[A few hours later - Megabuilding H3, the Glen, Heywood]
True to his word, Rafael made it his personal mission to get Maya back to the Block safely, walking with her the whole way in the early hours of the morning. It was only a fifteen minute hike across the bridge from Arroyo back to the Glen, but Maya had cried for over an hour, exhausting herself nearly into a coma. By now she was barely able to stand on her own two feet, but she persevered nonetheless. The sizable homeless population native to Night City aside, the early hour afforded them a small blessing in that nobody was paying attention to the poor girl walking along a dark and dimly lit bridge in a pair of oversized sweat pants and a thin syn-cotton sheet wrapped around her body. Considering she was brought to Rafael's clinic naked and covered in her own waste, it was the best he could do on short notice. But at least she wasn't alone.
He kept his distance, at least three feet between them, but he was on alert, ready to jump in and give Maya a shoulder to lean on if she stumbled. Her one arm was holding the sheet closed around her otherwise naked upper body, her other arm clutching for dear life a round metal container holding her brother's remains... another parting gift from Hector having covered her expenses. She kept replaying all the conversations from the last twenty-four hours over and over in her head. She shouldn't have been so hard on Hector, and she knew it. But the seething rage and resentment under the surface had eaten at her for too long. Like had happened with Tony, she hoped that wasn't their last conversation.
She felt like a bad omen, and that anyone who got close to her suffered some horrible fate. Unlikely as it was, she blamed herself in her fractured mind for both Tony and Emiliano. By extension, she tried to blame herself for her mother as well. She mused to herself that maybe the three musclebound motherfuckers would meet some similar horrible fate in a twist of ironic justice, but she knew her luck wasn't that good. It never had been. Hell, in this sobering moment, she was amazed she had even lasted this long. She walked that fine line for longer than she wanted to remember, knowing at any moment she could fall over the edge with no lifeline.
As she approached the massive stone stairs leading into the maw of the megablock, all of it at once was enough to bring her to her knees. She fell, not even trying to catch herself as the metal urn crashed against the worn concrete, its once-pristine finish now scuffed and dented as it rolled off somewhere. Rafael stepped ahead, placing his foot in front to keep it from rolling further as he looked on with a genuine concern. The girl was in a bad way, but he'd fulfilled all that he promised to do. She was still a petty thief and addict at the end of the day, and no amount of lecturing from him would change that. Maya had to decide that she was ready to leave it all behind, and yet he couldn't help but empathize with her... what was the fucking point?
She had no more tears to give, but her body trembled all the same with uneven and broken breaths as she tried to pull herself together. Rafael maintained his distance, kneeling down to pick up the urn as he carefully reached out to her with it. She looked up, unable to look him in the eye as she met him halfway, taking the urn in her hand as she weakly muscled out, "...t-thanks..."
Rafael stood up, watching and waiting as Maya carefully did the same. She was shaky at best, but she managed to pull it off as she looked up into the expansive opening of the Block. There was so much uncertainty flooding her mind, and she felt like she was walking right back into the lions' den. But where else could she go? Where else at this point would even have her? Tattoos and other frivolities aside, she had just barely managed to scrape by for the last year, having almost nothing left to bank on if she were ever cast back into the streets.
She shrugged her shoulders forward to gather more of the sheet around herself as Rafael spoke softly, "I uh... I can't help ya anymore, kid... this is it."
Maya kept staring up, her eyes fixated on the mouth of the massive building waiting to swallow her as she answered with a face full of sadness, "...I know... you've done enough already..."
"I-I... I'm sorry about Tony. He was a good kid...", Rafael offered his condolences as he crossed paths with Maya to make the long walk back across the bridge.
"...yeah, he was... thanks, Doc...", Maya said, her voice detached but still breaking, to which Rafael kept walking, his voice trailing off, "...yeah..."
Maya turned just enough to see the ripperdoc walking with his head hung low, hands in his pockets. She had to wonder just how close he and Tony had become over the last year, if Tony's death hit him as hard as it hit her, even if her face didn't show it at this point. Though she was chewed up and spat out inside her own mind, from the outside she just looked numb. What a blessing it would be to truly feel numb from all of it. She was tired of hurting all over, inside and out. She was tired of the crashes and come-downs. She was tired of looking in the mirror and hating what she saw staring back...
Yet somewhere in the back of her brain, that dark part of her lit up at the thought that she no longer had to restrain herself. The sensation was as fleeting as it was powerful, but no longer was she compelled to moderate herself. As wild as she'd been before, there was always a tether holding her back to stay just coherent enough for Tony's sake. With him gone...
WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!
...Maya heard the combined voices of Tony, Emiliano, and her mother all shouting in unison as she punished herself with a hard slap to her own face. Her entire body cringed as the skin-on-skin contact echoed through the concrete chasm of the megabuilding's main entrance, but thankfully nobody bothered to take notice. The small gathering of homeless bums squatting in the nooks and crannies had their own problems to deal with. Some were just shaking in the cold shadows, others writhing on their backs from withdrawal or a poorly tuned braindance frying their synapses, but nobody paid attention; nobody cared.
She pulled herself together and started the long walk up the stairs, clutching her brother's urn as the building growled at being fed another wasting body. She had never imagined making this walk a third time in less than twenty-four hours... what a fucking day it had been. Just like five years ago when Hector told her that her father had been killed, her entire life had once again fallen apart in the span of a single day. She brushed a single tear away from her face with the sheet wrapped around her as she looked back over the concrete courtyard and thought, Where the fuck do I go from here...?
--
The ride up the elevator to Maya's floor was quiet and solemn. She was all alone, the other 128,000 inhabitants not yet stirring and going about their daily business. Even the markets were strangely abandoned. She had half a mind to steal what she could while she could, and yet the combined voices of her dead family members kept her on the straight and narrow, possibly for the first and last time. She walked slowly down the dark hallway approaching her unit, eyes up and aware, bouncing over every corner as if something... or someone... could jump out at her at any given moment.
She had a right to be jumpy, considering all she'd been through. She half expected the three gangers to be waiting for her, waiting for their chance to take her again... and she felt an overwhelming sense of relief at seeing that nobody had darkened the door of her unit. It sat alone and untouched, the wall-mounted access pad beeping intermittently and waiting for a palm scan. Maya cautiously held her hand out, the pad whirring for a few seconds as her eyes darted to either side and all around her. Finally the pad dinged and flashed green for entry, the automatic door sliding open as she whisked herself inside and waved the door shut behind her.
