“No, Geeta,” Lucas corrected her one afternoon with the confidence only a child could possess. “The internet is for searching. Microsoft Word is used to type documents.”
“Okay, let me write down so I no forget,” Geeta said seriously, grabbing a notepad.
Moments like those brought laughter into the house and made the difficult days easier.
One evening, however, I walked through the front door feeling as though my heart had shrunk to half its size. Earlier that day, after successfully passing the first round of interviews for the franchise investment, I had gone to the bank to secure funding. That was where everything had gone wrong.
“Hi,Didi!” Geeta said, immediately noticing the expression on my face as she walked toward me. “How was your meeting? Did you get it?”
With a heavy sigh, I dropped my bag onto the table and rubbed my forehead.
“Not good,” I admitted. “I wasn’t able to convince the bank manager. He said I already have a line of credit for the restaurant, so I can’t increase it until a year passes.”
The conversation replayed in my mind with frustrating clarity. I had tried to explain that the opportunity existed now and might not be there months later, that the business plan was strong and the franchise could significantly increase revenue. But he had remained unmoved. Rules were rules.
I spent the rest of the afternoon visiting other banks, hoping someone might consider the proposal, but every one of them turned me away. Since they were not my primary bank, they refused to entertain the request.
By the time I returned home, exhaustion and disappointment weighed on me like a heavy coat I could not take off. That night, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, turning every possibility over in my mind like stones, searching for hiddenanswers. Eventually, the thoughts blurred together, and sleep finally claimed me.
Cole cameover to my house before heading into the city to see his brother.
“Hi guys, how are you?” he called out cheerfully.
Lucas didn’t even give him time to take off his jacket. He ran across the room and jumped straight into his arms, wrapping himself around Cole.
Cole laughed and lifted him easily, hugging him back.
Emma, sitting in her high chair, immediately lit up when she saw him. Her little face glowed with excitement, her tiny hands waving in the air as if she knew one of her favourite people had just walked in.
“Grab a plate!” I called out from the kitchen. “Geeta has made pancakes and bacon.”
“Bhaiya!” Geeta greeted him as she moved around the counter. “Coffee for you?”
“Please,” Cole replied.
He sat down at the table and helped himself to the breakfast spread while Lucas continued talking animatedly beside him. As he began eating, he glanced toward me. “So how’s everything going with the franchise opportunity?”
My shoulders drooped before I could stop myself. “Not good.”
His chewing slowed immediately, and his eyes focused on me with concern. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Well,” I began slowly, shaking my head as the frustration returned. “The interview actually went well. I passed the first round. However, I don’t think I will get it.”
“Why?”
I explained what the bank manager had told me, recounting the entire frustrating meeting and how he had refused to extend the credit line.
Cole listened carefully.
“How much do you need?” he asked once I finished.
“I need to show about four hundred thousand dollars in the account.”
I had told him how excited I had been about the opportunity. He had seen firsthand how many late nights I had spent drafting the business plan and studying everything I could find about running a franchise.
Without hesitation, he said, “I’ll loan it to you.”
My mouth dropped open.
