Building My Life

Chapter 02

Josias hadn’t remembered to pick up his watch or his wallet, nothing else. All he had wanted to do was get out of the house as soon as possible. The only thing he remembered at that moment was that when he went to take a shower, the clock had said seven in the evening. He supposed it would now be half-past seven.

So, the neighborhood bus was still running.

Josias quickened his pace and went to the street where the bus passed. As he approached the bus stop, another young man was waiting for the next ride. Josias sat on the bench to wait for transport as well.

As he sat, Josias leaned over and heaved a sigh of dismay. The guy who was waiting to ride with him would never have imagined that the young man who sighed had just lost his father, murdered by loan shark collectors.

Josias still didn’t want to shed any tears; he didn’t want to draw undue attention from the other boy. He put his hand in his pocket and counted the money he had collected in a hurry to escape.

Yes, the money would be enough for the trip. But where exactly was Josias going?

Josias’s neighborhood — probably not anymore — was called Rainbow Garden, where the majority of the residents were manual laborers. It wasn’t a classy suburb, but it wasn’t an ugly, sloppy neighborhood either, since the population was humble but proud.

Residents did their best to keep the neighborhood clean and orderly. There was a Residents’ Association that looked after the neighborhood and sought basic services from City Hall, such as transportation, street lighting, security, education, and health. The streets were paved, and residents had sewage, telephone lines, and gas.

But, as everywhere, there was always a bad apple that bothered the good ones. And in Rainbow Garden, it was no different.

The moneylender that Josias’s father had had the folly to borrow money from was known in the neighborhood. His house was one of the best; it looked like a Beverly Hills mansion. And the henchmen who worked for him put fear in the neighborhood. They did the dirty work.

When the police came to make arrests, the henchmen were the ones who were taken in. The moneylender managed to get rid of the evidence and remained at large.

The bus appeared on the horizon. For the first time, the other boy noticed that Josias was shirtless; sweatpants were not a typical piece of clothing for someone boarding a bus bound for Downtown. Josias, however, had his thoughts far away; he didn’t even care about the other’s critical eye.

The bus stopped, the rear door opened, and the two boys entered. The fare collector also noticed Josias’s scant attire. Josias, walking on the bus like a sleepwalker, oblivious to his surroundings, sat on one of the benches and leaned against the window.

The bus traveled on, and Josias saw the landscape. The second guy sat behind Josias, with visible curiosity.

The bus left Rainbow Garden and continued through Lagoon City. And that’s when Josias realized that he didn’t have enough money to spend a night anywhere. Therefore, he couldn’t continue his journey to Downtown or a wealthier suburban area.

Wandering around Downtown or in a noble neighborhood in the state where Josias lived would be unwise. People would easily take him for a beggar, a deviant drug user, or a mentally unstable person who had run away from an asylum. And becoming a beggar was the last thing Josias wanted.

That was how, when paying attention to the landscape again, Josias realized that he was passing through the entrance to Happiness Slum. The name had nothing to do with the appearance of the area; it was a low-class place with a bad reputation. However, it was the only viable place for someone in a financial situation like Josias’s.

Josias straightened up in the bus seat and started thinking about getting off, when the other boy, overcome by curiosity, stopped him, grabbing him by the wrist. “Hey, man, are you in need of help?”

Josias looked indifferently at the guy. He was dark-skinned, handsome, wearing glasses, a long-sleeved shirt, and jeans. He was the same age as Josias, probably a religious boy going to church.

Josias didn’t want to be rude and gave a slight smile. “No, man, thank you very much.”

“Are you sure? Do you need some change?” The young man started looking in his pockets for some money. But when he released Josias’s wrist, Josias pulled the signal cord for the driver to stop at the next bus stop.

“Do you really want to help me, buddy?” Josias spoke more firmly. “Pray for me.”

The boy stopped looking for money, looked at Josias, and smiled widely. “Sure, brother, I’ll pray for you. What’s your name?”

The bus was slowing down as it approached the requested stop. Josias noticed and responded quickly, “Josias Rocha.”

“Josias Rocha. I, Everaldo Siqueira, will pray for you and plead that God will bring you the best for your life. You will get out of this and be successful. And I believe that you will have the willpower to overcome your adversities! Amen?”