The Janitor

[Note: Contains themes of gore, violence, inappropriate language, and substance abuse]

Bus stop

Mario Perez always takes the 9:30 bus at 9 South down Prairie Blvd to work. He is a janitor at St. Ambrose Middle School and has been working for seven years without any raise or promotion. He makes minimum wage and manages to keep his nose above water. He waits for Rodriguez.

"You are late, man," Mario says as Rodriguez finally arrives.

As he gets on the bus today, scans his bus pass from phone, and heads to the back, he notices three nuns on the sideways seats facing him. They have knitting yarn and a scarf.

They were chatting on, and Mario didn’t need to eavesdrop to hear the slander, libel, backbiting, and gossip of the entire town.

Then the first nun, who appeared to be like Madame Defarge the tricoteuse, looks up and says, "The time has come for change."

The second nun continues knitting and adds, "Fortune favors the bold."

And the third one finishes: "Greatness awaits those who seize it."

Mario and Rodriguez are taken aback by these strange messages. As they get up to exit at the next stop, Mario can't help himself: "Alright ladies, keep the fortune cookie messages to yourself next time."

The ladies vanished.

School

The next morning, as Mario is about to leave, the principal Mrs. Sharon calls him in.

“Hey Mario. How have you been? I have something for you,” she says with a smile.

“Oh yeah? What?”

“We’ve decided to promote you to Head Custodian. It comes with a significant pay raise and responsibilities,” Mrs. Sharon declares.

Mario is shocked to hear such unexpected news after seven years. He never expected a promotion, let alone such a substantial one. “Thank you, Mrs. Sharon. I still can’t believe it. Today is not April Fool’s, right?” He laughs.

“Your hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed, Mario. We believe you’re the right person for the job,” she replies in a serious tone.

Mario’s residence

That morning, half-groggy, Mario returns to his one-bedroom apartment at Reseda and breaks the news to Cecilia.

“You won’t believe what happened today, Cece. I got promoted… promoted to Head Custodian!” 

“Hell naw dawg! It’s been a minute. It’s about time. I am so happy for you.” Cecilia jumps on him wrapping her tiny legs around his waist offering a kiss.

“I dunno Ceec. I’m not sure I even want this now. This backbreaking slave sh**,” Mario sullenly points out. 

Cecilia kisses him again. “Oh babe, don’t talk like that. You know what you want this, right? Right? Oh baby, you worked so hard for this. You know carpe diem and all that.”

Mario looks at her curious. “Wait, what do you mean?”

“I mean, “ Cecilia pauses, smiles, and again gives him a peck. “You need to grab this opportunity with both hands. In this economy, this is godsend. Seize it. Life will get so much better I promise.” 

Mario’s eyes glint as he remembers the third nun said.

Fortune favors the bold. Greatness awaits those who seize it.

Cecilia’s voice gets cold all of a sudden: “Frankly speaking babe. You deserve more than this low-paying, hard-ass, sh** cleaning job. Heck, you are not aiming high enough. You are not seeking the big picture, papi.”

Mario returns her gaze. Coldly. “How?”

His baby-momma leans in and whispers in his ear. “We can make it happen, you know. You could be running the whole show.”

In their cramped apartment, Cecilia then plugs the idea of removing the CEO of A&G Cleaners, which pretty much has tentacles to all the cleaning companies in the city.

"Mario, think about it," she urged, her voice low. "He doesn’t want you to shine, babe. You know you deserve this. We NEED this.” She points to her tummy. “Imagine what we can achieve if that clean-f***, f***-face Jonathan wasn't in the picture, you know what I mean?”

“No, I don’t know what you mean, babe.” Mario gets stiff. “I can’t believe what I am hearing. You never spoke like this.”

“Ohh honey…” Cecilia caresses his cheeks. “Don’t get upset. This is how the world works babe. The strongest survive.” Then she looked away and walked to the window looking at the Vermeer wood chipper that the gardeners were pouring the dried cut branches in. “You don’t wanna be like those wetbacks now huh?”

