Fiery Passions

Chapter 5 - When I look at You!

After that day, they never were the same.  Her mother silently grieved heavily for her lover, but remained strong for her and Esteban.   Since her Dad was not dead, no pension or any other form of compensation could be awarded to them.   Her mother made the best with what they had and started to work cleaning houses to make ends meet.   Samanta took a job in a restaurant washing dishes after school, in the weekends, and in the summer to help her mother with the bills.   But the pay was not enough, and as soon as she turned 18 she went looking for another job that would pay her more. 

She held several odd jobs as the years passed, making her life revolve around her studies, work and helping her mother around the house.  She barely had time sleep or eat, and didn’t even consider a social life to begin with.

One day, she found an ad on the paper for a waitressing job in downtown Miami.   She figured since it wasn't too far from her home nor to the University, she would give it a try.  The waitressing job was at Club Space, tending tables, and helping to clean out the place after closing to the patrons.   After several months of working there, she met Anthony one particular night.  At first he had been really sweet, and caring; always attentive to her and her family.   After some months of serious chasing on Anthony's part, they started dating.   One particular night, while Anthony worked the plates at the Dj booth, two guys in designer suits approached him with very serious demeanors.   At the end of their conversation, Anthony had been booked to work "as requested" for a very wealthy businessman.”

At first everything seemed ok, but after 3 weeks of being at their beck on call, Anthony started to change.   He wasn't eating, his hands trembled from time to time, and his eyes were constantly bloodshot.   But his temper surfaced getting irritated and mad easily.   And to make matters worse, he washed down with whatever liquor he could get his hands on in a daily basis, whatever he was snorting or getting in his system.  He had been asked to deal drugs on the night clubs where he Dj.  The sweet and caring guy she once knew disappeared.  In his place an arrogant, paranoid, possessive and hurtful new Anthony appeared   And with that his aggressiveness towards her exploded for any insignificant situation she could think off. 

On one particular night, she was outside the club taking out the trash. Her usual companion was Whiskers the cat.  He had been a constant visitor a few weeks after she had started working at Club Space. 

" Hey!! Whiskers there you are?  Looking for your nightly treat?

She patted the cat's head, grabbed him kissing his nose, and placed him back on the floor. 

"Let's see _ I whipped this here for you: left over salmons from table 5, and other goodies I could find in the kitchen, Enjoy".

She removed a paper plate full of food and placed it in front of Whiskers who wasted no time digging in.  She then proceeded to dump the trash bags in the bin, when a noise up ahead on the same alley where she was startled her.   She walked towards the noise to take a closer look, and soon hid behind another set of trash bins up ahead.

Under the dim light of the alley, she saw three men in designer business suits surround a fourth one.  Two of them were the same ones who had approached Anthony in the beginning.   The third one seemed to be the leader.  She couldn’t overhear what they were saying but she still remained in her hiding place. 

The conversation between the leader and the fourth person turned into a heated discussion.  The atmosphere tensed under the street lit night.  The heated discussion turned into a scuffle between the two big men.  The fourth guy was then pinned by the two goons, while the leader was beating the crap out of the fourth guy.