Murder To Excellence

7.

“Do you know how she gets about?”

Manuel was at the baseball game with his father but immediately regretted it. All his father seemed to be talking about was Rose and Raphael. Manuel was trying to watch the game and his father was supposed to be watching too but George couldn’t quite seem to focus.

“His drivers or something,” Manuel mumbled and took a swig of his Heineken, keeping his eyes on the field.

“I thought it was just for occasions. She actually gets driven everywhere?”

Manuel watched intently as the batter hit the ball perfectly, making it look like a shooting star almost. The batter ran as fast as he could and the people on the bleachers were going absolutely insane. He passed first base.

“Manuel, does she get driven everywhere?” George asked again. By now he was also standing along with almost everyone on their side of the bleachers but he was not cheerful.

The batter passed second base and Manuel kept on yelling amongst the others. George kept staring at his son as he was waiting for his reply. He had forgotten all about the game while there were thousands of people hollering in that stadium.

The batter passed third base and was about to go for a home run. But the only thing was that he was being chased since somewhere in the process the infielders had gotten the baseball and tried to out the running batter.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” Manuel yelled as he was so damn close to getting a home run.

“Yes? She really gets driven everywhere?”

“Oh!” Manuel buried his hands in his face and sat back down. He sighed in frustration and sat down – disappointed because that homerun could’ve been very important.

 “Manuel!” George yelled to get his son’s attention.

“What?” Manuel snapped back. He watched his father as George rubbed his hand over his bald head to his goatee covered chin. “Yes, she gets driven everywhere.”

“Oh Lord,” George cried out and shook his head. “Manuel, I need to tell you something. You can’t tell anybody, not even Paul.”

“Okay…” Manuel narrowed his eyes at his father for a second before focusing back on the game.

“You remember the company had a little fall-out a few years ago, right?” George started but he didn’t get an answer out of his son. “Manuel!”

“Yes, yes, I’m listening,” he replied, his still eyes roaming all over the field. He actually wasn’t paying any attention to what his father was saying.

“Loans got cut and since the mortgage wasn’t fully paid for our house, I had to borrow some money. You know, everyone does that,” George tried to justify. “But the company has never been the same as it was before. I had a hard time paying it and your mother’s income as a secretary wasn’t really cutting the bills either.”

“Get to the point already.”

“Your mother and I decided to borrow money from Raphael Ambrosios but we’re still not able to pay it back. Now I don’t know if he’s with Rose because of that but I need to end that relationship.”

Manuel’s attention was now on his dad’s as it was about his little sister. “What are you trying to say? That he’s using Rose?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m trying to say. And I don’t think she knows. I think she thinks he actually likes her. I mean, my princess is amazing but don’t you think it’s a bit convenient he’s with her because of me?”