She let loose a heavy sigh as she crashed back against the door, letting her legs buckle as she slid down to sit on the floor. She was so tired, not sure if she could even drag herself the twenty feet to her bedroom. All things considered, her own bed was probably the worst thing for her at the present moment, considering the mess it was in when she'd left to cross the bridge into Arroyo for the second time... after they...
Maya shook her head, trying to erase the memory of the entire experience from her mind as she spat and forced herself to her feet. She stumbled forward, the sheet falling loose to the floor as she grabbed for the wall to hold herself up, her other hand holding the cold metal of the urn against her bare chest. She felt so weak, so beaten down. Under normal circumstances, a good ripperdoc would have kept her for another day at least to monitor her vitals and make sure she was in better health before cutting her loose. Not that Rafael wasn't a good 'doc, but he wanted her gone just as much as he wanted her to pull through. She was a known quantity for him, nothing more than a liability to his clinic and his livelihood. He had fulfilled his obligations and washed his hands of the situation, so Maya couldn't really blame him for giving her the cold shoulder. Her list of 'friends' was rapidly getting shorter...
Even though what she could only assume was her favorite regular john having come to her rescue, the simple fact that he was gone by the time she woke up told her all she needed to know. She was all alone in Night City when push came to shove.
Maya made a conscious choice, turning into the den of her apartment, away from the hallway leading to her room. A dirty hide-a-bed couch with ruffled sheets took up most of the floor space... her brother's bed... facing the wall-length windows looking out over the city. She took a few steps forward, each one heavier than the last as her feet felt like two cinder blocks weighing her down. She wavered from side to side as the morning sun crept over the horizon and worked its way in through the plate glass, the panels automatically dimming to keep her from having to squint. Her body collapsed as she willed herself in the general direction of the bed, overcome with grief and exhaustion. As her face and body crashed into the worn but firm mattress, the urn laying on its side just within her reach, her legs hung over the edge before she pulled all of herself onto the bed with all the remaining strength she had.
The sheets smelled strongly of Tony, a flash of memories both good and bad running through her mind as she curled into her own body and cried herself to sleep. Her weak sobs carried through the empty apartment, drowned out by the creaking of the overhead fan and the mechanical sounds of moving air through the central ducts in the ceiling. She just wanted to sleep away the pain... sleep away everything... praying as her body fell silent and still that she'd never wake up again. She just wanted this fucking nightmare to end...
...or am I asking too much...?
--
[A day later...]
A dull and rhythmic beeping faded into the foreground, the sounds muted before ringing clearer and clearer with every passing second. Amid the cadence, voices screamed and hands clawed, demons working their way in from the shadows before one large crash of everything together shook Maya awake in a cold sweat. Her eyes shot wide open, although she didn't move. She still lay fetal on her brother's bed in the den of her apartment, a sudden and deafening silence all around her, save for the whining and whooshing of the overhead fan.
The heavy urn was still where she had left it, the weighted impression sinking further into the sheets. She still hurt all over, but at this point, everything was a dull throb. Slowly, she raised her head to look over the back seat of the couch, hopelessly expecting to see Tony sitting at the kitchen table and admonishing her for taking over his bed. A quick chortle escaped before the sadness took hold again and the realization set in... she'd never hear Tony giving her a hard time ever again.
She shook her head with a hard sniff up, propping herself up on one arm as she took inventory of the chaos around her. Trash lined every corner of the apartment, unwashed clothes piled on top of it all. She saw, heard, and felt the presence of some minuscule form of life scurrying around and feeding on the waste and refuse. The clock in her HUD read 08:38 and...
FUCK! Did I really sleep for a whole fuckin' day?!
Maya answered her own internal dialogue as she tried to sit up straight, the stiffness in her neck and back making itself known. She massaged her neck and shoulders as she stretched with a few loud pops and took it slow, seizing the opportunity to catch up on a few notifications pulsing at her. It was mostly junk, garbage, spam, but one message flashed URGENT, and Maya clenched in disbelief as a slight panic set in.
No fucking way it's already been a month... I just paid rent the other day...
She hurriedly checked her accounts, her eyes flashing as she mentally thumbed through her transaction records until... Shit!
She was a full day past-due, and it was her third strike. She flicked back to the message as the glowing text smacked her in the face over and over again...
EVICTION NOTICE SERVED FOR THIRD VIOLATION OF THE NIGHT CITY MUNICIPAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACT RENTERS' AGREEMENT WITHIN ONE CALENDAR YEAR...
PLEASE VACATE THE PREMISES BY 12:00 PM LOCAL TIME...
FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN FORCEFUL REMOVAL FROM THE PROPERTY AND DETAINMENT BY THE NIGHT CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR UNLAWFUL OCCUPANCY...
Maya brought her legs into her chest and held her head in her hands. It was just one more fucking thing to go wrong. She flashed back over to her account, sating her own curiosity and hating herself even further. Even if it wasn't her third strike, there's no way she could cover rent and the late fees now. She barely even had enough to grab some noodles and scop from one of the food carts in the market... and fuck, was she hungry. To add insult to injury, even though Hector had covered her bill for Rafael's services, the 'doc still hit her account for the cost of the stolen pills. Five hundred eddies down the drain, and for what...? To teach her a lesson?
She pushed everything in her mind aside, deciding to face the music head-on as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, the matted carpet beneath her feet suddenly feeling grimier than usual. She had nowhere to go, and she had less than four hours to make herself scarce. As she stood in the empty apartment, the sun washing over her naked body through dimmed windows, she weighed her options... or lack thereof.
She couldn't call the 'doc, that quite literal bridge was burned. She had Hector's number, but he was equally as likely to tell her off for how she unloaded on him, and for that she had no appetite at the moment. None of her dealers or johns could help... unless...
Maya hated the thought, but she had no other options aside from going right back to slumming it in alleyways and begging for scraps, sucking off anyone who gave her the time of day just for a chance to eat. Yet a part of her wondered why she should even bother... what was the fucking point? She had only ever followed this path for Tony's sake, and a lot of fucking good that turned out to be...
She had a nagging itch in the back of her mind. On top of everything else, she still had to find a way to get to the Columbarium in North Oak, way up in the hills of Westbrook. Part of her brother's cremation package was a niche in the Columbarium next to their mother's. Way better than their father ever got, not even enough of him left to cremate once the streets were cleared. Something bothered Maya back then, like his chooms hadn't even really tried to recover what was left of his body. In the wake of the chaos and the void left behind from the riots' aftermath, it was like everyone just gave up and went home. It never made any sense... nothing made sense anymore.
She shook her head and went to work, marching back to her own room as she tried to calm herself. She felt the involuntary twitch returning as she crossed the threshold, the images flashing in her mind once the bed came into view. Her breathing was ragged as she froze for a few seconds, feeling like any second someone would come for her. She gasped as her head cut back to the door, expecting to see someone standing there... yet she was alone.