Mario softens his tone. “But…h-h–how?” He shakily inquires.

Cecilia was cold as a statue now: “If you are really down with this, we gotta plan this sh– out babe. We can’t just do some sloppy ass job. You know this. You yourself don’t miss no spot.”

“Fine,” Mario now seems mildly interested: “How?”

“You see that truck over there?”

“Yeah.”

“Just think about it. Anything that goes in… leaves zero trace. We just have to find him, knock him out, and do away with the body. Simple.”

“Simple! Simple?” Mario exclaims. “Babe, look at yourself. Can you hear what you just said?”

“Mario,” She looked at him fixedly. “You want this or not?”

City park

St. Ambrose Middle School was shimmering like Seurat as Mario settled into his new role as Head Custodian. The promotion brought pride mixed with some newfound responsibilities, but he kept thinking about what Cecilia said. Just the sheer idea of eliminating Jonathan, CEO of A&G Cleaners made him queasy yet the allure of freedom and control gripped him.

They planned meticulously for a week as the week rolled into Saturday morning. Then they spotted the rugged former veteran huffing his puffing towards the stream where the gardeners were working. Mario and Cecilia grabbed him waiting for the right opportunity when the CEO made his way to a spot which had a lot of blindspots. The man immediately stopped consciousness as a handkerchief with chloroform dropped him. With Jonathan knocked out cold, they carried his body to the car carefully avoiding gaze with a few distant onlookers and joggers who didn't make much of it.

Then when the gardeners were taking a break they dumped the body in the Vermeer and Cecilia went to the driver’s seat, grabbed the clatter of keys left on the passenger seat, and turned on the engine.

At first there was no clamor… but the moment the woodchipper roared to life automatically all of them came running to witness a macabre scene.

From a distance Cecilia and Mario watched them. Mario knew a line had been crossed from which there was no turning back.

A&G Cleaners Corporate Office, Reseda

The news of Jonathan's gruesome death sent shockwaves through A&G Cleaners and the industry at large.With Jonathan's sudden absence, Mario found himself thrust into the role of interim CEO, thanks to a generous decision by the board members—a position he never imagined he would hold.

Mario's days as the new interim CEO were a blur of meetings, decisions, and constant surveillance. Every congratulatory handshake felt like an accusation, every smile from colleagues a potential betrayal.

Cecilia, however, loved her newfound status. She was almost a celebrity in her neighborhood. She hosted lavish dinners like baroness, attended high-society events, and whispered in Mario's ear about expanding their foothold. She quarterbacked everything and wanted Mario to eliminate any potential threats and tighten their grip on power.

A chica who grew up in the streets of Tijuana controlled by SinaLoa Cartel to arrive at 9 in chase of the American dream only to eat canned rice and beans for breakfast - Cecilia Garcia’s evolution from a street fighter to a brutal commander was taking effect.

Amidst the facade of success, guilt ate Mario's conscience. He avoided mirrors, unable to face the person staring back. 

With bloodshot cocaine eyes, he would stare at the ceiling unable to sleep a wink till wee hour of morning would come for him to imbibe some more alcohol and melatonin gummy bears to force the insomnia out.

Rodriguez was slowly being suspicious about Mario’s sharp ascent and jealous of him mingling with movers and shakers with the high society from judges to lawyers, councilmen to women police chiefs.

One night, as Mario sat alone in his office, trying to reconcile his actions with his conscience, he saw a figure sitting quietly in the corner of the room. The entity was there for only a few seconds before dissolving in the shadows. But Mario was certain, the apparition was Jonathan. He did not believe in ghosts or black magic and didn’t even believe in his Catholic upbringing. But the pale face of the uninvited guest left his chalice full of even more guilt. Mario confided in Cecilia.

