Just Deserts

Pablo Perez, a Portuguese thirty five years old man, together with his wife and twelve years old son Jack, arrives in America in search of “American dream”. They don’t have much with them, only a few bags and money they managed to save or were given by the closest family. They opt for a small apartment in a suburb of town and carry on a humble life. Pablo takes any job he is offered, although his mind is absolutely absorbed with his passion, automobiles. His wife beside cleaning jobs, gives private Spanish lessons, their son attends a public school just round the corner. One fortunate day Pablo strolls down the neighborhood and sees the note, ‘’An excellent mechanic needed, asap.’’ He walks into the garage instantly where he is asked to present his skills. The job is offered to him straight away. Pablo finally does what he loves. Nonetheless after some time he makes up his mind to start his own firm. He needs more money than he possesses therefore goes to the bank and applies for a loan. Unfortunately Pabloe’s request is declined.

One evening after work one of his coworkers approaches Pablo and suggests partnership. George is older than Pablo, smart and cunning. The offer he presents to Pablo is not totally legal, but it gives him an opportunity to be his own boss and build his own brand. After hesitating for a short while and talking it over with his wife, Pablo eventually gives in and gets into business with George.

Excerpt:

“Kate, have you seen my car keys? Are you up?” Helen, being in a rush, was trying to find the car keys to her old Volkswagen.

After their mother passed away last year Kate moved in and shared a place with her older sister. Kate was five years younger. Divorced, with no kids or a good profession. There was a time when she had had a dream to be a singer but after getting married she became just a housewife. Moreover, Craig, her ex-husband, never believed in her talent, so she stopped believing in herself too. Everything she had every confidence in was the fact that she had to cook well and clean the house even better.

“Kate! Come on, I’m already late! You used my car last night. Where the hell did you put them?” Helen was about to fly off the handle.

Helen worked in a local clinic. She was a geriatrician. She had a soft heart for the elderly. When she was just ten years old she had already known she would be a doctor one day. She wasn’t sure about the specialisation until her grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer disease and needed frequent support. She realised then that geriatric is her future career.”a helpless little star”. The only thing she was doing better than Helen was singing.

After winning a school singing contest she concluded “If God hasn’t bestowed me with a brain to be a lawyer or surgeon I’m going to make use of one talent he has offered to me.” She worked the whole summer to save money to buy her first guitar.

“Okay, okay. Just stop yelling.” Kate, half asleep, finally opened the door a crack.

“Where are the keys?” Helen asked more calmly.
“Here.” Kate shifted her hand with the car keys towards Helen, “Bye!” Then shut her bedroom’s door and went back to sleep.

She didn’t work, didn’t even try to find a job. Everything she was doing was partying and spending all the money she was getting from alimony paid which her ex-husband had been ordered to pay. He was kind of a bustard who had not only cheated on her, but also had been abusing her mentally and physically. If she had not met him the other night in the night club where she was giving a live performance, most probably she would have been a famous musician.

Helen grabbed her handbag and left the house in a hurry. Her car was parked on the drive. She got in and started the engine which stopped instantly. She attempted to start it again, but unsuccessfully.

“Oh no! Not now! Please!” She cried out, “Come on, come on, good car, good old B. Please, please…” She made a few more efforts then gave up eventually. She got out of the car, locked it and dashed towards a bus stop.

“We gotta talk Kate, this is too much!'” She muttered under her breath while waiting for a bus.