The disheveled sheets were still soiled from the produce of the altercation with the three gangers, their leftover seed and Maya's own spit, blood, and other juices painting a horrible and messy picture. The room reeked of stale vomit and vodka staining the carpets. It was someone else's problem now, and Maya averted her eyes as she quickly crossed the room, pulling a large duffel bag from a disorganized closet. She knelt down, nearly losing her balance as she grabbed for whatever clean clothes were left, hurriedly shoving them into the bag. Most of them were little more than party favor outfits catering to her clients' various kinks and appetites... skimpy to say the least, albeit not uncommon streetwear in Night City... but among them were a few old tank tops and t-shirts, cargo pants, sweat pants, and at least one decent pair of kick sneakers. Her older clothes brought back a few fond memories, mostly her father rolling his eyes at her insistence on piercing her navel and showing it off to the world. She almost laughed, reaching down to touch the small metal ornament resting against her stomach.
She considered it a small blessing that she hadn't really grown since taking up life on the streets, so odds were in her favor that the few decent items of clothing she still possessed would still fit her. Having finished stuffing the bag full with whatever odds and ends she could find, she turned and quickly crossed the room again, looking away from the bed as she turned for the door. She let the bag crash against the wall in the hallway as she left it on the floor outside of the bathroom, kicking off the oversized sweats and reaching in to punch the button for the shower. Rafael had done a decent job of cleaning her up, but she still felt filthy all over, her only comfort being the scalding hot water pouring from the spotted shower head.
She stepped in, gritting her teeth against the pain of her body acclimating to the temperatures as she scrubbed off a few layers of skin with a microfiber cloth. As much as she wanted to rest under the pouring water, even just for a moment, she couldn't take the chance that the Block superintendent wouldn't jump the gun with his goons to throw her out on her ass. She had heard too many horror stories from previous tenants and neighbors to that effect. That they didn't break in during the night to deal with her left her wondering if she didn't still have some good luck left...
When she was satisfied with her efforts, at least feeling somewhat refreshed, she punched the button again, the water ceasing as the steam filtered up and away, and the cold air hit her body. She shivered slightly, grabbing for a towel as she quickly dried herself off just enough to keep her clothes from sticking to her. She pulled her chosen white tank top up and over her head, shoving her arms through the loose holes. It sat snug across her chest, her perked nipples poking through the thin fabric stopping just short of her stomach. Color her surprised that the same pair of cargo cut-offs she'd worn at 14 still hung loose... possibly even looser than before... a cinched fabric belt and her wide hips being their only saving grace from falling to the floor around her ankles. Her gaunt frame, chopped hair, and multitude of tattoos aside, she almost saw a flash of her younger and more-innocent self staring back in the mirror, reminding her for a second of the spunky and confident daddy's girl she once was.
Maya almost smiled, the memories rushing back again before she snapped herself to the present with a clenched jaw. She narrowed her eyes, running a hand through her damp hair hanging over one side of her head as she turned and left the bathroom. She grabbed the duffel bag off the floor, marching toward the front door of the apartment before she stopped. She took a few deep breaths, her shoulders relaxing and sagging forward as she turned and took it all in one last time. Despite all the pain and turmoil between her and Tony over the past year, this apartment had been good to them. It gave them some shelter away from all of it. Their own infighting aside, at least here they were together... they were safe.
No such thing in Night City, mija...
She could almost hear her father's voice ringing inside her head as she took one last long look around the empty apartment with a sharp exhale. She slung the heavy duffel bag over her shoulder as she waved the door open and tried to keep her balance. She may as well have been walking with an elephant on her back, and she didn't hide it well.
She was barely across the threshold before the door slammed shut behind her, the thud resounding with all the finality of her situation as a small alarm dinged twice, a red holographic banner flashing over the entryway with the words, 'OVERDUE - EVICTION SERVED'. She scoffed, looking back at the worn and scuffed door before she turned to a surprise. Her favorite john was leaning against the far wall, looking longingly at her with a genuine concern and remorse in his eyes, his hands fumbling in his pockets.
Maya looked down and away, shifting and adjusting the duffel bag over her shoulder before she looked up and met his gaze. He gave a light smile as he asked, "Just can't catch a break, can you...?"
She stared back, nothing to offer except gratitude as she answered, "T-Thanks... for... getting me to the 'doc."
"I'd heard rumors from the neighbors what happened...", the john followed up, "...screams, fighting... and when I saw you... I..."
He almost seemed genuinely choked up, a subtle rage building beneath the surface as he pulled his left hand from his pocket and curled a fist, "I swear I'll kill those motherfuckers..."
Maya's face twisted into a sad smirk as she noticed something that wasn't there any of the times this john had come to see her... a small gold band sitting snug around his third finger. He caught the look in her eyes, quickly pulling his hand back as he swore at himself and stumbled over his words. Maya cut him a break as she gently chided him, "I-It's okay... I always had a feeling that... well, you weren't ever going to be my knight in shining armor, were you...?"
"I-I'm sorry, Maya, I—", the john still tried to force the apology as Maya cut him off and mirrored his own earlier words, "This agreement works better for both of us... you said it yourself."
He looked down at the floor, at his own two feet as he tried to come up with something to say. After far too long, he asked, "So... what're ya going to do now?"
Maya turned back to the door as she shrugged her shoulders, "Guess I don't got much of a choice... back on the streets now..."
The john took a small step forward as he reached out with his right hand, "Ya know, you could always crash with m—"
"No.", Maya stopped him in his tracks with a cutting glare, "The fuck are you going to explain that...? Hey babe, here's my junkie side-piece... she's going to crash here for a while, nova?"
The john couldn't help but laugh at the brass of Maya's words, subtly nodding his head as he agreed, "Yeah, I guess I'm not thinkin' shit through... still, y-you going to be okay...?"
It was a loaded question, but Maya obliged him anyway, firming herself as she crossed his path and gave a gentle pat to his chest, her hand lingering for a second too long, "Ain't my first rodeo, choom... take care of yourself, 'kay?"
The john nodded as he stood in the hallway, looking somewhat lost and forlorn as Maya pressed forward. The bag over her shoulder was dropping bit by bit, forcing her to keep adjusting and cinching the strap. She could feel the burn building in her lower back and legs as she passed through to the markets. It was just a little bit further, and she could dump the load altogether. There was a running joke in Night City that megablock residents were so well cared for that they could go for years without actually stepping foot outside.
