Chapter Six

Howard Jonas has not been a happy man, he lost his wife to cancer few years back, lost his job months later but managed to find another which had a lesser pay but he still could not provide for his children due to his excessive drinking habits but if there was one thing that he hated seeing everytime he’s at home it was his adopted child Marcel. He just didn’t like the boy for some reason and he uses harsh words on him for every mistake he made which made the boy avoid him all the time. It all started when they found him on their front porch wrapped in blankets that looked quite expensive, they just couldn’t believe that someone would abandon a child like that and Howard was all for throwing the baby away or giving him up for adoption as he didn’t want anything to do with the child but his wife stopped him and gladly took the baby in, their daughter was still very young at that time and Jacob was just a few weeks old. They adopted him properly as their son, he grew up loving the both of them without knowing they were not his real parents. Few years later Howard’s wife Claire Jonas died and Marcels problems began, from bad looks that Howard gives him to his harsh words and punishments. Then came when he turned six years, he told him that he was found on the floor with only a blanket wrapped around him and that if not for Claire he would have been thrown away.

   Now he was on his way to work when he forgot something and returned home  to get it, when he got to the front door he heard laughter coming from inside the house and frowned upon hearing Marcels voice, he opened the door and saw him and Jacob in the kitchen when Jacob was washing some plates they both fell silent when the noticed him.

“Where is Rose?” howard questioned them

“She went out, to work I think” replied jacob

“Hmm and what about you Marcel dont you have anything you should be doing?”

“I was about to leave before you came back"

“Then what are you waiting for”

“I’ll get going” he looked at Jacob before walking past his tormentor 

“Father why do you always do that?” Jacob looked at his dad

“Do what?”

“You know what I’m talking about, you always find fault in every thing that he does and then you berate him for it”

“I dont have time for this" he turned and walked to his room 

“You know very well that you’re acting like a playground bully and it has to stop!” jacob shouted angrily

“Are you telling me what to do Son?” he turned around 

“Yes I am Father and you know damn well that you should stop this nonsense behaviour of yours, you’re hardly at home and when you do come home you’re always wasted in your alcohol. We dont have enough to eat and yet you spend the money you make on drinks and smokes!” Jacob was fuming at this point 

“Why you!!”  Howard moved to strike him but stopped when Jacob grabbed a knife from the sink and pointed it at him “you try anything and you’ll regret it" jacob looked ready to stab his father who didn’t want to risk any harm upon himself and decided that he’ll let it go for just today, he walked into his room got what he wanted and left. Jacob took in deep breathes to calm himself down he dropped the knife back in the sink and sat down in one of the chairs in the sitting room holding his head in his hand. This was the first time he’d openly challenged his father for all the things the man did to them and despite the fact that he almost stabbed his own father he felt good about it.

 

  When marcel got to the brothel he met Kim right outside standing at the door talking to someone on the phone and she smiled upon seeing him, he smiled back and walked towards her. He waited till she was done and hung up before they greeted “Good morning or is it afternoon I cant tell, I don’t own watch”

“Hey marcel how you doing, didn’t see you yesterday, Marcus was not happy about that"

“Yeeeaahh ummm,  I ran into trouble yesterday on my way here and I one thing led to another I forgot about coming here” he replied while looking around because he felt like something or someone was nearby, Kim must have noticed it because she asked “what are you looking around for, your friend Suzy?” with a raised eyebrow 

“What no no no not her I’m actually looking for Marcus”he told her 

“You’re looking for Marcus here on the street"

“Yeah where is he?

“Well he went out long ago, said if you ever came by to tell you that you’re fired”

“What! But I haven’t even started" he almost yelled

“Relax that was before I pleaded on your behalf and he let you off with a warning to not slack off, so please do what he says” She warned him

“Ok thank you” he felt relieved “ what am I delivering and where?

“Come on inside, but not through the front, take the backdoor"  marcel tried not to react to how she put those words as she led him to behind the building, he stopped halfway and turned around only to see the mysterious girl he met yesterday staring right at him for some time before she turned and walked away. He wanted to follow her when he Kim grabbed him while holding a bag in her hand, it looked like a school bag but it was obvious to him that the content was not a book, he took it from her and she gave him a paper that had about four addresses written on it.

“Put that paper in your pocket, deliver it on time and come back here for more, if there is. Avoid the police if you can, if you cant just walk by them in a calm and collected manner. Do not stop for anything , only do that when you’re done with the things inside. In the bag is a wrapped parcel written on it are the addresses on the paper and a name so you wont deliver the wrong one. They’re  expecting you so dont let anything scare you. You do all that then you get paid so be quick” she spoke to him this time in a businesslike manner 

“Will do" he slung the bag on his shoulder and walked away.