MARVIN

5

By tying his boot, he was facing the floor cover - a pale lemon color - that matches the old fashion American style of the entire house. Wich consisted to some vintage furnitures pastel, lamps naked and fragile all the way up to the ceiling, and a minimalistic disposition of some bibelots on the large space. American style in interior design usually implies such features like a large open kitchen-dining-living space, the imitation of high-end furniture pieces using budget materials, smart zoning of space and a plenty of trinkets. And except from the rooms upstairs, the  walls was all a tarnished yellow.

The personal hell of the Suarez on earth.

— Manolo, watchu gonna do with the bruise on your jaw? It turns blue...

His big sister paced from the kitchen where she abandoned her bowl of cereal to take a closer look on the bruise. Her hand covered the injury but before it touched Manolo's reflex made him dodge it.

— I'm fine Eda. It... Doesn't hurt unless a noisy sister touch it.

— Well the noisy sister advise you to cover it up. You don't want your boss, or the guy in the bus to leave them a bad impression.

— I figure... I'm gonna wear a mask anyway. Thanks Covid style.

— You're an ass.

Manolo smiled broadly, before hurrying to the front door with his backbag of freshly clean clothes.

— Manolo?

Eda hurried into his arms.

— Take care, okay?

— Always, big sis'. Love you!

Fortunately he catched the first bus in the morning that went to Los Angeles just in time. But with the heat, he realized he wasn't able to endure the mask all the way to the Center. So he runs his fingers in his bun, taking off the band. The sides of his haircut needed a refresh that her shaved sister have helped him with last night. Now they were clean, he didn't fear to let down the middle hair of his scalp curtaining all the way of his neck to his broad shoulders. For the two-hour trip, he played some music on his Airpods and opened a book.

The end of the day perched rapidly, after his tasks accomplished. Manni noticed the sudden calm of Manolo.

— Hey, you do something this afternoon?

It was Manni who asked, wile waiting for Manolo to close the club for the night.

— Why you're asking?

Manni shrugged.

— Thought we can use some free time to drink somewhere. You still watching boxing on TV, right?

— Huh, Manolo sounded sceptical. Hum yeah, sure. But can i call it on account of rain? I have this... thing. I have to deal with it for my sister.

— Cool. They're good, by the way?

— Yeeeah, tip top...!

His lips pinced into thin lines, then parted away. To decide finally against it. Manolo walk all the way to his bus stop, at the turn of the pavement, when Manni was forced to stop his car, to let pass the bus pulling up early for once. From where he was, he could see his mate from the bus stop until it rolls away. But when the vehicle resumes, the hand on the gear, he saw Manolo still standing. What really triggered Manni's attention was the fact that Manolo was making no move trying to catch the bus. Instead he ran the other way.

What the ?

Manolo was cursing after himself in his head. His lack of bravery was hence justified, he wasn't ready to pick up a fight. He never fought in his goddamn life. But tonight he was obliged to. For the sake of his sisters at least. That was necessary. Mandatory.

He wouldn't win any fight, that was a lugubrious promise he kept walking in. The location not usually shared, but handed by his contact in illicit fights downtown, not remotely far from his workplace.

The undergroung fight world was no joke. Managed by filibusteros, irregular soldiers. The only way Manolo had a contact in was due of to Manni's name fame. He was not only the little star of the establishment but quite a celebrity for the area. And eyes talk, here. No surprise it ran to a recruiter's earshot. He bided his time, taking information by acting as his friend's agent. The registrations weren't free through. And to get in, you would have to win the first battle. 

And so because he couldn't win, he opted to survive as long as possible. The attempt aimed to take the opponent out by exhaustion.

The thrill of the upcoming fights told him, once he cleared his way inside the building, kicked in. The old Casino has always been fishy as long as he remember. Drums of heartbeats joined the shoutings of spectators. The bets must have strated by then. He took it the enormous gymnasium-like. In the middle of it, bloodied fighters pummeling each other faces. A match was already going on, and by the look if it, its end not that far. Where two buddies of rippled bodies were lacking of techniques, they used instead viciousness.

— Marvin huh?

Manni nodded. His eyes straining behind the mountain of muscles talking to him, to the ring.

— See the guy near the door in the rear? Go get ready in there. When it's your turn, he'll fetch you up.

His head bouncing, he gripped tightly his bag. The sudden roar of the public startled him back to the ring where one if the fighters hammered the other's head. This one rapidly unconscious, in a mist of blood splashes. No one bothered to stop the tan man with cruel face.

That's it. He couldn't flee now, and this idea was freaking him out more than the perpestive to be punched to death on the ring soon enough. His lips thin, Manolo forced his legs to carry him to the lockers room indicated by the guy.

But whilst he was desapearing behind the door, Manni reached this far the underground fight site. Extraordinarily, they let just pass for the obscure Reason he was exaclty looking like a fighter. He made a rapid assess to the location.

— Wow, son! - the administrator of the little soiree gazed over him - the fighters are in the room, over there. What's the name on the list?

— Eum...I'm not. My partner dealed with it I think, it's Marvin.

That was the first he used such manoeuvers to get away. He found the lockers, a Manolo loosing his shit in a corner.

— What the fuck, dude?

— Manni! What the fuck you're doing here?

— Followed. By the way that's infuriatingly easy to stalk ya.

— Who want to stalk my broke ass, aside from you weirdo.

Manni finished glaring the guys in the room with them, he sat down eventually next to Manolo. Due the fact

— Listen, those guys, they're far from being amateurs. It's gonna be a bloodshed, and it's far from you're capable. Due the fact, i can't talk into you some sense, i'll participate on your behalf.

— What the-- Bro, i litteraly asked you before, and you flipped me off. Now you want me to... Believe that you want to be a punching ball out of altruism? Save your shitty joke, ain't no fun.

But Manni was already removing his jacket, then stretchinig his muscles.

— Now that's your job, Manni mocked him already getting in his routine pre-fight.