Chapter 8
Tulio and Miguel treated themselves to a night at the bar to cheer themselves up. There they met some old friends, had a couple of drinks, and caught up with the latest news. Well, Tulio did at least. Miguel just sat alone at his table, not touching his beer and staring off into space.
The bartender seemed to notice. "Hey Saldovar, what's the matter with Cervantes?"
Tulio looked over to see Miguel and sighed. "Well, uh... You know that little baby we were taking care of the last few months?"
"Yeah."
"Well... The mother returned and took her away."
"Oh... Well that's good isn't it?"
"Oh yeah, it's wonderful!... It is for Maria, and that's all that matters. Miguel's just a little depressed, that's all."
The old man seemed to sense some sadness in Tulio's voice. "What about you? Don't you miss her?"
Tulio laughed a little, then turned all macho. "Please! The kid wasn't even ours to begin with! And even if she was, she would have a horrible life with two crooks for parents."
"Yeah, I guess. I guess the parents were rich and better off, eh?"
Tulio's smile vanished and started to fidget nervously. "Well, er, no... She's actually a teenage prostitute with no husband and she's kind of homeless."
"What? You can't be serious. I've seen kids with parents who sell themselves with rags for clothes and they have all these diseases and whatnot. Some of the lucky ones are taken to orphanages, and their lives are miserable there too!"
"Look! What's done is done. I don't really need an argument right now!"
"There's no need to get angry, Saldovar."
Tulio jumped from his stool and started to scream. "Well how would you feel, huh?!?! I mean y-y-you care for this little girl as if she were your own. You spend every hour of your day, for half a year, trying to feed her, love her, protect and care for her. And then, one day, some kid that she doesn't even know takes her away from you, but you can't just tell her to get lost because you'd feel like a trying to steal her own daughter and it feels absolutely disgusting!!! Then you end up wasting the rest of your days in a bar, drowning all your troubles away, just because the one thing that you loved, the one thing you helped lived, the ONE THING THAT MADE YOUR LIFE WHOLE AND COMPLETE... Is stripped out... forever..."
Tulio stood there for a minute, and then realized that everyone was staring at him. Some looked sympathetic. Some looked at him like he was a fool. Tulio face twisted a little, then he bolted out of the bar without even paying.
Miguel had saw the whole thing and was astonished. He quickly stumbled out of his chair, dumped some coins onto the bar (after saying many apologies) and ran after Tulio into the night. "Tulio! Wait up!" Tulio had already walked two blocks, so Miguel guessed that he really was very upset to walk so fast like that. "Tulio! STOP! Wait!" Finally Tulio stopped and allowed Miguel to catch up, who was panting and wheezing a little. "Is it true?......... What all you just said?"
"Of course it's true!" Tulio snapped. "You think I'd embarrass myself like that for nothing?!"
"Yes." Miguel said, cracking a smile in hopes to cheer him up. Tulio just lowered his head and continued to walk slowly this time. "But it's like you said! Crooks like us shouldn't have children! We don't deserve them. They're better off without us... Remember?"
"Yes.... I remember what I said."
"Then what's the problem?"
Tulio looked at him with tears brimming. "I just don't believe it anymore... I miss Maria. It's only been a few hours since she let, and I'm dying."
"Yeah. I feel the same way."
"And she learned your name. She never learned mine."
"Well, actually... She almost did, but it was kind of embarrassing."
Tulio brightened up a little "She did?..... What did she say?"
"She said... Tool." Miguel almost smiled but he hid it behind his hand.
"Tool?... Tool... Heh, that's funny! That's freaking hilarious" Tulio started to laugh hysterically, and Miguel did too. It took them a few moments to catch their breath and they were still smiling. "She was something, wasn't she?"
"Yeah." Miguel said slowly. "It's freezing out here. Why don't we go home?"
"Yeah, alright."
The two friends walked home, sharing past memories of their baby and them and laughing all the way. When they opened the door to the apartment, their was Rosaline, holding a screaming Maria, and sobbing.
"I can't do it!"
