Building My Life

Chapter 4 The New Tenant

Josias smiles slightly, by the right corner of his mouth. Here he was, shirtless, just in sweatpants and slippers, with less than five bucks in his pocket, without papers (he had just taken them off after insisting a lot on his late father). His life as he knew it is over. Here, in the Happiness Slum, a new Josias was about to be born. He would build his life, using Everaldo's words.

However, there was an excerpt from Everaldo's sentence that deserved attention, “you will have the willpower”. That is, it was not just waiting for God's blessings to fall from Heaven. Josias needed to have the willpower to make it happen, needed to move, and needed to use his hands. He needed courage and confidence.

Arming himself with both feelings, he takes a deep breath and heads for the building.

Upon entering, Josias found that in fact, the owner of the building took care that the entrance was similar to the lobby of a hotel or a high-class apartment building. The rectangular space, painted in light blue, had a counter on one side, where a man in his sixties with a mustache and chubby was, and on the other side, there was a rack of mail for the residents. The shelf was separated into several compartments, each for a room. Two sofas, a clock nailed to the wall, plant vases, and a rug at the entrance that said “Welcome” completed the decoration of the place. Josias smiles widely. The owner of the building tried to make a great job.

Josias approaches the counter. The man listened to the radio, it was a football match. Upon realizing Josias's presence, he turns to the boy.

“Good evening.” The old man speaks in a friendly tone, “How can I help you?”

“Sir, I need a vacant room,” Josias speaks without being afraid.

The owner of the room building for rent watches Josias from top to bottom before proceeding, not believing what he heard. “Really, boy? How do you expect me to leave you here?”

Josias takes a deep breath. He expected that. However, Everaldo's words do not leave his head. “You will get out of this and you will be successful.” He needed to try.

“Sir, here's the matter: I just ran away from home because my father was murdered while I was in my bedroom.” It was the first time that Josias spoke about what happened to someone, “They wanted money from my father, and they were bill collectors for a loan shark.”

“I didn't hear of anyone murdered around here.” The man replies with a frown. Josias's story could very well be made up.

Josias, however, tries to explain, “No, it wasn't here. I don't live here, I ran away from Rainbow Garden. I just took a shower and just had time to put on my underwear and sweatpants when I heard the invasion, the argument between them... and then the shots.”

The lord land looked at him with a suspicious face. If he was a resident of Happiness Slum, it would be understandable if Josias did not go to the police, for the reason they killed his father. But, being a resident of Rainbow Garden... “Why didn't you go to the police, why did you just come here, to a more rough area neighborhood?”

Josias shrugs. “I'm not sure... I just wanted to hide, and I wasn't going to be able to hide in Europe Garden.” Europe Garden is the upper-class neighborhood of Lagoon City.

The word “hide” is what makes the building owner uneasy. “Look here, boy, how am I supposed to know if it’s not YOU who killed, or did something else wrong, and now you’re trying to hide in my building? If the police show up here, don't even expect me to lie to protect you. I don’t get into trouble, the ‘scoundrels’ who live here already know that. They stay over there and leave me alone, and I don't meddle with them.”

Upon hearing that the old man was not to get into trouble, Josias felt even more inwardly that this was the perfect place for him to stay. The loan shark collectors, if they go looking for him, will not show up in the building where he is.

Josias leans over to the counter, dips his hands into the plastic surface, and speaks with urgency and pleading tone, “I know it sounds strange, sir, but everything I told you is true. See, I didn't even have a chance to mourn my father's death. I don't even know if the neighbors heard the shot; if anyone has found him or if the police are there. As I said, I only had time to put this on and I took only a few bucks that I had seen on my dresser, and I took the bus without knowing where to go.”

“And stopped right there!” The man can't help laughing. However, he begins to better analyze the story told by Josias. It was too elaborate, with too much detail, to be a made-up lie at the last minute.

“Let me see how much you have.” The man crosses his arms and makes this request, already aware that Josias is not going to put five thousand dollars on the counter.