Millionaire, RN - Part Two , livre ebook

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters and events in this book are the products of the author s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Millionaire, RN - Part Two: When life gives you Lemons...
Published by Knightengale Publishing
Copyright 2021 by Knight Engale
All rights reserved. Neither this book, nor any parts within it may be sold or reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
ISBN (paperback): 9781662907081
eISBN: 9781662907098
Dedication
I dedicate this book to the healthcare heroes of the world. To the millions of nurses, physicians, first responders, healthcare support staff and technicians, thank you for the difficult and often heartbreaking work that you do each and every day. The world was not prepared for a global pandemic, but you put on your personal protection equipment and stood on the frontlines with care and compassion in your hands and courage in your eyes. For you risking your own life to save humanity, I honor you, your strength and resilience, your commitment and dedication, your professionalism and intelligence. You are tough, you are brave, you are selfless!
Table of Contents
The Test
The Interview
The Experience
Snakes
Eggs
Denial
Anger
Depression
Acceptance
Overcast
Rainbows
Pot of Gold
Ask
Believe
Receive
Dormant
Infection
Treatment
Recovery
Healed
Acknowledgments
The Test
Be ready to fail, because only then are you ready to SUCCEED!
I looked out into the sea of faces. All eyes were glued to me. My best friend who started a non-profit organization helping to support single-parent households insisted that I share my story. Her organization offered valuable and useful resources for single parents, such as counseling, financial assistance to help cover utilities, food, school supplies, workforce training, and/or assistance with job placement. She knew that I had an impactful testimony and just by speaking my truth, she knew that I would help others in the process.
A small group, about twenty women, from all walks of life; professional women, divorced women, unwed mothers, and teen mothers of all ethnicities. The common thread: they all were single mothers, raising a child or children by themselves, and they all wanted the same thing, the very best for their children. They just needed a little extra support.

Good morning, ladies! My name is Beauty Divine. I am your guest speaker for the day. My plan is to share my life with you. In essence, I will be an open book for you to learn, to grow, and to possibly avoid some of life s pitfalls that I fell into. My hope is that you can extract something that will be helpful for you on your journey. I have overcome many obstacles for which I am grateful. And I don t know where to start, so I will just start at the beginning.
And with that, I laid all my cards out on the table.

