Chapter 4

Birds were chirping. The sun was shining through the window. Joshua does a few sit-ups before the shower, freshening up. Thinking of last night, stuck with the thought, he can not help but wonder who is the girl he saw had the most beautiful smile.

He returns from the bathroom and remembers last night after seeing the photo of his friend Marcus. Feeling sad and the girl last night, he might have missed a lifetime opportunity. He kind of regrets not approaching her. What if his chances of seeing her again are perhaps zero?

Joshua prepares for the day ahead; glancing out the window, he notices the bouncers are gone. Joshua gets ready to have breakfast. Tiffany is lying on the couch on her laptop. The room ahead is his mom's; he walks towards the room to greet his mom and baby brother Rowan and sees no one they have left.

“Hey Tiffany, where's mom and Rowan.” “Dad came to get them,” she says as he scratches his head; “that's odd; he left without them.” going about his day, he showers and gets some toasted bread.

 Putting on his black silk T-shirt and formal black pants, he stands in the mirror, grooming himself as he sees 10h41am. Still early, with no plans for the day, he goes outside and walks to the shop around the corner from his house.

On his way back from the shop, he notices two girls standing there on the corner of the passage with a Champaign glass laughing; not taking much note, he continues to walk as the two girls stare at him as he's about to pass them the one says "hey it's you."

Ignoring the comment, thinking she is talking to her friend, she then pulls him by the back of his T-shirt as he turns around and glances at her; he can not believe his eyes; it's her, the girl from last night pretending he does not recognize her he says "excuse me."

“He’s cute,” says her friend. “He is so cute.” She smiles as he says, "You're the girl with the killer smile.” She grins and blushes.”You call me the girl with a killer smile?” Her smile is perfect.

“May I ask your name, please?” says Joshua; “my name is Winter,” she says, “and this is my friend Monisha.” “Hi, I am Joshua,” he says. “Are you the Joshua everyone is talking about?”

“I am not entirely sure of the talking thing, but I am Joshua!”

She then slaps him and storms off. Not entirely sure what just happened, he grabs her by the hand as she pulls away and walks off.

“Monisha, what happens?” Monisha shrugs her shoulders. “I think it is to do with Johnathan and Desmond” “Wait, she is related to them.”

“Yes,” says Monisha.

“The Americans her brothers are the leader, and you spooked them, and from what we heard, you're the kind no one should get involved with, so please, I am not looking for trouble. Let me go.”

“A story has two sides, but you are welcome to leave.”

Walking to his house, he sees Winter standing with the Americans as they stare in his direction; shaking his head, he goes inside and pulls out his car as Tiffany runs out.

 “When our hearts are filled with anger, we turn into monsters evil is within all.”

“Where are you going? Joshua? I'm talking to you! Who did what to you?”

Tiffany hates seeing her brother upset. She notices the Americans are laughing at them. As she lets out a smile and nods her head, a waver of unease settles into the air as the Americans feel the shrills.

Winter feels angry; he humiliates her family.

“Why must this happen to me? I can never keep anything in my life. Dad was right. I have no backbone,” he now switches on the music. “Why can I not stop thinking of Winter? Why do I feel vulnerable and annoyed suddenly? I should have known she was from around here. I should have pretended to be a nobody when they asked me who I was. Perhaps the son of a kingpin is the worst.”

He drives off, taking a quiet road as it starts to rain; he drives far as possible as the sun sets; Joshua is now far from home as all he can think of is running away from home and not being related to anyone.

Pulling over to the side of the road, he opens his cubio, takes out some cocaine, draws two lines, and sniffs them as he lays back and lets the adrenaline of the cocaine kick in; Joshua now turns around the car and heads to the club he was at the previous night.

Going to the bar, he orders a few beers. As he's out wholly, he starts dancing as girls approach him dancing by his side. Glancing up, he sees the guy that Winter was dancing with that evening. The guy is with another woman.

After drinking his beer, Joshua leaves the club and heads home. While driving, he notices this guy walking with all his suitcases, dressed well in a decent shirt and a Jean. Joshua then pulls over; he calls the guy. “Would you like a lift to someplace? I do notice you carrying heavy?”

“Yes, please, it is just that it is early morning hours, so I figured people would not trust pulling over.”

