Vagabonds

The Youth

Trigger warning: domestic abuse, violence and strong language

"Bun..gee gum." He let the words roll off of his tongue, raising an eyebrow at the name of the candy in front of him. Such an odd name for sticks of gum. He picked it up to observe it closer. The smell of strawberries and cherries danced around in his nose. His mouth watered at the thought of the taste.

"You find what you want, kid?"

He turned around to face the voice behind him. A woman stood there, tall and lanky, lighting a cigarette. She fumbled with the paper bag under her left arm, attempting to put the lighter back in her pocket. "Well?" she asked, tossing her head to remove the scraggly brown hair from her eyes. It's been days since she's washed it. "I don't have all day." She eyed the brown bag that concealed her poison, indicating its importance.

"Oh come on Hina, you know you can't smoke in here!" The clerk behind the counter looked annoyed, tired of going through this every other day. "Take it outside for Christ's sakes!"

She glared at him, before closing her eyes and smirking. A light chuckle escaped her lips. She reached in her pocket and tossed two coins at the boy. "Here kid. And make it fast. I'm getting hungry." She glared at the clerk mischievously and left the store.

The boy counted the coins in his hand and shook his head. She was absolutely useless. She had only given him 2 Jenny; the gum required 5. Feeling defeated -and particularly annoyed- he shoved the coins in his pocket and turned to leave the store. Strawberry and cherry surprise would have to wait.

"Hold on a minute," the clerk behind the counter stopped him. He had a sympathetic smile plastered upon his face, and stuck his thumb towards the candy shelf. "Go on and just pay me what you got. It's all right."

The boy eyed him suspiciously, unfamiliar with random acts of kindness. With another gentle nod from the clerk, he shrugged his shoulders and grabbed the gum, taking it over to the counter.

"That mother of yours drives me bat shit crazy sometimes. She owes me money and she knows it, and then makes you a victim of her bad finances. But these are your golden years, boy, and damn it if you don't deserve something sweet once in a while." He winked at the boy, who in return gave him a blank stare. Boy, he calls me. Like I'm some fragile infant that you coddle. It annoyed him, but he decided to shut his mouth in the meantime for the sake of the gum. He slid the two coins over and muttered a barely audible 'thank you.'
Walking out of the store, he turned and spotted his mother leaning against the brick wall drinking her whisky. "Took you long enough," she slurred wiping a trace of liquid that escaped the corner of her mouth. "Whadja get?"

He removed the gum from his pocket and read it again. "It's called bun-gee gum. It smells good," he licked his lips as he opened the wrapper.

"Bungee gum?" she chuckled. "Kid, I didn't know I was spending my hard earned money on some weird gum. Thought you'd at least get a cake we could split or something."

"I almost didn't get it, thanks to you," he responded with irritation. "The clerk let me have it with what you gave me."

She rolled her eyes and motioned for him to walk beside her. "Stupid Tonchi. He better not expect me to give him anything for it either. That's what he gets for trying to be nice. Poor sap has been trying to get me to come home with him for ages." She laughed alone, sometimes forgetting that her son was only 10 and wasn't amused with her adult themed jokes. She looked down at him and gave a crooked smile. "So how's that bun-gee gum taste, anyway?"

He shoved a stick in his mouth and smiled pleasantly. "As good as it smells." He handed her a piece. "Try it."

She took it and shoved it in her mouth in the same manner. "Yeah this is pretty tasty. Mixes well with the whisky. Kudos to you kid, you've got good taste." She ran her hand through his glossy red hair, making a note of how long it was getting. She smiled tenderly, thinking of how it wouldn't be much longer until the girls came around. He was getting so handsome after all, and she mentally applauded herself for handing down good genetics.