Among the numerous amenities offered were public pay-per-hour lockers available to anyone. For a small fee, any gonk could stash anything in the lockers, no questions asked, knowing their package would be safe as long as the meter was kept current. Maya knew from her dealers that these lockers offered a cheap and convenient way for stashing or delivering drugs and other illicit goods where a physical hand-off between two people would draw too much attention. She sure as shit wasn't humping the duffel bag all over the city with her, even if she didn't know where she'd end up after her trip to the Columbarium. Still, even with her entire life at this point shoved into the bag, she knew it would be safe for the time being.
As if to prove her point as she cleared past the market sector, an eerily familiar gangly courier was leaving the row of lockers, covered from head to toe in ink. His appearance was gaunt, his very skin hanging from his bones as he scratched all over himself; definitely a mule aching for his next fix. Maya gave him a wide berth as he smiled with a mouth full of rotted and discolored teeth, laughing devilishly to himself as he looked her up and down.
Not a chance, shit-for-brains..., she thought to herself as she stepped in between the rows, finding a suitable locker with a green vacant indicator. She shook loose her personal link from her left hand, plugging into the socket affixed to the panel lock as her eyes lit up blue. She perused her options in one window while she double-checked her accounts again in the other. She only had 100 eddies to her name, and she scoffed at the only available rate of 99 eddies for six hours.
Per-hour, my ass...
Not like she had much choice, and she clenched her jaw as she flash-transferred the funds, watching a progress bar crawl across her HUD as the access key was uploaded. The panel dinged and the mechanical lock clicked open, the locker door jutting out slightly. Maya retracted her link, using her now free hand to pull the hollow metal door open before dropping the bag inside with a muted thud. She paused for a few seconds, looking around and behind her as she couldn't shake a feeling... she honestly wondered with her latest run of shit luck if the bag would still even be here when she got back.
She slammed the door shut, the empty crash echoing as it mixed with the ambient chaotic noise of the Block in full mid-morning swing. The panel lock secured itself with another mechanical click and a whir, the clock counting down from 06:00:00.
05:59:59... 58... 57...
Maya turned to leave, making a conscious choice to exit the other end of the row just in case her gangly choom decided to stick around. The far end of the lockers faced a series of hallways leading to the maintenance areas for the Block. Most of these were lined with trash on either side, a few of them providing some form of shelter for the Block's sizable homeless population.
She lingered for a little too long, a raspy and rattling voice calling out to her with a skin-and-bones hand from beneath a tattered and torn blanket, the nails broken and skin covered in filth, "...s-spare some c-change...?"
"Sorry, choom, I—", Maya tried to wave him off before she felt something crumpled in her jacket pocket. She felt over and around it as she realized, it was the last of the eddies thumbed out by her favorite john after their last rendezvous... the same rendezvous where he barked at her about Tony's malnourished appearance... the last time she saw Tony alive.
Her eyes clouded over as she looked down at this poor bastard sitting in his own shit in a dark corner of the Block. From where she was standing, she'd never had it that bad, and she pulled the bill from her pocket as she reached out, "...here, it's all I have... looks like you need it more than I do."
She probably could have done without that last bit, but the words were said, and she watched as the hand closed around the scratch, almost seemingly reaching for her as well as she quickly pulled her own hand back, trying to keep her eyes from watering as his stink wafted up. The man's hand retracted, disappearing under the blanket as he tried to force some words to thank her. She wanted to just dismiss him and get on with it, but something in the slurring and incoherent speech caught her attention, "...y-you's a g-good kid... a-always w-was a g-good kid... j-just like E-Emil said..."
Maya's eyes widened as she glared at the man, "W-What'd you say...?"
"A-Arasaka t-takes and... t-they t-take...", the man mumbled as he rocked back and forth, "...t-they took our s-savior f-from us... t-took your f-father f-from you..."
Maya knelt down in front of the man, her mind running wild with questions as she tried to make sense of what she was hearing. As the man kept droning on, his entire body trembled as his rocking motions increased. The stench didn't even register for Maya now as she cocked her head to the side to try and see his face shrouded by the blanket. He curled over further, shying away from prying eyes as he kept going, "...d'ya e-ever w-wonder why h-his body... w-why didn't they at least t-try...?"
"Who... are... you...?!", Maya asked, her tone biting and bordering on frustrated as she fought the pain welling up inside. The man continued mumbling to himself, shifting side to side and not making much sense. Maya took a chance and pushed him on the shoulder, "Hey! Answer me! How the fuck do you know my father?!"
Before she could react, the same skinny arm shot forward, grabbing her by the collar of her jacket as the blanket fell away. She realized what she was looking at in that moment, the arm entirely chromed with shreds of RealSkinn hanging loose, exposing the cybernetic bones and muscles inside. The man's face was similarly disfigured, haunting even, with an entirely chromed skull. The Kiroshi cyberoptic darted all over, flashing red and blue and unable to focus on any one thing. The low whirring in the titanium socket made Maya sick to her stomach. The entire left side of the man's skull was exposed, his implanted jaw hanging loose with saliva pouring out. He had a wispy patch of hair clinging to a sliver of 'skinn sitting loosely on the top of his head.
She couldn't explain what she was looking at, and she was honestly better off not knowing. Still, the disfigured man had her in his iron grip as his voice raised, "See what they make you give?! LOOK AT WHAT THEY TOOK FROM ME!!!"
Tears formed in Maya's eyes as she fought against the hand, finally breaking free of the nightmare with a shout as she lost her balance and fell flat on her ass. She scurried back and away, ignoring the scuffs and scrapes of the cold concrete against her palms before she regained her footing, the man screaming and wailing as she turned and ran away. She tried to keep it together, her breathing uneven as the tears burned her eyes. Whoever that man was, whatever was done to him... she couldn't bear the thought. He knew all the right questions, knew just what to ask. What was his game...?
Maya pushed everything to back of her mind as she focused on a single instinct... Get the fuck out of here as quickly as possible.
--
[One hour later - The Columbarium, North Oak, Westbrook]
It was truly astonishing how something as simple as fear could drive someone to achieve the incredible; or at least in Maya's case, to push her damaged body more than she thought possible. Since her encounter with the screaming 'psycho in the megablock, she had sprinted the entire length of Skyline Street through Heywood and Vista Del Rey, all the way into the Japantown sub-district of Westbrook; nearly halfway across the City. She finally stopped at a large and busy traffic circle, catching her breath and dodging the flood of cars before she marched on the uphill path toward North Oak. The entire time, she held Tony's urn close to her chest, guarding it with her life as it was all she had left of him.
