My Pound Of Flesh

I turned on the shower, and as I stood under it naked, the water trickled down my body, washing off the stains of blood.

It was a gloomy day. I had killed every last one of Tigger's men and also lost five of mine. I was so angry because the bastard got away, but not for long. It was a long hunt after all, but I need to set an example for every other bastard that would want to challenge us.

My enemies have grown further, and I know my life is in danger every single minute of the day, but I am more powerful than ever. I had to exercise my Dominion over New York and also send a message to every other cartel: there is no room for traitors and no forgiveness when passing judgment. New York is mine, and no one will ever take it away from me.

I picked up my phone to ask Ray to set up some torture sessions when Felix's call came in.

"We found him, Capo, the Accountant that owes us."

"Where?"

"Boston, Ray, and I will be heading over to Boston, Capo."

Finally, something exciting to do. Someone has to suffer for Tigger's crime, and who else if not that slimy bastard that ran with my money, It's about time I made them understand that no one runs from Mace Hunter.

"No, leave Ray out of this one; I will be right there." I hung up the phone.

"Matilda! Come on out; you're taking forever in there".

"Coming Dad! Let me get the last batch". I yelled as I kept wandering around the rooms like a lost soul, unable to leave the past behind. The memories I had made here were as if they were all yesterday. I couldn't believe how quickly time flies and how fleeting life is.

"I can't believe we are moving, with all the memories we made here, both sweet and bad, left behind". I murmured to myself. I could hear Mom's laughter as it echoed, the many birthdays I had celebrated within these walls, the many wars we had fought and conquered.

I could give anything to bring the past back; how was I to face what lay ahead? No one prepared me for this; no one told me that things could take a turn so quickly. I couldn't help but shed a few tears. I sank to the ground as I remembered Mom's last moments at the hospital.

She had suffered greatly and was in so much pain, looking all lean and fragile, but I still wanted her around. I prayed earnestly to the heavens to keep her by my side, but the heavens paid no attention to me.

The blazing horn coming from the truck outside brought me back to my senses. I quickly dried up my tears. I had to stay strong for Dad.

I just had to take one last hard look at my childhood house. The place I called home, the very place I was born and raised, was the house where I gained everything and also the place where I lost almost everything. The house held so much meaning to me that I was a bit reluctant to move. I could smell Mom's scent in every room I turned to, but I guess it was about time I moved on for Dad. I had no idea how we were going to pull through this storm, but I knew it was about time I picked up the pieces of my life.

I had been broken these few weeks, confused, and in a very dark place. Mom was my best friend and confidante; losing her was a very big blow that I'm yet to recover from.

I took the last box, and I said my goodbyes. I know this might be the last time I will be standing in the house. There is no going back if I get out of the house. I was still contemplating backing out.

"Honey, we need to hit the road if we want to get to Boston this evening". I heard Dad's voice come yet again.

"Sorry, Dad, I was saying my goodbyes".

I am sure that this is the right thing. I handed the box over to Dad as he loaded it into the truck. I went over to the passenger side and sat in the pickup truck. I took one last look at the house, and I knew that I was ready for what lay ahead, or I thought I was ready. Dad sat next to me while the driver turned on the ignition. I didn't bother looking back as we moved farther away from the house.

I thought the journey was going to be difficult and strain me emotionally, but the reverse was the case. Each mile we go breaks off the shackles holding me down these few weeks, and the shells that had enclosed me keep falling off. I finally found hope, and I was brimming with the desire to let go and finally be myself.

I knew that my mother would have wanted me to move on and be myself. It was as if I could hear her whispering to my ears, "Mutchkin, you can be anything you want." I took a deep sigh and plugged in my ear pods. Unstoppable by Sia started to play. I was vibing to the song, and I didn't know when I had dozed off.

"Mutchkin," I heard a gentle voice calling from behind; it was a bit strange, but the voice sounded so familiar. I looked around, and that was when it dawned on me that I was back at the house. I was a bit confused but was patient enough not to get scared.

"Mutchkin," I heard someone call the second time, and I quickly followed the voice as stealthily as possible without making a sound.

"Mutchkin" came the third time, but this time around I recognized the voice as the caller was standing right in front of me.

"Mom!" I called out amidst tears. She was as beautiful as I have always remembered, she was putting on her favorite flowered gown. She smiled broadly at me, and I couldn't help but break down in tears.

Seeing her standing right in front of me reminded me of just how much I had missed her. She spread out her arms, beckoning me into her embrace. I ran quickly to her boss without thinking twice.

"Mom!" I kept calling her as I continued crying; she held onto me tight while trying to soothe me.

