Chapter 7. The Adaptation 1

The couple was startled and the lady stood up in readiness for a fight. I stopped suddenly and could not decide whether to walk back.

"What do you want from him, Old bat?" The lady asked her.

She was indeed ugly and was aware of it. She ignored her and concentrated on the man.

"I have been at home waiting for you and here you are. Have you forgotten our plans?"

"I promised you that I would be with you all night. Why all these?" The man explained angrily.

"You heard him. Take your shapeless body back home and wait for him," the younger lady declared and pulled the man close to her.

"I would not have you come when you are used up by this energy-sucking demon," the old woman stated and took a step.

The lady felt insulted, got up angrily from her seat, and advanced towards the woman.

"Stop that, Felicia," the man ordered her but she would not obey him.

"Hey! This is not accepted here," a security guard said to her, trying to avert the fight.

She was obsessed with her quest to fight, and she even disobeyed the guard. She caught up with the woman and she used her weight to her advantage. She threw her elbow at her and she staggered backward.

Nevertheless, the man felt humiliated and got up. Without trying to stop the fight, he walked away briskly. The young lady gained composure and tried to attack the old woman but the guard hindered him.

"I will hand you to the authorities, Madam if you cause disorder here," the guard stated.

At that point, the old woman taunted her, "Your loss. You don't have him either," she said and ran after the man.

Her words pained her but she could not run after her because of the guard's firm grip.

"Let go of me," she said to the guard and tried to wiggle her hand away from him.

"You can leave, Julius," I heard Andrea's voice.

He was attracted by the noise and came to see things for himself.

"Okay, Andrea," I said and stepped away.

He guessed that the man and the old woman must have left and Andrea said to the guard, "Leave her."

The guard obeyed but it was too late for her. She had lost the man for the old woman, at least for the night. Nevertheless, she picked up her purse and ran after them.

"I don't know what they saw in that gigolo. Always fighting because of him," Andrea pointed out.

"It baffles me," the guard responded.

When the supervisor mentioned Gigolo, I remembered my father. The dark area could not let me see his face or his clothes. Meanwhile, I heard the old woman call out 'Mark.'

"Could the man be my father?" I thought.

We continued attending to the other guests and their partners. I was happy when I was tipped by one of them. I did not know whether it was accepted by the management. Therefore, I informed Andrea.

He smiled broadly and complimented me, "You are a good boy."

I smiled and appreciated him, "Thank you for the compliment."

"You are welcome. Keep it. It is all yours."

"Ha!" 

"Yes. You will get more," he informed me.

By his words, I got more tips but was disturbed by the lecherous look in the eyes of some of the men.   

Meanwhile, apart from the gigolo and his women, there were more fights.  Notable among them was a woman who came to fight her husband and his mistress.

"Is this place always like this?" I asked one of my colleagues.

He laughed cynically and answered me, "Yes but we are familiar with it."

"Huh," I said.

"Don't let it bother you. You will soon get used to it," he assured me.

I never allowed the fights to bother me, but I relished my new work, especially the tips. Nevertheless, I was interested in the gigolo and his two women.  I wished to see the end of the fight.

Back in my house, Eugenia, who was working as a casual worker in the Mayor's office returned from work some minutes after I left and was surprised to meet only my mother at home. After the pleasantries, she asked after me.

"Why is Julius not back yet? Does he want to force the work out of the employers?"

My mother smiled softly and answered her, "Not at all. He just left."

She was puzzled wondering where I would be at that time of the day. Likewise, she fixed her eyes on my mother waiting for further explanations.

"He has gone to the local bar to try his luck," she informed her.

"Oh! I hope he can cope with the stressful work and meager pay."

"It is better than nothing."

"You are right, Mom," she said and began to eat her food without caring to ask about my father.

Afterward, she helped out with some house chores and prepared dinner. As the day was getting dark, she became worried.

"Why is he not back yet?" She asked my mother.

She had no answer to her question but looked worried as well.

"I feel I should check on him. It is getting late," she stated hysterically.

Instantly, my mother began to weep profusely. She recalled that I did not have a handset because she could not get one for me. Apart from that, my father, who was responsible for her predicament, was nowhere to be found.

"Wouldn't he have checked on his son to ensure that he is safe," she lamented.

Eugenia fought back her tears and encouraged her, "Here you go again, Mom. Consider yourself a widow and concentrate on your health. I will go and check on him."

My mother sniffed, wiped her tears, and calmed down.

"You need to rest. He will come back if he is through," she advised my sister.

To avoid upsetting her further, Eugenia was less agitating and agreed with her. When it was time for dinner, my mother concluded that I must have been hired and they had their dinner peacefully.