Zib's Kid

Chapter 9

"You know what day's today?" Rocky directed his cute blue eyes at Zib while biting onto his sandwich like an animal. "It's sunday."

Suddenly he looked like he had been caught doing something bad. Like Zib had pulled a gun on him. He had no idea why the kid had that reaction. It was too early to think about that, he just went on.

"I have to work. But you don't have to do class today, I guess."

Rocky finished taking his bite, munching and gulping down, all while eyeing him suspiciously.

"No class?"
"Yeah, no class. Why, did you have class on sundays at your old school?"

He shook his head slowly, "What do we do?"
"Uhm, I'm working like any other day. In fact, I will be working more than usual 'cuz grown-ups like to party on their nights off. But you can do whatever you like."

Rocky's eyes went very wide, like he couldn't believe what Zib was saying. "Anything?"
"Yeah."
"...I don't have to go anywhere?"
"You don't wanna go downstairs? What you wanna do?"

Rocky was quiet and thoughtful for a little while. Zib took the chance to drink some more coffee.

"Can I go play in the park?"
"Uh, sure. Just don't get into any trouble, okay?"
"Okay!" the kid jumped down from his seat.
"Wait, you mean right now?"
"Yeah!" Rocky was nearly at the door.
"Wait, finish your sandwich!"

Rocky walked back in, took the remains of his sandwich and ran back outside, giving Zib time to also tell him, "And be back before lunch!"

"Okay!" he said, when he was already running outside. Zib had a certain suspicion that he was up to no good, but he couldn't be chasing him all day everyday. He just sat back and relaxed. It was gonna be a long night.

He dozed off. He basically took a nap on instinct, lounging on the cafe's booth, basking in the warmth of the sun coming through the glass and the smell of coffee and distant baked goods.
This was a thing that he did, falling asleep in any place at any moment, and he was good at it.

It was a light sleep. At times he was awake or half-awake, and just changed positions or stretched.

At some point Galileo arrived and Alex left, and he stretched once more, signaling for another coffee and started readying himself for a more waking state.

At some point, Rocky walked in.

He was carrying something. It looked big in his little arms. The little boy had a cute smile on as he climbed up on the booth across from him, and placed the thing on the table.

It was an instrument shaped case. Zib didn't even react at first.
He finally reached across the table to open it and found that there was, in fact, a violin inside.
He sat back, just contemplating. Mind blank.

"Where did you get this?"
"It's me fiddle," he said.
"No, Rocky. Where did you get this?"
"Can you teach me to play?"

"Rocky, no. Tell me where did you get this," he said, sitting up straight and speaking slow and firm.

Rocky's face changed. He wasn't smiling anymore, "It's mine."

"It can't be yours."
"It's mine!"
"Don't you lie to me!"
"I'm not!"
"Where did you get this?"
"It... It's my fiddle."
"Rocky, we've been through this, an instrument like this is not a toy. It's valuable and precious to its owner, it may even be their livelihood, you can't just... Where did you get this?"

Rocky was breathing very hard now, his eyes welling with tears. He gave Zib this desperate look he had never seen on him as he whimpered with a broken, loud voice.