He belonged with their mother, and Maya was committed to seeing it through as she approached the large concrete and steel edifice known as the Columbarium. Sitting in the shadows of the obnoxious North Oak sign, this labyrinthine memorial served as the resting place for tens of thousands of Night City's lost souls. In a city of over seven million people, that anyone was able to be remembered was a feat in and of itself; and spaces weren't cheap. Still, Maya wanted to honor the sacrifices made, both of her mother and brother, and by Hector for having covered both her bill and the cost of Rafael processing Tony's remains.
She honestly regretted her treatment of Hector in hindsight. He was a friend of her father, of their whole family, and one of the only people Emiliano trusted to watch over them in his absence. Her misgivings with the clusterfuck following her father's death aside, she knew in her heart that if anything could have been done to help them, Hector of all people would have been the one to step up. She hoped she'd have a chance to mend the bridge between them... one day.
While Maya had been to the Columbarium once before, when they laid their mother to rest, she was still amazed at how clean the whole area of North Oak was compared to the sprawl of Heywood. There was no graffiti covering the sidewalks, no trash lining the streets, and above all, nobody squatting in their own filth and begging for scraps. There was a solemn and somber air of respect and dignity hanging over the entire place as people came and went, mourning and remembering. As she crossed the threshold to enter, she heard faint noises of people crying, conversing, or otherwise simply existing in the wake of their lost loved ones. She wiped a tear from her face as she read over and over again Tony's assigned niche number in her HUD, navigating the winding columns and rows until at last she arrived.
She stopped, turning to face the brushed steel wall lined with small plates bearing engraved names and epitaphs. She saw her own reflection in the polished faces, hating herself even more as she focused on the bruises about her face and neck, her busted lip, and her black eye. All of them born of her own hubris and desire to get back at her baby brother... what the fuck was it all for?
In a flash, she saw her brother staring back, but it wasn't how she remembered him. Instead, she saw the mutilated face dripping blood and snarling at her, and it brought her to her knees as she broke down, clutching the urn and leaning forward, resting her head against the cold steel of the wall. The tears ran hot down her tender face as she cried openly, her body shaking as she tried to pull herself together. She had to do this, and yet in this moment, she couldn't bring herself to let go of all she had left of her family.
The clouds overhead were clearing, and Maya felt the warmth of the afternoon sun smiling down on the crown of her head. All at once, she felt a peace washing over her along with the presence of someone kneeling down beside her. She opened her eyes, startled at first to find an older woman actually had taken a spot next to her. Her naturally tanned face held a tremendous sadness, aged with pronounced lines in her cheeks, forehead, and the corners of her steely blue eyes; she was no stranger to the horrors of Night City. Her hair was a shining gray, hanging long past her shoulders with bangs covering most of her forehead. She looked strong in spirit, but there was a warmth and kindness to her presence.
She wore simple clothes, a crimson cable-knit sweater under a faded black syn-leather vest, with simple dark blue jeans and a pair of pointed boots to finish. She offered a light smile as she spoke with a thick Hispanic accent, "It never gets easier... every time I visit my mijo, I remember like it was yesterday..."
Maya looked down at the urn, disaffected and yet curious all at the same time, "Then why keep coming back...?"
"Because the city has already forgotten...", the woman continued, "...the ones we've lost only live on in our minds, and lest we forget them..."
She shook her head and sniffed up, "I will not let my Jaquito be forgotten..."
The woman's words gave Maya the strength she needed to stand up straight, and she passed her hand over the marked niche for her brother, watching as the small container jutted out from the wall. She looked long and hard into the empty space, her jaw clenched as she forced herself to gently lay the urn inside with both hands. She couldn't bring herself to let go, until the older woman placed a gentle hand on her arm and offered some words of comfort, "At least here, he will be safe... with your mother. You will always know where to find them..."
H-How could she—, Maya thought to herself, shutting off her internal dialogue as she waved the niche closed and turned to the woman, "Who... are you?"
The woman smirked and answered proudly, "I am Guadalupe Alejandra Welles... your father and most of his friends... most of Heywood, know me as—"
"Mama Welles...", Maya finished the sentence for her as her eyes widened, "You run El Coyote Cojo..."
Mama Welles nodded with a blink of her eyes, "Padre sends his condolences... as do we all. Antonio was... he was a bright boy, and strong."
Maya looked down again as a smile crossed her face and she placed a hand on the closed niche. It was nice to know her brother had chooms in high places. He wasn't on the path to becoming just another gonk gangoon... he was a part of the community, of something greater than all of them, and for the first time since their last fight at the Kenmore, she felt... proud of him.
She looked back to Mama Welles and asked the obvious question, "Y-You knew my dad...?"
"I knew him well...", the older woman obliged as they both turned and walked along together, "...he was a good man. A strong man who loved his family and his community."
Maya wiped her nose as she smiled and remembered how proud her old man was... and scared shitless... at the possibility of running for City Council, knowing he'd be representing and advocating not just for his brothers and sisters in Heywood, but for all of his brothers and sisters across Night City. Now it only felt like a distant dream lost forever to the sands of time.
Mama Welles continued talking, choosing her words ever so carefully, "We all loved him... Maya... and we all miss him, same as you. This path you're on... carajo... I do not think he would have approved..."
All the joy left Maya's face as she narrowed her eyes and gave the same excuse she'd given for so long, "...i-it's not like I had a lot of options... after he died... was killed... everyone we knew and trusted turned their backs on us."
"Sí... it was a nasty bit of business what happened", Mama Welles conceded, "But you have a choice now of where to go from here... don't you?"
Maya was so caught off-guard by her new friend's optimism that she didn't even realize they'd left the Columbarium altogether, and were standing on the sidewalk overlooking the City next to a beaten-down Archer Quartz hatchback with rusted body panels, bald tires, and a filthy windshield. The whole thing, small as it was, looked like a deathtrap, and Mama Welles laughed at Maya's reaction as she joked, "This car does not get the love it deserves, but it gets me where I need to go, when I have need to go..."
With a bewildered expression, Maya looked to Mama Welles, then back to the car, then out over the City. It felt so far away from here, almost peaceful. She never wanted to go back, and yet it was the only place she knew... the only life she knew.
Mama Welles pulled open the passenger door with a heavy thud as she motioned to Maya, "Please, let me give you a ride back... it's the least I can do."
Maya was almost afraid to be around the car when it wasn't moving, much less ride in it, but she couldn't turn down the chance to not have to walk all the way back to Heywood. She cautiously rounded Mama Welles from behind and crouched down to crash into the worn vinyl bucket seat. The door closed with a slam as Mama Welles rounded the hood, pulling open the driver-side door and hopping in like it was nothing. The interior of the vehicle was barren, all the surfaces worn down almost to the bare plastic and metal. And yet there was a warm feeling with a faint trace of perfume. It reminded Maya of her mother, and she blushed as she felt like a little kid again, riding with Mamá to run errands.
