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“Perdón too, pendejo,” I grab him by the ear and force him to stand up, whether he likes it or not, drawing some curious glances. “You can sit now, ma'am,” I gesture to the empty seat and smile.
“I'm fine. You didn't have to do that,” the woman shoots me a hostile look, like I'm some lunatic, and my mind goes dark once again.
“Are you fucking kidding?” I swallow the bitter taste that has gathered under my tongue and shake my head. “Fine, then,” I take the seat, feeling the disapproving stares of the woman next to me.
“How rude,” she shakes her head after spitting out the words with disgust.
“And fuck you, too!” I snap at her, and I'm tempted to bang their heads together.
What's wrong with these messed-up people?! I try to do the right thing, but it feels like there's no one worth doing it for.
Bad people are not the exception to the rule. Bad people are the rule, Manasseh's words come to mind as I close my eyes and try to clear my thoughts and shake off this ever-present irritability.
My day is ruined, all because I tried to do a good deed. I can't believe it!
I put my headphones in and play Enrique Iglesias's song “Bailando.” Usually, there's nothing Enrique can't fix, but not this time.
Al diablo con esto y mi miserable vida, Enrique! I curse in Spanish because I watched every single telenovela in my teenage years.
I exit the subway station in a foul mood, and the day gets even worse as a light rain begins, and I don't have an umbrella. I pull my hood over my head and keep marching, still having quite a way to go to the nursing home. When I arrive, I see Bob, the guard who gave me a hard time last time. He notices me and seems like he wants to say something.
“Bec...”
“Don't even think about it!” I raise a finger and keep walking towards the reception.
The nursing home is quiet, and the sense of familiarity this place offers, carrying so many emotions and memories of the weary souls residing here, calms me down a bit, and my shoulders relax.
“Rebecca!” Sidney rushes over to me and hugs me.
“I'm soaking wet, Sid,” I mutter as she suffocates me with her enthusiasm.
“Ouch, sorry!” She lets go of me and straightens her uniform. “I'm glad you're here. Bebeto, Marinne, and the others will be thrilled to see you.”
“I want to see them too, but first, I'm going to collect my dues.” I take off my hood and ruffle my hair. “Is the boss here?”
“Yeah, but I think she needs to leave. Her son isn't feeling too well.”
This reminds me of a secret that only she and I knew, and for which she would have to pay if she wanted it to remain a secret. No one deserves my kindness anymore. I've been trampled on enough. From now on, I won't forgive anyone. I hug my former and future colleague as a reward for the brilliant idea she gave me and make my way to the boss's office.
I walk purposefully through the hallways of the nursing home, Enrique's song “Subeme la Radio” playing in my headphones, hood over my head, and an aura of a loan shark ready to take everything you have after daring to cross paths with him.
I knock on the door and enter without waiting for a reply.
“I said I don't want to hear anything, Sid...” Mrs. Ford throws a glance over her shoulder and freezes before finishing putting on her raincoat.
“Good day, boss!” I maintain eye contact, but she quickly looks away.
“Godwill, what brings you here?” She adjusts her voice and her raincoat.
“I've come to collect my paycheck and get my job back,” I adjust my headphones around my neck.
“What are you talking about?” She snorts arrogantly, but I interrupt her and raise a finger.
“Last time, you took advantage of the situation I was in and kicked me out without hesitation. But let’s not forget we share a secret, and if you want it to remain a secret, then you'll have to offer something in return for my silence, just as I've offered discretion for months without asking for anything in return.”
Ford's got a son who's dealing with health issues, and he's on multiple medications. The poor boy's like a vegetable, and you can't help but feel sorry for him, and you just can't help but pray he'll find relief from his suffering soon. But Ford, like a fiercely devoted mother, is determined to fight tooth and nail to keep her son alive, even in the face of such tragic circumstances. Maybe I should try to understand her, especially as a woman, and she’s a mom, but what she's doing feels more self-centered, or rather, abusive. She's holding her son captive, subjecting him to a miserable life, all to avoid the inevitable pain - death. Some of the pills he needs aren't readily available in our country, so she relies on patients at the nursing home to secretly procure small amounts from each monthly treatment, just enough to secure the crucial doses for her son. Of course, everything's happening illegally, and I only discovered it after stumbling upon her confidential file and took inventory of the pills in the storage. These pills are slowly destroying his liver, and the boy will eventually give in, slowly and painfully.
“Are you blackmailing me?”