Oh CRAP! The alarm on my cellphone woke me in song 5:00 AM came way too fast. Alicia Keys started serenading me.
This girl is on fire (fire)
I quickly tapped the snooze button I was not ready to get out of my warm, cozy bed to go and be treated like a second-class citizen at my job. But the thought of my landlord banging on my door last month made me spring out of bed. He told me when I finally paid him that he would not accept me being late anymore. My nursing supervisor must be in cahoots with him because she too was singing the same don t be late song. I just finished nursing school and thought I would pick up some extra shifts at the group home to catch up on bills.
I stepped into the shower. I made the water as hot as I could take it. The sting helped me wake up. The extra 15-minute snooze cut it close for me, so I had to put more pep into getting ready as the idea of homelessness swirled around in my head. It became crucial for me to make it to work on time. Last month, I received a final written warning and I promised myself I would do better. One more slip up and I would be forced to sleep in my car, a car that had no heat and smelled like feet all of the time no matter how much I cleaned it.
I made it. A fresh shower, some clean scrubs, although slightly wrinkled, but a smile on my face.
I shouted out, Bring it, world I m ready for you!
I stopped to grab the mail before taking off. I considered myself the master of multitasking. I could open mail while stopped at traffic lights faster than anyone on the planet.
January in Illinois was nasty. Mother Nature decided to piss rain mixed with ice. It stung as it hit my face. I had to walk about half a block to get to my car. My windows were frosted over. I put my key in the ignition and turned. The thermometer read 18 degrees.
Come on, Cleopatra You can do it, girl! I pleaded with my car as she slowly tried to turn over. A couple of tries and she fired up Thank you, Your Royal Highness! I praised her as I rubbed the dashboard in my appreciation for her.
My 1998 Toyota Camry helped me make it through. She has been the most loyal and consistent thing in my life. She whipped me around the city, taking me to work, to class, and out on the town. But I don t know how much my girl had left in her.
I professed, I love you, Cleo! as she started up.
While I waited for my car to warm up, I didn t even turn on the heat. Why bother? I thought. She let me know that she was ready when I heard her high-pitched idle sounds slip into a softer muffle. I started to go through the mail, and hidden between the electric bill and my cellphone bill was a brown envelope, addressed on it was the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation. I dropped everything else. My test results for my state boards. I broke into a cold sweat. My nerves started to get the best of me. My life, my future, was sealed in that envelope. I said a quick prayer.
Dear Lord, I thank you for your Amazing Grace! I am grateful for the persistence and dedication that you continue to bestow upon me to pursue my dreams and I am humbled for the gifts that you have placed in me. I pray that I use them well. My spirit is open to your guidance and my heart will remain pure. I am at your Mercy, for you are Sovereign Lord! Amen.
My heart skipped a few beats. I thought, I might need to get that checked out . I had become an expert in diagnosing myself since my cardiology class.
Focus, Beauty! I snapped out of self-distraction. I took off my leather gloves and tore a corner of the envelope off and slid my finger along the edge. I pulled out a single piece of paper and began to read.
To Ms. Beauty Divine, you have passed your NCLEX examination.
Not needing to read further, I let the paper fall to my side I passed! I passed! I FREAKING PASSED! I bellowed. I opened the door and got out of the car and started to dance right there in the middle of the street. Thank God it was early in the morning and no cars were coming.
I could not believe it. I have worked my ass off the last four years of college and nursing school was a beast. But this letter has freed me. It signified all that I have worked so hard for. I am now a registered nurse, an RN, a real nurse!
Done with my celebratory dance, I hopped back into the car and slapped Cleo on the steering wheel. We ve done it, girl! We made it! I expressed my excitement. I promised that car I would continue taking care of her. She meant the world to me. Cleo was my mother s car. And when she departed this earth, I inherited her. She had never let me down.
I blasted the heat just enough to take the cold bite out of the air. I plugged my phone into the auxiliary port and started playing one of my favorite songs that motivated me every time I heard it
Looks like a girl but she s a flame So bright, she can burn your eyes
I belted it out, word for word, and when I got to my favorite part, I let loose.
This girl is on fiiiiirrre
I drove to work in high spirits. I looked in the rearview mirror. Flames were shooting out of Cleo s rear and in my mind this girl is on fire! I screeched, DAMMIT! I did see sparks. I guess the tailpipe that I had a guy from nursing school piece back together with a clothes hanger had finally snapped. It was dragging on the ground and sparks were flying. I swiftly pulled over to the side of the road and called Lee to see if he had AAA.
Lee answered the phone in his sexy, raspy morning voice. Good morning, Beautiful. You on your way to work?
I blurted, frantically, Yes, and if I m late, I m fired!
Girl, you cannot control your muffler falling off. Just show the proof with the AAA receipt. I ll take you to work. You better call now. He told me that he would call the tow truck and come there and show his ID.
I followed instructions and, like he said, it was cool. I waited for Lee and the tow truck to show up. All I could think about was that I passed my boards.
While I waited for him, I sat back in the driver s seat. I rested my head against the headrest and thought, I have received my license to practice. All those nights, staying up late, working on care plans, ten-page research papers using APA format and laboring over notes for examinations while knocking down 5-hour energy shots, only to chase it with an espresso over ice, is over! This moment made it all worth it!
I relished in the fact that I now have a career that I could practice all over the world. I could care for the sick no matter where they were, but my global practice will have to wait until I can leave this small town. It s where I call home.
I lived close to my Aunt Betty; she was my rock. She raised me since I was five years old. My mother and my father were trampled during a county fair when the sounds of gunfire sent the crowd into panic and fury. My father die