"I missed you, Mom," I confessed, crying profusely.

"I missed you more, honey," she quickly replied as she tried drying up my tears with the back of her hands.

"Mom, I don't want to leave you ever again."

"I know, honey, but you need to be strong for our sake."

"Mom, please come home with us; Dad misses you too."

"I'm home, Mutchkin, but you need to find your place," she replied while smiling at me.

"No, no, no, Mom, I don't want to leave you again." I held onto her as my life depended on it.

"You will be alright, honey," Mom said, patting my hair gently.

"Wake up, honey." I heard my dad's voice beckoning me from my dreams.

"No," I quickly said while holding onto Mom.

"You have to go now, honey, but I will forever be with you," she finally said, and before I could say jack, she was nowhere to be found.

"Mom!" I called her while searching the rooms.

"Wake up, honey." A gentle nudge from Dad woke me up.

"Mom!" I screamed as I opened my eyes.

"Are you okay, honey?" Dad asked while peering into my face. Realizing it was only a dream, I quickly cleared my throat and took off the earphones.

"Are we there yet?" I asked Dad, trying not to bring up the topic; he hasn't been himself lately, and I don't want to remind him of what we are trying to forget.

"Yes, come and help me pack these boxes into our new house."

"Ok Daddy", I quickly replied as I got off the truck.

I took in my environment; the house did not seem like much; it looked like a leftover from the previous era. It was a shabby-looking house; I couldn't believe we would be living here, but I had no say in the matter. The house was a block of flats, and Dad kept going over the steps. The steps were littered with green moss, and the smell of something foul was in the air. I know I should be optimistic, but this is a no-no for me. I couldn't help but wish we didn't have to sell our house.

I mean, we are not rich, but we were somehow comfortable at our old house, and I was beginning to doubt we made the right decision to move to this town. Dad opened a door on the third floor of the building, and we stepped into the apartment. The rooms weren't big at all, but it was just me and Dad anyway, so we could manage.

I looked at the walls, and they were a bit disfigured with some drawings; honestly, I could have mistaken the apartment for an art studio. I went over to the kitchen, and it wasn't much. I turned on the water, and it came rushing out. I was kind of glad that we at least had water. I moved over to the toilet, and it was a sight for sore eyes. I mean, I wasn't exactly expecting much judging by the house's appearance, but it was by far below my expectations.

I wondered if the last occupant was a human being or an animal. I quickly closed the door, but the door handle pulled off immediately after I banged on the door.

"Wow!" was all I could manage to say; we practically have a lot of work to do, like we might spend forever in here trying to fix up the apartment. I went to the sitting room to meet Dad, who was carrying a box. He dropped it on the floor and shut the door. He looked around for a while.

"Honey, I know this isn't much, but...

I hugged my dad and cut in. "I understand, Dad, and this is okay; we can always make it work," I said, smiling.

I know he has had it rough with mom's chemo treatment and all, which drained our resources these few months. We found ourselves selling most of our belongings just to pay for her medical expenses. First, it was Dad's car, then we had to sell off Mom's also. Dad spent all his savings, and I had to put my college exam on hold because we couldn't afford it. The last thing I want is to strain him any further.

"We will be fine, Dad; it just needs a little work and it will be as good as new."

"Haha, I love you, honey," Dad said laughing.

We started out working, cleaning, and dusting the rooms. The house had a small sitting room, two small bedrooms, a kitchen, and one shared bathroom for the rooms. We couldn't do much regarding the walls, but we agreed to cover up the sitting room with wallpaper. After tidying up the apartment, one could barely recognize it because it looked a bit decent now.

Dad took some luggage bearing his belongings to his room. I know he would miss Mom greatly, especially tonight because it was the first night we were spending outside of New York City alone; we had always gone on vacation together. All three of us.

I heard something crash on the floor as I was hanging out my clothes in the tiny closet in my room.

"Dad!" I screamed as I rushed out, heading into his room. I would die if anything happened to him. I got to the room to find him bending over something on the floor. I came closer only to find out it was a picture frame of him and Mom. He was gathering the shards of glass scattered on the floor while shedding tears.

"Dad, are you okay?" I asked, knowing fully well that he wasn't, and he dried up his tears hastily when he heard my voice.

"I'm fine, honey. Stand right there. You don't want one of these bad boys piercing your beautiful legs now," he quickly responded. I didn't move an inch as I stood far behind him, watching him clean up the glasses.

When he was done, I offered to help him hang up the remaining stuff, but he wouldn't have it; he asked me to go continue with what I was doing that he could manage.

