Chapter II "A Death to Begin With"

“911, what is your emergency?”
“My grandmother, she needs help. She is not breathing. I thought she was sleeping but she is not, she is cold. You have to send someone, please” considering what was going on it was surprising that Sarah hadn’t break down to cry when telling the operator about the cold woman.
“Ok please calm down, I need to know your address so I can send someone” the operator’s name was Ethan Shepard. He had worked there for five years now. Anyone would have thought that by now he would be used to hearing desperate people in need, but he wasn’t, every time after he answered the phone and heard someone cry for help he would take a minute to think about those people and the people he loved and feared one day he would answer to someone he knew.
“Spring street 1129 between Minor and Summit Avenue in First Hill. It’s a blue house and it has a big oak and a parked black van.”
“Someone is on its way, please stay with me. How much time has it been since your grandmother stopped breathing?”
“I-I, I don’t know I just found her. I was making mojitos and her alarm went off and since she hadn’t turned it off I came to see her and found it this way…are you sure they are coming? Shouldn’t they be here by now?”
“They won’t take long. Is there any reason to think that your grandmother suffered trauma to her head”
“No, no, she’s in bed. She was sleeping. I don’t think so”
“Do you know how to give CPR?”
“No I don’t…wait! Yes I do, I took a course a while ago. I think I remember”
“Ok first of all you have to move the body on the ground, can’t be in the bed”
The body.
Cold.
Harsh.
True.
Sarah wasn’t strong enough to move Lauren from to bed to the ground. She was sure that adrenaline would kick in and made her able to move her. But that did not happen.
“I can’t move her. She is too heavy.”
“Don’t worry someone should be there in no time, please wait”
“I can’t wait, I need Rose” Sarah didn’t shared this with Ethan; she just said it and hanged up. Ethan never knew how things ended.
Sarah put down the phone and rushed out of the room. “Don’t worry I’ll be back” she said to Grandma Lauren before leaving her body.
She left the door open and ran next door.
“ROSE!” she called her friend as loud as she could.
Rose was still chatting with Matt; she didn’t hear Sarah because she was wearing headphones. Matt had sent her some recordings of whale sounds his group had recorded earlier that day.
“Rose! I need your help, please be dressed”
Sarah rushed into Rose’s bedroom, she was still chatting with Matt who was surprised to suddenly see Sarah in her sushi pj’s. Sarah closed Rose’s laptop and before she could ask what was going on she took a look at Sarah’s face and realized something was wrong, very wrong.
Rose turned off the computer, she didn’t even said goodbye to Matt. He would understand, Rose would explain everything later.
“Let’s go” Rose was very useful in emergencies. After Grandma Lauren Rose was the best person to act in an emergency, but now Lauren was gone and it was up to Rose to help.
“Bring your stethoscope”
Rose grabbed her stethoscope and got moving with Sarah. She didn’t know what to expect but she knew it was better to have a clear mind and be prepared.
The two friends entered into the house. A house that they knew like if it were their own, a place that was sort of a sanctuary for them, but now it was dark, cold and unfamiliar. Neither of them liked the feeling.
Grandma Lauren was still unresponsive in her bed. Sarah froze for a second when she saw the body again but Rose didn’t. Rose walked to the left side of the bed and grabbed the bedspread the body was resting on.
“Grab the other side and we will put her on the ground” Rose ordered Sarah who was trusting Rose’s judgment completely.
In one single move they moved the body to the ground. Quickly Rose leaned on and tried to look for a heartbeat.
There was none.
Rose did not hesitate and started to give CPR to Grandma Lauren’s body. Sarah just stood there looking, hoping.
Suddenly they heard them. The ambulance was near, a block away, but they would be here in no time.
“I’ll go get them” Sarah rushed out of the room and out of the house to wait for the paramedics. Rose kept on giving CPR.
The ambulance parked in front of the house and two paramedics got out with their equipment and headed to the house. Carl and Amanda had been partners for three years now riding the same ambulance; they had the best record of saved people than any other paramedic team. Sarah would have been relieved to know this fact but records wouldn’t help this time.
“In here…upstairs” Sarah was waiting for them on the door, they passed by her and headed to the room. Sarah stayed outside.
Amanda took Rose’s place and continued giving CPR; meanwhile Carl was taking out the defibrillator and connecting it to Lauren’s body. They cleared out.
It charged the body for the first time.
No change.
Amanda continued giving another round of CPR; when she was finished Carl charged the defibrillator for a second time.
