Foul Punch

Chapter 2: How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth it is to Have a Thankless Child

The taste of metal was no foreign flavor to my mouth as I licked the dried blood on the small vertical cut on my bottom lip. I ran my hand through my hair, pushing the golden strands away from my forehead as I locked my black 2000 Dodge Ram. The sharp, cold air blew through the condo parking garage. I zipped my black hoodie all the way up to my collar as I felt chills running down my back.

I walked towards the elevator and saw three females going into it, all holding an excessive amount of grocery bags. Then there was a man who was leaning up against the concrete, not walking in. He was casually leaned back up against the wall by the elevator doors with both his hands tucked in his pockets. He was bald and carried a thick stomach. He wore a Carhartt jacket that was two sizes too big and his blue jeans had rips and paint splattered all over them.

I squinted my eyes as I walked closer to the general area, having a feeling that I’ve seen him before. I finally got close enough to clearly see the man and it was no one other than, Felix Gunner: part time construction worker and full time gambler.

“Romeo, buddy, -- hey, hey!” He said as he playfully punched me left and right.

I stood still and gave him an annoyed, blank expression. This one never missed a fighting match. He was always there placing bets on me and I’ve made this guy a fortune. I’ve made a lot of people a fortune—even myself. But that ‘fortune’ was only enough for me to get by.

“Hey, so you know how you’re my favorite player—“ That’s what I ever was to those people, a player in their twisted game. “and you and your God graced skill has done you and everyone so much good and there is no doubt in mind that you’ll win tomorrow’s match and—“

I grew impatient and cut him off. “What the hell do you want, Felix?”

Felix hunched his shoulders and looked as if he were going to cave into his spine. His eyes darted all around and he folded his arms across his chest as he asked me to throw tomorrow night’s fighting match.

I narrowed my eyes. “No.” I brushed passed him and pushed the elevator button to go up.

“B-but listen, hear me out, Romeo, everyone is expecting you to win—“

“As they should.” I said blandly.

Felix nodded his head in agreement. “Y-yes, and you know they’ll be betting a lot of money on you, especially since you’ll be going against a new player and my plan—“

I cut him off again. “Your plan is to bet on the new kid and tell your buddies that you’re only doing it for ‘funzies’ because ‘anything could happen’, right? Then when they call you an Idiot Bastard, you’ll be grinning like a fool because you fixed it.”

He nodded his head up and down like a hyper dog. If only he had a tail. “Yeah! Exactly! And don’t worry Romeo, I’ll give you 10% of the earnings!”

I scoffed. “You must have lost a lot of sleep thinking this through, huh?” I said sarcastically. I watched the digital numbers above the elevator doors go down from 10…9…8… “The answer is still no—in a matter of fact—never.”

“H-how about fifteen percent or, or twenty… twenty-five? C’mon man, you’re the best street fighter there is, so what’s a one lost match ta’ you?”

I grinned and shook my head, this guy was a joke. The elevator doors finally opened and I quickly stepped through. I could feel him following me in and I made sure to stop him in his tracks. I aimed my hand at the collar of his white t-shirt and took a fist full of 100% cotton. “If you follow me up to my room, I’ll punch you in the throat. And to make this clear once in for all, I will never, ever throw a match. I’d rather lose to a man who’s a better fighter than me than to some punk.” And with that, I released my grip and pushed him away as the elevator doors closed.

***

I opened the door to my condo and the smell of burnt popcorn went into my nostrils. I cringed at the smell as I kicked off my shoes and tossed the golden key in the ceramic bowl by the door.

Out running from the bathroom was my best friend Phoenix Nolan. “Holy shit!” He scrambled his way towards the kitchen and I casually followed. Phoenix opened the microwave and a grey cloud of smoke immediately surrounded around him and all through the kitchen. He waved his hands frantically in front of him, brushing away the smoke. He grabbed the popcorn bag and tossed it onto the small island.

“Damn, that was the last bag, too.” He growled under his breath.

I walked over to the stove and turned on the hood in hopes that it’ll suppress the awful smell. Phoenix was a mess when it came to food—even the microwavable kind.

“This is why I do the cooking and you take care of the taxes.” I laughed.

Phoenix rubbed the lenses of his glasses with his grey t-shirt and put them back on again. “I thought I punched in three minutes, but I must have hit six instead.” He admitted. He walked over to the window by our leather couches and opened it slightly. “Where have you been?”

I opened the fridge and took out a jug of apple cider. “I was just caught up in something.”

Phoenix came back into the kitchen and gave me a sheepish grin. “Or you mean someone.” He said as if suggesting that I was out doing naughty things.

