MIDNIGHT HOUR [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The two best friends walked around the traffic in the Tie road begging money.

 “Please feed my hungry dog,” he kept saying while knocking on the car’s windows.

“Mummy, look a dog!” one six-year-old boy yelled at his mother who just winded up the windows before Niru could get near her minivan.

Soon he was sitting on the pavement with a few coins on his hand.

“Guess today wasn’t our best day buddy,” said Niru looking at the little dog sitting beside him.

“Hey street man!” yelled a familiar voice.

 “Let it not be that useless liar,” said Niru moving his head toward his right to catch a glance at whoever was shouting. “Great, my life has just gotten a lot better.”

“Don’t tell me you are still poo...poor” said Mr. Somber near him taking off his shades.

The little dog barked at him.

“Settle down Beans,” said Niru brushing Bean’s fur. “What do you want Somber?”

“I see you’ve replaced your friend with a dog,” said Mr. Somber with a rude irritating laughter.

“No one is getting replaced,” said Niru. “Ace loves him and so do I.”

“Come on Niru no one doesn’t know that your little friendship with Ace has reached its expiry date,” said Mr. Somber.

“What?” asked Niru getting up, his eyes widened, making him appear a little creepy and dangerous.

“I said everyone knows that you and Ace aren’t friends anymore,” said Mr. Somber fixing his new green leather jacket. “I heard it from the horse’s mouth. Anyway, do you like my new jacket?”

“Ace would never say that,” snapped Niru. “We are still friends, it’s just that we are still taking a break.”

“If you say so but judging from what I heard, your friendship is as dead as you are,” said Mr. Somber with a smile on his face.

“Shut it you liar!” yelled Niru roughing him up.

Beans was already on his paws barking at Mr. Somber who still had a boastful smile on his face.

 “Sir is everything okay here?” asked a woman passing by. Her hair was styled into a neat bun. She wore a long yellow coat with matching heels.

“It’s just this beggar who wanted to mug me,” said Mr. Somber looking straight at Niru’s eyes.

“Should I call the police?” asked the woman.

“Ohh no don’t, he has just let go of me,” replied Mr. Somber fixing his jacket. “We don’t want to make his life miserable as it already is.”

“If you say so,” said the woman walking away with her eyes still focused on the messy street man who was stained with blood.

 Mr. Somber walked two steps then stopped.

“For your information, Ace has joined the Street gang,” said Mr. Somber. “If you still don’t trust me check his left arm for any Street gang’s sign.”

 Niru watched him disappear into the crowd as he started kicking the trash cans near him in fury.

“Damn you Somber!” he yelled.

It was clear that his day had gone sour. Before he knew it, he was leaning against the poles groaning as Beans kept barking endlessly. He slowly reached in his coat touching the strap of shirt which was bloody.

“Ace would never go against our code,” he kept saying to himself. “Yeah, Ace is my friend.”

 The people passing nearby kept staring at him (as usual). This time their stare was unbearable.

“What are you all staring at?!” he yelled still breathing heavily. “Have you never seen a broken man? Yes, I’m a bad friend and so what?!”