It charged the body for the second time.
No change.
This went on until the body had been charged five times. Carl had taken Amanda’s place. It had been thirty minutes since Sarah had made the call.
“How long has she been out?” Amanda knew this wasn’t working.
“It’s been five rounds and at least thirty minutes without oxygen, who know how much more it had been before they found her” neither Carl nor Amanda were talking to Rose, she was just looking.
“Do you want us to stop?” Now Amanda was talking to Rose.
“Hum? Me decide? It’s been a lot of time…don’t you think it’s? Let’s try another round…Please” Rose knew it had been too long, but she liked to believe in miracles.
Carl and Amanda started another round. This wouldn’t help Grandma Lauren wasn’t there anymore it had been too long and there was nothing they could have done. It was just a body now.
“You will need to call a doctor to call her and the funerary house of your preference to take her in. I’m really sorry for your loss” There wasn’t anything else Amanda could do or say.
“We know a doctor that could be here in no more than ten minutes, I could call him if you want” Carl’s uncle lived at the end of the street. Carl knew he could declare Lauren so arrangements could be done.
“That would be great, thank you. Thank you both…for trying” Rose liked to have a plan. She would wait for the doctor, and then call the funerary house. It never occurred to her she had to call Greg first.
“I’ll go make the call, again I’m very sorry for your loss” Carl took his cell phone and started dialing, he and Amanda cleared out of the room.
Rose’s head was spinning and the she started to walk around the room thinking in everything they had to do. Then it hit her, Greg. She had to call Greg; he should be here when the doctor called Lauren, he had to be here making the decisions that had to be made
Rose hadn’t brought her cell phone whit her, she was about to leave the room when suddenly she stopped for a moment and took a last look at Lauren. She leaned and kissed her in the forehead. Rose dropped one tear over Lauren and said “Thank you, for everything, for every time”. Sarah saw Rose came down the stairs, their eyes met and they both starting crying while holding each other.
Alex and Greg arrived as quickly as they could, given that Greg was the one driving because Alex had taken enough tequila shots to make them get into serious trouble.
They didn’t knew what was going on and they couldn’t have anticipated what they were about to find out, no one could. So they hurried up.
Alex had received a weird text a while ago, it didn’t said much or give away some clues of what had happen that night; it just said “She’s gone, I can’t stay here please come get me. Roger.”
At first they thought Roger had started to drink earlier and that probably he was drunk and needed a place to crash, Lucy didn’t liked drunk people. But later Greg tried to call him and see what was going on but he never answered the phone, instead after the call was missed he would sent them a text saying “Can’t talk can’t think, please come get me I need to get out of here”. That’s when they got scared.
Greg pulled over outside of Roger and Lucy’s building in Cherry Street and he didn’t have to look any further, Roger was standing in the sidewalk waiting for his friends.
Greg parked the car and got out to meet his friend. Alex stayed in the car he was getting a call from his sister Rose.
“Rog! What’s going on? What happen? Where is Lucy?” You could hear worry in Greg’s voice. Roger looked confused, he was angry, he was sad, he didn’t knew what to think or what to say the only thing he knew is that he wanted to get the hell out of there as fast as he could.
“I-I don’t, I can’t; take me out of here man, I can’t be here, I don’t have anything here, not anymore” Roger was getting upset; he was starting to enter Kübler-Ross’s second stage of grieving, anger.
“Calm down man, take a breath. Are you hurt? Where is Lucy? Is she ok?” Greg knew he had to focus and stay calm he had never seen Roger act this way; he had never seen him this upset.
“Oh no she is fine, come to think of it she is great she is getting married so she probably is jumping up and down trying to set a date and choose a not that ugly dress” Anger.
“What? Married? Did you propose?” every time Greg heard something from Roger’s mouth he was getting more and more confused.
“No I didn’t have to. Someone else did. Well not just someone, remember Vince? The ex boyfriend that cheated on her. Well he is back, for at least two months so now they are back together and off to get married”
“What? How could she? And she just left? Just like that? What a …”
“Bitch? Yeah I know, I like how it sounds. Fits her perfectly”
“Come on buddy you can’t stay here tonight, Alex had a head start on the tequila shots but I think you can easily catch him up. Or do you want to go upstairs and burn some of her stuff?”
“We can’t she packed everything but the furniture all day long. And she doesn’t own anything that’s left. Tequila sounds better let’s go”
Greg put an arm over his friend and the two of them walked to the car with a plan on their minds. But before any of them could get in the car Alex stepped out of it. He had just hanged up. He knew everything about Grandma Laure.