Her older companion depressed the clutch, punching the button for the ignition as the car whined to life, the starter motor protesting the entire affair before the engine turned over successfully. Maya's eyes were affixed to Mama Welles, the latter woman enjoying the entire experience with a chuckle as she shifted into gear, slowly releasing the clutch and leaning gently on the accelerator. Like clockwork, the car moved forward, the crunch of gravel heard and felt beneath the tires.
Maya couldn't help herself as she asked, hoping she didn't appear ungrateful, "You work with Padre and you drive this...?"
"We do not all possess the love of gold and chrome, child...", Mama Welles chided her younger passenger, "El Coyote aside, I choose the simpler comforts. Less attention, and less wanting for more... now, where to?"
Maya looked down at her own two feet, unsure of how to explain that she had nowhere to go. Still, she forced the words, "Uh... H3 megablock... just down from your place."
Mama Welles nodded as the car continued down the winding road back into the City, the transmission grinding with every shift. Before long, the piling trash returned and the steel and glass canyons grew ever larger as the shadows consumed the landscape around them while they ventured back into the belly of the beast.
--
[Thirty minutes later - Megabuilding H3, the Glen, Heywood]
Despite the disrepair of the car, the ride back into the City was pleasant enough. Not much was said between driver and passenger alike. Both of them were at the Columbarium for similar purposes, and despite their paths crossing, neither of them were in a particularly chatty mood, and understandably so. If anything, Maya was just depressed at staring down the maw of the megablock again, knowing she couldn't even seek refuge there anymore... unless she were to don a blanket and crouch in a corner like all the rest of the squatters. Especially after the morning's encounter with the 'psycho, she'd sooner take her chances on the streets.
As the car pulled around to the front entrance, Maya felt a churn in her gut, and not even from Mama Welles' defensive driving. The car slowed to a stop, Mama Welles shifting to neutral and pulling the brake up as she sighed and looked over to her younger passenger. Lucky for her, the color in the girl's face had returned, although she still looked like something was eating at her, prompting the older woman to ask, "Will you be okay, mija?"
Maya looked over, down, and then back out the window as she took a deep breath. She wanted so much to tell the truth, that she had nowhere to go; that the only reason she came back here was to pick up a duffel bag with her entire life inside, or all that she had left of her life. She turned back to Mama Welles and gave a half-smile as she sidestepped the question, "T-Thanks for the ride... be seein' ya."
Mama Welles had a skeptical look on her face as her eyes narrowed while Maya fought the door open and stepped out to the curb. She tried not to slam the door shut, but the door had a mind of its own, slamming shut anyway. She felt awkward about the whole situation, not really sure what to do or how to proceed. So instead, she turned and walked away... quickly. She kept her head down and to herself as she just wanted to grab her shit and be done with this place. She didn't know what she was going to do, but she sure as hell wasn't going to figure it out in this gargantuan hellhole.
The trip up was shorter than she remembered, and the atrium wasn't as crowded. It was strange, as by this time of the afternoon, the entire 'block should have been a madhouse from top to bottom of shuffling bodies bumping into each other. She counted her blessings that there were less than a dozen other bodies sharing the elevator with her. It gave her space to breath, and more importantly to shift herself into a corner and away from everyone else. She didn't like feeling seen, her point illustrated as a few pairs of eyes darted in her direction before going elsewhere. Even though she was dressed modestly, she nonetheless closed the folds of her jacket to try and hide herself. Finally, as if enough time hadn't passed, the elevator dinged for her level... or rather, the level where the lockers were. She hurried out of the elevator, arms folded across her body as she cut several people off. She didn't want to be here any longer than she needed to.
Thankfully, the walk was brief and without obstacles. There was nobody hanging around the lockers, least of all the gangly courier from earlier. And above all else, there was no sign of the screaming 'psycho. Maybe Maya's luck was on the upswing.
She scoffed to herself at the absurdity of that idea as she walked between the rows of lockers, stopping in front of hers as she shook loose her personal link. She jacked in to the panel, taking a small step back as the door shot open. She sighed with relief, finding her duffel bag exactly where she left it. Now if only the locker would refund her for the unused portion of the six hour reservation... fat fuckin' chance, she thought as she slammed the door shut before shouting, "JESUS!!!"
She was face to face with Mama Welles leaning against the adjacent locker, wearing the same skeptical look on her face as she asked, "Now why, if you live here, are you stashing your belongings in a public locker?"
Once Maya forced her heart from her throat back into her chest with a few deep breaths, she looked down as a wry smirk crept in and she locked eyes, "How'd you know...?"
"You have the same look as she did all those years ago...", Mama Welles answered, to which Maya followed up, "...who...?"
"Some stray my Jaquito met on a job...", the older woman answered again, "pretty little thing, just like you... she and Jackie were fast friends, and before I could protest, he'd welcomed her into our home..."
Maya blushed at being called pretty, a welcome change from hot or sexy, as she finished Mama Welles' sentence for her, "So you know the look..."
Mama Welles nodded as she poked her head back, "Come with me..."
...fuck me... not in that deathtrap on wheels again...
--
[Fifteen minutes later - El Coyote Cojo, the Glen, Heywood]
El Coyote was known far and wide in Night City as a prominent Valentinos hangout, even if Mama Welles herself was distanced from the gang. It was hard to maintain a healthy business in South Heywood without some form of gang involvement to provide security. For the peace of mind that Mama Welles was offered, it was a small price to pay for the bar being decorated in their colors and livery, and all but the unruliest of gangers respected her enough to mind their manners and keep themselves in line... if they didn't, a meeting with Padre was in order.
The old red-brick building sat safely in the shadows of the H3 megabuilding, only a few blocks away with its large neon sign offering a beacon of hope for all. Maya couldn't count how many times she'd walked past the bar, never daring to darken its doors. With what she knew now about her brother, she wondered how much time he had spent here over the last year when he was avoiding her. It still hurt to know that her own choices were what drove him away, but there was little she could do about it now, except maybe try and take this opportunity to turn over a new leaf.
All things considered, maybe bringing a junkie to a bar wasn't the best idea, but Mama Welles had affairs to see to. She was proud but humble for her success with El Coyote, and if she had a say, she would keep it that way.
