Page 59 - FATE & DESTINY

FATE & DESTINY

“I don’t know,” he said.
“What?” I said. “You should have kept a close watch on him.”
“I am not his bodyguard,” he said, gawking at me from the counter.
“Who said you’re his bodyguard?”
Slap!
Ap Tshewangla came out from the kitchen and glared at me. “What’s going on?”
Pemnor rubbed his cheek and said, “He slapped me!”
“Hey kid,” said Ap Tshewangla, pointing his ladle at me. “Watch your hands.”
“Drat, you spoilt brat,” said Pemnor’s mom from behind.
As I staggered out of the canteen, Pemnor stomped after me with a rod.
“Stop right there,” he said. “What’s your problem, Uncle?”
“Leave it, son,” said Ap Tshewangla. “He is drunk.”
The stalls would be crammed with people. They gambled and feasted.
“Where the hell are you, Baggio?” I shouted, almost tripping on my leg. “Come out or else…”
“He went home,” said someone from behind. “I saw him going.”
I squinted at him as I staggered. “Are you sure, man?”
He nodded.
“Thank, buddy.”
I staggered down the road to Jiku’s place. Baggio was having a beer with others.
“Where’d you go?” he said. “I searched for you everywhere.”
“Don’t you dare lie to me,” I said, scowling at him. “You left me on purpose.”
“Come, have a beer,” he said, shifting away. “But only one, you’re already drunk.”
His astute smile diluted my anger, so I sat beside them and took a bottle of beer.
Soon, the darkroom reeled before my eyes. I sat up. “Ahh, my head.” Things reeled faster. “Gag! Gag!”
I crawled outside and barfed, and tried to crawl back inside, but collapsed on the water tap cement. So, I
lay supine, half-naked. “Dad, I am dying.” I again struggled to get up, but my heavy head dropped. My
limbs went numb, and my body froze. “Someone, help me, please.”
Half an hour later, I heard the footsteps, probably of two people, approaching.
“What’s here?” whispered one of them. “A boy?”
“Help me, please,” said my mind. “I am freezing.”
The other man torched and lifted my head. “Oh, no! He is dead.”
“I am still alive,” my mind said. “Carry me inside, please.”
“Leave the body,” whispered the other guy. “Run!”
Their footsteps echoed from down the steps.
Late afternoon, I found myself in bed, surrounded by my friends. Color drained from their faces, they
blinked at me.
“Ahh, my head’s throbbing,” I said, yawning. “What happened?”
Baggio felt my cheeks. “You okay, man?”
I nodded. “What’s going on?”
“You almost dragged us into big trouble, man,” said Jiku. “This room is closed for you all from today.”

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