The cold water splashed on the two street men was what got them moving for their lives.
“Stay away! And never sleep here you pest!” yelled the fat woman wearing a plastic apron.
“Wait up!” yelled Niru holding his back which was aching. “Are you okay?” asked Ace between gasps while stopping his wheelchair.
“Yeah I’m fine,” replied Niru panting like a dog. “Come let’s go look for a new spot.”
“Yeah, you right” said Ace following Niru who was taking off his wet coat.
They walked up the crowded Circle Street.
“I hate winter. It’s always grey and cold,” said Ace sounding upset.
Niru let out a snigger. "Why laugh Niru?" Ace asked turning to face Niru.
“It’s just that it's crazy because your girlfriend happens to be what you just said you hate,” replied Niru washing his bloody face on the water sprouting which was at the middle of Circle street.
The gazillion people passing by gave him an unpleasant look. “Leave Nina out of this,” Ace barked. “Anyway, Nina is like spring not to hot or cold just perfect.”
“Oh really? What do you call a woman with grey eyes, black hair, wears a grey oversize sweater, always quiet, never talked, never laughed and always in the shadows watching over you?” asked Niru wiping his face with his bloody shirt. “What a spring she is.”
“Fine she might be grey but she’s definitely not cold,” said Ace drinking the sprouting water.
“I’m sure she isn’t,” Niru sarcastically said, leading the way up the busy street.
“So, tell me Niru why did that huge man attacked us?” asked Ace following him.
For some reason there was awkward silence from Niru. "Niru..." Ace tried to talk.
“We should go to the east and probably we will find an unoccupied spot in the east,” Niru cut him short. His eyes filled with guilt.
“Yeah, I guess you are right,” replied Ace. “Anyway, it will be closer to Nina’s spot.”
The traffic light before them turned red. The young woman beside them covered her nose which had turned red.
“So Niru tell me how you met Ri something?” asked Ace.
“Ohh you mean Rita the red-haired woman?” asked Niru. “Well I knew her by her father if that what you were asking?”
“I thought you didn’t know her name,” said Ace secretly taking a wallet from a fat man’s pocket who was in front of them and putting it underneath his blanket.
“Did I say that? Well I might have been drunk if I really did say that,” said Niru secretly putting his hand inside a woman’s hand bag which looked expensive.
“What do you mean when you say really,” asked Ace using his hand as invented commas to emphasize the word ‘really’. “You know what, forget it just carry on with your story.”
“As I was saying...” said Niru giving Ace an unpleasant look. “You know, it’s a very long story.”
The traffic light turned green allowing the people to move. Niru quickly pulled his hand out from the woman’s handbag coming out with a hand watch which he kept in his tightly folded hand.
“We’ve got all day, so go ahead tell me,” replied Ace.
“Nah, I’ve got no energy to talk,” explained Niru. “How about you tell me about how you met your girlfriend?”
They went in between the buildings as they came to a quiet street.
“You know my story, I’ve told you a thousand times,” complained Ace.
“Well you can tell me once again,” replied Niru.
Ace started complaining and Niru knew he wouldn’t stop if he had started.
“Fine, fine I’ll tell you mine,” he cut him short, looking pissed off. “I worked for Rita’s father as a document delivery man.”
“What’s a document delivery man?” asked Ace.
“I guess I have to start on the top,” complained Niru. “Mr. Gim ran a business of making fake documents for immigrants.”
“Was that even legal?” asked Ace.
“Legal?” Niru asked with a little laughter. “No stupid! It wasn’t. It was all about making money nothing else.”
“It was probably dangerous,” said Ace.
“Yes, it was and that was why Mr. Gim needed someone to be his distributor just in case things went wrong.”
“You were a delegate?” asked Ace looking impressed.
“If you put it that way” replied Niru looking at the old buildings beside them. “Then I met Rita, his daughter. She liked me and I liked her and soon we were friends.”
They turned at a narrow corner of a tall building. There were many street people walking around there.
“This is strange why are there so many people at this side of the world?” asked Niru.
“I really don’t know,” replied Ace looking around. They caught sight of Nina in the crowd.
“Wait here I’ll go ask Nina,” said Ace moving his wheel chair toward Nina who was standing near the garbage bins with some women from the east territory.
Niru watched the two love birds talking as he leaned against the wall touching his back which was aching.
Niru suddenly caught sight of Jeff walking with his two friends. He quickly walked toward them before he could lose their sight.
“Here comes Rooster,” said Nobi.
“Don’t even think of running!” yelled Niru holding Pinky's arm. “You owe me Jeff in fact you all owe me.”
“That’s not fair why we should owe you because Jeff here owes you?” asked Nobi.
“He’s right,” said Pinky stroking her cat’s fur.
“You really wanna know why you both owe me?” asked Niru moving his hand through his shirt.
“No! We will pay you,” said Nobi. “Right guys?”
“Yeah he’s right we shall pay you every cent,” added Jeff who was starting to sweat. “Good, five notes each” said Niru.
“As in zero five?” asked Jeff counting out his money from his old wallet.
Niru snatched the wallet from Jeff’s hands.
“Where did you get so much money?” asked Niru counting it out.
“We joined the Mighty Eminent’s gang,” Pinky’s mouth blabbed.
“So, you are telling me by joining that dwarf’s gang you earned so much?” asked Niru.
“Yes, in one night of serving him we became rich” replied Jeff.
“What exactly do you do for him when you say serving him?” asked Niru.
Nobi gave Jeff a nudge. Jeff cleared his throat.
“We can’t tell you, it’s against the Street gang law,” he sought courage and said.
“He’s right all that is done or said in the street gang meetings shall stay there,” said Pinky stroking her cat’s chin.
“Whatever as long as you pay my money,” said Niru taking five notes from Jeff’s wallet.
Nobi and Pinky also gave Niru the five notes he wanted.
“Now go before I take all your money,”
Jeff and his two friends ran into the crowd without looking back.
Author's Note
Am i the only one smelling smoke?🤔
What do u think is going to happen next?❤️
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