C3 I’ll take care of that

As he left the clinic, following the incident with Selena and Mariano at the church, he headed straight to his house. This residence was far from the luxurious and expensive homes on the outskirts of the neighborhood. He entered cautiously and silently. However, his attention was immediately drawn to a corner by the door. There, he found an improvised altar crowded with candles, saints, Virgin Mary statues, and other religious objects. This was a place visited regularly by only one person, and that person was present, as always, silently and without uttering a word.

He sighed and continued his way to the small patio of the house. There, he found a young man with dark skin, bearing a resemblance to Mariano but with a purity, neatness, and modesty that made him stand out. The young man was hand-washing clothes, focused on his task, with his hazel eyes fixed on them. His gray, long hair covered much of his face.

“What’s up?” he asked and greeted as he approached him.

The young man with hazel eyes paused his task for a moment, without letting go of the clothes, and replied, “Look, Thomas, the scandal at the chapel was really unpleasant. I’m sorry about what happened with Father Miguel. This is so horrible for father Miguel ”

“I scolded Selena and Mariano; they were the ones who started it. Always, forever, started with all this.”

“Sure, they were the ones who started it, but you continued it, didn’t you?” he asked as he walked past him to hang a wet black shirt on one of the patio lines. When he finished, he looked at him and added, “Be very careful with Selena; the more concessions you make, the worse the situation will be. And, you know that.”

“She gets herself into trouble. But I’m sure I can handle her,” Thomas responded, crossing his arms, noting the cynicism in his interlocutor's words.

“Oh, of course, ‘I can handle her.’ And what happens when you’re not here? Who will handle her then?” he asked while hanging more shirts, unable to avoid looking towards the entrance of the patio. There she was, holding a wooden cane that provided balance due to her lack of vision, with a patch over one eye and the other completely closed. Despite the years, she maintained her rigidity, neutrality, and coldness.

She then spoke: “So you walk past your grandmother and don’t even greet her.”

The man, with a complexion similar to the clouds, sighed, turned around, and responded before attempting to leave the patio: “Good afternoon…”

The elderly woman blocked his path and asked, “Who were you with?”

“I was with Father Miguel and some people at the church.”

“You don’t smell like Father Miguel, or church people, or a church…” she said as she walked to the back of the patio and sat on a bench, continuing, “Who were you with?”

“I was with my sister Leila. Are you satisfied?”

The woman’s face darkened. “No. You know perfectly well that I don’t like you visiting that girl.”

“She’s my sister.”

“No, that bastard has no relation to us.” She reprimanded him, striking the patio floor with the tip of her cane.

“She’s my sister, and if you’ve turned your back on her, I’m not going to do the same, Pepper.”

*“The judge has already made his decision, ma’am. So let’s proceed,” said a man in a tuxedo, whose expression made it clear he represented social services, as he tried to take away what she was determinedly defending.

“If necessary, they can take the girl, but I beg you not to go near the boys, please,” she pleaded, trying to prevent them from heading directly to the patio where the boys and the girl were.

“No, none of them,” the man continued to refuse.

He managed to dodge the elderly woman in an attempt to take the two boys who were there. She managed to prevent it, taking the two in her arms and hugging them against her chest.

“Please, please, not my boys…”*

“I should have saved you, not that nuisance.” said, after returning from that brief memory that came to his mind.

“That nuisance, as you call her, has my blood.”

“No…” Said and de memories back again.

*“Don’t take them, please, not the boys, please!” she screamed desperately, trying to keep those men from lifting the two little ones from the ground where they were, in tears. “I beg you! If you want, you can take the girl, but not the boys.”

“Ma’am, please, let this go,” the man said as he managed to grab one of the boys, managing to pull him out of the house.*

“She has the blood of that wretch. Yes, if it weren’t for that miserable girl, your father would still be alive.”

“Leila is not to blame for anything, Pepper. She doesn’t deserve your hatred. Please, leave her alone.” With an angry tone in his voice, he spoke these words and left the patio, leaving the woman and the other man stunned, with a look of concern on their faces.

Silence…Is back.

--------------------------------------------

“Tomorrow I have an interview at a construction company,” he mentioned a he meticulously arranged the silverware on a small wooden table that showed signs of age near the kitchen.

“And what will your role be there?” he inquired with a slight smile of perplexity, returning to the kitchen to retrieve the last dish of food.

“Initially, I might not be given major tasks. But I have my ways of advancing,” he added, placing the last piece of silverware on the remaining plate.

“It seems like you’re already talking as if the job is yours, isn’t that right?”

“It’s because I met an influential person. I’m sure they’ll hire me.”

“Well…” he smiled at her, not delving further into the topic, until he did, this time to call the woman. “Pepper, the food is ready,” he announced, returning to the kitchen to fetch a missing glass.

At that moment, Pepper, who had been mentioned, emerged from the patio, moving cautiously due to her lack of vision, and headed directly towards the table. Once seated, she asked:

“What can you tell me about the job at the construction company?” The pale-faced man showed a hint of surprise. The woman continued speaking. “I’m blind, not deaf.”

The interlocutor cleared his throat as he passed her the glass of juice and responded:

“Yes, of course, you know, what more can I say?”

“And who is the lady you were talking about with Timothe?” she retorted, not looking at either of the two interlocutors, who exchanged a fleeting glance and let out a restrained sigh. The woman continued. “If you don’t tell me, it must be because it’s not something good. Who is she?”

“She’s someone who works at a company. I didn’t mention her to avoid the scandals she tends to create. Timothe, could you pass me the salt?” he asked the gray-haired man, who handed him the salt shaker.

“Ah, I see. And what is this lady’s role in the company?”

“Pepper, I don’t understand why you’re so concerned,” he said as he took a bite of his food and added salt to his salad.

The woman fell silent for a moment until she abruptly broke it with an unexpected action.

“What don’t you understand by now!?” she asked with a roar, accompanied by slaps with an open hand that made the dishes shake and startled the present company with such a display of fury. “What is it? Am I asking too much? Is it about the woman? What does she want from you, besides the job!?” Giving a punch to the table, she inquired with grunts. “What is it?” she asked, while he remained silent, with a furrowed expression, as well as his mouth, holding back what he truly wanted to say to the woman. “Don’t you understand? Or do you want the same thing to happen to you as to your father? All women are a curse. What don’t you understand?”

Unable to endure it any longer, the man with emerald-colored eyes responded:

“I’m looking for a job, nothing more. I’m fed up with always being compared to my father. I won’t follow his path, you know why? Because I don’t fall in love, you understand? I don’t fall in love.” He abruptly got up from the table.

“Thomas,” Timothe called. “Thomas, the food! Hash!” He huffed and then stopped paying attention, focusing his eyes on the woman beside him with evident annoyance.

All is always coming…