Judgment in Glass

Chapter 2 - Dampened Dreams

The woman in front of Dragomir had started walking rapidly, as if afraid. He could not blame her. Whenever people saw him, they were often scared. At six feet five, with a muscular build and a trim black beard, he cut quite an intimidating figure. People seemed pretty sure that he was some sort of criminal – and, in a way, they would have been right.

Dragomir had been part of a gang since he was a teenager. It was one way of surviving the streets they lived in, at least according to his older cousin, Ludo. At eighteen, he joined the army, but his practical views on money seemed to have stayed with him. He soon became a mercenary.

Now, he was back to where he came from, the dark city of Desiderium. It was not something he would have wanted, as the ghosts of his past continued to haunt him. It seemed counterproductive to be here.

What did he have now, anyway? Well, for one, he owned the apartment complex that he lived in. He had someone manage the building for him. Dragomir knew, however, that whatever he did, he would still be a thug to some of the people who knew him when he was still young.

At thirty, he felt exhausted. Going back seemed like a nice way to settle down, hide in his apartment. He did not have anyone. His family had all been dead – the price of living on the edge. They died of drug overdoses, tuberculosis, or being at the other end of the barrel of a gun. It was not something one would want to talk about with your future kids, not that he had any plans of having any.

Of course, Ludo was still running around, with his most loyal band of halfwits, especially Randall and Ander. They might not have a lot going on in those thick skulls, but they were hulking men about Dragomir's size but more vicious. His cousin, who was only about five feet six tall, certainly knew how to pick his men. Street-smart and academically brilliant, Ludo could have graduated with honors if he had stayed in school. It was not their way, not the Kulic way, it seemed. Even when Dragomir tried to go a different route, something still managed to drag him back to where he came from.

What happened to him in the last few years was something he wanted to leave behind but could not. It had become a part of him. It had transformed him, literally and metaphorically.

The woman with the messy ponytail took long strides. Dragomir could not help but notice her shapely legs, hidden by black jeans. He shook his head as if to admonish himself, reminding himself that he was not a pervert – not like Ludo and his meatheads.

She was a tall woman. At first, he had a bit of fun and walked faster when he felt her fear. Then, he had a change of mind. What was he thinking, anyway? He faltered back, letting her go ahead. Leave the girl alone, his mind said.

She stopped in front of the apartments. She opened the gate, but then she turned towards him. Her face looked stunned as if she recognized him. Dragomir frowned. Why did she react that way? A spark of recognition came over him.

It was Serafina Todd.

Dragomir was sure of it. It was the same face, but now more mature and even looked a little tired. The last time he saw her, she was only what – twelve? It was the day he left to serve his country and leave the stain of his name in Desiderium.

Her face was full of anger. The former soldier could not understand why. When he left, the two of them were in speaking terms of some sort. For him, she was a little kid who was too wealthy to be walking the dark alleys of Peters Walk, but she was a little strange. Dragomir remembered her metal-rimmed glasses and her braces. She seemed shy, but she was at least not a snob.

“Good evening, Miss Todd. Fancy seeing you here,” he found himself saying. Why he had to greet her when her face showed hostility, he could not understand.

“You remember! Of course, you do,” she spat out. Then, she turned around and headed for the door to her apartment. She slammed it shut. Dragomir shook his head in disbelief. He thought it was probably too late to call on her and ask her not to slam the door, or else she would need to have it replaced. Despite his massive size, he was not sure he would be good at asking people for their rent. He would just let Quinn do it. Everyone thought that the softspoken but strict, bespectacled man was the landlord, anyway. Dragomir did not want people to know it was him.

Inside his apartment, it was dark. A flick of the lights showed simple luxury in black and white. He loved his leather sofa and the minimalist style that Quinn managed to pull off, as requested. Dragomir looked around to see what he still needed. There was a flat-screen television and a corner for his computer and other devices. It would do. However, he felt like he should check out some stores the following day, just feeling like spending his own money. After all, it took literal blood, sweat, and tears to get where he was.

It was lonely, though. He had not even thought of having a family or even living with a girlfriend. He had moved from place to place, moving from one flavor of the month to the other. There was no satisfaction in it. In the end, he felt even emptier and lost. He wished that his mother was at least still alive.

“Dragomir, when are you going to come back? Why do you have to go?”

“Mom, you know that being here will just tie me up with Ludo and the rest. I have to find a place for myself elsewhere.”

“But come back soon, my dear. Please?”

“Yes, mom. I will be back soon. Perhaps the discipline and the order that I will have to go through will take away some of -,” he broke off.

“Being labeled as a thug? I know, dear. I understand. It is difficult to get up from where we are right now. I know you want something better.”

Dragomir had always intended to go home, but something else happened along the way. Some of these things were even darker than being part of Ludo’s gang of thugs could ever be. He did not feel it right to go home to his mother with that kind of burden.

When he decided to go home, there was nothing to go home to. His mother, Elena Kulic, had died of lung cancer. That was five years ago. It was the last time that he had anything he could call home. His father had been killed in a gang war when he was only a toddler.

***

The mood in Rafina’s apartment was not much better. It was only seven o’clock, but her mother had already retired for the night. Drunk, no doubt. Her sisters were in the living room, seated on the ratty couch that they had hauled from a relative’s. They were about to throw it out, but then, there they were – little beggars. The upturned nose and disdainful sniff were enough for them to know they had nobody to rely on.

Giving up her pride was too much for Rafina, then. However, she had no choice. She knew she had to move, or else they would have to starve. Selling herself was also not an option, at least for her - maybe not yet. She shuddered at the thought. Deep inside herself, Rafina still believed that she could get back to how she was before. It would not end this way.

Francesca, age sixteen, had prepared some noodles for dinner. She was petite, like their mom. Theresa, eleven, was doing her homework. The youngest wore glasses, just like Rafina did at that age. She also looked like she would be growing about as tall.

It could have been worse, Rafina reasoned. Her sisters could have been juvenile delinquents, but they were not. Francesca and Theresa cried a lot when they realized they would not have all the things they used to have. In the end, though, they knew that they had to work together.

“Rafi, there is a bowl in the kitchen for you,” Francesca said.

“Okay, Fran,” Rafina said, making a beeline for the bowl. Soon, she was done with it in quick slurps. She did not realize how hungry she had been.

“How are you both?”

“Well, Theresa is doing her homework. She is doing very well, as usual. Getting straight As. I am getting by,” murmured Francesca.

“We are all getting by. But guys, don’t worry. I got a good sale today. I bet there is going to be a good one tomorrow,” Rafina assured the two. She forced a wide smile she hoped was convincing enough.

Deep inside her, though, she knew that it would be next to impossible to get themselves back on their feet. She needed something more. If she found an opportunity, she would grab it no matter what it would cost her.