5.1 In The Storm

It rained into the second half of November with scattered showers and unpredictable. I climbed the rooftop on an attempt even more pathetic. I carried a spare key to a backdoor of the big room and a pair of scissors under those silk panties which I said left beside by a girlfriend and reached the roof edge on the far side. Right below lay a narrow passage between the house and the backside boundary wall. This passage was about two feet on one end and three on the other. I was standing twelve feet above on top of the roof. I descended gradually with my limbs against the wall like a spider climbing down a chimney. This wall was old and slippery. I hadn’t thought of a way to climb out. I won’t be able to walk out through the doors, crossing the sitting area, like I said, her brother would be watching television or playing The Doors.

Rain fell hard and dark in the passage. The set of rear windows was closed. Clothes hung on drying lines out in the rain. I peeked through the glass panel and saw the girls sleeping blurrily. I reached the backdoor partly sheltered under the overhang. The door was unlocked.

I opened silently and to my horror, in the night light, I saw this cousin brother sleeping right under the window on a mattress placed on the floor. Three girls in two mattresses placed together in the middle. I noticed one of the girls was a child about six years of age. Shalin slept in a bed by the far wall – the wall flanking my room. She wore red nighties and white panties. A pillow under a knee and glutes exposed lying on her left side. That was how she looked in her starkness, I registered. It appeared a little dark around and my eyes could not focus too well. I could hear Riders on the Storm played softly on cassette coming from the door that led to the sitting room.

On this night, I was standing over Shalin’s bed, water dripping down my body to the white tiles that once gave me the rhombus impression. I pulled the scissors from under the wear.

I cut those few strands neatly under her right ear and stuffed them under the wear. I paused for a moment to capture that round buttock in my mind.

I was reaching the backdoor to get away at ease when something stirred from behind. “Who is there?” she woke up abruptly. I paused at the door with my head in the jamb not to look behind.

Shalin jumped out of bed and scurried into the sitting room waking the house crying, “A thief! A thief! A thief! There is a thief in my room!”

I dashed for the wall and grabbed with my claws. Those slippery surfaces in the rain and I knew I could not climb. I hid under a housecoat hanging on a drying line.

He grabbed me with the housecoat around my body. Others reached the backdoor, lights came on and one holding a torch flashed on my toes. Shalin’s brother, Reed, carried me to the sitting room, my legs kicking in air, “Who the hell is this thief?” They pulled the wet gown over my head, “Kawla!”

“It’s me! It’s me! It’s me! Please let me go!” I cried in a rough voice, “I did not do anything wrong! Please let me go!” I pleaded.

He was holding my hand by the wrist, “What are you doing in the bedroom?”

My underwear soaked to skin and slipped around the hips. Nobody noticed the scissors and the little key tucked under in the rear side of the wear.

“Let me go!” the note in my screech was worse than a crow, “Let me go! Let me go!”

“What do you want to steal?” asked Reed.

“I didn’t steal anything. I climbed up the roof to fix a leak.”

“Fine,” he said tapping his watch, “It is midnight and you cannot be inside that room!”

Sabo and east wing girls gathered in the entryway and glowered at this half-naked landlord.

“You are not treating me nice! Let me go!”

“Things are really ugly here!” Reed gave a shove to let me go but Sabo grabbed by the biceps and squeezed me even smaller.

“What did you do?” Sabo asked heatedly, “What did you take?”

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” I solemnly swore.

“He entered the bedroom,” uttered Reed.

“He’s high!” Sabo pushed me into the entryway and I slid on the tiles to fall off the step by the gate.

I got on my feet faking that I was hurt and slowly withdrew to my cubicle.

“Check if anything is missing,” I heard Sabo say.

That Thursday, I submitted the stuff to Asmr to get on with it and I was committed.

“But how did you?” he surprised in shock.

“Don’t ask,” I said.

Reed did call at my door, “I did not mean to hurt you,” he said, “If you want cash or anything else, just ask us nicely.”

I didn’t know what to say. I was a bit scared and ashamed. These guys use cutter blades if they get angry. There was a day when I heard loud yelling coming from the road and I did not go out to check. It happened to be the Fisherman’s Ode gang unleash vengeance on a young bloke in Kamana Boulevard. He was slaughtered that day with their knives and swords. I knew it several days later when Sabo talked about it.

“Give me a break!” I knew I got even a worse act to pull on in my next attempt.

“You’re a nice guy. Behave yourself!” He left me there perhaps giving me a second chance.

Asmr prepared an amulet woven with the hairs in a black armband that I had to wear on my left biceps. I had to wear it when I carry out my next mission.

“You are not supposed to remove this armband throughout this process. Not in shower, not in bed, not for any reason. Got it!” he said.

“Fine,” I replied.