Misfortune

Misfortune

By L.J. Branch

“Syl, he’s still here.”

“Hm?” Sylvia followed the bartender’s line of sight and saw a man of no less than sixty slumped over in the corner of her bar. Checking the time on her phone, Sylvia saw that it was well past closing time. “And you didn’t kick him out, Meg?”

Meg grimaced. “You know I’m not good at that kind of thing!”

Rolling her eyes, Sylvia moved from behind the bar. “Go home, I’ll deal with this.”

Concerned but not nearly enough to disobey her boss, Meg gathered her belongings and left as Sylvia dealt with the loiterer.

“Alright, it’s closing time,” Sylvia said as she shook his shoulder until he woke up. Exhausted, the man opened his eyes and sat up while Sylvia gave him a tight smile. “Time to get you home.”

“Afraid there isn’t a place like that for me anymore,” the man murmured and Sylvia allowed herself to frown. Sylvia could tell by the pain in his eyes that the man had been through some tough times but as far as she was concerned his sob story was not her problem.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Sylvia replied, and she meant that. “But you can’t stay here.”

At this, the man raised an eyebrow and looked around at the empty bar before returning his skeptical gaze to her. “Why? No space?”

Sylvia rolled her eyes at his sarcastic, if not slightly drunken, tone. “Not for you.”

“Ah, I see,” the man nodded to himself before reaching into the jacket pocket of what Sylvia realized was a very expensive suit. “How about now?” the man questioned before placing a sizeable stack of bills on the table. Sylvia’s eyes widened as she looked between him and the money before biting her lip in frustration.

“How long?”

“A month, two at the most,” the man responded with a kind smile. “I just need some time to hide away and get some affairs in order.”

“Fine,” Sylvia grabbed the money and glared at her impromptu tenant. As much as she wanted to kick him out, times were very tough and it was very apparent that the man knew that. “Follow me,” Sylvia instructed before she led the man to the back of the bar and up a flight of stairs. On the first level that they ascended to there was a single door and when Sylvia opened it, she revealed a vacant room filled with dust and cobwebs. “Not the prettiest, but there’s a bed.”

“I can see this hasn’t been used in quite some time.”

“Five years at least. Belonged to the previous owner.”

“Your mother?”

“Ha!” Sylvia laughed. “No, I don’t even know who she is.”

The man blinked and a troubled expression seemed to cross his face. “Your father?”

“The same answer as before,” Sylvia said with a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “No, it belonged to some cranky old woman who took pity on a poor girl too old for an orphanage,” Sylvia explained and there was a look in her eyes that told the man to drop the matter. “Now, do you want to crash here or get your down payment back?”

“No, this will be fine.”

“Good,” Sylvia nodded before she moved toward the stairs that lead further up the building. “One rule, never go up these stairs. Ever. Break it and you’ll find yourself with a mouth full of lead, we clear?”

Despite himself, the man chuckled at the threat and smiled warmly at her. “Crystal.”

“Good,” Sylvia said with a small smile of her own. “Get some rest, you look terrible old man.”

With that, Sylvia continued up the stairs and shut the door behind her. As her tenant heard a seemingly never-ending number of locks being locked, he wondered how she could ever expect him to break her rule in the first place. With that, the man looked around at his surroundings, his troubled expression returning, before heading toward the bed.

The next morning, Sylvia awoke and got ready for her day. When she left her bedroom, she turned toward a room adjacent to hers and knocked on it. However, when she did so the door swung open revealing that it hadn’t been fully closed and when she looked into the room, she found it empty. Her blood running cold, Sylvia cursed before she went back to her room and pulled a hand-gun from her drawer. Rushing down the stairs she went into her tenant’s room and saw that it too was empty. Heart pounding in her chest, Sylvia continued down to the bar and the only thing that stopped her from running out of the building was the sound of laughter she heard from the kitchen. Quickly moving to it, Sylvia felt both irritation and relief when she saw a young boy of about five sitting at the table as her tenant cooked breakfast.

“Mommy! Grandpa made breakfast!” the boy cheered before he looked at her gun curiously. “Why are you playing with Roscoe? I thought that wasn’t allowed.”

Forcing a smile on her face, Sylvia turned toward her son. “I was just…cleaning him,” Sylvia answered before she glared daggers at her very amused tenant. “And this is not your grandpa. He’s a man who-”

“-Broke no rules,” the man interrupted as he set the table. “I stayed put but imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning to find a pair of eyes looking down at me.”

Sylvia’s son giggled. “Grandpa screams like a little girl.”

The man looked abashed. “I do not! And you’re little!”

“So?”

Seeing how affronted the man appeared made Sylvia laugh before she placed a hand on her son’s head. “Sam, why were you in his room?” Sylvia noticed that her question seemed to make the man tense.

“When I woke up, I heard a loud noise,” Sam’s face scrunched up. “Grandpa snores even louder than you.”

“I don’t snore!” both Sylvia and her tenant protested but Sam shook his head.

