"Wouldn't Change"

Wouldn’t Change

By

J.E. Contreras

James stood in the early morning cold staring at the dilapidated old mansion. It was his savior. James had his most challenging year. It tested him to his core. His company had been financially struggling, and he had laid off some good men. His eight-year-old daughter, Star, had suffered from a severe illness and her medical bills were unrealistic to add to his heavy burden. Star spent most of her time with her father on the job sites.

James had been lucky enough to get this job. He does not usually beg, but in his predicament, if a favor is owed, he will never forget.

It was demolition day. James arrived before any of his crew, as usual, but without Star, she was too ill and still at the hospital. The other men staggered in one by one about half an hour later. James glared with dismay at his younger brother, Jordan.

Jordan arrived late. Last week, he had finished a one-year stint in Eastern State Penitentiary for armed robbery. James had reluctantly listened to his persistent wife and gave Jordan a chance to change his ways. Work for money instead of stealing it. His wife’s words lingered in his mind as he waited for his brother.

“Jordan!” James said sternly but trying to remain calm. “I told you to be here at seven am, sharp.”

“I’m sorry. I just...”

“Save it,” James snapped back, “just get your tools.”

“Gather round!” James said in a commanding tone. He waited for the crew of four to huddle around the edge of the driveway. In his hands, he held a clipboard with his assigned crewmen to their areas. “I know we’ve been out of work for a few weeks, so everyone should be well-rested for this project. Today is demolition day. Look out for load-bearing walls and pillars. You guys know these old houses are tricky.

Another thing to take note, there have been squatters here for god knows how long. I was told it was clear but be diligent. Keeps your eyes open and your ears on! That means you, Johnny!” James pointed at the man, scurrying his phone back into his pocket.

“Yes, boss!’ Johnny obeyed.

James continued. “Johnny, I want you upstairs in the master, and keep those earbuds out when you’re not working. Ramos, take the kitchen. Professor, look at the basement for me and see how the foundations are holding up.”

“And last but not least, Jordan.” James glanced down at the clipboard, then back at his brother. “Take a look around to see if there are any squatters that might be lingering.”

Jordan tilted his hard hat and winked at James.

James cleared his throat. “Keeps your eyes open and your ears on! Let’s move.”

They headed for the door of the abandoned old gem. Jordan went in first and headed to the back of the home while the professor made his way to the basement. Ramos went straight for the kitchen, and Johnny made his way up the stairs.

“Johnny!” James called out. “Take those ear–” James was interrupted by a large figure in the corner of his eye.

By the time he looked back, Johnny was up the stairs, and everyone was assigned. James searched for a moment but dismissed the thought and continued into the guest bathroom. Before him, in the oversized guest bathroom, sprayed in large red letter, “WOULDN’T CHANGE.”

James stood and pondered at the strange writing on the wall. Underneath it, he noticed a medium-size hole and black bag caught on a piece of jagged wood.

He knelt, and the bathroom door creaked behind him. “Hey Ramos, come check this out.” James grabbed the bag and pulled it out.

Ramos hadn’t responded.

James turned around. A hooded man stood behind him. James felt his heartthrob in his chest. “Scared me half to death.” He swallowed his breath. “May I help you?”

The shadowy man stood silently.

James’ eyes fell to a hammer hanging from his oversized jacket. James jumped to his feet. The hammer dropped from his jacket sleeve, and he rose it over his head. James caught the hammer before it connected to his skull. James yelled out for Ramos and Johnny.

James shoved the hammer to his side, skimming his shoulder and pushing him backward.

The man thrust James with the hammer’s handle. pushing James into the vanity window. It smashed under his shirt and sliced his forearm. James struggled with the unknown man, shouting for help, breaking part of the bathroom. The stranger leaped on top of James and pinned him on the ground. The hammer was on the floor next to them.

James wanted to grab it but could feel the strength overpowering him.

“Hey! What’s going on over there?” The voice of Ramos echoed down the hall.

The man turned his head and got up hastily and ran out the front door before anyone could catch him.

“Boss! Are you ok?” Johnny and the professor rushed over and helped James to his feet. Jordan was the last to arrive, as usual.

“I’m fine,” James informed his crew as he brushed off the dust. “I think it was one of the squatters.”

Everyone glanced at Jordan.

“I don’t want to alarm you, Boss, but you got some blood.” Johnny pointed to his arm.

James looked down and noticed a stream of blood dripping from his flannel sleeve.

“Should we call the cops?” The professor asked, staring at the blood.

“I said I was fine. Everybody just get back to work. I don’t think that guy is going to be back anytime soon.” James ordered.

The men looked at each other and reluctantly staggered back to work. James stumbled to his truck and grabbed his first aid kit. James patched himself up as best he could, knowing that the gash on his forearm would need medical attention at some point, but James had no time for hospitals.

