Looking For A Legend (Book 1)

Looking For A Legend Chapter 4 - Murroh

            Murroh was once again a failure.  Not truly, he’d accomplished much in his life, and overcame more, but he still considered himself a failure.  The one-eyed man sat in a chair, outside the fitting room of the fourth overpriced store he’d been to that day, as Valentina tried on her selections behind the velvet curtain.  For not the first time, Murroh cursed God for giving Valentina beauty, intelligence and an independent streak – or in short, modeling her after her mother.  In a few days’ time, he would be putting her on a plane to London.  Murroh would be letting her go.  He was scared.  Murroh wished he could call a friend, but his best friend was dead.

            With trembling fingers, Murroh took his wallet from his pocket, and pulled out a carefully folded letter.  As he peeled it open, the paper stuck in places, but he got it open without tearing it.  A small photo fell into his lap.  Tears came to Murroh’s good eye when he looked at it:  Valentina, at three in the arms of a ghost.  It was a memory of a Christmas, though in London, they were stubbornly celebrating in January.  Valentina was adorable in her fine Christmas dress, all red velvet and white silk, embroidered with golden thread.  Her father always put her in the finest.  Valentina’s face, all chubby cheeks and button nose was not yet marred.  She smiled as the ghost presented her with a gold necklace featuring a pendant of diamonds set to form the Little Dipper arrangement of stars.  That’s what he called her, Ursa Minor – Little Bear.  He was Ursa Major.  He was wearing, dark circles under his deep brown eyes, but he smiled.  Valentina always made him smile.  He loved her.  He gave his life for her future.  For Malena’s future.  For Murroh’s future.

            Murroh was startled by the fitting room curtain sliding open.  He was quick to hide the picture, folding it back into the letter and the letter back into his wallet.  Murroh was not as successful in hiding his tears.

            “Dad? What’s wrong?” Valentina peeked at him from over her dark glasses.  She was dressed in more than five hundred dollars of clothing, tags dangling off the garments.

            “Valentina, public,” he mumbled, warning her to maintain her appearance of being blind.

            “Dad, you are crying.  What’s wrong?” She insisted, getting to her knees in front of him. “Dad, c’mon.  Please.”

            “I was thinking about people that aren’t here anymore.”  He tried to give her a smile, but his attempts were always weak.

            “Do you want to go home?” The concern in Valentina’s voice was familiar.  She sounded like the ghost.

            “No, it’s okay.  We have more stuff to get for your trip.  Go ahead, keep spending my money.” He tried to make a joke, but it fell flat. “I’m okay.  Keep shopping.  I’m going to go grab a cigarette.  I’ll be right back.”

            He was to the door by the time Valentina was on her feet and objecting to his bad habit.  Murroh had tried to quit several times in his life, but that was another failure.  He already felt better as he took his first drag off his cigarette.  Standing on the curb, he waved off the few taxis that stopped for him.

            Even a taxi brought painful memories to Murroh’s mind.  They were happy thoughts once.  Nights out, drinking London bars dry, debating trivial topics, falling asleep in the backseat of taxis on the way home.  But his best friend was gone now, and Murroh was alone again.

            Two more cigarettes later, Valentina emerged from the store in her own clothes, cane in hand, tapping her way out to the street.

            “I’m right here, Valentina.” Murroh called out, throwing his spent cigarette into the street. “Didn’t buy anything?”

            “They’re sending it home.  It’ll be there tonight.  Are you okay?  You look really upset, Dad.” Valentina reached out and felt for his arm.

            “Yeah, I’m okay.  I’m sure you’d have more fin shopping with Leibe.  Why don’t you call her and the two of you can finish this with her?”  He tried to give her a smile.  He knew he wasn’t convincing.

            “Dad, if I leave you, you’ll just go to a bar and drink,” she said accusingly. “I don’t want to go off to school worried that you’re dying in a gutter.”

            “Why would I be dying? And why in a gutter?” Murroh was genuinely surprised at the suggestion.

            “I’m just worried.  I lost my mom.  I don’t want to lose my dad too.” Valentina hugged his arm.  His stomach tied into a knot.  Murroh was a failure.  She’d already lost him.