Brute

Part 3

Joong

"How much longer will it take?", the guy with the grey jacket asked me, mumbling a little. Smoke was coming out from between his lips, the cigarette was already halfway burnt, waiting for me to arrive.

"Be patient, I just had an in to my father's company. It might take another year to get to the list", I answered back coldly, not really trusting the guy. 

He threw away the cigarette's butt on the paved road, scrunching the ember with his shoe to let it die,  "We'd already agreed Joong, two years. Or your case will be reopened again". 

"I know. But, 20 years amount of scums; can't be uncovered in a short time. Give me space, for fuck sake!", I was irritated for the constant push. They wanted it easy, to not dirty their "saintly" hands, and thus used the one which was already tainted, to ease the job. 

"Easy there, you already have a pending case, don't add another one. Why can't you control that anger and temper?"

"Try growing up with the back of your father's hand on your head, then ask me back how to be docile and sweet".

"Like your little one?", he said instantly.

"Don't ever touch a single hair on him", my voice was strained, warning.

"Hey, relax buddy. I'm not that low".

"Stop calling me that. We are nobody to each other. I don't trust anybody, nor you. All we have here is a business dealing, regardless of whom you worked for. Everything is so corrupted that I don't even trust the system anymore".

"The system is here to help you cleaned up the mess that your family made, Joong. You said you wanted to leave that tainted legacy".

"It's not that easy, some changes will anger some counterparts. I don't care about my life, but they will sought-after my person". 

"So, you'd already gone searching for him...using the info that I gave?", there's a baiting note at the end of the words.

"Need I repeat my words?", I started to despise this guy, he was hiding his sneakiness behind the so called respected position. 

"Learnt to take a jest...buddy. It will ease your fiery temper. If you keep having doubt on me, this dealing ; nor your case; will become difficult to have a closure".

"You keep threatening me over that, hmm, now I wonder if part of it was what your side had planted all along to tie my hands, in a way?". 

The guy just laughed a little and tapped my shoulder, "Get back to me as soon as you have something new to give, time is running out. Ah! About your mother, tell her not to use sharp heels to smack people, it was hard to let the case drop when someone was injured". 

"I told you to just let her rot in jail".

"It seemed, she got some dirt on the higher ups. Must be the info that she kept when your father was still alive".

"And just now you said the system could help me, and to trust your side", I said cynically.

"Something has changed; you are in charge, now". 

"And you think I don't have my own dark side? Aren't you too careless?", I provoked him.

"Well, if it'll come to a point that you'll run away to another path, hmm, it's a difficult choice to make, but I can't guarantee a fair play".

"What are you talking about?".

"Let just say, I heed the warning you said; about your person; but that doesn't mean I can't play deaf or just forget whatever I've heard".

"Hmm, my sense is right, then".

"About what?".

"The dirtiest scum doesn't necessarily come from a dark alley".

The guy just smirked, shrugged his shoulders, turned and walked away. 

Nine

The school would be closed in three months. The notice that I got from the principal was heartbreaking. I immediately went to his office and asked for explanation. He said the school was run on donations; and it seemed the donor had passed away recently. His family that took over the business didn't intend to keep the donation alive. Rural school didn't bring benefit, nor name. They would rather sponsor a prestigious school in the city, especially one that had powerful alumnis in their list; just to be associated was beneficial enough. 

My concern was not for myself. The nearest public school, was about two hours on foot journey to the nearest town. What about the children who don't have the privilege of transport? Some don't even own proper shoes to go to school. What about food? Here the food was provided by kind villagers that took turns to cook for the kids. It was really difficult to find another sponsor for a rural school, and my parents were just common office workers that their pay was just enough to live in the urban city. I also need to earn money for living. Farming took time and full effort. If I teach in the morning, half of the day would already be gone before I'd be able to tend to the land properly, more so, I had no knowledge of farming. What about the livelihood of other teachers? Some were the breadwinner of the family, with kids and old man to take care of.

Even until I reached home, my mind was working hard. I tried to think if there's any other way, but it seemed that time is my enemy. I took a deep breath. It was leaning towards only one choice. Though I had promised not to, for the first time, I need to ask for his protection. 

Yet, I don't even know, if he would even be willing to hear my name.