“If you are going to vomit I would appreciate if you could hold it and do it upstairs” anything that Roger could say right now was tainted whit grieve and anger.
“Greg I was just talking to Rose, we need to get you home now”
They said nothing else; they all got in the car and headed to Greg’s house. Alex would get to hear Roger’s story later right now the most important thing to do was to get Greg home.
Rose, Sarah and the doctor were waiting outside of the house when the guys arrived. Greg pulled over and parked the car, he took a minute before getting out, he knew something was wrong but he wanted to stay one last moment on the shadow f not knowing the truth.
They all get down from the car at the same time. Roger put his arm around Greg and they walked towards the house. Sarah walked to them she hugged Greg, took his hand and walked him into the house. Rose reached to Roger, hugged him and started to cry; Alex wasn’t good with showing emotions he said nothing but his face said it for him, he was crushed.
Before the three of the walked into the house Roger told them what had happen to him that night. Neither Rose nor Alex said anything; it had been too much for one night. The three of them walked to the house with Greg and Sarah. None of them would sleep that night.
It was a beautiful morning. They sky was light blue and no clouds could be seen, it was actually sunny and warm. Very odd for Seattle weather.
Lake View Cemetery would be Grandma Lauren’s final resting place right next to her husband who had died eighteen years ago after battling and losing against cancer.
It was a beautiful place, ideal for spending your days and receiving people who wanted to visit you. It was set with surrounding views of Lake Union, the Cascades, Lake Washington and the Olympic Mountains. Peaceful and beautiful. Perfect.
Grandma Lauren was a loved woman; a lot of people came to pay their respects to her and Greg. Neighbors, colleagues, friends, numerous old patients, Dr Weathers, Justin alongside Eli and Sandra, Rose and Alex’s parents, anyone who knew Greg and of course family.
Greg didn’t knew half of the people in the funeral but he was glad to see how many people knew and loved his grandmother. He was happy to see such a big turn out and some of his cousins, aunts and uncles that he was used to see only on holidays and family reunions.
During the burial the priest talked about gain and loss, life and death, failure and success. He was starting to sound like an indie’s rock singer. It was even starting to be kind of funny;
Lauren would have liked it and Crystal even more.
Grandma Lauren’s tombstone was simple, white, whit angel wings en carved in the top and it read:
Lauren Huber
Beloved mother, grandmother, nurse, woman and friend.
She will continue to take care of us in heaven
5-April-1928
16-June-2010

Grandma Lauren would have liked the fact that she was born and have died during spring.

After the priest Greg thanked everyone for coming, he said a few things about how his life had changed due to his grandmother and he thanked his grandmother and promised he would make her proud.
After the burial people started to leave, there would be no reception because Grandma Lauren thought it was tacky to expect the family to cook and invite people to eat their food and finish their wine when they needed time for mourning.
Greg and the rest of the gang where the last ones to leave, they all stayed together, holding each other, silent, sad but also thankful for everything Lauren had done and represented for them in all those years.
“Beautiful day. I mean weather wise, we don’t get to see the sun this much” said Greg when they were leaving, even with the tombstones it was a beautiful garden and days like these were unusual.
“It’s is actually, we never get to see days like this” Rose liked agreeing with people when they were down, but it actually was a beautiful day.
“She would have liked it” Sarah hadn’t let go of Greg’s hand for the entire funeral.
They went together walked through the cemetery and back to the car. It all had been very fast, form finding the body to arranging the funeral it had been fast and easy. Greg and his friends would have their hole lived to mourn and remember Lauren.
All trough the car drive back home everyone shared stories and memories, they laughed together and felt lucky for having had someone so wonderful in their lives, just a few tears were dropped.
“How about going to Crystal’s? Cake, muffins and coffee on me and bourbon is on Alex” The perfect place to keep on sharing stories would be Sarah’s shop.
“Got some in the trunk. Brand new, ready to pour” All kinds of stuff could be found in ‘Alex’s car.
“You have bourbon ready to be poured here in your car?” Greg should have known by now that the less they knew about what they found in Alex’s car the better.
“I could use some of it straight from the bottle right now” For Roger the healing process from his recent breakup would start with huge amount of alcohol with his friends.
“Well if I’m going home with a girl who’s drunkenness isn’t quite the best level to let her inhibitions leave her that’s when Mr. Bourbon and his friend Mr. Scotch come right to my help” Enough to said that Alex had no principles.
