A STORY OF REALITY

Daniel’s Breaking Point

The next morning came as Daniel woke up from his squeaky sad bed,he sat up slowly gently massaging his eyes with his hand then kept on looking at those sad cracks on the wall. Daniel’s stomach begins growling as hunger struck him, he looks at the plate of rice that his friendly neighbor gave to him yesterday night and finishes the left over from yesterday.

Daniel heard loud noises outside his door, it was his landlord Mr. Charles- a very harsh and wicked man that is very strict about his rent money. He saw the harsh landlord throw the things of his hostel mate away from his room. In shock, Daniel’s heart shocked -

He said to himself, that will never be me.

Immediately, he left his hostel to look and hope to find another job that would pay him enough to earn to pay his rent to the landlord. Daniel searched and searched around the neighborhood till he found a construction site where a house was being built. He saw a man with a vest , gloves and a helmet, immediately he knew that was the boss of the construction site. So he went over to the man and he said “can I get a job here sir?”, said Daniel. The man strongly looked at him, he noticed Daniel was looked weak and tattered but the man didn’t mind.

Are you sure you are up for the job? !!…. said the construction worker. Daniel replied saying “yes sir I can do anything thing you want me to do for you sir be it mixing cement, sweeping the floor, just name it sir, anything you want me to do for you, I’ll do it”. The man sighed and said you see those pile of blocks over there?, can you lift them all into the building all day?, the boy said yes sir. Immediately Daniel dropped his bag at the corner and ran over to the pile of blocks and lifting them , in and out … in and out. Each time he carried a block, his back hurt him more and more, hands got weaker and his legs got stiffer. Then he decided to rest a little at a corner. His breath got shorter and heavier. Then another construction worker was passing by and asked Daniel… first time here?, Daniel nodded while feeling embarrassed.

The construction worker smiled and handed him a bottle of water and said to Daniel “just wait till next morning, your back is really going to feel the pain” and then Daniel laughed lightly. After he rested, he got back to work lifting those blocks from one place to another until the day was gone. The construction worker then gave him twenty gold coins for the job he did. He then thanked the man and then the man said to him “if you are interested on working here, keep coming back here daily” and then the boy went home went home immediately–feeling all weak, his legs felt heavy and his shirt was really soaked in all his sweat from constantly cleaning his face.

When he got back to his apartment, immediately he threw his shirt to a corner with his socks and shoes still on, he didn’t even take a bath. The next morning, he woke up with a serious ache on his legs and on his back but that didn’t stop him from going to work. So day by day, he kept on working and working still feeling pain all over the his body but that didn’t stop him because he had to make enough money to pay for the rent on time.

Daniel kept at it for a week until the day for the rent was due and he didn’t still have enough money for the rent. So that morning he heard a bang on his door, as he was about approaching the door, it opened -it was Mr Charles, the landlord. The man looked at him saying “young man your rent is due, where is your money” and the boy still didn’t have enough to pay to the landlord, he only had one hundred gold coins with him and still needed two hundred more for the rent money to be completed. You have until the end of today to pay me my money! “said the man” immediately he left and slammed the door on Daniel’s face and then he left looking all grumpy.

Daniel then left the house for the construction site where he works and he got a little pay but it still wasn’t enough to pay for his rent. He then left the construction site that evening after getting paid, he looked sad and depressed having a thought in mind knowing everything is over for him. He started dragging his feet home slowly loosing all possible hope he had left, he kept on walking and walking looking depressed but before he got to his home, the friendly neighbor from before noticed the sad look on his face and held back his hand and decided to ask him what happened.

He hesitated, but he still explained everything to her, she felt pity for Daniel and told him to follow her. When he got to her home she broke open a box and said this is a loan and then she handed him, it was enough money to pay for the rent, he was filled with tears of joy and he didn’t know how to thank her. The friendly neighbor’s name was Mrs Mercy. She told Daniel you will pay me back this money even if it takes months “she said smiling”. Daniel said of course ma, I will make sure I do that.

Daniel went back home looking less sad than before knowing he would be able to pay for the rent. It was finally night and the landlord came in and asked for the rent ready to throw all of Daniel’s things away out of the house, but then Daniel handed over the money to the landlord, he counted the money, noticed it was complete and left while muttering something about the next month’s rent. Daniel smiled and closed his door for the night, he was happy he could rest a bit knowing he has paid for the rent but he knew he still had to pay Mrs. Mercy back her money.

For the first time in weeks he felt like the world wasn’t against him, his mind felt soo light, Daniel knew he can relax for a while now but he still had to pay the nice neighborhood her money, he then smiled again in joy and went to sleep.