48 hours to fall in love

Part 19

In the meantime, Paula was lying on a ratty old sofa. She was wiggling her knee up and down like someone who is impatiently waiting for something, she had already cleaned the whole cabin. She had it spotless. She had cleaned all day long, stopping only for short breaks. He had wiped the cement floor, wiped the wooden walls, polished the table and chairs and washed twice every plate, glass and spoon he had found there, which, by the way, were not many. Suddenly she heard someone knocking at the door, but they weren't really knocking because she couldn't open it from inside, it was just a key, a key that told her that whoever came was who she expected. Three times, they knocked three times, that was the signal, the signal that it was Rodrigo, that it was her father. She ran quickly to the door and waited for Rodrigo to open the three locks. Once he entered he asked him what he had brought.

-I brought three loaves of bread and two chicken legs, a little salt, my daughter. -Rodrigo told her as he stroked his daughter's back. -But look at you, you are becoming more and more beautiful, you are a diamond in the rough, my child, like the most delicate of all orchids. As much as Paula couldn't stand being caressed by her father she had to put up with it, it had been two days since Rodrigo had gone to the kingdom for food and since then her stomach was begging for some nourishment. She was so hungry she even thought about diving into a small bottle of oil, but she didn't let hunger make her do such things. She took the bag with the food and set about cooking the two chicken legs.

-Aren't you forgetting something, my Paula?

-No," she answered flatly.

-Aren't you forgetting something, spoiled girl? -Rodrigo shouted as he punched the door.

Paula left the chicken on the table and walked slowly until she reached her father. Then, she brought her lips to Rodrigo's left cheek and gave him a slow, wet kiss. She peeled her lips from her father's stubbly, sweaty cheek and set about cooking the chicken legs. He added some oil to the pan and put some salt pizzas on the legs. He put them in the pan and waited for them to be ready. Then she put the three planes to heat up and once they were hot and the legs were cooked she assembled two plates and she devoured hers with so much enthusiasm and animation that Rodrigo could only let out a giggle.

-Did you go hungry, my daughter? -he asked.

She preferred not to answer.

Then Rodrigo stood up and took off his girdle. Then he gave Paula three slips.

-I am never ignored, understood? -Rodrigo shouted loudly.

After he finished he asked her the question again.

-Yes, daddy, I'm very hungry. I have been very hungry.

Meanwhile Koda, Peter and Mario were stunned.

-What just happened? -Koda asked.

-I don't know, but something tells me it's not good, now David is having a hard time," said Peter.

-Why? -Mario wanted to know.

-Because his brother knows what he is doing and so does the rest of his family. I think they are going to send him to jail," answered Peter.

-Do you think his own family will send him to jail? -asked Mario.

-Most likely, but in reality what is a fact is that we have to say goodbye to David, my friends, this gang is now a gang of three," answered Peter.

-Peter, how can you talk like that, the four of us were the gang, when one member leaves we are no longer the gang, you can't just say that about David when he has just left. You can't treat him like an object, you know what you are, you are a bastard, that's what you are, you don't deserve to be in this gang or any gang. I know what we do is not right, but we all together chose this path, and even here there must be companionship, shitball," exclaimed Mario, furious.

-Well, let me tell you, my dear Mario, that what you live in is called a bubble and I'm sorry to tell you that I'm the one who burst it, welcome to reality.

-Well, I don't care if it's a bubble, I'll defend David. I won't let you treat him like dirt, he's the leader of our gang," said Mario, pushing him back.

Then, suddenly, Peter slammed his fist against Mario's face and made a small trickle of blood slide down the corner of his mouth.

-Well... Let's see how you defend yourself from this.

Mario hit him back and caused blood to trickle out of Peter's nostrils. He threw himself on top of Mario and they fell into a small mud puddle, and fists and blows rained down from all sides. Koda tried to separate them, but to no avail. Suddenly there was a horn whose sound was quite familiar, and blue and red flashes could be made out twenty-five yards away. It was a police car.

-The police! The police! -shouted Koda, "run, run! -Koda forgot that he was untangling the pair of angry cats in a flurry of punches and ran as fast as his feet would allow him to run.

Mario and Peter didn't slow down and got up from the ground to run, the cops were already running after them, but as they were running away Mario took a wrong step and twisted his ankle causing him to fall. Peter, for his part, was lost in the darkness of the night. Then, a hand grabbed Mario's shoulder and another policeman held handcuffs gleaming in the moonlight that a few seconds later would end up on Mario's pale wrists.

-You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you. You have the right to pay for an attorney, if you cannot afford one the government will provide you with one," said one of the three policemen escorting Mario to the patrol car.

He tried to get rid of the officers, shaking and throwing his legs, but the policemen were very strong and it did him no good, after a few moments he gave up, as he knew it was not going to do any good.