The End 2

Being a child, Benedito began to believe, that he was wrong and that his skin color and physical handicap were really unacceptable defects. Benedito never had the chance to talk about this with Barry, because at the first opportunity, he was cut off vehemently by Bertha, and the next day, she was even more brutal.

Benedito was about to go into a deep depression because he thought he was inferior to other people, and that's when he met two children who saved him from a spiral of endless self-pity and suffering.

Dante, who was a year older than Benedito, and Dante's sister Melida, who was the same age as Benedito. They both said something that forever marked Benedito.

"Why would people of our color be inferior to white people? If anything, I think we are superior! My father said that we endured centuries of slavery, and even after being freed, we still go through repression from white people all over the world, but still, black people are successful in many places in the world!" Dante said stewing his chest with pride.

"The pastor of the church said that Jesus was a colored man. When Herod had all the children under the age of 2 killed, Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt where they could hide Jesus. But in Egypt, everyone was a colored person, so if Jesus was white, wouldn't he stand out a lot in Egypt, and be found quickly?" Melida said in her sweet, childlike voice.

When he got home that day, Benedito heard once again about how he was a wrong and sinful person, even more, sinful than white people. And that he should strive to be a "human being". Bertha had dropped any pretense of cordiality at this point, and Benedito felt a mixture of resentment and fear for the woman.

He slowly moved his wheelchair over to the computer in the living room and found out about racism, prejudice against the handicapped, the physically handicapped, and how some people can think themselves superior to others by the smallest detail.

He found out about great men and women, like Martin Luther King Junior, and Rosa Parks, who despite being humiliated, still became a symbol of the struggle of black people. Malcolm X also fought bravely against prejudice.

When Barry arrived later that night and saw Benedito researching these things, he thought that Benedito had suffered racism at his school, and asked about it. Benedito denied this and told him about the new friends he had made, Dante and Melida. Barry was happy about this, and they both talked and laughed until late.

The reason Benedito didn't talk about Bertha, is that after everything, he is just a child. He has fears and fears, and he didn't know if Barry would believe him. What if Barry took Bertha's side and kicked Benedito out for being black?

A few months passed, and Benedito turned 7, and his school life was the best part of his days. His days at home, with Barry leaving for other countries to work became worse and worse, with Bertha beating Benedito daily.

Bertha eventually adopted a child, and Benedito and Barry didn't know how she managed it, but she did. He was a boy, two years older than Benedito, with porcelain-white skin and brown hair, and blue eyes. Since Bertha spent the whole day with Benedito at Barry's house, John, Bertha's adopted boy, was always with her.

At first, he was a shy child, and never spoke much. Soon, having been inspired by Bertha, he began to mistreat Benedito, and whenever Benedito reacted, he would be punished by Bertha, but John would never be punished.

The years continued to pass, and Benedito, despite all the mistreatment at home, became a teenager with a beauty that made girls always look at him. With the advance of the internet and the proliferation of information, when racism became a more serious issue, Bertha had to stop her actions, but John never stopped.

Benedito was a popular young man in his school because he was always smiling and friendly. No one saw his skin color or his disability and wheelchair. Dante and Melida continued to be good friends to Benedito, and with Barry returning to work in the city when Benedito was 15, Benedito was living the best phase of his life.

Benedito was happy. He had a father, a house, food whenever he wanted, and friends, he was good at his studies. He was simply feeling complete!

But not everyone was happy with Benedito's new life. John, no matter how hard he tried, never got the good grades that Benedito had, even though he was two years older. He didn't get as much attention from Barry, his brother, and even Bertha always paid more attention to Benedito!

When John couldn't get a scholarship to a college, he had to go into the army, under Bertha's disappointed gaze. In 2021, when Benedito turned 17 and there were only a few weeks left before he graduated, and on that day, John returned from the army.

He had been disowned, and returned in desperation to the city, returned to his home, to his mother, to Bertha. On the way, he found Benedito with Dante and Melida, and other teenagers having a good time in a cafeteria, talking, laughing, and having a good time.

