TWENTY-FIVE

 

“RUN! JUST RUN!”

Mikael and Anij sprint with all they have to get out of a shop. Something must have gone wrong inside the shop. A clerk chases after them, but stops right outside the door. And they know that he can’t leave the shop. So they continue to run for a while. People on the street don’t pay much attention. This is why thieves can thrive time after time. It feels like the general public is on their side. Almost. So their running is just portrayed as a healthy lifestyle, jogging around the town. What a life. Mikael is looking back to see if anyone is following them. Anij is just running as if there is no tomorrow. They take many corners and arrive at some small and narrow streets between houses, somewhat far away from the downtown. Mikael looks back again and sees there is no one coming. Mikael stops and sees Anij still running.

“Hey, stop! Stop!”

Anij looks back at Mikael and stops running. He is slowly walking back to Mikael. They are both panting heavily. It has been a while since they have had to run like that. Mikael is not pleased. He keeps shaking his head as he pulls out a cigarette and blames himself for his poor performance at the shop.

“Shit! I can’t believe I got caught in the middle of a move . . .”

“What happened? I didn’t see that guy coming so close to me. I thought he was just shopping.”

“Shit. That is why it was bad.”

“So?”

“So? So what?”

“Any plan?”

“Smoking comes first, okay? Then I will think of something.”

“Okay. I thought you were the best. Maybe not?”

“Don’t even start with me, okay?”

“Okay. I am just saying shit.”

Mikael puts on a smile and shakes his head. After smoking three cigarettes in a row, they walk to another shop with much more determined, but also relaxed, expressions. After scanning the shop, Mikael is ready. But soon after, he whispers to Anij, “Let’s get out of here.”

Anij gives him a weird look. It is really odd that Mikael can’t finish a job twice in a row. Anij looks at him again just to double-check. Mikael gives him the sign again. He rolls his eyes to the exit then slowly takes off. Anij follows him. They cruise out of the store. They cross a road and sit on a bench. Anij curiously asks Mikael what is going on.

“What happened again?”

“I don’t know.”

Mikael pulls out a cigarette and keeps shaking his head as he did a while ago. Anij asks Mikael again.

“Really. What happened?”

“I said I don’t know.”

“Hm . . . Something . . . Something is wrong with you today.”

“Maybe. Maybe . . . maybe . . .”

Mikael sighs deeply and just smokes hard and fast. Anij is looking at people as they walk by. Anij is wondering about what all these people do all day; if they have jobs, if they just screw around like himself, if they are out to meet someone, if they are going home, if they are having the same problems as himself, and so on . . . Maybe he is thinking about all that since he couldn’t do any jobs today. Or maybe it suddenly hits him that doing jobs will not promise him anything, because these people look different. They don’t seem to carry such an urgency or such burdens — unlike himself. It is one of those moments when he is just looking back on his life and thinking about his future. Quite a philosophical agenda, and also a truly realistic question to himself. He is looking at Mikael smoking. Anij is also wondering what Mikael is thinking of, what he wants, what his plans are, and so on . . .

Mikael is smoking and also looking at the people, who are in turn staring at him. Those people must be thinking that he is up to something bad, since he is too young to smoke. Whatever is the case for Mikael, people give him a look of much abhorrence. He knows that that is the way people look at him. Condescending but, rarely, a little bit of compassion as well. That makes Mikael sick and tired of these people even more. Maybe he is seeking for acceptance or agreement that is based on a common denominator, not on a biased and prejudiced scale of justice.

Mikael and Anij are both swimming in the ocean of notion. It is an odd timing for such a task. Criminal perpetrators vs. righteous dreams. It happens so rarely, it creates headaches for both of them. They sit there without any words for a few hours. They can’t seem to swim out of the tides of reality. Checking up on each other makes them feel worse, since it is like looking in a mirror. So they don’t look at each other while they are sitting on that bench. No word is necessary. The sun is about to sink down behind the horizon of the buildings.

Mikael stands up as he throws his last cigarette into the sewer. Then he starts to talk suddenly. “I want to show you something.”

“Something good?”

“You will see.”

“Okay.”

Mikael leads the way. Anij is curious about what Mikael has to show him. They both walk for at least an hour. They are out of the town and walking into a suburban area. But Anij never asks Mikael any questions. And Mikael doesn’t tell him anything, either. He is just walking endlessly. Even though it is a great distance, they seem to enjoy this walk. Mikael is slowing down as he looks around to see if anyone is watching him. Anij looks at him. But there are no shops or anything around. It is just an empty area with a few houses. Then, soon after, they get to a little park. Mikael enters the park. There is no one around. Not even a neighbour.

It is really dark now.

Mikael walks up to a big tree. It is a big one, but not big enough to be the central tree. Then he pushes off some rocks around the tree trunk. A rusted metal box is sitting under the rocks. Anij is as excited as if he had found a jewel case from a pirate ship. Mikael looks around one more time before he opens the case. No one is close enough to see what they are doing. Then he opens the box.

There are lots of paper bills. It must be around one hundred dollars. Anij is completely stunned and his face flushes white. It is so amazing to see money close like that, since they never need any money to buy things. Anij is speechless. Mikael shuts the box and buries it again. Then he checks around again. Anij asks Mikael.

“How much is that?”

“I don’t know. Maybe a hundred dollars?”

“Shit. When did you start?”

“Well, some time ago.”

“You are rich.”

“Yeah, I am stinking rich.”

“But you still in the house. Why?”

“Well . . . This is only for emergency. I don’t know what to do with this money anyway. I have been just collecting money. Nothing more.”

“Maybe you should do something.”

“Yeah. Something. Someday.”

“Yeah. Someday . . .”