Tulio and Miguel treated themselves to a night at the bar to cheer themselves up. There they met some old friends, had a couple of drinks, and caught up with the latest news. Well, Tulio did at least. Miguel just sat alone at his table, not touching his beer and staring off into space.
The bartender seemed to notice. "Hey Saldovar, what's the matter with Cervantes?"
Tulio looked over to see Miguel and sighed. "Well, uh... You know that little baby we were taking care of the last few months?"
"Yeah."
"Well... The mother returned and took her away."
"Oh... Well that's good isn't it?"
"Oh yeah, it's wonderful!... It is for Maria, and that's all that matters. Miguel's just a little depressed, that's all."
The old man seemed to sense some sadness in Tulio's voice. "What about you? Don't you miss her?"
Tulio laughed a little, then turned all macho. "Please! The kid wasn't even ours to begin with! And even if she was, she would have a horrible life with two crooks for parents."
"Yeah, I guess. I guess the parents were rich and better off, eh?"
Tulio's smile vanished and started to fidget nervously. "Well, er, no... She's actually a teenage prostitute with no husband and she's kind of homeless."
"What? You can't be serious. I've seen kids with parents who sell themselves with rags for clothes and they have all these diseases and whatnot. Some of the lucky ones are taken to orphanages, and their lives are miserable there too!"
"Look! What's done is done. I don't really need an argument right now!"
"There's no need to get angry, Saldovar."
Tulio jumped from his stool and started to scream. "Well how would you feel, huh?!?! I mean y-y-you care for this little girl as if she were your own. You spend every hour of your day, for half a year, trying to feed her, love her, protect and care for her. And then, one day, some kid that she doesn't even know takes her away from you, but you can't just tell her to get lost because you'd feel like a trying to steal her own daughter and it feels absolutely disgusting!!! Then you end up wasting the rest of your days in a bar, drowning all your troubles away, just because the one thing that you loved, the one thing you helped lived, the ONE THING THAT MADE YOUR LIFE WHOLE AND COMPLETE... Is stripped out... forever..."
Tulio stood there for a minute, and then realized that everyone was staring at him. Some looked sympathetic. Some looked at him like he was a fool. Tulio face twisted a little, then he bolted out of the bar without even paying.
Miguel had saw the whole thing and was astonished. He quickly stumbled out of his chair, dumped some coins onto the bar (after saying many apologies) and ran after Tulio into the night. "Tulio! Wait up!" Tulio had already walked two blocks, so Miguel guessed that he really was very upset to walk so fast like that. "Tulio! STOP! Wait!" Finally Tulio stopped and allowed Miguel to catch up, who was panting and wheezing a little. "Is it true?......... What all you just said?"
"Of course it's true!" Tulio snapped. "You think I'd embarrass myself like that for nothing?!"
"Yes." Miguel said, cracking a smile in hopes to cheer him up. Tulio just lowered his head and continued to walk slowly this time. "But it's like you said! Crooks like us shouldn't have children! We don't deserve them. They're better off without us... Remember?"
"Yes.... I remember what I said."
"Then what's the problem?"
Tulio looked at him with tears brimming. "I just don't believe it anymore... I miss Maria. It's only been a few hours since she let, and I'm dying."
"Yeah. I feel the same way."
"And she learned your name. She never learned mine."
"Well, actually... She almost did, but it was kind of embarrassing."
Tulio brightened up a little "She did?..... What did she say?"
"She said... Tool." Miguel almost smiled but he hid it behind his hand.
"Tool?... Tool... Heh, that's funny! That's freaking hilarious" Tulio started to laugh hysterically, and Miguel did too. It took them a few moments to catch their breath and they were still smiling. "She was something, wasn't she?"
"Yeah." Miguel said slowly. "It's freezing out here. Why don't we go home?"
"Yeah, alright."
The two friends walked home, sharing past memories of their baby and them and laughing all the way. When they opened the door to the apartment, their was Rosaline, holding a screaming Maria, and sobbing.
"I can't do it!"