This had not been a good time in his life. He had lost his job and bills were past due. His wife was very upset at him, and news at his failure in getting the much needed loan to help pay for their expenses would surly not be taken well. So the phone call was very hard to make. He had promised her things would get better soon, but they only seem to get worse. So when he called her from a public phone, he made new promises, but none seemed to interest her and she told him that she would be going to live with her sister for awhile. He pleaded with her not to go, reminding her of the years of blissful marriage they have had. She was too worried for her future and that of their child, to stay with a man that was unable to provide them with the life they needed. So on that note she hung up on him, and he was left alone.
It was more darkness to his blackening life, but he had to move on. This after all would only be a short time of hardship, like he told himself countless times, "it'll be better soon"
When he got to his parking space more bad news came. His car was gone. No evidence of where it went. He stood there flabbergasted. Annoyed by this string of horrible luck. In a short outburst of rage he threw his briefcase to the ground. As soon as it hit the ground, the flaps flew open and all his important documents went flying about in the fall wind. He let out a quick curse as he ran around the parking lot trying to retrieve as many documents as he could. He got much of them, but many had gotten away or fallen in puddles, becoming useless.
He went back to the public phone in order to call the police department to file the proper reports for his stolen car. As soon as he lifted the phone a knife was to his back. The raspy voice told him to give him all his money and anything of worth he had on him. He just sighed as he gave him his wallet, leather suitcase, gold tie clip, and the wedding band of his failing marriage. The robber pulled the cord from the public phone, making it useless, and than just for kicks, he cut the man on the forehead, than ran off.
So there he was. No money, no car, and no prospect. He just sat for awhile and felt the cool air hit his exposed wound. Occasionally wiping off the warm blood with his handkerchief. Well he still needed to call the police, now in order to file 2 reports. He decided to ask someone. This was a residential area. Surely someone would allow him to use their phone.
It was already late, and as he walked down the neighborhood streets many houses were completely black. Those that had lights on, where surrounded by large steel bars that would not allow him to enter and talk to the homeowners. He finally saw a lit porch light and walked onto the porch and knocked on the door. A forty year old Mexican man opened the door. He had a friendly smile, which comforted the man as he asked if he could use their phone. The Mexican welcomed him in and said it would be no trouble to let him make a call. The man quickly recounted the events of the day to the Mexican, and the Mexican felt sympathetic to the man. He introduced the man to his wife and teenage daughter, and told his daughter to let him use the phone in her room, as it was the only phone in a private location.
She handed him the phone and sat on her bed, staring at the man. He was quick to dial 911, but there was no ring. He asked if there was anything wrong with the fun, and she told him that her brother was probably using the phone to run his computer. She went off to get her brother off the computer.
He began looking around the room. He looked at the pictures on her nightstand and the many cosmetic products on her make up counter. Something caught his eye. Something half under the bed. He squatted down to get a closer look and found it to be a used condom. He quickly stood up and shook his head at this fact. The girl was only looked to be only sixteen, and she was already engaged in such things, it was a sickening thought.
She entered the room and told him that her brother would soon be off the phone line. He nodded and began wondering what he was to do. She once again began eyeing him. She liked the man. He was very handsome, with a strong build, and he looked good with that suit on. The small cut on his forehead made the man seem dangerous. She began biting her lip and getting anxious at the thought of him. She asked him if he was married, and he replied by saying "not for long" -a sad truth. She got to her feet and walked toward the man and gave him a kiss. He quickly pushed her away, but her advances continued. She began telling him of other older men that she had pleased, and that she could please him in a way his wife never could. He still refused. This enraged her and she began to threaten the man. Telling him that he would have sex with her, or else. The man refused, and the girl began tearing at her own clothes and to scream, he instantly became of what she was doing and began begging her to stop. She grabbed him and pulled him on to the floor. The man struggled to get off her but...
Her father quickly entered the room. In all honesty it didn't look like rape. It was plain to any eye that she was holding him down and the man was trying to break away from her grasp, but the father was outraged by the near notion that a man would do such a thing, to his wonderful daughter. He ran to the man lifted him to his feet and punched the man right in the eye. He flew onto the bed and the father quickly got on top and began hitting the man. The brother soon came and joined his father in beating the man. He was dragged down stairs and thrown out of the house and on to the lawn. The brother said he was going to call the cops. They shut the door.
He lay there for awhile. His body bruised. His clothes ripped to shreds. His dignity all gone.
He stood up and limped off. Much fear entered his mind. Now his life was worse than he had ever expected. Alone in a strange neighborhood, in the middle of the night. Nothing with him. Nothing. No proof he was who he was. No ability to do a thing. What was he to do? His only option seemed to be to walk. If he walked far enough he might find something. Rather someones found him.
A small gang of five white boys, who were most obviously drunk or on some sort of stimulant, cam cruising down the street in a red sports car. When they got eye of the man, they couldn't help but take advantage of a man in such a bad position. They quickly exited the car, and began yelling at the man. He tried to run away, but he was far to slow to get anymore than a few feet ahead of them. They easily dropped him to the floor and began hitting him. Laughing the whole time. They dragged him toward the car, popped the trunk and stuffed him in the dark rear of the car. They were quickly off.
In such darkness, in such a bad moment of his life, his mind began playing back old memories of good times.
His wife. Her complete beauty and wonderful nature. She was always the source of so much happiness in his life. When she gave him a wonderful child, his life seemed to be heavenly. Now it was bad. Wait though. Soon he'd be back with his wife and kid, "things will get better" he said to himself. The car bounced as it hit some sort of bump and the man hit the top of the trunk with such force he went unconscious.
He awoke in a train yard, to the bright light of the sun. His shoes were now missing. Another thing to add to his left of missing items. He sat up and began looking for a place to sit. Some place other than the floor. He found a boxcar and slipped inside. He lay on the hardwood floor and began drifting away. A homeless man quickly tapped his shoulder and asked who he was. The man just sighed and told him he was no one. The tramp laughed a glee filled laugh and told him that all of us are no one. The tramp offered some whiskey to the man, but the man refused. After awhile the man opened up to the tramp and shared with him the tales of his life, or rather of the past month or so, when his life ha become rotten. The tramp offered much sympathy and once again handed the whiskey bottle to the man. This time the man was quick to get a drink. It was a nice warm liquid and it made him feel good. He needed that feeling right now. The tramp told the man that things would get better. The man just nodded and took another drink.
