Building My Life

Chapter 1 Running Away

1980

Josias Rocha opens the door to his room and enters; then he closes it again. He got out of the shower with only a towel wrapped around his waist and went to the wardrobe to put on fresh clothes.

He carefully opens the wardrobe because of the warped doors. His father wanted to assemble the furniture on his own and was not efficient.

As Josias pulls on his briefs, he hears a loud noise from the living room door. His father is watching television.

It looks like somebody has broken the door open.

Next, angry and disturbed voices alternate with the frightened voice of Josias's father. Not just one visitor, Josias hears three or four voices, which means a gang.

There is a fierce discussion going on in the living room.

Curious and a little afraid, Josias goes to the door to listen better. He does not dare to leave his room and see who these men are, but by their tone of voice, he can tell that they are not good-natured people.

"I swear to you, I'll pay next month, even if it's half!" That was the voice of Josias's father, almost crying.

One visitor said, "We know you don't have a job, and you haven't even left home to find one. How are you going to pay us?"

Josias shakes his head. His mother got divorced because she could no longer stand her husband's unwillingness to stay in a steady job.

Elza was so furious that when her ex-husband demanded custody of Josias, she accepted without question and left, leaving her son behind. She must be out of town or state now, married to another man.

Josias's father continued to "raise" his son, having a layabout life and avoiding work until the bills accumulated and he could no longer ignore them.

Josias performed some services properly for his age to have some money. If Josias waited for his father for everything, he would go hungry and deprived.

He spent all his elementary and high school periods with the cheapest sneakers, clothes, and school supplies. He was a reason for the mockery of more neat students.

But his zeal for his studies and his good grades made the teachers proud.

Now, at 18, Josias needs to face adult life, but as seen, he won't be able to count on his father again, mainly on financial issues. His father is in more and more trouble.

As the conversation progresses, Josias learns his father took money from a loan shark.

Even a young person like Josias already knows that borrowing money from a loan shark is a risky and foolish decision.

They have no qualms about charging, and their faces don't even flush with the extortionate interest on the amount.

Josias is even more concerned with the discussion, which seems to have no end.

To make matters worse, his father was drinking, which must have irritated the loan shark collectors even more.

Tired of hearing excuses, they set off for physical aggression.

Josias hears noises of furniture being knocked over and punches being thrown at his father, who screams in pain and calls for mercy.

Josias wouldn't be crazy to leave the room and face them. Josias is only 18 and his build is normal for his age. The attackers would probably be over 30 to 40, even more knowing that there is more than one.

"No, please, listen to me... NO!"

This was the last time that Josias heard his father's voice.

One collector fired three revolver shots.

Glued to the bedroom door, Josias only heard the shots. Astonished, Josias cannot move.

"Let's see if anything is interesting here for us to enjoy."

Great! If Josias couldn't move before; now he reacts as if lightning has struck him.

If the bill collectors find him in the room and see that he is the son, what could happen?

Of the two options, one is: either they would kill him too to have no witnesses, or they would want to collect the debt through him. And Josias thinks the second option is the worst of the two.

He was not going to let strangers intimidate him into paying a debt he didn't owe. But Josias didn't want to die either. What to do?

Without thinking twice, Josias spotted the gray sweatpants he was going to put on and quickly grabbed them. He also spots some money bills that were on top of the dresser and grabs them.

The bedroom window was open. Josias puts on his slippers, climbs on the bed, and from the bed passes through the window.

He looks back and hears the steps of the killer collectors walking down the corridor. Well, they went straight through. It's easier for him to escape.

So, with a sad look, without even seeing his father for the last time... Josias looks at his room in farewell and jumps out the window. His luck was that the house was single-story.

Outside, he hastily puts on his sweatpants, puts the money in his pocket, and runs as fast as he can.