Roger had by now got the bottle open and was taking little sips, sitting in between Sarah and Greg.
“Right on man” Greg was one of a few people that approved Alex way of thinking and consider it life lessons.
“I’m so proud” Rose was not.
“Calm down sis, don’t you want to be an aunt some day?” He was seriously kidding, the last thing Alex needed or wanted right now was a kid.
“I’m probably one by now” This would go on for a while. Whenever Rose and Alex started to argue they would not mind the people or the situation around them.
Meanwhile Roger, Sarah and Greg were taking zips from the bottle of bourbon; it was good stuff Alex really knew of bourbon, it would have worked for him.
Back at Crystal’s they shared a dark chocolate cake with strawberries which was Lauren’s favorite and one by one they started to go home.
Roger couldn’t go home, he wouldn’t risk running into Lucy coming home for the rest of her things to take them God knows where; Alex offered Roger to crash in his place for as much time he needed which scared Roger a little but it was better than nothing.
Rose offered to go to Roger’s apartment and get some stuff for him, clothes, toothbrush, cell phone charger and some other essential stuff he needed, right now he was wearing one off Alex’s black suits it helped they were about the same height and weight.
Sarah and Greg where the last ones to go. Eli was the one that usually closed the store, but since she had gone home already Sarah and Greg finished the day sweeping and closing the store.
They walked home together, and stood together in front of what was now his house waiting to enter.
“You ready?”
“Not just yet”
“No worries, we have all night”
“Thanks, it’s easier with you here…I mean you’ve been trough the same right…I’m sorry, I don’t know why I said it….that was insensitive, rude even I’m sorry”
“Don’t worry, I guess I have done this before but I don’t know how much of a help I could be. I think every situation is different”
“I get it, I’m still glad you are here”
“I’m here… so are you ready?”
Greg took a deep breath and said it. “I’m ready let’s go”
They went in together turn on some lights, the place seemed different like something was missing, and that something missing made the house feel in need for a change.
“This is my house now”
“You feel it too right”
“Yeah I mean, almost everything here belongs to her, but now she is gone and these things don’t fit here anymore” Greg wasn’t trying to be rude or anything. The stuff that had belonged to her grandmother were just that stuff left behind, simple and common but that put on together they make up a life, a life that was no longer there. Greg had to move on.
“We can take care of her things tomorrow, some you should keep and some stuff could be useful to some other people; but now you should go to bed and get some rest. We will deal with these tomorrow”
Sarah went back home and Greg went to his room which was now that only room in the house that fitted in it. Greg went to bed and fell asleep very quickly, that night he had a dream that would help him go on in the next couple of days.
The only member from the gang that wasn’t enjoying a well deserved good night sleep was Rose. After leaving the store and before stopping at Roger’s house she made a quick stop at the post office to send a care package for Joe, recent events had made her miss him more than usual.
She parked outside and grabbed the pink flowered back pack she had brought to transport Roger’s things; she liked to play with his mind that way.
It didn’t take her too much time to pack the essentials and then to start packing clothes for hypothetical situations Roger might found himself into.
She was on her way out when suddenly the door opened and no other than Lucy entered to find Rose with the pink back pack in her hand and still wearing a black dress.
“Rose, hi… what are you doing here?” Lucy looked fine, just a little tired, probably because it was late; but she didn’t looked liked she had been crying.
“He needs some of his stuff. What are you doing here?” Rose felt like Lucy didn’t even deserve hearing Roger’s name.
“Oh, well that’s good, people need stuff, he needs his stuff and all of his are here, it’s reasonable” Lucy had started to ramble until she noticed Rose’s outfit; she was surprised by it because Rose wasn’t used to dress all in black.
“Nice dress, unusual color for you who died?” Poor Lucy she was just trying to make small talk to avoid an awkward situation, little did she know it had backfired at her.
“Lauren”
Lucy’s expression went from uncomfortable to sudden shock, in her defense she couldn’t have known this could have happened.
“What? Are you kidding me? How did that happen? How’s every…” Lucy had taken a step towards Rose, now you could see her eyes filling with tears.
“NO, you don’t get to know that now. You made your choice you have to live with it now; we are no longer part of your life” Rose could be one of the nicest people you would be lucky to know, but you should never make her mad.
“Rose, let me explain” Lucy’s tears were about to start falling now.
“I don’t need or want any explanations, goodbye” and after saying that Rose walked away and got as fast as she could away from that place and that person, she drove home and got to bed. She was the only one that night that had trouble sleeping.
