Hidden Crimes

Chapter Three

It was already morning when Dontrell went home from his work in the eatery. His shift always starts once the sun sets and it finishes once the sun rises. As he arrived on the door step of small room that Daniel and he rented, he heard a groan.

He sighed. This always happened once or twice in a week. He opened the door with his keys and what greeted him was their small room that had two bed decks. One for him and one for Daniel. He looked at Daniel who was sleeping. His body was sweating and he was panting heavily.

He shook his arms. “Hey,” he called to wake him up. This set up was not new to him. He did another shake.

“Wake up.”

Daniel sat up as soon as he woke up. He looked at him. “You were having another nightmare.”

Dontrell proceeded to the side and removed his shirt and hanged it to a string attached to the nails embedded on the wall.  He climbed up to the upper deck and lay down.

“By the way, I met the landlady,” he said as his voice was a little airy, “the demolition will happen the next day. She advised us to find another room to rent. Wake me up in the afternoon,” he said and the next time you hear from him was his snore.

Daniel grabbed the shirt that he placed beside him and wore it. He went out of the room and lit a cigarette.

“Daniel!” the landlady shouted from below who saw Daniel puffing his cigarette above her.

Daniel looked down.

The landlady already knew that he would not say a thing to her so she continued her intention on why she called him.

“I found a room for rent in the city. It is not far from here and it has the same price that I charge both of you. I have written the address on this sheet of paper. You could visit it once Dontrell’s already awake,” she raised and then put it below the put. “Just get it here,” she said and went inside her house.

Daniel went down to the pot where the landlady put the paper. He grabbed it and looked at the address. It was indeed in the city but it was just a walking distance. He went back to their room. All he had to do was wait for Dontrell to wake up.  

Many hours later, Daniel was just staring at the empty wall while waiting for Dontrell to wake up.

Dontrell sat up as soon as he already felt that he already had enough sleep for the day. He climbed down his deck and saw Daniel spacing out.

“Hey,” he said and shook Daniel’s shoulder.

Daniel’s eyes got bigger. He stood up and pinned Dontrell on the wall. He was about to punch when Dontrell shouted, “Daniel!”

Daniel realized that he was being aggressive so he stepped back and disheveled his hair, “I am sorry,” he apologized and sat back to his bed.

“It is all right,” Dontrell said and grabbed the shirt that he hung and wore it.

“What do you have there?” he asked as soon as he saw Daniel was holding a piece of paper.

Daniel gave it to him.

It was an address. “What is this for?”

“The landlady gave it to me. She told me it is a room for rent.”

Dontrell’s face lit up. “Really?! Let us go, then!” he excitedly said and went out of the house without waiting for Daniel.

As Daniel went down from their room, he saw Dontrell was washing his face on the faucet found outside the landlady’s room and drank water on there as well.

“You want some?” Dontrell offered.

He shook his head.

He continued walking and he saw the girl yesterday. His muscle tensed. He diverted his attention to something else. He did not want to see her.

Dontrell was already following him and he saw the girl, too. He smiled because he would get to tease Daniel. He never introduced a girl to him before. This was the first time he got to take interest to a girl.

“Is it not the girl you had a – “

Dontrell did not get to finished what he was about to say when Daniel threw a cold gaze on him. His cold gaze was a warning which means he did not like where the topic would lead to.

The area was very noisy. Everyone was shouting. Aside from the area being the port, it was also a market as well. The seafood that they got from the sea were being sold there.

As soon as they got out of the market, a lot of vehicles greeted them. They were already in the city. The people who were walking on the street were avoiding them because of how they look. Despite their difference in physique, it was quite undeniable that both of them had good looks that girls would go crazy about but what was the use of the looks if they could not able to serve food on the table. 

While walking, Dontrell was counting the combined money that they had for the down payment of the room. Daniel only noticed it when the thugs in the city blocked their way. They had a big grin on their faces. They had a lot of piercing on their faces and their build was bigger than Daniel.

Dontrell immediately hid the money on his pocket but it was too late. They already saw it.

“Give us the money and we will let the two of you go without any bruises on,” the biggest of the group said.

Both of them were already surrounded so they do not have a choice but to fight. Dontrell noticed that Daniel’s stance meant fight was upcoming but he knew to himself that they would not be able to take down all of them so instead, he pulled Daniel’s arms and started running.