The Heir of the Family

011 - Nothing Special About Him

Oftentimes, people will realize the existence value of something, only after they lose it. Just like Mr. Benigno, who is now beginning to feel the loss of a reliable employee like Victor.

  

Regardless of how often he scolded Victor, the truth is that Victor had worked for him for five years should mean something to him.

  

Actually, he has found a replacement for Victor. But it makes him realize it even more, how difficult it is to find an employee as good as Victor.

  

After all, where else could he find a graduate from a renown university, who would want to work for him as a pizza delivery man.

  

“Told you! You are going to miss him. A man like him is such a rare nowadays,” says a waiter teasing Mr. Benigno.

  

“Shut up! Why don't you just go out there and teach that new kid a thing or two,” Mr. Benigno shouts back as he walks away.

  

He returns to his office, grabs the phone, and tries to call Victor again. But Victor doesn’t answer his call. It makes that fat Italian man with a thick mustache even more annoyed.

  

The truth is, Victor has almost arrived at the Pizza shop. That’s why he doesn’t care to answer the incoming calls from Mr. Benigno.

  

When he reaches there, he finds the new employee who replaces him. And it seems like the new kid is having trouble starting the scooter. Victor knows so well about that scooter’s weird condition since he had been using it for years.

  

“May I try it for a second?” he asks.

  

The new kid is slightly startled and turns around. He doesn’t answer, only giving Victor a room to try to start the scooter.

  

At first, Victor tries to turn it on in the normal way. And indeed the starter doesn't work. He doesn’t even hear the ignition sound at all from the scooter.

  

But Victor doesn’t look so confused in the slightest. He just presses the handbrake on the left with a bit of feeling, and with a slight tug on the gas pedal. Miraculously, the ignition is starting even though Victor doesn’t press the starter at all.

  

“Eh? How?” the new kid mumbles cluelessly.

  

“I guess a part of the starter has sunk in since it has been pressed too often. So sometimes, the starter doesn't work, or maybe it is always active to ignite the engine because it's stuck inside, and it gets busted,” explains Victor.

  

The new kid narrows his eyes with a wrinkled face. He is a bit surprised how this new person he just met could immediately know about the condition of the scooter.

  

“Then, how did you start the scooter when it is acting this way?” asks the new kid.

  

“Have you ever heard this scooter sound like it's igniting when you press the brake on this left side?” asks Victor.

  

The new kid doesn’t know how to answer such a question. He has only worked for Mr. Benigno for a day. He hasn’t paid that much attention to the scooter’s behavior.

  

“What’s your name?” asks Victor.

  

“Toto!” The new kid replies.

  

“So, Toto! Later if you find the starter doesn’t work, just press the brake on the left,” Victor continues.

  

“Seriously? How is that even possible?”

  

“I don't know how. I just realized it before by accident.”

  

Victor turns off the scooter so that he can show it to the new kid how it works. The ignition doesn’t always occur, but only at a small portion when he presses the brake.

  

“When you hear it, don’t press the brake any further. Hold it just like how you hold the starter. The position is never the same, so you need to find it by feeling until you hear the scooter ignited and hold it there,” explains Victor.

  

Incidentally, Mr. Benigno is already standing in front of the shop, and has been listening to Victor teaching the new kid.

  

“Why don't you just work for me again and replace him. He has been completely useless. In this one day alone, I have received more than 10 complaints from the customers.”

  

“Eeh?” the new kid is startled. “There’s no way I could deliver them on time with a scooter like this.”

  

But Mr. Benigno just ignores him. He doesn’t even glance at the new kid at all. Mr. Benigno is more interested in Victor, and again, offers Victor to work back for him at the pizza shop.

  

“You don't have to pay for the scuffs on the scooter. And you don't need to pay your debt double either. You just need to put your uniform back on and deliver the orders.”

  

Victor smiles, but doesn’t answer Mr. Benigno’s offer at all. He is just busy rummaging through his pockets, separating a few folds of money from his house keys.

  

After confirming the exact amount of money at $800, Victor hands it to Mr. Benigno. In fact, his debt to Mr. Benigno isn’t even half of it. But Victor doesn’t really care about the rest.

  

“Please, just keep the rest. I'm a bit busy and need to leave,” says Victor.

  

Victor walks away, and pats the new boy's shoulder as he passes. That new boy immediately looks so relieved, knowing that he doesn’t seem to have to leave the work.

  

“Hey, Victor! You can take the money back, and work for me again. I could raise your salary too,” shouts Mr. Benigno.

  

“I'm sorry, Mr. Benigno. You've been treating me well all this time. But sorry, I have a meeting right now,” replies Victor.

  

“A meeting my ass? Don't kid yourself. Did you get a new job?”

  

“Yeah, I work for Counterbrand now. Stop by if you have the time,” Victor shouts.

  

After that, Victor is busy calling for a taxi to take him back to Counterbrand Company.

  

Mr. Benigno watches him silently from afar. Of course, he knows quite well with the Counterbrand, since it is not too far away from his shop. Even the ads that Counterbrand puts on have been an eyesore for Mr. Benigno that he keeps finding them everywhere.

  

A moment later, Mr. Benigno averts his attention to the money Victor had just given him. Even though Victor has paid off his debt, still Mr. Benigno feels deprived.

  

However, it's already impossible for him to force Victor to work for him, if in fact his former employee is already working for a big company like Counterbrand.

  

“Sir, I, I, can, still work, here, right?” asks the new kid in a stammering voice.

  

“If you're late again, I'm going to fire you for sure!” Mr. Beningno threatens him by pointing his finger.

  

He goes back into the shop, and finds all his employees in the pizza shop putting silly faces while hiding their laughter.

  

One of them, who has been working there for a very long time, lightly teases him.

  

“Told you! You are going to miss him,” says the girl with a childish laughter.

  

“Get back to work!” Mr. Benigno shouts at them.

  

Those workers laugh even louder while Mr. Benigno heads back to his office.

  

He sits on his chair with a bulging chest. His breath is heavy, full of anger. Even after 10 minutes has passed, Mr. Benigno still couldn't ignore his annoyance.

  

He then grabs the phone and makes a call.

  

[Benigno? What is it?]

  

“Looks like there's a new rich man on the block.”

  

[How rich?]

  

“Why don't you check it out yourself. You don't have to share anything with me. Just take everything you get for yourself and your men.”

  

[Hey, Benigno. Have you forgotten who you're dealing with?]

  

“What do you mean?’

  

[You think I’m that stupid to bite your cheese?]

  

“What? Do you think I set a trap for you? I'm not that naive.”

  

[Then? Is there something special about this person?]

  

“Nothing. I just don't like him. I'll give you everything I know about him later.”