Maya's hair blew back with rushing air from the overhead vents as the main double doors slid open and they crossed the threshold together. Mama Welles took the lead, turning and passing through another set of double doors into the main entrance of the establishment, Maya following a few paces behind. The inside was somehow both dark and well-lit at the same time, a persistent flood of overhead lamps reflecting off the worn faux-gold fixtures as deep red neons rising from the floor filled the corners. The interior of the bar was bigger than the exterior let on, a full two stories with a stairwell leading to the second floor looking out over the main room. The mounted speakers were playing whatever the radio was tuned to, 106.9 30 PRINCIPALES by the sound of it. Maya recognized the Spanish lyrics and heavy bass rhythms pulsing through the walls and floor.
The bar was sparsely populated for the time of day, but it also wasn't yet happy hour. A few gangers were tucked away in the corners, conversing quietly among themselves as a few others leaned against the railings upstairs, smoking cigarettes and surveying the main floor. The entire place was clean... cleaner than Maya had ever seen, like it was meticulously maintained. What she knew of Mama Welles' reputation was accurate thus far; the woman ran a tight shop.
As they crossed the main floor, Maya couldn't help but notice an altar back in the left corner. It was littered with offerings and pictures of a strong young man with distinct facial threading and a shaved top-knot haircut. He bore a striking resemblance to Mama Welles, causing Maya to wonder if that was her Jaquito that she'd mentioned earlier Her focus was brought to the bar as Mama Welles called out, "Hola Pepe!"
A strong man stood watch, holding court behind the bar as he wiped a set of glasses with a ragged microfiber cloth. His face was heavily aged, deep lines set in his cheeks and forehead, although the worst of them were masked by a full black beard and mustache coming to a point at his chiseled chin. His hair was equally black with a few gray streaks creeping in and slicked back into a high pompadour. He sported a heavy gold chain with an obnoxiously large crucifix hanging heavy over his broad chest, a crimson and black syn-leather vest struggling to contain his muscular build. His arms were covered in faded black ink, mostly roses, skulls, and flaming crucifixes, all pointing to his Hispanic heritage and association with the Valentinos. From the right elbow, his forearm and hand were implanted chrome covered in gilded plating; flashy to say the least. There was a kindness in his deep brown eyes as he smiled, waved, and answered in a deep voice, "*Hola Señora... qué pasa?"
"Have a seat here...", Mama Welles turned back to Maya as she kept walking, "...I won't be long."
Maya turned and took a seat front and center at the bar. The cushions were plush, almost luxuriously comfortable, and she sunk into the seat as she leaned back with a sigh of relief while Pepe asked in a thick accent, "Who's the stray?"
Her face scrunched up at the comment, and it was apparent Mama Welles didn't approve either by the cut of her tone, "That's Maya... Tony's sister."
"Carajo! ...I-I'm sorry...", Pepe admitted as he turned back to Maya, "So, otro pequeña Valdez, eh? I'm sorry about Tony... we all are."
Maya smiled, tilting her head forward as her hanging hair hid her face, "...thanks..."
"Get you somethin' to drink?", the aged bartender asked, the tips of his chromed fingers clinking against the glass necks of several bottles in his well. Maya almost seemed embarrassed, as if she wasn't imposing enough just by being here, but she wouldn't turn down a free drink as she sheepishly answered, "U-Uh... vodka, straight-up."
Pepe laughed as he instead reached for a bottle of Centzon tequila, crashing the heavy base against the bar top, "Nah, that just won't do... a daughter of Heywood drinks the finest, eh?"
Maya suddenly felt ashamed to admit that she'd never acquired the taste for tequila, but at this point, booze was booze. Thankfully, Mama Welles spared her the discomfort as she yelled from the back room, "Water or coffee, only!"
Pepe shrugged his eyebrows as he pulled the bottle down, placing both hands firmly against the bar while Maya scoffed to herself and looked down. The old gal was wise already. After a few seconds, Pepe leaned in to catch her line of sight, "So, what'll it be, mija?"
"Coffee...", Maya answered without taking a breath, leaning forward as she propped herself up on one arm and stared intently at the bar top. She felt another wave of exhaustion and a slight itch setting in, scratching at her neck as she wondered what was next. Her nose perked to the smell of "fresh" coffee brewing at the back of the bar, Pepe standing in the way as he watched and waited while steam rose up. Maya followed it, slightly startled as her eyes locked on a large skull with even larger horns mounted and hanging on the wall above. She stared, seemingly drawn into its sunken eye sockets. After a while, her eyes wandered all around, taking in the ambiance and all the decorations. The rhythm of the music thumping through the bar was hypnotizing, and Maya felt that if kept up, she might just fall asleep on the counter. Although she never remembered coming here, all of it felt somehow... familiar.
She was snapped to attention with the heavy clang of a ceramic cup on the bar in front of her, a dark liquid steaming up and enticing her nostrils as she quietly thanked Pepe. She wrapped her hands around the cup, enjoying its warmth as she brought it to her lips and sipped the liquid. In an instant, she nearly threw the cup away as her face twisted at the taste of distilled nectar and her throat burned from swallowing the mix of piping hot coffee and the sting of alcohol laced within. She made her discomfort known with a heavy exhale and a grunt, prompting a low chuckle from Pepe as he winked and said softly, "Looked like you could use a pick-me-up... que quede, eh?"
Maya blushed and smiled at the confidence and charisma of her host, taking another sip and trying to quell her face scrunching up again. She suddenly found Pepe incredibly handsome and charming, and if not for the solid gold band around his third finger... hell, not like that ever stopped her favorite regular from coming by every few days for a swing. Still, she sensed that he had a good heart, a good soul. And so she enjoyed the coffee and the warmth it brought her, even with the funky aftertaste.
Almost a minute passed before Mama Welles appeared again, holding a plate of steaming something in one hand as she approached the bar. She set the plate down carefully in front of Maya and nodded, "Eat... you need meat on your bones..."
She turned and walked away, the soft words, "...skinny thing...", trailing off before she reached up, playfully smacked Pepe on the back of the head, and emphatically repeated herself from earlier, "Coffee. Or. Water."
Pepe turned and mimed a scared face to Maya as she tried not to laugh for fear of stoking the anger of a strong Hispanic mother. She scooted in closer to the bar as she brought plate close, the smell wafting and lighting up her brain. It was amazing to her, never having tasted real organic food, just how good scop could actually smell and taste. From what she could see as she shoveled the food into her mouth, entirely unsure of when she had last ate anything, she was consuming some kind of soft chicken tacos with lettuce and a homemade pico de gallo.
Unlike most spots catering to a traditional American view of Hispanic food, Mama Welles insisted on corn tortillas, or what passed for corn in this day and age. The light and flaky texture and mildly sweet flavor brought a distantly familiar joy to her as she remembered her mother's cooking as a little kid. The chicken was perfectly grilled and seasoned with a satisfying crunch, the lettuce crisp, and the pico had just the right amount of bite, but not too much heat. Maya had to consider the fact that she was quite literally starving, otherwise she could honestly say this was the best food she had ever tasted.
