MARVIN

4

Manolo felt a tap on his shoulder that awaken him.

The bus was stationed at, arrived at his final stop. Emptied, he was the only one left in the blue-chair cockpit of hundred capacity. With a "thanks" he left the bus, like the driver who took him out of his sleep. It was dark out at this hour, by chance he had catched the last bus for San Diego.

His expenses of ten dollars pissed him off at a certain extent. He worked all the week already in Las Vegas - the only secret that bounded his friendship with Manni - to avoid it on a regular basis. Unfortunately he had to keep the appearence for the sake of his job at CKO Kickboxing Murrieta. There was some period even when he wondered when was the last time he didn't fear at this point to turn jobless. But money had always been an important concern of his.

Among the palmtrees, the concrete and the sand, his footsteps echooed to the waves, carrying his exhausted body back at home. A little breeze entangled the long straps of his hair escaped from his catogan. His thoughts were going waywire in front of this soothing spectacle. Every where, in particular back into his life where he's already given up about that competition of kickboxing.

That is true, what could have been possibly turn wrong?

See, that is where this Murphy's law prove itself even when you didn't ask for it.

— You must be kidding me!

A fist lands in his jaw all of sudden.
Falling backward, it took him several seconds to rightening his stature, thanks to the frame. Shocked was beyond every words.

— Come again if you're a man!, yelled the thirty-year-old guy over him.

— You cannot take this money, Manolo leveled down his voice without raising his head, I need it for the kids!

— You piece of shit! Are you really going to tell me how I supposed to behave under my own roof!?

From the cushion, the partner's guy commented.

— Always a spoiled little brat, my sister wasn't really if any good.

— But this money isn't yours.

— Motherfucker...!

The adult, not much taller than him grabbed his collar violently :

— How dare you? You crawling rats have been placed under my guard, under my roof, eating my food and wasting my water, your siblings and you! And what do I get in return?

— Yeah, babe, that's not fair!! Show them.

The cheers from the woman tetanized further the two little witnesses from the top of the stairs. Only fact that Manolo noticed and mattered for him.

— I'm turning eighteen in few weeks and I'm gonna pay you back. Every single penny, for the food and the bills...

— And for moral support. We're not charity here, you're only add up on our anxiety.

Hissed the serpent that was his aunt.

Controlling his breath, he pushed back the anger, the frustration growing under his chest. As he said, his sisters and him only had few days left to spend in this shit hole that was their relative's home. Je couldn't messed this up, when he was almost saving enough to rent a decent apartment.

...Far from them...

— Right, Manolo finally approved smiling warmly to his aunt and her husband. And for moral support. We do valuate the effort, and the sacrifice behind your move since our parents death. You will have a compensation for everything, but now I need this money to secure the school of my sisters. And it's pretty an emergency. So please, uncle, give it back...