Chapter 2: 1


    PERCIE


    Iid back on the cold tiled bench with my arms as my pillow. I looked up at the gray ceiling without


    anything in my thoughts.


    I was bored to death for thest five hours, locked up for punching my boss in the face. He hit his wife


    in front of his car repair shop where I worked as a mechanic--well, used to, since he just fired me. Who


    was in the fucking hell hurt women if not some losers like him?


    I didn’t like people hitting women because they would look misogynistic. When I saw him yell at his


    wife, my fists developed brains on their own. Whatever she did, that didn’t give him the right to hit her.


    He could confront her privately, but he was an asshole. My anger took over me. So, I punched him


    before I even realized I did it, which resulted in me getting arrested for physical assault.


    I didn’t enjoy seeing women being abused, bullied, and men thought that made them stronger. Women


    were born to be loved and respected unless they deserved to be treated the way they were. Still, there


    were so many ways a person could do other than hurting them.


    Still, I was not to judge that. What goes aroundes around.


    I ignored the footsteps. I was still staring at the tedious gray ceiling. For the whole year, my life was


    fucking is ck and white. Or maybe, it waspletely ck, like my soul. Who cares? Nobody.


    A clinking sound of keys in the steel bars caught my attention. A 40-year-old, medium build man


    wearing a blue police uniform unlocked the cell door.


    “You’re free to go, Matthews. Don’te back. You don’t deserve to be here. There’s a lot ahead of


    you, young man. Get out, and enjoy your life while you can,” the police officer said. He inspected me


    from head to toe. I was still lying, immobilized.


    He didn’t have any idea what happened to my life. My life was worse than being locked up and worst


    than being in hell, literally.


    I stood upzily, yawned, and stretched out. “Who came here to bail me?” I was not expecting anyone,


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    especially my parents, and certainly not my friends because I didn’t have anyone in my life sincest


    year. My grandparents would probably let me rot in here if they found out I punched someone because


    life was unfair.


    I followed him as he walked towards the im desk.


    “The old man dropped the charge against you,” he exined while staring at me. “Take your things,


    son, and go home.”


    I stopped by the im area. He gave me my things back--wallet, keys, and my bracelet.


    “Thank you, officer.”


    He nodded.


    I read his name on his uniform.


    “You’re wee. Do you need a ride? I''m leaving, anyway.”


    My brows creased. A part of me still wanted to stay in the cell because I still had to think about looking


    for a job tomorrow.


    Then, here was this good man trying to help me. I couldn’t believe he offered me a ride, even if he was


    aware that I just punched someone in the face.


    “It’s okay, officer. I can get a cab from here. Thanks, though.” There were still few good people in this


    world who helped someone in need. But I didn’t need him, and I certainly didn’t deserve his help.


    “Come on, son. Where do you live? I’ll drop you off there.” He walked ahead of me.


    I had no choice but to follow him out of the police station. “Really, sir. I don’t want to bother you more


    than I already did.”


    He waved off his hand. “You’reing with me. Now, get your ass in my car.”


    I hid my smile while he motioned me to get in the passenger’s side. I couldn’t remember thest time I


    smiled. It was foreign to me anymore.


    I got in. The first thing I noticed was the smell of strawberries.


    “My daughter loves that air freshener,” as if he reads my mind, he said before he drove us out of the


    parking lot.


    “So, what’s your story, young man? Aside from what you did today?” Officer Ward asked me, giving me


    a few nces when I chose to keep my mouth shut.


    This was what I was scared of, people wanted to read me and know me. I’d been sessfully avoiding


    a conversation like this. It wouldn’t only hurt me, but it ripped up the wound open. The older it got, the


    more it rotten me slowly. I wished I just died that night. It was still taunting me whether I was wide


    awake, in my sleep, or with nightmares.


    “Don’t answer me. I’m just a nosy old man.”


    Something deep inside me chuckled. I swallowed hard. I had to blink rapidly to push the memory of that


    night.


    He might see me as the kind of guy who shared his feelings with a stranger, but I’d rather keep the past


    where it was.


    “I’m sorry, Officer Ward. I’m a sophomore in college at Hillston. I want to take biology. Then maybe, one


    day, pursue Medicine specializes in Neurosurgery.”


    I was so notfortable telling everyone about my life, about my n. Sincest year, after the horrific


    ident, I had kept myself away from people. I ignored everyone, including my parents. I’d never been


    with anyone, just my grandparents, who were very considerate enough to look after me when my


    parents should have.


    I couldn’t even look at every girl’s eyes. They would only remind me of her. I’d been an ass and cruel to


    everyone who thought they knew me, my pain, and my loss, but they didn’t have a fucking clue why I


    became who I was today—the cold and callous Percie.


    “You surprise me. I couldn''t imagine you choosing that field.”


    I chuckled. I knew what he was doing. He knew I have had built walls, and he tried to get into those


    walls.


    Considering that I’d never shared this with anyone, I admired his tenacity. But I still had a lot of time to


    change ns or maybe not n at all.


    “Call me Percival, sir. That''s just a n, Officer Ward. I could change my mind anytime, but that was


    my first choice, though.”


    He pulled over at the intersection. Whenever I passed by in a ce like this, sometimes, it became too


    much, too nostalgic. I wished I could rewind at least 10 seconds. I could probably avoid that to happen.


    I closed my eyes and released a shuddering breath.


    “Have dinner in my house, Percival. It’s almost dinner anyway. I’ll send you home after.”


    I stared at him incredulously. This man was impossible.


    “Officer Ward, you really don’t have to do this. Why are you even inviting me to your home? You don’t


    know me. I could be a bad person.”


    He nced at me in disbelief, seemingly taken aback. “Are you, Percival? A bad person?”


    I sighed in defeat. “Fine. Don’t me me or put me back in jail if I n on stealing your collections or


    your gun, then run away.”


    He chuckled. “Yeah, I’m not worried about that. First of all, call me Keith. Second, I don’t have


    collections, and third, you can steal my gun, but I doubt if you even know how to carry this,” he says,


    pointing at his pistol still tucked in the holster of his belt.


    I shrugged. “I watched Wild Wild West movie.”


    “Don’t depend on what you see. YouTube is one of those things you should avoid when learning


    something new. I don’t think you can even think of pulling a trigger. I may be old, but I doubt you are


    violent, Percie. You may have had difficult times, but I know you are just trying to be distant and try


    avoiding people to get into your life. That doesn''t mean you are a bad person. You still have a good


    heart.”


    You don’t even want to imagine what I’ve been going through.


    “I don’t have a good heart, Keith. You definitely have no idea who I am and what I did.”


    He stopped the car in front of a blue-grey two-story house.


    You’ve got to be kidding me.