"I am fine, honey, just a bit too tired, okay?" he reassured me.

He has been acting all strong ever since we lost Mom to cancer, but I have sneaked up on him several times, crying at night. He loved Mom so greatly, and I know he was shaken by her death.

I went back to the room and resumed my chores; a few minutes later, we were done and both out chilling in the sitting room. It was already late at night and there was practically nothing to eat at all. We didn't think about what to eat earlier. He suggested we order in, but it was our first time in the town and we didn't know much about the town. We emptied our cookie jar and some snacks we got at a convenience store outside the town.

A knock on the door interrupted my cleaning midway. I opened the door, and a girl about my age, putting on a purple and white flowered gown, was at the door. I took in her appearance; she had a set of Brown eyes, and her black wavy hair was tied in a high ponytail. She looked a bit simple, but she was beautiful in her cheap clothes.

"Hi, I am Grace!" She said this while smiling at me warmly. I was surprised at how forward she sounded, but I guess it's their way of greeting and meeting the new occupants. I just stood still, holding a mop stick in my hand, while staring at her.

"We live opposite you, just me and my grandma," she announced excitedly as she pointed at the door opposite us.

"Hi, I'm Matilda." I smiled at her. I know it's a bit strange, but I kind of liked her energy. I guess my smile made her feel relaxed and a little more chatty.

"There has never been a young person packed in, so I wanted to be friends with you," she went on, but this time around the smile on her face disappeared. She was making cute faces, and it was a bit funny, but I managed to hold down my laughter.

"When did you see me?" I queried her, surprised at how she knew we packed in yesterday. We didn't see a soul outside when we moved in; it was like a deserted, haunted house. I was perplexed when she spoke as though she had seen us the previous day.

"She made a guilty face." I saw you yesterday through the window when you came in with your

"Dad, come on in". I gesture with my hands while smiling.

"No, I shouldn't bother you early in the morning; I just wanted to drop off this cookie as a sign of let's be friends ". She said she was stretching the glass jar she was holding; that was the first time I realized she was holding something in her hands.

"You don't have to." I tried convincing her, who still gives out cookies these days, just to be friends, but it seemed a little weird and old-fashioned to me.

"Please", She made puppy eyes at me. I can't believe it, but I just couldn't turn her down and remain unmoved by my decision; she looked like a nice person. What could go wrong? I asked myself.

"Okay," I said. I took the cookies from her. I didn't want to drag the matter any further.

"Thanks, Tilda; I can call you that right," she asked, her face lit up in a smile.

"Of course, we are friends now, aren't we?" I teased her, and she giggled at the mere mention of friends before she disappeared.

"Bye," she said.

"You too, Grace."

I shut the door and went back into the apartment while smiling at her funny attitude.

A few minutes after I was done cleaning, and that was when I realized Dad hadn't come out of his room this morning. He has had a knack for drinking himself to sleep since we lost Mom; I guess he missed her so dearly. They have been inseparable during their days together. I peered into the room through the keyhole and saw him lying down and snoring away on the bed.

"He must have had it rough yesterday night," I thought to myself. I decided to do a little grocery shopping to stock up on our pantry since we didn't eat much yesterday.

* * * * * *

I was in the kitchen fixing up breakfast for us when I heard a rattling sound coming from the room. I assumed Dad was awake now.

"Honey!" Dad called.

"Dad, you are awake!"

He staggered a little but found his footing immediately.

"Dad, you should go freshen up; you don't smell too nice," I said, smiling.

"Yes, ma'am," he answered immediately and disappeared into the bathroom. I chuckled and continued cooking. I was preparing scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage.

I could hear Dad whistling as I set the breakfast table. "I guess he is in a good mood this morning," I muttered to myself. It has been quite a while since I have seen him this happy. I guess the change in the environment did the trick.

"Honey, this is good. How did you manage your way around town?"

"I had help," I replied.

"Oh wow, already, you have made friends," he chuckled.

"I will be stepping out later to look for something to do; I hope you can manage by yourself till I am back."

"Sure, I'm not a kid, you know."

"Of course, my baby is all grown up now." We both smiled and continued eating in silence.

Dad dressed up and left while I stayed back at home. There wasn't much to do at home, and there was no one to talk to. I considered going to meet my new friend Grace, but on second thought, I decided not to bother her.

I picked up a book to read, but I grew more bored than I was earlier. I dressed up and decided to check out the town. I mean, it won't hurt to go look around; it's not as if I'm going to pay for looking around the town. It was quite a lovely town, a little bit too quiet compared to New York, but I kind of liked it. After spending so much time walking around aimlessly, I decided it was time I visited the library. I found one with the help of Google; it was nothing fancy, but it was quiet. I picked up a few books from the shelf and busied myself with reading and digesting them.