And within only a few minutes, the plate was cleared, Maya having to restrain herself from actually licking it clean, deferring instead to simply taking another gulp of her caustic coffee as she held down a belch. She felt a nice pouch in her stomach as the food settled, a satisfied feeling washing over her as she pushed the plate away. Pepe stood across the bar, eyes wide at watching someone her size inhale that amount of food in such a small amount of time. But despite her gaunt appearance, those hips did not lie. The girl had to know how to pack away food.
Pepe stifled a laugh as he pulled the plate down and asked, "So... ya hated it, huh?"
Maya laughed, covering her mouth as she nodded, "Yeah, I want a word with la jefa..."
They shared a laugh as Mama Welles reappeared once again, "Too bad, she's gone for the day... let's go."
"G-Go where...?", Maya asked with a genuine curiosity, to which Mama Welles gently chided her, "Child... I cannot very well put you up en la cantina, can I...? Now come."
Maya looked to Pepe who just smirked and nodded his head towards the back entrance. She hopped off the stool, taking the last sip of her coffee as she rushed to catch up, her voice trailing off, "Thanks for the drink, Pepe...!"
He smiled to himself as he looked down, gently rubbing the back of his head, "Anytime, kid..."
Mama Welles was waiting in the back alley, a small bag slung over her shoulder as she stood by her beloved motorized deathtrap. Maya suddenly felt another churn in her gut, wondering if she'd be able to keep the food down after another joyride with the old lady. Nearby, children were playing pick-up basketball and shouting over each other at a nearby court, separated from El Coyote by an eight-foot slatted metal fence. The rest of the alley, save for the street exit, was littered with trash and homeless squatters begging for scraps, a familiar sight wherever one went in Night City.
Overhead, the sun was beginning to set, the City bidding farewell to another day. It was still light out, but the shades of pink were slowly taking over the skies as Maya opened the door and crouched down into the seat for the third time that day.
--
[Another fifteen minutes later - Welles' Home, the Glen, Heywood]
The sky was now a pleasant pale pink, the sun receding further as the day dwindled into the night. The air was starting to cool, and the sounds of the afternoon hustle and bustle were winding down. The Archer lurched to a stop in the broken concrete driveway beside a somewhat small and dilapidated two-story house nestled under an extended overhang of the building next door. Mama Welles shifted into neutral and pulled the parking brake with a satisfying click, giving a deep sigh as she looked longingly at the house and said, "Home sweet home..."
In a way, the house living in the shadows of the City's growth reminded Maya of their apartment growing up, and she felt a sense of nostalgia. The house itself was simple, a faded and crud-covered off-white stucco exterior lined with rusted teal gutters and window trim, and a long but shallow front porch under a shoddy awning supported by shaky half-painted concrete beams and braced underneath by dry-rotted planks of wood. It appeared as though the make-shift steps leading to the raised porch were made using the same wood, and were in a similar state of disrepair.
As Maya pulled herself out of the car, taking the heavy duffel bag with her, she honestly had to wonder if the inside was the same way. With the hours Mama Welles likely kept at El Coyote...
She let her older host lead the way, in no small part to see if the steps would actually hold weight. Once Mama Welles was safely on the porch, Maya took her life in her own hands, silently counting each of the four steps until she was standing next to her host looking back at her with a smirk as she said, "A life lived like yours, and a little rust is what shakes you up?"
Maya smiled and said nothing as Mama Welles reached forward, opening the screen door before unlocking the main door. It was a hell of a thing to see, and some what quaint... real physical locks, keys and all. She placed the rings of jingling keys back in her vest pocket as she walked in, turning and motioning Maya forward, "Please, come in and make yourself at home..."
Maya walked forwardly cautiously, making sure to stamp her feet on the exterior rug for fear of getting something on the carpet. As she expected in the back of her mind, the inside of the Welles' Home was just as clean and meticulously maintained as the inside of El Coyote. It was warm and welcoming, a pair of brown syn-leather couches meeting in a corner end of the small den with a coffee table between them. To the right was a narrow hallway leading to the living room in the front, and the kitchen in the back. To the left was a right-angled staircase leading upstairs. The walls were covered in Valentinos' accoutrement or other heritage-inspired decorations mixed with family photos.
Mama Welles stepped in further, humble as always as she turned and said, "It's not much, but it's—"
"No, it's... it's lovely...", Maya said, surprised at her own choice of words as the older woman laid down the law, "Upstairs is... was... Jackie's room. Maya, I know about your past..."
Here we go..., the young girl thought to herself as her jaw clenched while Mama Welles continued, "Antonio was... emphatic... in his disapproval of your choices, your lifestyle. On this, he and I agreed."
Maya rolled her eyes, shifting the bag from one hand to the other as she looked away while her host continued, "I will be plain... no drugs, no drinking, and certainly no putañería. If you can stay clean and out of trouble... mi casa es su casa."
She finished with a deep sigh, gauging for a reaction. Maya bit her bottom lip as she looked up and around with an anxious expression before she locked eyes with Mama Welles. She firmed herself as she nodded and bowed her head, "Sí, señora..."
The older woman turned before Maya spoke again, "M-Mama Welles... thank you."
They locked eyes again as Mama Welles nodded, "Now go and get settled. I'll start supper..."
She turned to leave again as Maya stood alone in the den, taking all of it in. She knew what she was up against, and she honestly hoped she could live up to her end as another itch prompted her to scratch at her neck and collarbone. With a deep breath, she slung the heavy bag over her shoulder and started up the stairs. The windows pockmarking the walls didn't give much of a view, mostly just looking out to the underbellies of the surrounding industrial buildings around them. Still, there was a peace to be had here. She could feel it in the moving air, the soft carpet beneath her feet, and the love and attention given to every corner of this hallowed place. She was lucky to be here.
Finally, she reached the top of the stairs, a small hallway leading straight into Jackie's old room. Maya felt as though he had never left... there were still loose items of clothing strewn about on the floor, and old band and movie posters peppering the walls. To the back right was a walk-in closet with a suspended punching bag hanging from the ceiling, and neatly hung clothes from wire shelves. A partial wall extending half the length of the room hid the rest of the closet, and the wall itself was carved out to accommodate a bed unit. The sheets were clean, albeit ruffled, and Maya walked over as she turned and looked around. She dropped the bag on the floor, at the same time sitting down on the bed. She sat pigeon-toed and her shoulders sagged down as her arms curled in between her legs, and a single thought passed through her mind...
...now what...?
--
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to say something.