The next few days presented new patrons in their lives. Greg had told Dr. Weathers he would need some time off which he didn’t denied, he would have to get use to the idea of getting his own food whenever he had cravings.
Also Greg had a new project which included a system based on three post-it colors over everything he had in his house. Blue on what he was keeping exactly where it was, green on the stuff he was going to keep in the attic, yellow for charity and what was going to the trash when directly to the trash can.
It was good for him to do this, it was a distraction that helped him move on and grow up plus all over the years his grandmother had collected all sorts of stuff.
Sarah hadn’t had a single thought of Joe that week; you could say Grandma Lauren really had helped her get over him. Now all her thoughts went to Greg, her friend, she had volunteered to help him with the clean up; she was the one suggesting the post-it system.
Lauren’s death had hit a little too close to home for Sarah and the whole experience made her remember and miss her grandmother as well. But she believed the two of them where now in a better place and the memories of her made her happy and thankful.
Alex thought he would have liked having Roger as a roommate again but sadly for Alex his new roommate was only in the mood of sleeping, watching TV and drinking. Alex was up for the drinking and Sarah tag along with them but it always ended Roger cursing Lucy’s name and him telling the speech of how he had thought he would propose to her one day.
That week Alex dated a girl named Dylan. She was in town for a job interview that she wouldn’t get, she was too blonde for the job which qualified her perfectly for a job Alex had for her.
After Dylan went back to wherever she was from Alex found out that his now friend in misery, formerly known as Roger, was a chick magnet. A new rule from Alex to hooking up was “chicks dig guys that help their friends when they are brokenhearted, shows them you have a sensitive side and that you understand and nurture feelings”. There was a second part to that rule that included something about showing your real sensitive part but Rose had smacked her brother before he could have said so.
In order for girls fell for Alex’s new chick magnet, Anne was an aspiring actress that for now had to settle with fast food commercials. Violet in the other hand was a psychologist whom Alex knew was a profession girl’s most girls took because they would rather deal with other people’s issues than dealing with theirs.
Plus thanks to Roger’s mood and odd appearance this girls didn’t feel comfortable spending the night in Alex’s apartment; whom had made up a story about how Roger was having night terrors ever since his breakup that evidently ended with him naked in the roof.
It hadn’t matter that Rose had brought Roger almost everything he could wear because his actual outfit only included pants when people came to see him; when Alex took him to the bar to help him met girls he had to help him get dressed so that he didn’t scare away the girls whit his hobo appearance.
With Rose’s help Roger had finish all the assignments he had to send to Mrs. Belle, hopefully his recent mood change would give his writing the extra touch he needed to be promoted. He would know next time he went to the office.
Shaving was something roger had given up to and by the end of the week he was starting to look creepy because he was the kind of guy that could grow a beard in short period of time.
Now instead of starting his day with a run around the neighborhood he would start his days running through the channels on Alex’s TV and watch reruns and day time television.
Meanwhile Rose was having a hard time to decide if she should tell Roger that she had seen Lucy. What good would come from it? It would really not change anything she was gone and that was that.
Also Rose hadn’t been able to get in touch with Matt ever since their video date got interrupted by a pajama wearing Sarah. He wasn’t answering his phone, not because he was mad at her but because some difficult technicalities with the connection.
Rose would have appreciated to know if Matt had received the care package and to know how appreciative he was about it. Still she had no news from him and neither him from her.
It had been ten days since Lauren’s funeral. Sarah and Greg had almost finished posting things and now their real job would begin, as they would start rearranging the house.
Alex had met a cute drummer named Eva whose band performed in the party of a girl named Elina that he was dating. Eva and her band had really made an impression on Alex and he tough they really had potential so he decided to have Eva nearby and discuss singing them.
Too bad for Alex Eva wasn’t like all the other girls and she tough Rogers condition and beard where gross rather than cute. Eva wasn’t impressed with Alex’s not doing something to help his friend about his appearance.
If Alex was going somewhere whit Eva he needed Roger to lose the beard and get some pants. Unfortunate for him Rose hadn’t packed Rogers razor and Alex was very paranoid to share his.
“He can buy a new one just as easily” Another argue between Alex and Rose.
“Yes but he has to go home at one point, stop running from the situation and face it right on its…well its face, you know what I mean”
“If you two stop arguing in front of me and give me my beer with ice cream I will put on some pants and go for my razor” Rose and Alex rarely noticed who was in the room when they got in an argument, or even if they were blocking the TV.
