Michael planned to share his problems with his friend, the only person he could trust and who always had unnecessary cash. Just tonight, he was going to talk to Alex about a small loan so he could settle the bills. He knew that when Alex hears the amount he urgently needs, he will at least sit down, if he has something on. Besides, he will have to patiently listen to his friend's critical opinions about his recent excessive and unnecessary expenditures at work and in the inn. He will once again be forced to make promises to Alex that he won’t keep. However, an unexpected problem occurred. Immediately after the competition, Nicolas had taken the knocked out Alex to the hospital, where, after the tests, the doctors decided to leave him under observation. Michael hoped it was just a preventative procedure, and not anything serious. He found himself in a trap, it was not proper to talk about money even with his best friend in the hospital. The deadline fo

“Would you like something to drink?” Michael's voice came from the kitchen.“Whiskey with ice, double please. Great working conditions.”“I don't work there!” She heard the voice of Michael approaching.“I usually write in the bedroom, in bed. I don't like the library, it reminds me of my father and grandfather.”“Michael, do you work at home?” She was really surprised, and began to laugh out loud. “I thought you wrote your amazing columns twenty minutes before the end of each issue.”“You are absolutely right!” He also laughed.There was no denying that he was not an overzealous scribbler. As befits a seasoned columnist, he writes only when he has to, at the last minute.‘A big plus for Alice. She is perceptive.’ He thought. For appreciating his excellent columns. He wondered if she had any hints to herself in the last issue. Probably yes.

He knew that if given another minute with her, he wouldn’t be able to shirk and he would have to talk about his famous ancestors, whom he despised as much as the miniature botanical garden.He hated all the trees, bushes and perennials that he had to regularly fertilize, water, sprinkle and trim. He kept them alive only for the sake of his brother, who sometimes came for a weekend on his way to a scientific conference or a lecture, to see the work he had created with his mother and grandmother during his childhood.He loved his brother above all else, that's why he cared for the weeds, as he affectionately called them, and hoped that one day the plants would die a ‘natural death’ - they would freeze in winter when he forgets to turn on the heating, or a draft or cigarette smoke will finish them off.So he cared for them carefully. He smoked in the living room, opened all the windows, made drafts, turned off the heating, deliberately forgot abou

Michael was glad that his friend would finally get to see how it felt paying his fines. The first ticket in Alex’ life!For a moment he forgot about the perfect order in the kitchen. He felt a wild satisfaction that his best friend, whom he treated like a son, would get his first ticket. ‘My blood.’ He thought.Maybe Alex was caught by one of the patrols, who stopped him regularly after a certain intersection, almost in the very center of the city, near their editorial office. Those road builders knew his crazy driving, especially the unconventional ways of parking.That patrol used to stop the journalist of their favorite magazine just at the sight of his car and asked for autographs and for him to stop leaving his car on lawns, promenades, flower beds, because they would have to give him a ticket again. They also knew Alex.One time, while giving him a ticket, the patrol asked also for autographs and who was his passenger. They asked i

Michael wished he had a sister. His sisters in law don't like him particularly. Besides, he didn't even remember the last time he saw them. It was good that at least he had contact with his eldest niece, but he regretted that it was only an email. From what he had read recently, it seemed that girls were brought up differently from boys. If he had a daughter, she would have to be tough as Alice for men to respect her. Yes, he would teach her how to deal with bad guys and bastards like himself. Unfortunately, he had no children. He was suffering. Only Alex remained. He wanted the best for him but in the last few months he was fathering him and mothering him. Thanks to his help, Michal paid off all his fines, which he got when the police patrol was changed behind the intersection. The new one didn’t want autographs anymore; they didn’t even know who he was. At first he had a problem in the new car with speed; he was pressing the gas pedal too ha