The Fishtail Cleaner
“Get over here! Fishtail!” The school’s quarterback roared as he bounced the ball hard on the floor of the indoor football pitch. His finger pointed straight at the timid boy scurrying around the pitch.
“Yes…” Daven rushed forward, bowing slightly. He was a klutz, carrying a sweeper, a bin, and several other things in his hands. “Do you need me to do something, Gerald?”
“Do you have any other use here?” Gerald snickered, mockingly and the other players burst out laughing.
Daven closed his eyes, breathing heavily as he struggled to keep bowing and holding things together.
“If it’s for us here, you wouldn't even be able to survive here in school.” Another player snarled and in the next second, Daven got a kick in his butt.
Bang!
His body flew forward, straight at Gerald’s feet. His eyes turned dizzy and misty due to the pain that shot through his body. The items he carried, were scattered all around and before he knew it…bang!
The bin he held, was thrown straight at his head.
“Hmm…” Daven groaned in pain, his heart, stopping just to process the pain he felt. He dared not cry out loud as not only was he hurt physically, he was hurt emotionally.
He was poor, and he found it so hard to sustain himself in school. Added to that, he had to take care of his sick father back at home. He had no other choice but to work as an errand boy for Gerald and his underdogs.
But they never treated him like a human, he was their thrash, punching bag, and servant. They made it so hard for him to get another job even as a part-timer elsewhere because Gerald was rich and he wanted to keep Daven below him.
“Get up!” Gerald sent a kick straight at Daven’s stomach. He almost coughed up due to how painful it was, but he quickly suppressed his pain and stood upright.
“Yes, Gerald…” He bowed, staying in that position.
“Take this!” Gerald threw a 50 dollar bill straight at him and then a pile of stinking socks.
“Ohh…” Daven never expected the smell that came with the socks and he couldn't help but stagger.
However, his action was offensive to Gerald.
“You…” Gerald grabbed him by the shoulder, shoving him toward the wall. “You think my socks smell? Have you smelled yourself?”
Daven being shoved to the wall, slipped to the floor, his butt landing hard.
He quickly bowed his head, “I am sorry, I didn’t mean it that way…”
“Shut up!” Gerald snarled. “You smell like rotten fish! With that sister you walk with on the campus, I wonder if you both live in a dead fish’s belly!”
Gerald’s words caused Daven to fist his hands in fury. Mentioning his sister was crossing the line and he wanted to punch Gerald straight in the face. However, looking at all the underdogs around, he knew not to be rash, or else he would find himself in a hospital bed the next minute.
“I am sorry…” He whispered.
“Good.” Gerald turned around to leave. However, his underdogs stepped forward, throwing their socks straight at him. They all had stinking socks and Daven wondered how well they took care of their bodies.
Soon, he was covered in socks and 50-dollar bills while they all filed out of the football pitch. Daven sat there, his heart bleeding.
Every day, he had to endure insults toward him and his family and he wondered, when would he stop continuing to take everything. He needed to fight back, but he dared not to. His sister was at stake.
He slowly stood up, taking up the bills, and as he counted, he knew what he had to do with the money. His father’s medicine…his sister’s upkeep…
Just at that moment, he heard a loud cry…
“Ahh…” A shrill female voice rang out and Daven’s head snapped up.
He wasn't surprised about that cry as Gerald would always have girls over in the player’s rest area but this time, it felt weird.
The cry wasn't a pleasurable one, it was filled with pain.
“Please…” The cry came again and then it was muffled.
The girl was definitely pleading for help and as Daven stood there, he contemplated what to do. It was a different thing when he endured bullying and pain but knowing he could do something to help a person, and he didn't, would haunt him.
This time, he didn't mind getting into Gerald’s trouble, he rushed straight to the rest area which was deserted. He went straight toward the bath area and drew the thin curtain aside.
“Ahh…” Daven’s eyes widened and he gasped in shock.
He couldn't breathe as he staggered backward.
“Maya?” He gasped again, looking at his girlfriend’s naked body with blood dripping down her thighs.