It was the switching time

The siren ending the 8 hours shift echoed all over the warehouse, it was the switching time, around 6 pm all the workers ending stood up from the chairs and the platform to let the next group kick off their shift which will last till 5 am.

Riccardo breathed out all the tiredness from the hard day at work, he grabbed his jacket, and walked out the department through the side door of the workshop; it's only midweek, but he struggle to feel his arms already. Before taking the main gate leading out of the factory, the hand goes inside the jacket to pick up the little black book where he notes his hours, having a look around the few hundred people who just ended their shift rushing to the bar for a pint, while he thinks ''This isn't me, I'm something else''.

As so he light up a cigarette, and now that the main group walked out he makes his way to the car park near the highway. While turning the corner he breaths out the smoke wondering if mum is sober or not, wondering if she will ever change or not, wondering when his life will actually change in better; looking at the moon coming up he takes out his little black book again, he turns it from the end and goes ahead as usual writing quotes and thoughts, stating a simple 'This will change, as everything in the world does'.

He can see mum now, she's always on time. Unemployed, her only task is to pick him up and take him to work, she likes to go there early so she can have few cigarettes while looking at all those factory prisoners, thinking her son is better than them.

''Hi, how are you?'' goes Riccardo.

''Hei, what's going on!!'' he goes again as mum pushes him in the car slamming the door.

Frozen the soon 18 Riccardo look at his mother wondering if she's drunk and our of her mind, she takes few looks around, very awkwardly her eyes blinks every second and the short of breath isn't clear where it comes from. She finally stop and look straight him into the eyes, from the bra she takes out an envelope and goes: '' Look Riki!'', as she opened the little paper bag her shaking voice says ''They are 20'000 $ Riki!''.

''Where on earth did You get them?'' he says unbelieving his eyes.

''I just found them here when I stepped out the car, I've looked around and nobody seems to be looking for it, let's go home before somebody shows up!''

Without even ending her words she starts the engine and rush to the main road towards home. Riccardo light up another cigarette and stays petrified looking out of the window, thinking how absurd the situation is and what on earth to do with the money to actually change their situation; pay few months rent, go back to school, pay for his drive licence, get a new pair of shoes, go out for a pizza, or simply follow his dream racing in the local motocross championship. He's good at it and aware that one single chance of being notice could lead him to a contract with a major firm, his eyes smiles far from the situation, letting the imagination lull his thoughts.

Once out of the house mum rushed in, holding the door looking for anybody around, to then shut the whole house down and sit at the dining table.

Riccardo calmly look at his mum who's nervously biting her nails, looking at the money on the table, the smell of tobacco and ash fills Riki's nose, as it does that smell of sweated booze from somebody who doesn't give time to his body to get sober, falling into the booze again.

She breaks the ice:''What shall we do with that Riki?''

and him : ''I don't know, what have You got in mind?''

''I don't know, I could buy a nice dress, go for a manicure, hairdresser and get my self a bit more presentable, so I may find a new father to you and we could live as a happy family!'' She said.

Riccardo was excited to see mum like that, full of energy and the willing of change, since his father died ten years before, the light in her eyes vanished, and since then just troubles, bills, booze, flat after flat, school after school, job after job, made instability the role number one of their lives.

He loved to hear those words, but suddenly he got sad, he's not a kid any more, as the life made him to grow up before his age, understanding the difference between reality and not, between dreams, fiction, and everyday cruel life made of little satisfactions and content moments.

''Mum'', he goes looking her in the eyes, but too far from her heart to hold her hands '' Don't you think we should pay the next few months rent in advance and get you a bit clean up to get a job?,

so we can may go out for a pizza me and you, and restart just on our own, to be independent from any body, just a family made of the 2 of us living with our potentials?''

''You know, I have dreams, you have dreams, but let's be honest, this is the first good thing that happen to us in years, I'm sure god looked at us giving another chance, but we need to don't blow it up, We also don't know who lost those money and..''

''Shut up!'' she said ''Anybody who lost 20k has definitely more money than us, don't bother of thinking about them!''

