Chapter 4

Lorenzo’s pov

“I stretched my arms as they rang the final bell, indicating closing hours. Achoes filled the air as students dispersed, some gisting, laughing and chatting as they walked out, while others like me walked slowly, afraid of the unknown.”

“I looked at the weather, the sky darkened and became cloudy like it’s about to rain any moment from now.” I adjusted the straps of my new bag that Mummy got for me and walked towards the gate. Just when I crossed the gate, a group of boys around my age blocked my way. They wore the same clothes as mine, indicating that we are from the same school.

“Hey there, follow me,” the tallest among them said with cruelty laced in his voice. He looks meaner than the others.

“The last time I checked, we aren’t friends, so tell me why I should obey your order?” I barked back, trying to sound as brave as possible.

“I applaud your audacity to question my orders but if you know what’s best for you you will follow me this moment expect you want all the class talking about how your mummy is a maid in your father’s house and that make you a bastard or the fact that your father beats her up every damn time,” he uttered as he move closer to me. “Now, do you get the reason why you have to follow everything I said without questioning me?” he added.

I nod my head in fear as I shift back in shame. My head bowed. My shoulder sank. I followed them silently, waiting for the unknown to happen.

We walked for some minutes as they took me to a quiet place in the school, the schoolyard. Where no one can see or hear us. The boy who told me to follow them earlier pushed me, and I fell to the ground, my butt hitting the ground so hard.

The rest of the boys laughed, putting their fingers at how pitiful I looked. “Let’s see how strong the maid is.” He threw a ball at me and it hit me so hard on my body, they all showed their teeth, laughing at my pitiful self.

The others open their water bottle and pour the liquid on my head. The water ran from my head down to my clothes. I held my bag tightly in humiliation. My body shivers at how cold the water is.

They took my bag forcefully and emptied my whole book on the floor, they matched the bag and the book and my textbooks. I rushed to pick my textbooks, but they stepped on my hands so hard that I screamed in pain but they didn’t spare me a look of apology; instead, they stared at me with disgust.

“Wheeet!”

We all turned to the sound, a little girl of about my age stood with her golden dog as she blew her big pink whistle, “Leave him alone this moment, bullies, or I will send my dog to come tear you all into pieces,” she said, screaming. The dog stood alert with his dentition out, waiting for go go-ahead.

They all laughed at her until her dog chased them, and before they all ran in fear.

“Come back, Lulu, leave those cowards alone, then don’t waste your chase.”

She bent down picking the books from the shelf, and dusted them before she handed them over to me.

“Thank you,” I said with all sincerity. I put the books in my bag.

“Hey, need some help?” she said, bringing her hand to lift me from the floor.

“Are you okay?” she asked with concern.

“Yes, I am. Why did you help out?”

“I hate bullies, they are wicked and should be sent to hell,” she said, puckering her mouth, which I find funny. “You shouldn’t be afraid of those cowards; you should be brave. Don’t let them scare you. You got this, Star.”

“Star?” I blinked.

“You shine like a star. You’re wet, don’t catch a cold. Is your place nearby? So I can walk you home.”

I hesitated. The last thing I wanted was for her to see my home. “I appreciate your kind gesture, but I will manage. What’s your name?”

“The name is Lena,” she said, smiling. “Remember the name Star.”

“Thank you… I will repay you someday.”

Not quite long, I got home and the entrance door was wide open, I could hear an argument from outside, “Dad is on it again, the neighbors are even tired of intervening because Dad won’t listen.”

“Another bad day at home,” I sighed. I walked into the living room, everywhere looked scattered like a thief had broken in.

“Mummy…” I called, walking deep into the house, and there I saw mom crying at the top of her voice as dad unlash his belt on her. Every whip comes with a different scream of pain. I stood crying, not knowing what to do. My heart sank.

“Don’t beat mummy again, daddy,” I cried.

Dad turned to me with eyes full of rage, “You little bastard!” He shoved me to the ground.

“Nic…” mummy called out in tears and tried to crawl to where I was. “Don’t hurt him, please. You can beat me all you want, but don’t hurt my son.”

“Shut up woman, didn’t I tell you not to always tell me what to do? I will teach you a different lesson today. I am going to end you tonight!”

I stood up, running to mummy. “Let’s get out of here, Mum. You and I, Mum. Please.”

“Come on, Nic, your dad is not in a good mood tonight, he is still part of the family we can’t leave him to himself.”

“But he beats you every day, Mum. Does that mean he is not in a good mood every day? I want to leave this place, let’s run away. Please.”

“We have nowhere to go, child,” Mum voiced out, blood dripping from her cut lip.

“Don’t worry about that, I have strength, mummy,” I said, showing my tiny arms. “I will work and take care of you.”

She smiled weakly. “That’s sweet of you, my darling, if you do that, the authorities are going to lock Mummy in jail for making a child your age work.”

“I don’t want mummy to go to jail. I won’t work then, let’s just leave this place, Mum.”

Suddenly, footsteps thundered back into the room.

Dad had returned with a gun.

Mom and I moved back.

“This woman, I’m going to bed with you today,” he said, moving closer to us.

Dad pointed the gun at Mom.

“No!” I screamed.

But it was too late, the deed had been done.

The gunshot rang out, tearing through the room and into Mummy’s heart. She collapsed into my arms.

“Mummy!”

Dad laughed, dropping the gun on the floor like a mental patient, cracking in triumph.

In anger, I stood up with a shaky leg, hands trembling. I pick up the gun and turn it to the dad.

The second gunshot rang, and the dad collapsed to the ground, blood dripping from his body.

I screamed out as I jolted back to life, covered in sweat, breath ragged.

“Same dream. Again.”

It always comes back during a storm, especially when it rains heavily with thunder strikes.

“I’m not familiar with those faces in my dream.”

“I don’t know the boy or the girl.”

Angry, confused. I picked up the cigarettes beside the bedside stand and lit them, puffing out smoke.

“Who the hell are you, Star?”

I continue smoking the cigarettes, but my little man won’t let me be; he keeps jerking up.

“Bring me two whores,” I echoed on the phone.

“Okay, boss,” Mateo responded.

I hung up the call, waiting for the whores to come in.

Mateo came in with the two whores, they are fully endowed, with big boobs and an ass that can turn any man up. They have beautiful faces, but I find them annoying. “They are not as beautiful as that nun girl I met yesterday. She has bigger boobs and ass than they, which are covered by her big clothes.”

My dick kept jerking up at the thought of the nun. I hissed. “Annoying, she isn’t here. I would have fuck every innocent away from her and made her a nasty girl just for me.”

“Get on the couch, you two,” I commanded.