After reading for a few hours, I was feeling a little drowsy, and I knew it was my cue to leave the library. I got out and decided to get an ice cream from the ice cream shop I saw down the road and also maybe look for a job at one of the local shops. I couldn't possibly spend the rest of the summer without a job, so I trekked down a few shops down the road and went into the ice cream shop. I wanted to get a cone, and to my surprise, the girl from our apartment, Grace, was the one there.

"Hey!" I called out, and when she turned, I smiled at her and said, "One vanilla cone for your best friend".

She chuckled and waved at me, asking, "What are you doing on this side of town?" She was a bit surprised to see me.

"I went to the library and decided to get ice cream here."

"Oh wow, you must be bored at home."

"Don't get me started!" I sighed.

"I should not bother you; besides, you are wearing work cloth, and I don't want to put you in trouble."

"Oh, really," she teased. I smiled, and she turned to attend to the two other customers that came in almost immediately. I took my ice cream and turned to leave. I was almost at the door when she called me back.

"Please wait a little bit so we can go together; I am almost done with my shift".

I nodded and sat back in one of the chairs. I kept myself busy with a book I had borrowed from the library and licking my ice cream.

Someone tapped my shoulders, and I sat up. I must have dozed off while waiting for Grace.

"I'm done; let's go". She said to me, she had changed out of her work uniform, and her hair wasn't tied and covered up like before.

"Grace By any chance, are you guys hiring?"

"Do you want a job?"

" Yes"

"Well, we are not exactly hiring right now, but for my best friend, sure, we are hiring. Come fill out this form for me". She went back behind the counter and brought out some forms, handing them over to me.

"Thanks, dearie".

"Sure, sugar, and to show me gratitude, you let me buy you dinner, and we discuss". Grace said

"I thought I should be the one buying?" I asked, a little confused.

"Well, does it matter who buys it as long as we eat?"

"Free food! Amazing!" I exclaimed.

"Sure, I can manage that."

When I was done filling out the form, she told me I could start tomorrow, which was a bit surprising. I was about to ask her if she was the owner of the shop. But as if she could read my mind, she quickly explained to me that the owner put her in charge, so she could hire or fire anyone.

"Oh, wow, you must be trustworthy," I complimented her.

"Not really; he is just too lazy to handle his business."

"Oh!" I exclaimed.

We stepped out to take a few bites before going home; she was not in a hurry to go home, and neither was I. We were contemplating what to eat when we came across a Korean restaurant. I told her I wanted to try out the famous Korean chicken feet. I had always seen them eating it in Korean dramas, and I wondered what it tasted like. She gladly obliged to buy We got into the restaurant and placed our order. I was excited about trying this new dish out, and Grace couldn't help but laugh.

"I hope you don't get disappointed."

"Never!" I replied while excitedly waiting for our order. I nearly jumped out of the chair when we were served. I put on the disposable gloves on the table and dove right in.

I took a piece and took a bite; it was far beyond what I had imagined. It had a spicy, sweet, and sour taste. The chick was so soft that you could easily separate the flesh from the bones. But it had another level of spiciness.

"Wow!"

"You might want to be careful with the bones now, Tilda; we can't have you choking on the bones," Grace warned, but I was so engrossed with what I was eating that I didn't heed her warning.

Grace told me a lot about herself; she hasn't had it easy all her life. I thought I had it rough, but after listening to Grace's story, I knew there was another part of life I hadn't experienced. You wouldn't believe she had gone through half of what she said, judging from her jovial nature. I guess she got tired of complaining and decided to take the bull by the horn.

She told me that she never met her father at all. She barely knew her mother as she left her with her grandmother in search of a better life, and that was where she met her end. She didn't feel it so much because she was more like a stranger to her. Things went back to normal as her grandmother made sure she never felt the impact of losing both parents because, as far as she is concerned, her father is dead to her.

It wasn't long after her mother's death that her grandmother fell ill. They thought it was just a minor issue until it progressed into a full-blown mental illness. She sometimes forgets everything.

Ever since then, she has been the one catering to everything. She told me she wanted to put her grandmother in a nursing facility, but she doesn't have enough money to put her in one. Her best friend moved to the city, and since then she has had no friends. She is saving up money to put her grandmother in the home and also for college.

We have lived in this part of the city for almost three weeks now. It has been a bit quiet, as my dad and I have been trying our best to put the past behind us. He no longer drinks himself to sleep, and he seems a bit happier than before.

"Dad what are you doing?"