I gave him a “really, dude?” look and told him how I helped that girl. I wondered how she was doing and if her arm was okay. She looked terrified out of her mind. I was glad I was there to help her and that she didn’t end up calling the cops. If she had, there was no doubt in mind that the Chamberlains’ would have given me hell. They always seemed to think that whenever they hear the name ‘Romeo’ and any words affiliated with the police department meant I fucked shit up again.

Phoenix leaned back on the fridge and made a comment about how the Chamberlains and I were related.

“They’re not my family.” I growled as I took out a glass from the cabinet above the dishwasher.

“Whether you like it on not, Liam’s your dad.”

“Liam Chamberlain is not my dad! He might be my biological father, but he’s nothing to me.”

“At least he’s trying.” Phoenix shrugged.

“Trying to do what? Trying to make up for the fourteen years he missed out on? I didn’t need him then and I don’t need him now.“ I said bitterly.

“Don’t tell me you still believe that Liam did it.”

I didn’t reply and poured the apple cider in the crystalline cup.

“I know you think he’s the one behind your dad’s murder, but it doesn’t make sense to me that he’d be the one to do it. I mean, Liam went to your dad’s funeral and even wanted to pay for—“

I shoved the glass into the sink and there was a loud ‘clang’ that came with breaking glass. “Shut up, Phoenix!” I became aggravated and suddenly images of what I saw seven years ago flashed through my mind: the dank alley way where it happened, the flickering street light, the body, the stream of blood that ran out from his chest, and my frightened sister who was sitting there on the grimy, cold ground.

“I know he did it. Nobody else had a personal vendetta against my dad. There was no reason for anyone to hurt him, except for Liam.” I turned around to the sink and began to carefully pick up the shards. I distinctly remembered Liam being there at the crime scene and it was all too convenient that he was the one who called the police department.

“If he really did it, he would have been the one arrested and not that cocaine addict that went ape shit!”

“Those rich bastards can pay off anyone.” I snapped. “All they needed to do was flick their wrists and scratch their pen on a piece of paper and all their problems would go away.” I tossed the glass into the trash bin and brushed my hands together.

I shook my head. “It doesn’t sit well with me.” I said.

“Why can’t you accept that he cares?”

I ignored his question.

“Well, Regina cares. She loves you, Romeo.”

Regina Chamberlain was my grandma. She and Liam searched high and low for me ever since they found out I was alive and in the city. I remembered the first time I met them when I was fourteen. They were waiting for me in a black Cadillac Escalade in front of my old high school. Regina had tears welled up in her eyes as she ran up to hug me. Liam on the other hand resembled a statue.

“Romeo, it’s you, it’s actually you!” The frail old woman dressed in a white blazer suit grabbed my face and kissed my cheeks. “We finally found you!”

I looked at her in shock. I didn’t know who those people were and why that man looked so much like me. I grabbed the woman’s small shoulders and pried her away. She looked devastated at my action. “Romeo, I’m your grandmother.” She said as she placed her delicate hand on her chest. She looked at me as if I were a scared pup.

I was a scared pup.

“This—“ she stepped aside and grabbed onto Liam’s arm. He was dressed in a navy suit and his silk tie was slightly loosened. His hair was cut short with the sides slicked back with gel. He carried a shocked, blank expression, but his blue eyes reflected elation. “—is your father, Liam Chamberlain.”

“Regina’s the exception.” As much as I disliked the Chamberlains, Regina was the only exception.

“Oh yeah,” Phoenix went over to the counter by the door and tossed an envelope on the island. “this came in the mail for you.”

I took one glance at the all too familiar envelope and wanted to burn it. Every month, Liam would send me checks worth an abundant amount of money. He thought I couldn’t handle myself and didn’t know how to make ‘clean’ money.

“It’s not like your money’s all clean, father.” I mocked and sneered.

I grabbed the white envelope and tossed it in the trash can as I left for my room. I slammed the door and plopped onto my bed. I laid in it thinking about moving away where Liam could never find me. I could move to some place in the Arctic or maybe even India. But I knew I couldn’t go anywhere because I had too many responsibilities. I would be pulled back by the restaurant and pulled back by my sister.

I sat up and looked over at the picture of my mom, dad, sister and I that sat on top of my dresser. It was taken ten years ago when we went on a family hike. I could clearly see the trees and mountains behind us that seemed all too beautiful to be real. We were all red, hot, and sweaty. Despite the conditions we were in, we were all still smiling.

That picture reminded me of how things used to be. Who would have known that only a few years later, all of that would have been broken down into shambles?