Adventure Of A Lifetime

12. Rio de Janeiro

Rio, I was finally away from Australia. With the little money we had we managed to buy a gun that was Uncle Josh’s because no one else wanted it and an apartment across the road from a patrolled beach. I left the apartment and walked down to the beach; I took my shoes of and felt the sand between my toes. I walked to the water’s edge and let the water gush over my feet. Is this what freedom felt like? If this was freedom it felt pretty damn good. I looked around the area and saw children running to the water’s edge and back again not letting the water touch them.

       The children laughed and screamed when the water got them. I couldn’t help but smile. A man and a woman walked hand-in-hand down the beach. I saw a ring on their left fingers and knew that they were married. I wonder if I will be still with Toby. I wasn’t sure, but I was too wrapped up in the beautiful surroundings to worry about stupid things now. I felt a hand land on my shoulders and I spun around to see Toby standing behind me with his hand on my shoulder.

       “Too bad if I was a stranger,” I mumbled.

       “I would have said that I tripped,” Toby replied. I shook my head and looked back out towards the ocean. The salt air made my senses tingle and I liked it. Toby wrapped his arms around my waist and leaned his head on my shoulder.

       “We’re free,” I said.

       “It feels good,” Toby replied. The children I was watching before ran in front of me and I smiled again. “We better go back.”

       “Okay,” I mumbled. We left the beach but I was reluctant to leave.

****

       I walked down an empty street, I don’t know where I was going but I needed some time alone. For the last few months after I broke my uncle out of jail until now I have spent every minute with Uncle Josh, Dean and Toby. I have being walking around Rio de Janeiro every day lately. I heard people arguing in Portuguese and I wished that I could understand them. Every now and then I could understand a few words. I kept walking though; there was no need for me to get tangled up in another mess.

       The arguing continued and by the sound of the voices it was getting serious. A voice started calling out but I didn’t understand what the person was saying.

       “HELP!” a voice shouted. “Somebody help me, HELP!”

       I stopped in my tracks and listened for the voice, it was a man’s voice it was too deep for a female.

       “Somebody help me,” the voice pleaded again.

       I am going to regret this, I thought to myself. I ran towards the sound of the voice that continued to call for help.

       “Oh shut up Rocco, nobody is going to help you,” another voice boomed with a heavy accent. I pushed myself to run faster, I ran down a dark alley and turned a corner and saw a man with huge muscles standing in front of another man. I slowed down to a walk, but it was too late the man with huge muscle had heard my approach. He turned around and when he saw me his mouth flew open, he was quick to recompose himself.

       The man started speaking in Portuguese again. 

       “What? I don’t understand,” I said.

       “What do we have here?” the man demanded angrily, he must have been trying to ask me that in Portuguese.

       “Someone who is going to drop you if you don’t leave him alone,” I replied.

       “What are you going to do? Are you going to bite me? Or slap me?” the man with muscles asked me. He let out a laugh.

       “You are totally underestimating me,” I growled. This made him laugh harder; I ran towards him and punched him on the nose, than in his stomach and on the nose again. The man swung at my face, I just managed to duck before he could hit me. I kicked the man in the stomach but he didn’t budge. The man picked me up and threw me; I landed on the ground with a thud!  The man came running towards me.