. "I'm calling to inform you that Matron has been admitted to the hospital, She was lying helpless on the floor at home, and her neighbors rushed her to the hospital"

James was raised in an orphanage by his Matron, Maureen, she was a kind woman with a big heart and James cherished her so much, he saw her as his mother, she always loved and supported James, She taught James how to walk, saw him through school and had always celebrated his successes and comforted him through his failures, always encouraging him to never give up, all the other children in the orphanage were adopted except James and he lived with Maureen unto he got married into the Martinez family.

James' heart sank when he heard the nurse's words "Is she okay?"

 "She's stable for now, but you should come here as soon as you can."

James nodded rapidly"Okay, I'll be there soon" James ended the call, grabbed his electric bike from the garage, and rushed out of the house, his mind filled with worry.

"Excuse me," James spoke to the receptionist "I'm looking for Maureen Collins. I was told she was admitted "

The receptionist, glancing at her computer screen, confirmed the information. "Yes, Maureen is in the examination room. Please take a seat; the doctor will be with you shortly."

James nodded rapidly, his anxiety intensifying. He took a seat in the waiting area, tapping his foot anxiously.

Time seemed to drag on as James waited, his worry building with each passing minute. 

Finally, a doctor approached, wearing a white coat" Mr. Winslow?" the doctor asked.

James stood up, his expression a mix of anticipation and concern. "Yes, how is Maureen? Is she okay?"

James searched for reassurance in the doctor's expression, yet found none.

"Let's have a word in my office," the doctor said, gesturing towards his office door.

The doctor led James into his office.

"Please have a seat, Mr. Winslow," the doctor said, gesturing towards a chair.

James sat down, his eyes fixed on the doctor as he was anxiously waiting for news about his Matron.

 "I'm afraid Matron Maureen has been diagnosed with uremia. It's a serious condition, and she needs surgery as soon as possible"

James' heart sank in his stomach, and he leaned forward, his voice laced with concern. "What can we do, Doctor? How can we help her?"

The doctor hesitated before continuing. "The surgery is expensive, Mr. Winslow. We estimate it to be around five hundred thousand dollars."

"Five hundred thousand dollars?!" James' eyes widened in shock"Where am I supposed to find that kind of money?"James did not even have a penny to his name.

"You have to find a way to get the money, Maureen's life depends on it," the doctor said with a grave expression.

"Can I at least see her?"

"Of course" The doctor led James to Maureen's ward.

As James entered Matron's hospital room, Maureen's eyes lit up when she saw James. Despite the pain she was in, she wore a bright smile on her face.

 James strode over to the hospital bed and stood beside her "James, my dear boy," Matron whispered, her voice reflecting both tenderness and affection. "You didn't have to come."

As James held her hands, Maureen gently cupped his face and tears welled up in Maureen's eyes.

James tried as much as possible to hold back his tears "Maureen, you've always been there for me. I couldn't let you go through this alone."

"I'll do everything in my power to help you, We'll get through this together."

James remembered today was Patriarch Alberto's 70th birthday, and the Martinez family was gathering to celebrate his birthday. The Martinez family was a third-class family in the south district, they could easily give him the money if they wanted to. He knew he was not welcomed there but Maureen's life was at stake. 

"He will definitely be in a generous mood today, I'm sure he will give me the money," James thought to himself.

"Matron, I'll be back with the money needed for the surgery. You just focus on getting better," James assured her, he immediately left the hospital and cycled towards the Martinez mansion on his electric bike.

The Martinez mansion gleamed with decorative lights, the whole family was seated around Patriarch Alberto, as soon as James entered everyone diverted their gaze to him and glared at him.

James could not believe who was also here, Darren!! James clenched his fist at the sight of him, he had not forgotten what he did to him yesterday, he was tempted to cause a scene but Grandfather would definitely not give him the money if he did, so James ignored him and took a seat where Alice and her mother were sitting.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Melissa said through gritted teeth.

"If you dare embarrass me, I will kill you myself!" Melissa whispered to James.

At that moment Darren stood up "The Great Patriarch Alberto, I heard you love jades, here is a jade from the Khang dynasty worth $400,000, it is said that it brings long life to whoever owns it"

The room was filled with excitement and admiration for Darren's extravagant gift. The Martinez family was pleased, and even Patriarch Alberto wore a satisfied smile as he accepted the precious jade.

Suddenly James stood up "Grandfather, could you please lend me half a million dollars, please? My Matron from the orphanage is diagnosed with uremia and I need the money for her surgery"

The whole room fell into silence, the entire Martinez family was shocked.

Everyone turned to James with incredible eyes.