“ You don't have to be afraid boy, I'm not here to harm you, instead to appreciate you for your bravery, thanks a lot, I saw what you did when you left my store, when the robbers were forcing me to pack our today's earning into their backpack, I saw you move around the car when the man outside wasn't looking, when I turned again, I saw you asking the man who claimed he was the one that called the police, you was pointing at the store, telling him something, I saw all of that....”.
I can see that he was happy speaking to me, really not here to put me in trouble, rather thank me for my bravery. He asked me to follow him into the store, giving me back the money I gave him for the snacks I purchased, and also asked me to take a few more things of my choice.
I was really hungry, I really want to take a lot of things that would help me tomorrow at least, but no, instead I should request for something more other than snacks, I should request for shelter or something that will earn me some money.
“ I just want a place to sleep Sir.....”, I requested. I can see the confused look on his face, he definitely wasn't expecting me to request for something like that, but that's just what I do want right now, shelter. “ You don't have a home?....”, he asked. I just gently waved my head, signalling no, my eyes never leaving his face. “ Okay, still take anything of your choice, I will find you shelter to sleep in tonight....and don't call me Sir, call me Jerry ”.
I stayed with him in the store until it was 21:00, he closed up his store, locking it really cautiously for security before both of us began going down the road.
“ You look like you came from a home to me, how come don't you have a home?, Or did you run away?, that's what kids this day always does, escaping from home, thinking it's the best decision....”.
I always think he was going to ask, you can't just be helping someone at this level without getting any information from him, even if he has to tell a lie to get that favor from you. “ I ran away from a family I never belonged in, instead of staying back there for tonight, at least to sleep, I decided to walk away, letting them know that their help means nothing to me, not after they were the ones who kept me in this position in the first place.....”.
He was looking at me, I wasn't looking back at him though, just facing my front as I walk, but can see him staring with the side of my eye. “ Should I ask What they did in the first place?.....”, “ you don't have to, I'm never going to tell you the truth about it even if I was to talk, would just make up a lie to hide the real truth from you, the incident isn't something I share with people.....”. I replied him, he just nodded his head slightly, like he understood what I was trying to imply.
“ This is our home.....”, he said, climbing up the stairs. Our home, who and who is he talking about?. “ I know you might be thinking what do I mean, actually, we're five living together in a two rooms home, you're going to be making us the sixth person and also the youngest..... If only you have no plans in returning from wherever you might've escaped from.....”.
We got to the third floor as we headed to the extreme part of the corner, you can hear the sound of the vehicles driving down the roads, you can see the street lights shining down, though up here was quite dark because it's more like a ghetto area, we saw few guys around smoking together while we were coming up here, I never came to this part of the City before, it's quite a distance from the store we came from.
“ Don't worry boy.....or what's that your name again?, I have already forgotten....”, he asked, looking at me, his back resting on the side wall as he brought out a cigar, he put in-between his lips and lit them up.
“Bruno....”, “ Bruno! Bruno!!.... Don't worry bro, I'm never forgetting again ”, he smoked in the cigar and then gave me a smile, “ You want some?....”, he offered me the cigarette, I just waved my hand, rejecting them.
“ You know Bruno, when I saw what you did back there, I came to realize that this you man belongs in the streets....”, “ Young boy....”, I intercepted, “ Whatever...... When I saw how you made that move, hiding at the back of that vehicle, did whatever you've done there, ( he was demonstrating the moves as he spoke), then rushed to that man, I believed that you're the real deal, yet when the police came, you decided to hide your act and let someone else take the honor, implicating himself in the process, that's when you got my respects.....”.
I don't know whether he was doing this to cheer me up or what, but he's just showing off, showing me how comfortable he was around me, like he was used to all this and everything.
When he realized that I wasn't finding any of this funny, that I was just standing there watching him like a statue, he decided to stop with the act, his cigarette almost done as he brought them out, with a last glance, he smoked it in an threw them to the floor, then stepped out the flakes.
“ Let's go meet whoever is home....”.