John felt his blood boil and fill with anger. His blood seemed acidic in his veins at this moment. While he was spending his days suffering in the army, doing heavy exercise every day, Benedito was here, enjoying popularity and fame just for being a black cripple!

This was not fair!

The world was so unfair!

Why should he, who was clearly better than Benedito, have to suffer while Benedito had good company and didn't suffer as he did?!

When Benedito returned home that night, the house was empty, because Barry was on duty at the city hospital that night. Benedito was determined to take a shower and go to bed since he had already eaten with his friends.

As soon as he arrived in the room, Benedito noticed that John was there, causing great confusion in Benedito. After all, John was supposed to be in the army now.

"What are you doing here? Don't tell me you ran away?" Benedito asked dryly.

John grimaced, and Benedito knew he had got it right. No, Benedito was not a genius or a great prophet. He just had lived with John for many years, and knew of John's abilities.

"Why is it always you?" John muttered.

Benedito didn't understand, as they were both standing on one side of the room, and the muttered words barely reached Benedito. John lowered his head and began mumbling incoherently, and Benedito could not understand anything he spoke.

"Why is it always you? Mother always paid more attention to you, my brother, and people at school...you have a car, and you always had money at the end of the month. Why you? Why you? Why you? Why? Why? WHY?!" John shouted at the end.

Benedito really didn't want to answer. Did he have money? Yes, because he worked. Did he have a special car for wheelchair users? Yes, but he and his father modified it after buying an old car. Did he have friends? Yes, but because he never tried to be better than anyone else, and always wanted to be closer to his friends. John ended up this way because of two people, himself and Bertha.

But why should he talk about this with John? John always thought he was better than everyone else at school, belittling everyone, bullying everyone, and this is why he didn't have any great friends. He never tried to work, while Benedito used what he learned by repairing and overhauling his car to work in a mechanic's shop near his home.

And needless to say about Bertha's attention, right?

"Why the hell couldn't you just be quiet in your corner, doing the job your race is supposed to do?!" John shouted and raised his face, red-eyed and teeth grinding.

'And there's the racism once again...' Benedito thought angrily.

John moved his hand to his back, and slowly, a knife entered Benedito's field of vision.

In the dimly lit room, the cold glow of that blade, John's psychotic stare, and the dark atmosphere that surrounded this house, Benedito felt his blood freeze and his eyes go wide.

What the hell was John going to do? What could he do to stop it? If he talks, will it make everything worse? What should he do? What does he have to do?

"John, put that knife down, let's talk. We have our differences, but it doesn't have to come to that. We are men of the 21st century, not the 17th century..." Benedito couldn't finish his sentence.

John ran at Benedito, Benedito tried to turn his wheelchair around as fast as he could, but it still wasn't fast enough.

Puchi

Puchi

Two stab wounds hit Benedito's ribs, and more were coming. Benedito bent over in pain and tried to get John off of him, but the only result was both of them fell to the ground.

"Get off me! Help! Somebody help me! ARGH!" Benedito screamed at the top of his lungs, trying his best to call for help.

"SHUT UP SLAVE! DIE AND BE PROUD TO DIE AT THE HANDS OF SOMEONE SUPERIOR, YOU SCUM!" John roared even louder.

John stabbed Benedito 7 times, and as he was going for the 8th stab, the knife got stuck in Benedito's rib. Benedito roared in pain, almost wetting his own pants, but he stood firm, he didn't want to give John this pleasure.

He held his belly with one hand, where he received three stab wounds, and his ribs with the other, where he received four stabs. He tried to breathe in, but the air he expected didn't come, and blood filled his lungs. Being the adopted son of a doctor, Benedito knew clearly that his lungs had been punctured, and if he couldn't find a way to breathe properly, he would drown in his blood.

