Purchased a Grave, Good for Two

Chapter 01 - John

        As a drop of sweat fell from his forehead, John woke up. He winced as he felt the heat and humidity that filled the room even the ceiling fan didn't even make much contribution to comfort him. He sat with the tickling sweat all around the corners of his body and when he saw the clock where the short was pointing at 9, he sighed and stood.

       He took a bath and prepared his shirt and pants, after a while of preparing he took another glimpse at his face in the mirror who was already blurry since he didn't clean it for a long time now. John already turned 39 last April, his face had shown maturity but it didn't define his age, he still has his unblemished skin complementing his thin figure and soft expression that made everyone look at him with pity. The moment he got out of his apartment, he would be welcomed by several stares from his neighborhood who would just stare then ignore him, noises from newborn infants and tantrums of children could be heard making the place more compact and uncomfortable with all sort of people.

"It's already 9 AM John, you woke up late today!" one of the women screamed two apartments away, she was Susan. The person who stayed in this old dilapidated building since John came to live here, they were already familiar with each other but John would sometimes be afraid because of her barbaric approach.

John smiled as he scratched his head, "I asked for my boss to come late today!" he answered back. Their building was composed of one storey space that was constructed years ago, molds and cracks could already be seen however this was the cheapest space in the town and all kinds of people and family were mixed in here making the whole place festive.

Amidst the sudden noise from a loud music player in the apartment between them, Susan still screamed at the tip of her lungs, "I understand John, don't forget to eat something today and do not drink! I don't want to drag your ass back here again!"

John laughed awkwardly, "Will do, Susan!" he waved goodbye and walked away.

One of the neighborhoods beside Susan asked, "Is it this day?"

Susan nodded, "Poor John, this day was his ex-wife's birthday. And every time this day arrives, he would get wasted."

"Poor man." Her neighborhood sighed, "What if he could get another one? He's still young."

Susan laughed with her chubby cheeks bulging on both sides but suddenly straightened as she asked her, "Are you serious?"

"Why not?" the woman asked with a frown but Susan waved off her thoughts as she made a gesture, her wrist bent forward. The woman immediately understood as her eyes widened.

"Really?!"

Amidst the daily talk about him, John walked silently on the bustling street towards his workplace that wouldn't reach half a kilometer from his apartment. He passed by the pedestrian and reached the bridge, where he could visibly see the tall abandoned building in the town, a focal point in the central avenue. He just followed its direction and finally reached his place.

He stood by the old bookstore with a faded name above the entrance "Literated Marites", the place was small and stood for years around the perimeter of the old building were several stores also went with their business here but their bookstore was the oldest but also the smallest. Marites was the name of his boss which was also the name of her great grandmother who founded this bookstore. It was an open space where only the roll-up could secure everything they had and there was also a pile of newspaper outside, some were stocked on a plain table and the latest ones were hanging by the thread attracting the passerby.

John went inside and saw that no one was around, he settled his bag on the counter and went outside, to the boutique store beside them, he asked the young lady named Lily, "Have you seen Marites?"