The family jewls- Chapter I. Wretch.
The calm was broken by the pitiful and terrible cry that the man gave when he fell to the ground, the owner of the pawn shop hurried back inside his business to lock himself up but the miserable and trembling figure had a burst of energy that made him even with his clumsy steps managed to prevent the old man from closing the door:
"I beg you! I'll pay you the rest later but give it back, please!". He moaned desperately, kneeling down, which made his unkempt and dirty look all the more noticeable. The unfortunate soul who begged for mercy had an abnormally pale face and a pair of pronounced dark circles down his eyes, what could have been an attractive man in the past was now just a striking guy who looked too miserable.
Little by little a small discreet crowd was attentive to every word and every gesture of the actors in this dramatic scene.
"If you wanted it back, have thought about it before!". The owner of the pawnshop declared very annoyed but when he noticed the agitated breathing of the disaster in front of him so Mr. Clay felt so sorry for him that his tone softened a bit.
"What you have given me is not even a quarter of what the watch is worth is simply not enough".
"No, no, Mr. Clay, you don't understand, I must have it back. I swear I will have-".
"Oh come on!, you've got it back before! So stop acting like a lunatic, you know perfectly well how this works. I can't give it to you and please don't come back until you're ... in your right mind. Save us both the shame, please."
This last statement caused a horror in the face of the unhappy man who had lost control of himself and suddenly felt the weight of the glares of the gossipers who happened to pass by there and had stopped to admire him, he could feel how everyone judged him, how they condemned him and although he could not hear them, he knew perfectly what they should murmur, he got up with difficulty and fled.
Without knowing it, a woman who was observing the event in the distance followed in his footsteps, trying to reach him.
The waste man ran aimlessly, several people walked away when they saw him pass. He ran because a cacophony chased him altering his nerves: sardonic laughter echoed, some unpleasant glances pierced his soul, fingers pointing at him.
He felt harassed, trapped and sudden he feel a big desire for back home.
His home, the one and only.
He yearned for the old embroidered blankets, which remembered happier times, he yearned for summer nights watching the stars, he longed for the peace of the past so far now but for that reason he could not return home.
He couldn't, couldn't face the overwhelming amount of memories that would greet him upon crossing the threshold, of that he was sure.
Nostalgia would kill him and if he died now ...
"Watson!". A voice took him out of his ramblings. When he turned around he came face to face with Miss Enid Stoner. She had a compassionate look and noticed something late that she was holding his arm tightly, her grip was firm but it had been necessary to bring him back to reality.
Watson looked disoriented and very agitated. Enid tried to reassure him although with some suspicion, as if when she noticing these symptoms, she was aware of what was happening and she disapproved of the situation but she still knew that she should not leave him alone.
Her sat him on a bench and it was only then that he realized that he had reached the park, soon the vision of being in this familiar place almost made him run again but he stopped himself from doing it. A few minutes passed while silence reigned around them, the young man's breathing calmed a bit.
"If you could explain why you have been terrorizing half the town for several days, walking around the streets like a madman and begging in the pawn shop, I will be very grateful."
"You can do it?". She pressed, being aware that his attitude betrayed a worrying uneasiness and although she would normally have ignored this fact, the absence of the unmistakable aroma of alcohol made Enid decide to pay attention.
And with a trembling voice Watson finally let the truth, that which he had kept for those two stormy days, escape from his lips:
"I ... John, he ... I received a telegram. And it said that ..." the tears flooded his blue eyes. "Oh! M-miss Stoner, I blew it. I ruined everything! I shouldn't have let him go".
Enid thought understood something but the shock of receiving such news made her ask for a clearer explanation:
"A telegram? Watson, what did the telegram say?".
"He was my little brother, I promised to take care of him, how is he ...". he reproached himself and when he heard her, his voice broke and in a whisper he said:
"No, don't make me say it, please."
All the pieces fell into place and Mrs. Stoner suddenly felt a small hole open in her heart:
"God."
The silence full of tension allowed the woman who had cared for these two little ones for several years to process this blow, Henry Watson began to explain, wanting to silence his own mind:
"I have to get the watch back. I have nothing else left". He sobbed again. Enid wanted to hold his hand but Henry refused the contact.
"I thought this would sink me to unconsciousness but I've been more sober than ever! It's ironic, isn't it?". It was a painful and cruel joke that he made on himself, because Henry knew himself, he knew who he was; an alcoholic, a failure. And yet when this great pain hit him, he didn't want to indulge his senses.
"I can't allow myself to run away from the pain, I can't do this to her, I deserve to suffer. With full awareness."
"It's not easy, but he went to war, this has nothing-"
"Do not lie. We know why he went to that stupid place. It was for me. To run away from me."
Enid couldn't refute his words. Since that was the truth. In other times, she would have been glad that the older Watson stopped blaming her husband and admitted his guilt, but under these circumstances, she almost wanted him to return to that terrible habit if that could alleviate his pain.
"This makes no sense". Henry declared as he stood up. "Why Johnny?"
"Where are you going?" she asked, alarmed and anxious, feeling that if she left him alone, something terrible would happen.
"You can come to my house, many years ago I said that you would be welcome whenever you need it and I keep it."
Henry ignored her and decided to walk aimlessly.
"Please don't do anything stupid."
"Your brother probably died in battle, with honor!, You can't ...". She expressed with some bitterness but she have the vague certainty that she should stop him, no matter how.
The words echoed in Watson's mind.
"I swear to you, if I could do something to change things I would do it, if they gave me another chance I would take it, I would correct myself, I would do better but right now ... I need to get the watch back." With a more somber voice he tried to reassure her "I, I won't do anything wrong. I'm too much of a coward for it." And he left.
A very nervous boy moved his hands very nervously and checked the papers. In front of him a tall, intimidating-looking man gave him a murderous look.
"Explain us again. How come you confused the telegrams?"
"I- um- good. It was late and-". They cut him off.
"So you admit there was a mistake?"
The older man gave a weary sigh and dropped into the chair with an exhausted expression:
The little boy was surprised at such a statement, no doubt he had imagined a much worse scenario. He was speechless and this irritated his boss.
"Yes, yes, there I'm going". He took the pile of papers and hurried out of the room.
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I have writer's block and the characters of sh are like too far away for me so this is a pointless practice huh. My shit
