Chapter 2: The Chosen Family. Part 1
Axel sits on a rock on the curb in front of a small cafe, staring at the red water flowing down the street, thinking about his own. Aken pours another bucket of water onto the cafe's tiled floor, while Leo and a couple of other guys scatter the puddles with brooms. Axel has a five-minute break and he'll be back to help the guys again.
The cafe was attacked an hour ago. When the guys, hearing the shots, ran here, the attackers were gone. According to witnesses, an SUV drove up to the cafe and opened fire on the window. Immediately after the SUV disappeared, residents of neighboring houses poured into the street. Now, having already seen enough of the bloody divorces, they disperse. In addition to who was the target of the attackers, two visitors and a waiter was killed. Relatives have already taken the bodies of the victims, and the boys are helping the owner of the cafe to remove the consequences of the attack.
Life in the quarterly returns to its former course. Crying has long died down. On the streets where death turns into a common occurrence, there is no place for tears. Axel knows that those he sees now can turn the asphalt red in an hour. Life in Vita teaches to appreciate every moment with dear people, and it also made Axel get used to Death, always walking alongside and hiding in his own shadow.
“I only recently made repairs. I invested my last savings,” laments the owner of the cafe, fifty-year-old man Bono. “Another one was attacked the previous week and it has no more clients.”
“Uncle Bono, don't panic,” Leo tries to cheer the man up. “Everyone will forget everything. We die like flies, but still want to eat, and your tortillas with cheese are delicious.”
“You comfort me, son,” Bono grins. “I always have something tasty for you.”
The boys retreat to the walls as the A-Card cartel men enter. Sullen and tall men, arms and necks full of tattoos, approach Bono. One of them, apparently the main one, pulls out a chair and sits down opposite the man.
“I'm going to have a car like this,” Leo says to Axel, stuck to the window, admiring the new Mercedes outside the window.
“You wanted a Lamborghini,” Aken comes closer.
“Do you think we can get that rich?” Leo looks at him in disbelief.
“I don't think we should belittle the dream. We should dream big,” Axel says firmly. “Moreover, dude, they call you the Mad. It seems to me that you can handle everything.”
Axel continues to look outside and doesn't notice his friend's eyes light up at his words. After questioning Bono, the A-Card men leave. The boys are already finishing cleaning when Lea bursts into the café. She first hits her son on the head, and then pulls and hugs him tightly.
“I was so scared,” the woman laments. “I was afraid that you went to Bono for a taco and got hit by the bullets.”
“Well, Mum, don't make me feel ashamed in front of the guys,” Leo whines, trying to get out of the embrace.
"Mummy’s son," Aken laughs and freezes under the stern gaze of the woman.
“Come here,” Lea orders and pulls the approaching teenager to her chest. Axel and Dev knowing full well that they are the next ones, come and hug the woman too.
“Live,” the woman looks attentively at the boys. “You can't die. You have too many reasons for this. You must raise the brothers, put them on their feet. You must become the support and protection of those who are left, and in the end, you must buy me a house with a swimming pool. Do you understand me? Do you promise you won't die?”
The boys nod in unison and Lea returns to work. After helping Bono, Aken goes home, explaining that neighbors will not be there until the evening and that he needs to look after Avi.
Aken's cabin is in the poorest area of the territory, and the boy gets there in an hour, changing two buses. Aken runs into the corner store for rice and granulated sugar and then visits the neighbors. Avi, noticing his brother, immediately rushes to him. Picking up the child in his arms, Aken goes to his room. He carefully steps on the shoes and toys scattered on the floor of the corridor and, going into the tiny kitchen, lowers the child onto the highchair. An hour later, Avi eats sweet rice porridge, and Aken starts cleaning.
At six in the evening, their mother comes home. The thirty-seven-year-old skinny woman paints her eyes a lot, drawing even more attention to the black circles below them. She hardly eats at home, Aken doubts what she eats outside. All the woman takes is alcohol and “snow”, which is often paid off with her body. Aken walks past her, while she’s swarming in the living room closet, and continues to collect Avi's toys and clothes scattered throughout the house.
“Where is my beaded jacket?” shouts the woman, dumping the contents of the cabinet on the floor. “Why is everything so messed up?”
“Maybe because you have to watch the house?” Aken, walking by with a basket of dirty laundry, says calmly.
“It's not for you to tell me,” answers the tipsy woman and bypasses Avi, who came up and begs for attention. “There’s no benefit from you.”
“Trust me, we're not happy to have such a mum ourselves,” Aken smiles wryly, “There’s porridge in the kitchen, maybe you’ll eat a little.” No matter how angry he is with mum and convincing himself that he hates her, it’s unbearable to see the woman barely standing on her feet. “Stay one night. I don't care about you, but Avi misses.”
“I work and earn money,” snorts the woman. She has finally found her jacket. “I do not have time to lisp and crack porridge with you.”
“Are you kidding?” Aken exclaims. “I buy food, I pay the bills, and I dress the child. Where is what you earn? Please stay at home I can feed us.”
“By robbing neighbors?” the woman frowns in disgust.
“I do not steal from neighbors.”
“It's just that there is nothing to steal in this hole.”
“Stop shaming us. I can feed us,” Aken insists.
“I do not disgrace anyone. I dance,” the woman goes into the corridor.
“Look at yourself! How many were there today, and why? To buy a bottle of booze and sit in your favorite bar?” the boy catches up with her.
“Why did you decide that you can tell me how to live?” the woman turns and pushes the boy against the wall.
“When you die, I won't come to your grave. I won't mourn you,” Aken says through clenched teeth, looking straight into mum’s eyes and desperately trying not to cry.
“Live to twenty yourself,” the woman lets go and reaches for the door.
“I will live, I have to, I promised Lea,” Aken shouts at her in the back. “I have a brother who is an orphan with a living parent,” the boy says quietly and sits on the floor, smiling at Avi, who hands him his favorite toy. “My family will never be like this.”
Little did he know…