“I understand,” as he opens the trunk for him to put his suitcase and stuff into it. “So, where are you heading.”

As he notices in the rearview mirror, four guys are approaching his car with butcher knives.”Hey, are they with you?”

“No, they are not.” we got to get out of here. The guy closes his door and locks it; Joshua is sitting calmly. The men surrounded the car; it was four street guys looking to rob and hijack. “Do not open your window,” says the guy in the passage seat.

The guys then pick up a brick threatening to smash the window if they do not open the door. Joshua opens the door.

As the one guy attempts to grab him, Joshua punches him as he steps out; the other three attempt to stab him with their butcher knives. Joshua removes his 9mm pistol, shooting one in the leg as the other two attempt to run off. Joshua shoots one in the head and the other in the arm, walks up to the injured guy, points the gun to the head, and pulls the trigger.

He calmly walks back to the. “Sorry about that” After what the guy has witnessed, he now fears for his life. “Hey, do not worry. I won't hurt you if you do not try anything stupid. So where are you heading, and what are you doing out here?”

“I am heading to the closest hotel,” The guy said. “I lost my rent money because I was robbed and missed a few payments, so I have nowhere to go.”

“And what about your family?”

“They don't stay around here.”

“I moved up here a few years ago for work. When I arrived, it turned out the work was not legit.”

“Do you have any kids?”

“No, I do not have any kids?” Joshua pulls over and takes out a stack of cash. ”I hope this helps with your situation.”

The guy starts crying, “You don’t even know my name, and you handed me this amount of cash, and you saved my life.”

“I would advise you to head back home and be stuck in a place where you have no family.”

After dropping the guy off at the hotel, Joshua heads home.

Out of nowhere, a deer appears; as Joshua traps the brakes, the car swerves off the road into a tree with a shattered windscreen.

In pain, he feels helpless and stuck as rain pours in the car; as he sees his brother's face Rowan in front of him, thinking this can't be it. I'm only nineteen. I need to protect Tiffany and Rowan; as tears roll down his cheek, feeling helpless starts coughing out blood. 

He reaches out to Rowan's face to touch his cheek and whispers, “it will be ok, bro. I am not leaving your side,” breathing slower as he struggles to get the oxygen. He sees Rowan's presence fades and vanishes as bright lights now on the car. He sees three people running to him; Winter closes his eyes, accepting fate as it is meant to be, then smiles, hearing from distant sirens.

He woke up with lights all around and saw his mom's face and sister beside him; “what happened?” Looking up at his mom and sister standing by the bedside in tears, he notices Tiffany's hands glowing.

Her face lightens like an angel as all the pain he felt fades.”What is that?”

“I saw your hands and face glowing; you were like an angel.” Tiffany Jokes, “I am an angel in your dreams.” “He made it alive,” as she smiled and punched her brother teasingly, with the mom leaning in and holding them both tight.

“I thought I had lost your son. What were you doing driving out in the rain?” Joshua never answers his mother; his; mom exits the ward; “hey sister, how did I get here?” She shrugged her shoulder “a girl name Winter was crying while two guys were carrying her in. Is she having brown eyes and shortish hair”

“She shakes her head; who is this girl?”

“It is the American sister;” oh, ok, Tiffany absent-minded is chewing her bubblegum on I*******m; her brother made it. She then leans in and hugs him. Doctors were amazed at his speedy recovery since the car was a wreck; they were expecting brain injury.

“I will see him at home.”

Exiting the ward, Winter walks in, arms folded, looking at him; “oh, so you, the girl who saved my life,” confidently nodding her head, “and my brothers,” she says. “Are that Desmond and Johnathan?”  he asks.

She smiles, staring over at her.

He stares at Winter with her big brown eyes and perfect smile; there's so much he wants to tell her, but all words escaping his lips are “thank you for saving me.”

Her brothers now walk in; “Hey, my brother from another mother, how are you feeling?”

“I am good, thanks. I guess we know even you saved my life.”

“Winter, wait for me outside.”

Salute, he says the number looks out for each other. Joshua smiles; so when you get back, we got a party coming up; it will be great if you can join us. Josh is thinking of Winter she agrees. Guys, I need my sleep. If I'm going to a party, I will see you when I get home.