"I... cough cough cough"

Benedito could no longer speak without choking on his blood, and it was only now that John adjusted his posture, and looked at what he did. He first looked at Benedito with an arrogant air, as if he had achieved his ultimate goal, but when he realized that he would be arrested and possibly sentenced to life in prison, his expression filled with terror.

John staggered backward, not knowing what to do. He heard noises coming from outside the house, and his terror turned to despair. He ran hurriedly to the kitchen, to find another knife and kill any witnesses who might come to this place.

Benedito, despite the pain and the feeling of drowning in his own blood, was filled with joy, for he imagined that the one who came was Barry, his adopted father. Barry being a doctor, would find a way to help him survive.

John returned and hid behind the door, waiting for whoever was going to come through the door. Since the door wasn't locked, the person didn't take long and soon entered.

"I can't believe that even after so much advice I've given, you still have the ability..."

An aging female voice came from the doorway, but after seeing Benedito's condition, she could not finish her sentence. Her eyes widened in shock, not believing what she saw.

Bertha, who had aged a few more years, was standing in the doorway as she looked at Benedito, who was agonizing on the floor, still with a knife carved into his rib.

"H-help me..."

Benedito really hated the notion of having to ask this racist shrew for help, but if his father hasn't arrived yet, then he probably has an on-call at the hospital today.

Bertha looked at Benedito, without moving a finger. There was no telling whether it was because she was unwilling to help, or because she was still in shock.

"M-m-m-m-mom?!" John came out from behind the door after coming to his senses.

Bertha had another big shock after seeing John. Looking at his uniform completely soiled with Benedito's blood, the knife in John's hands, and Benedito's current state, it doesn't take much to conclude.

"Mother, help me. I... I-"

Slap!

John couldn't finish what he was saying when a slap came flying at his cheek. He didn't react, but just put his head down and let Bertha slap him twice more. After that, she picked up the phone and dialed 911.

"Hello? Yes, I would like to make an anonymous report. I came to visit my son's house, but the house is all turned around, my grandson was stabbed and they started a fire! I need help now!" Bertha shouted as if panicked and desperate.

After a few more seconds, she turned off her cell phone and put it in her small purse once more. Benedito saw all this and was speechless. Bertha took one look at John, and he understood what he should do. He left breaking the whole house, while Bertha remained in the same place, looking at Benedito.

"You old whore...I hope you burn in hell."

Benedito said as he felt his life coming to an end. He no longer had the strength to be able to keep fighting.

"What was that verse you liked, little black man?

Ecclesiastes 3:20

All go to one place; all are dust, and all to dust shall they return." Bertha said in an icy voice.

Benedito held up both hands. He knew he was dying, but at least he wanted to take this wretch, who had made his life a living hell, with him. It was then that he once again heard a voice he hadn't heard in a long time.

"Don't do this, little soul. It will bring more harm than good."

The voice was ethereal as if it had seen and heard about all the vicissitudes of life. Benedito with great difficulty looked in that direction, and what he saw frightened him so much that he almost wet his pants.

He saw his mother, Anna, whom he had not seen for a long time. She looked the same as she did from that time, with her smooth, immaculate black skin, with impeccable curly dark brown hair, and big eyes that overflowed with intelligence.

"Do not be deceived by what your eyes see, little soul. I am not your mother." Anna...or whatever she is said.

It was then that Benedito remembered. When he was 5 years old, right after that terrible earthquake that took away his ability to walk and killed his mother... he heard that same voice as he died of thirst, hunger, pain, and loneliness.

'You...' Benedito thought.

'Exactly, little soul. You asked me for a life without pain, and you said you would pay the price. The price has been paid, and I am here to take you to your new life."

Anna's figure faded and became the figure of Joseph, Benedito's father who died in that plane crash. He was happy to remember that person. He always had a strange feeling, a feeling that he had forgotten something important, but he couldn't remember.

The figure wearing Joseph's appearance suddenly looked away and frowned for a second.

"Little soul, we must go. Your life is over, and you must start a new life." The figure said.

It was only then that Benedito noticed that he could "breathe" again.