“You do! You both do!” Sam protested and both adults in the room decided to not press the argument further with a child.

“So, this young gentleman’s name is Sam?”

Feeling protective of her child once more, Sylvia nodded and looked at her tenant suspiciously. “Yeah, what of it?”

“Nothing,” the man chuckled to himself. “Though I suppose now is a good time to introduce myself, my name is Samuel Fortune.”

“I could tell from the suit you had money,” Sylvia muttered. “But you’re a billionaire. Why are you here?

“I have my reasons,” Samuel answered. “I implore you to be discreet.”

“I’m no snitch.”

“My name’s Samuel too!!” Sam interrupted. “But I like Sam more, it’s cooler.”

“Want to know a secret, young man?” Samuel questioned and Sam nodded eagerly “I think Sam sounds cooler too.”

“Right!?

“Oh no, there’s two of you,” Sylvia joked before she joined them for breakfast. “Okay I’ll say this,” Sylvia began as she ate the food. “You can definitely cook.”

“Mom, don’t talk with your mouth full!”

“Well said young man,” Samuel praised. “But thank you, Sylvia your praise means more than you know,” Samuel said before he finished his meal. “I noticed that you have a ‘help wanted’ sign on your window.”

Sylvia raised an eyebrow. “Yes, but for a bouncer not a chef. You’ve only been here a day, if you want your twenty-grand back just ask. We can call it even since you cooked.”

Samuel waved her off. “No, my working days are behind me but I know someone who will be willing to take the position.”

“Oh really?” Sylvia asked skeptically. “It gets rowdy in here from time to time and breaking up the wrong fight can get you in the crosshairs of some very bad people. That sign has been up there so long I forgot about it.” Sylvia explained. “You know someone crazy enough to take the job?”

“I believe I do,” Samuel answered before he pulled a black notebook from his jacket pocket. “I can make a call if you want?”

“Go for it.” Sylvia shrugged. No one who took the job ever stayed, Sylvia knew this. Sam’s father had been the last and he quickly left when rumors started spreading that the local gang had him in their sights. When Sylvia told Samuel this, the man just placed his weathered hand on hers.

“Don’t worry,” Samuel promised, his eyes filled with a fire Sylvia hadn’t expected. “I won’t hire a coward.”

Later that evening before the bar opened up, Sylvia met her. A woman named Jay. At first, Sylvia thought she was lost or simply a new customer who arrived too early but to her surprise, she found out from Samuel that this was his contact. Seeing the seemingly frail woman in front of her, Sylvia thought Samuel had either lost his mind or wanted Jay dead but she had no real reason to turn Jay away. When the first fight of the week broke out as expected that evening, Sylvia was content to wait it out until someone called the police but to her surprise, Jay managed to end it, forcefully, and in record time. After that Jay surprised her by asking if she could work full time and Sylvia could only nod her head. Days turned into weeks and Jay continued to show up every evening and deal with the rowdy customers even after Sylvia was convinced someone had put a hit out on the woman.

“Where did you find this girl?” Sylvia asked one night and Samuel laughed.

“The streets,” Samuel answered. “Many disregarded her but I saw her resilience, she was a diamond in the rough. Here’s a tip for business. If you can’t find an asset to suit your needs, make one yourself.”

“I guess you would know a lot about running a business," Sylvia mused and Samuel pulled out his black book.

“Yes, and everything I’ve learned, I’ve written down in here,” Samuel answered. It was then that Sylvia saw something in his eyes. Something she couldn’t explain but it held a promise, of what she wasn’t sure but she couldn’t look away. “Would you like me to teach you?”

“Yes,” Sylvia answered and it was then, after the bar closed, that Samuel gestured toward a table for them to sit that he proceeded to give her the first of many lessons.

Weeks passed and the bar began to flourish, a gem hidden in the slums of poverty. Sylvia found herself being truly happy for the first time in years. Business was good, she was able to give her son a birthday party and Samuel seemed to fill a void in her life she didn’t even know existed. That night, the day before the end of Samuel’s second month with her, Sylvia told him this and to her surprise, he cried.

“Thank you.”

Sylvia laughed and brushed away his tears. “Why are you thanking me, old man? I’m the one that owes you everything.”

“No,” Samuel whispered. “I just gave you what you were owed.” Samuel kissed her on her forehead before reaching into his pocket and handing her his notebook. “I taught you everything I know, but hold on to this in case you ever need something to refer to. Be careful, that is the only copy. Happy Birthday, Sylvia.”

The next morning, Sylvia awoke to Sam’s crying and when she found him in Samuel’s room, she collapsed. Sylvia barely registered Jay standing solemnly in the corner.

“He was a powerful man,” Jay began. “But sick. He left you everything.”

Finally, Sylvia broke. “Why?”

“Because….” Jay began. “Because you gave him the chance to be the father to you, he should have been. Not raising you was his biggest regret.” Jay placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know you’re hurting but the company needs you. Are you up for it?”

“I am.”

“Then it’s time to leave Ms. Fortune.”