James returned to the bathroom apprehensively. As he entered the room, he remembered the hole in the wall. James pulled out a bag with a zip tie around it. He glanced behind him, no one was there. He cut the zip tie and opened the bag. In it was something he least expected. It startled him more than the squatter.

It was money. Bundles of money. James pulled out the strapped bundles and put them on the floor. As he reached the bottom of the bag, he found an old tattered black book.

He stared in amazement. The buzz of his phone in his pocket startled him. He pulled out the phone and answered it.

“James.” A gentle voice came from the phone.

It was Lisa. “Yes, dear.” It sounded as if she was crying. “Honey, what is it?”

Lisa sniffed and blew her nose. “Well, I just got off the phone with the hospital. We don’t have enough money.”

James was unable to rationalize the conversation and the money that was staring at him on the floor.

Lisa continued. “We can’t afford the medication for Star. The doctors said they just couldn’t help us if we can’t come up with fifteen thousand dollars. There’s nothing they can do. They asked about our insurance....” Lisa burst into tears.

At first, James didn’t know what to say as he again stared at the pile of cash in front of him.

“It’s ok, honey. Everything is going to be ok. Trust me.” James thought about Star. He couldn’t give up on her. He loved her too much.

“How James?” Lisa sobbed, “Your brother already took out a second withdrawal on his house, and everyone has already given us everything they have. How are we going to afford it?”

James stood in silence again, wanting so desperately to tell his wife about the answer that was staring him in the face, but he just couldn’t do it. “Lisa, I love you with all my heart. Everything is going to be ok. I’ll explain later, but I must go back to work.”

James hung up the phone. He shoved the money and the little black book back into the bag and scurried back to his truck. Glancing around, seeing if his crew saw him.

James got to his truck, put the bag on the passenger side's floor, quickly closed the door, and searched the house again for any peering eyes. After declaring it safe, he entered the estate and resumed his work in the guest bathroom.

After resuming work, a sudden shattering glass came from outside. James quickly threw off his safety gear and ran out of the house. Someone had broken the passenger window. He bolted to his truck. Please don’t be gone.

He peered in the broken window. The black bag was gone.

Everyone else ran out to the front to see what was going on. James paced back and forth with his hands on his head.

“What the heck is going on?” Ramos shouted.

“I think someone just broke into my car and took some tools.” James lied.

“I’ll call the police.” Johnny pulled out his phone and made the call.

Half an hour later, police showed up to take a statement from James. James resighted what happened, leaving out the details of the money and the black book.

After the police had left and the commotion had died down, James noticed that his brother was nowhere to be found. He shouted out for him and looked all over the estate. Nothing.

There had been no word from Jordan for the next few days. James and his crew finished the restoration of the estate. On the last day, James went to the bar to quench his thirst and drown his sorrows.

The pub was empty, except for one person at the far end corner booth.

It was Jordan.

James stormed up to him and slammed his hands on the table. “You have some explaining to do.”

“Hush, brother. Can’t you see I’m trying to watch the football–”

“I don’t care.” James interrupted him. “You broke my truck’s window and stole my bag.”

“I did, but that wasn’t your bag, nor your money.”

“You’re right, but I was going to use that money for Star’s medical bills. We can’t afford it, and somehow this money turns up at the demo job. I can’t fail Star.” James felt his heart clench, and tears formed in his eyes.

“I don’t have the money anymore,” Jordan said. “I realized that someone would eventually know I took the money, and I’d be thrown back into the pen. I don’t want to go back there. If you kept the money, you wouldn’t survive a day in there, so I handed it to the police.”

All James’ hopes and dreams were instantly crushed. The promises he fed Lisa and Star were broken. Jordan was right, for once. James withheld his tears and closed his eyes. He let out a deep sigh. That was his ticket to save his daughter. He felt his brother rubbing him on the back.

“Did you know there was a black book in the bag?” Jordan asked.

James opened his eyes. “Yeah, but I didn’t look at it.”

“It had a huge reward for it.” Jordan reached under the table and placed a brown backpack in-between them. “Open it.”

James’ palms began to sweat. He unzipped the backpack. Concealed in the shadows were bundles of cash. “It’s 20k,” Jordan Remarked. James was speechless. He glanced at his brother.

“Use it. Save your daughter. She deserves a second chance.”

James wailed into his brother’s arms. “Thank you.”

“Go now, before it’s too late,” Jordan told him, pulling off him.

James grabbed the bag and bolted out of the pub. He climbed into his truck and floored it to the hospital. With a renewed sense of hope, he could save his daughter, and she’ll be back at the job sites, bossing him around in no time.

THE END