So it was decided, in order to avoid the Doyle twins fighting Roger took a bath, put on some clothes that were not used for sleeping and he headed back to his old apartment.
“You want us to go with you?” Rose couldn’t help herself in trying to help anyone she could.
“I’m ok, I better do this by myself. Thanks.”
“We are out of tequila and milk Rog bring some back please”
“I’ll give the tequila a top priority”
“Alex he isn’t going out to get your errands, he is facing what he had and lost”
“And it doesn’t help him when you keep saying it like that, besides he was the one that finished both the milk and the Tequila”
Even from the hallway he could still hear them going on about how was the best way to help him. Roger felt really lucky and glad to have friends like those that wanted to take care of him, each in his or her own way but in the end that made him feel safe unless Rose and Alex did end up killing each other one day.
He wasn’t expecting to find Lucy there, he hadn’t heard from her ever since she went away. Roger was more afraid of what he wouldn’t find there a home to come at night after work, a loved one to come to after a rough day, a safe place, a sanctuary.
Roger couldn’t have that anymore, that was gone with Lucy and it was time to move on.
He hadn’t decided whether or not he would find a new place to live in, he probably should but those things took time and finding a new, cheap, nice, near apartment wasn’t something easy but at least he had a place to stay before he found one; Alex hadn’t put an expiration date on Roger’s crashing but sleeping in a leather couch wasn’t something Roger was going to get used to.
Roger took a minute before going into the building, last time he had been there it hadn’t been a pleasant experience. But he should let one bad experience, no matter how bad it was, curse one place for him and just be stained by the memories of something that went wrong.
Roger took out his keys and opened the door expecting to see his former house dark and maybe empty but instead the lights where on and there were a lot of boxes all around the place. Boxes labeled books, kitchen, fragile, cds, movies, pillows, bedroom, stuff, not so fragile, and the ones that were nearest to the door where labeled Roger.
The last time Roger had been here he had a life changing a surprise and this time wouldn’t be different because someone else was there, just like the last time, to give him some not so great news, just like the last time.
“Victor?”
Lucy’s older brother Victor whom Roger had met before during family reunions was standing in the middle of the living room holding another Roger box.
“Hey man, come here to get your stuff? Sorry about you and Luce by the way”
“Yeah kind off, I needed my stuff but I’m not taking them with me. I think there’s been a misunderstanding here what are you doing here Victor?” it was really obvious what was going on but being as stubborn as Roger was he wanted to hear it from Victors mouth.
“I’m moving in, I thought you knew. Lucy must have told you, she was supposed to call”
“I haven’t talked to her” and he didn’t wanted to.
“Are you sure you are just ignoring her calls? I mean it’s understandable, I wouldn’t want to talk to her if I were you”
“No I’m not ignoring her calls, she must be very happy planning her upcoming wedding. What do you mean you are moving in? You can’t just kick me out like this”
“The lease is on my name” touché.
“Ok so you can kick me out just like this” There you go Roger the truth just like you wanted to hear it.
“I hate to do it like this man, but I need the place and Luce isn’t going to use it anymore, she was supposed to call, she promised she will”
“She promised a lot of things alright”
“Yeah sorry about that but there is nothing I can do about it”
Dumped and homeless, they say that in life you need three basic things love, home and job and that sometimes you will be missing one and still be ok, but if you are missing two of them you really are in trouble and it doesn’t matter if you are lacking all three of them because it means you are dead.
“Well thanks for putting my stuff in boxes, that sure will make this easier” No matter the situation Roger’s manners were never lost.
“Yeah man no problem, need a hand to load them in your car?” What a considerate guy.
Victor and Roger load the car with Roger’s boxes; they had an awkward hug goodbye, obviously started by Victor.
Everything was set, Roger had all of his stuff ready; sadly Roger didn’t had a place to go, Alex had already made plans that probably involved Eva and besides Roger couldn’t sleep in Alex’s couch yet another time.
There was a simple solution to this particular problem, something Roger wanted to avoid and would use just as a last resource but now it was his only choice, there was nothing else he could do. He swallowed his pride, took a deep breath and took out his cell phone and sped dialed.
The phone rang one time.
Roger was getting nervous.
The phone rang for a second time.
He was thinking how to explain it.
They answered.
“Hellouu?” Roger felt a chill on his spine, there was no going back now.
“Hi…Mom”
Sometimes the best way to move on is to move out even if you are forced to do it.

Coming soon: Chapter III "Living Conditions"