5th Episode
“This kid is the best I tell you”.
A rope rattled against the empty flagpole.
“You sendin’ a child to do a man’s job?” Charlie quizzed his compatriot.
Nuckaya did a little dance in the parade ground with his arms outstretched.
“Who you calling ‘man’ darling?” he did a twirl and batted his eyelid twice before laughing in Charlie’s face.
Charlie grabbed a can of soup from a pile and threw it hard at Nuckaya who dodged it drunkenly.
“I don’t know why Gonnusa bothers keeping a poof like you in the crew. Heaven knows what you did to that boy,” Charlie spat.
The parade ground is extra dark on a new moon night. The flickering flames burning inside rusty barbells sent shadows dancing on the walls.
“That’s because I’m the ‘Prince of Getting’ Chuck,” Nuckaya winked, “I can find almost anything in this forsaken world”.
“Anything huh?” Charles asked in a little sarcastic tone.
“Yes. Anything you want. My wish is your command!” Nuckaya did a whimsical courtesy and blew a raspberry.
Charles rose up from the dirt slowly.
“Get us a car then”.
“What?”
“You heard me. Get us a working car,”
Charles inched closer. Sensing danger, Nuckaya started backing away nervously.
“Hey! Cars don’t work anymore. There’s no gas and most of the parts got fried in the event. Don’t you remember?” Nuckaya said.
Anxiously he took another step back and stumbled.
Charles smirked.
“Don’t call me Chuck again”.
He kicked Nuckaya in the shins.
There was a yelp.
“Listen up bozo. Remember the people who came by boat we picked up; the ones from India?”
“Remember?”
“Yes,” came a weak reply.
“That boat had a working outboard motor. One of the survivors built it and that man is our property,” Charles said. “Now you and your understudy go to the garage and get him everything he needs to get those cars moving. Savvy?”
Nuckaya looked at Charles helplessly.
“Savvy?”
“Sir, yes sir!”
“Oh and Nucky boy. If you fail, you will be joining the ladies in the pleasure rooms. They will acquaint you in your new role on servicing the gang,” Charles turned around and disappeared into the darkness.
Nuckaya rolled unto his back and closed his eyes.
“Just a few more days,” he whispered.
The time will come when he will save the only family he has.
Joining the gang wasn’t a problem, he was a Muay Thai champion in the old world. A couple of roundhouse kicks during the initiation guaranteed his entry. Then he had to kill to earn his jacket and that too, he obliged.
It was a subservient role that was really killing him every day and seeing his sister forced to dance and cabaret for these dirty vultures. But, the ruse meant sacrifice.
Nuckaya got on his knees and slowly exhaled. The kick didn’t really hurt. It was just his pride; a pride he has to sully for human trash like Charles.
But his day would come soon. He grinned ear to ear.
Perhaps it will come sooner.
