The Last thing to do

Finally, someone heard us. “I reckon we won’t die here today.”

His head nodded imperceptibly, passively bolstered against the elevator wall.

“ Sir, How many of you are there inside, ” yelled the security guard from outside.

“We are 2, please let us out fast." 

“ We are trying sir. There’s a major technical fault. We need some time. Is any of you suffocated? Do you need any medical support.”

“ We are okay until now. Can you just hurry up."

I crouched back on the metal floor on the spot cleaned by my expensive pants for the past 10 minutes, with shoulders dangled, supported by the sticky floor. The footprints forged by the parched dust covered the whole floor, hideous. The mall should care about there management more.   

     I leaned on the fury stuffed tiger. The elevator was gloomy, with dim LEDs, the only bright light seeped through the slit of the door. Time has stopped, relative to this elevator. I will be late for my daughter's birthday party.

My eyes juggled in the small box, then stopped darted at him, startled, gash scars peeked through his folded sleeves. He looks in no hurry, eyes closed, drenched in serenity, rested in this posture from ages. I scrutinized his hair, red and spiked aided by viscous gel, matched with his cropped jacket, beefy red, ragged. I was sure those hanging loose threads were not consequent of his perpetuate paucity; its teenage fashion. I remember the ghastly;$50 ripped jeans my daughter bought but those scars were unusual.

“ Where you got those appalling scars from?” I asked. He opened his eyes, weighed down, bleached. 

“ Just playing,” He replied

“Huh!” I blurted not much convinced. “You work in a rock band."

“ No, Neither talented nor fancy like you, ” he said with an inflection.

“ Fancy and me? Not more than your red hair, what’s about it, revolt against your parents. Your age lads do that.”

He frowned, “ I can’t revolt. They are dead.” He breathes deep, boosting his chest.

“ I am sorry, that’s sad,” I said. I supposed the conversation ended.

After a few minutes, he leans towards the tiger, “Look at it, luxurious, his eyes look real.”

I wrapped the tiger head sneaking through the plastic. “This isn’t that luxuries, it’s just my daughter's birthday gift. She wanted one.”

“Oh! Kids like stuffed animals, one of our mate in orphanage had one, when he came in we called him the rich guy for a year. Then the toy got wrecked from his whining tears and nose shit. So, I took it and mauled it, grated into furball.”

I gaped at him. His empathy towards others was questionable. “You live in an orphanage.”

“ Left it at 13. I am the boss of my own now."

“ Why you left your orphanage that early."

“The Orphanage lost funds. They were removing some older guys, then I gave them a reason, broke a hand and hump nose of one of the guys.”

“You broke it.”

He cracks his knuckles,” Yeah! Sturdy built, big guy. He always ruffled my hair, passing by. I got annoyed and decked him down."

“ That not a great reason to batter someone."

“ I infer it. The real place gives better reasons. This head, volcano lava, fuming red, resides here. My girlfriend peeves about it, asked me to meet some therapy guy.”

The elevator scurried down with slight quaking. We dropped a floor down, probably, doors stills closed. I plunged up, peeking through the slit.

“ Sir, we are almost done. Just a few more minutes. Are you both okay” cried the guard again.

“Yes, please get a pace”. I turned. The guy lights a cigarette. “ Are you imbecile. We will suffocate here and die”

“ Die!” He cried, “ That’s not the last thing, I want to do today, ” Crushes his cigarette on the elevator floor. “ sorry besotted habit.”

“ They will take more time, I guess, ” and there was silence. People’s clamoring slithered from outside, this was the sales floor. “ you got a girlfriend.” I asked.

“ Yeah, bright skin, brown hair, plays the piano. We broke up loads of time, Crazy head, but I managed to make it up to her. Nothings broke beyond repair. But, sometimes I deem she will not be around for long. So, I got backups.” He winks

“Nothings broken beyond repair, those are thick words,” I said. 

“ What about you? Wife and kids waiting at your fancy house."

“No, I was going to my wife’s house for my daughter’s birthday. We are separating. Just legal procedures left."

“Oh! Not that of a cool life."

I smirked, “ what’s your future plans.”

“ House, cars, better life," He said

“Oh, nothing much fancy,” I chuckled. The air got still again. I looked at my watch. Hope the party isn’t over. My daughter will not put up with explanations or excuses. Just like her mother didn’t. I sighed.

A metal rod lanced through the slit. It was the guard. The door opened. I squinted in the bright light and took the water offered and swung to say my companion a goodbye, but he vanished. I gazed through the crowd for that red hair, but no sight. I hurried, I had a place to reach.

I pulled my car from the driveway, yanked the door to open. The flower lady was packing up for the day. The bright petals of white roses enticed me. They are my wife’s favorite. I didn’t remember when I last gave her flowers. I bought a few for her. Then, hurried.

The road was busier for this time of Monday night. The cops were stopping every car, and checking it. Such vigorous checking took place after the subway blast. They found the terrorist before further damage to the city. These criminals are a burden to society. There was a tap on my car window.

“ Good evening, Officer.”

“ Can I see your papers?” 

“Here, sir, anything serious?” The cop shutters the papers fast.

“All great, ”said the officer, handing me the papers. He leaned on the car, “A wanted criminal is prowling, involved in some car thefts and fled after charges of attempt to murder, now back in town seen last night broke a head by a beer bottle in a bar. You can see his posters around the city, stay safe.”

“ Oh, thank you, officer."

I drove fast, honing up my mind, lots to explain my daughter. I Halted in front of the house, pulled the tiger out, bare, didn’t had the time to gift wrap it. I stood in front of the pole with the wanted picture accentuated by the fluorescent light of the street lamp. The face was may be doubtful, but those red hairs. I knew them. I seized the tiger tighter in my arm and took my phone out of my pant pocket and Dialed 911, then hesitated. “ Maybe this is not the last thing, I want to do today”.