Riccardo stopped for a second, blowing out the last puff he suffocates the ciggy butt in the ashtray.

He looks like a family man in his forty, sure of what he says and does, confident, even with a teenage baby face.

He rises a bit up the chair, putting his elbows on the table looks at his mother straight in the eyes going: '' These money don't belong to us, and we don't belong to money; money belongs to the devil, and the temptations are deep inside the hell's brain, who comes between us to prove how good we are, to end up straight to his door once our miserable life will end. It seems our souls choose a hell path in this life, to achieve the holy bless when our hearts will stop beating.''

Mum froze as an angel from the ancient testament was speaking.

''We need to give a chance to who lost the money to regain their belonging, as so, tomorrow you will wait one hour after you will bring me at work, and you will come one earlier to pick me up, looking for anybody searching for the envelope around. If nobody shows up then we will keep the money, we will pay two months rent in advance and save a third of what's left, while the other two thirds will be divided by the two of us, so you can do what you want and I can spend the money as I want. What do You think?''

Mum's wrinkles got a bit deeper around the mouth and the eyes. But immediately relax as she goes: '' You grow so quickly, how wise and confident you became putting the truth and the thoughtfulness before me in the ideas, I agree with You, you're my joy, and please pardon me if I let you down in the past, and if those money drove me out of the kindness. You're right, let's do that''.

They had white rice with canned tuna that night, Riccardo's favourite humble meal, nobody really spoke that night, the tv was ruling the room, after the tea he went to bed, while mum fell half drunk asleep in front of the television.

The morning after, the hope of finding and at the same time not finding the money's owner took Riccardo's hand while sipping his coffee, not much words were said that morning, until they got to the factory, as silent he looked at mum before stepping out the car, she went '' As we said yesterday, I will wait here one hour now and come one earlier tonight to see if anybody shows up looking for the money, if not we will use the money as agreed yesterday'' And while caressing his face she said ''I promise''.

Riccardo went to work, started his shift thinking how many promises mum didn't keep, and for the whole day his mind couldn't stop spinning.

The 6 pm siren echoed through the warehouse as the shift over.

Is the moment of the truth, Riccardo grabs his jacket and walks out the department through the side door of the workshop, the hand goes inside the jacket to pick up the little black book where he notes his hours, and turning it to the other side he writes 'Maybe today something could change'.

He breaths out to take the courage to know the truth, as he walks towards mum's car his head is booming but he looks calm and steady. He opens the door and sits in the car, looks at mum and goes ''So?!''

She looks at him seeming quite down, and says '' Baby! You were right, an immigrant lost his salary after the harvesting season in a farm not far from here. He was returning home with those money, I saw him looking around for the envelope as I got here one hour ago, I gave him every thing back, you can't imagine how he exploded in tears, He hugged me, and hugged me again, and after thanking me a million time he took out 1000 $ from the envelope and gave it to me, as so I thought we could share it.''

''Wow'' goes Riccardo, ''we had 20 k yesterday, and don't have 'em any more today''.

''I know baby'' mum says caressing his hair ''but to be honest with you, I feel good for what we did, you were right! This money didn't belong to us, and I'm happy we did the right thing, and also we have a little sum as a reward, it's a win win, come on baby!''

''I guess you're right, but hey, at least I can participate to the motocross race next month, the fees are around 400$, You never know what that could lead!''

''You see baby! There's a happy ending to this story, as I said, it's a win win. However, let's take you home, I'm gonna go to the hairdresser and we can order pizza for dinner! There we go, take your 500$ now so You can start to think what to do with them, and here's another 20 for the pizzas''

''Thanks mum, I'm happy we did the right thing'' says Riccardo while stepping out the car.

While mum's car drive away he lights up a cigarette, looking at the sky he thinks about what happen in the last 24 hours. Blows out the smoke, when the cigarette is killed he walks in to the house, as he goes to the toilet he returns to his steps as mum's bedroom looks messy.

All the wardrobe are empty, all the drawers, and a little note on the bed that says 'Sorry Baby, I love You'.