“You trippin babe.” She said, “Look at me. No. No look in my eyes...” She moved his chin to face her. “We are gonna get through this. You hear me? Look at me. We will make this. Intiendes.”

Walmart

One Saturday afternoon, while shopping for supplies at Walmart, Mario spotted the familiar sight of three nuns near the toiletries aisle. Their presence, unexpected yet strangely comforting, reminded him of their forebodings at the bus stop. 

Approaching cautiously, Mario was surprised when the first nun, her eyes piercing yet gentle, spoke softly, "Mario, the path you've chosen is fraught with challenges, but remember, greatness awaits those who dare to seize it." The second nodded solemnly, "Fortune favors the bold." And the third added with a reassuring smile, "Stay strong, young man."

Mario’s residence

Back at the apartment, the discussion with Cecilia turned towards Rodriguez, Mario's loyal friend. Mario now had a single-pointed focus like Patanjali minus the devotion which got replaced with pills and cocaine binge.

Cecilia was also being impatient. In her cunning and charming ways she almost had a clairvoyant command over her uxorial husband. She pressured Mario to eliminate any potential threats to their newfound power, including Rodriguez, whom she viewed as a liability. 

Mario was not game. They chatted late till dawn getting plastered with whiskey and lines on their $1200 marble table.

An abandoned warehouse

The next morning, Mario took Rodriguez to an abandoned warehouse pretending to discuss confidential office matters after their kids softball practice.

“Bro.. I know you for a long time. Pero necesito saber si puedes llegar hasta el final conmigo. Board’s gonna be making some major decisions and we need to know if you game.”

“What do you mean?“ The friend stared.

Mario already got the answer he needed. He caressed the handle of the bat, the barren scepter. 

“Look man,” he put his arm around his shoulder. “I think it’s time up for a bitch like you. You about to get your cherry popped boi.”

“What?”

He pushed him inside the building as they approached a half-open gate. The building was completely dark with broken parts of conveyor belt strewn all across. 

A temple-haunting martlet swiftly swooped by slyly capturing the whole incident in its memory disc that no mortal can retrieve.

Mario returned to his car alone wiping the bat. Nowadays he didn’t even bother with evidence or cleaning his tracks. He took out a wipe from the back of his car which still held his past tools of the trade. He momentarily looked at them and slammed the trunk shut.

As he drove back to their newly purchased mansion near Lake Balboa he realized their world had changed irreversibly.

Mario’s new residence

One evening, as Mario reviewed financial reports in his office, a knock interrupted his thoughts. It was Cecilia, her gaze intense and purposeful. "Mario, we need to talk," she began, her voice slightly quivering. "There's a growing sentiment against you among the board members.”

“What do you mean?” Mario asked. “I thought we are cool. They ganging up on me or somethin’?”

“They're questioning your methods, your decisions." Cecilia sharply remarked.

Mario looked at her and touched her chin: "What are you suggesting, babe?"

She paced the room like a military general, her boots firmly planted on the floor. Then she coolly spoke: "We need to take decisive action. There's too much at stake now. We can't afford to lose ground."

Mario was stunned at the way his soon-to-be-wife carried herself and spoke. She was almost a different breed now. When was the last time she even gave him a hug? Like an obedient boy she asked her: "What do you propose, honey?"

Cecilia turned to face him, her expression resolute. "We eliminate the dissenters. Swiftly and silently. It's the only way to secure our position."

“Huh?” Mario was confused as a drunk in a checkpoint.

Mario hesitated again… The gravity of her oversell startled him. The lines between black and white got blurrier.

"Alright," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Let's make the proper arrangements."

Mario and Cecilia embarked on a clandestine campaign to silence opposition within A&G Cleaners. They affirmed that each and every one of them should be summarily executed.

Alea iacta est - Rubicon has been crossed. 

Ambition seeled his eyes. 

A&G Cleaners Corporate Office

One afternoon, Mario received an unexpected visitor at A&G Cleaners. It was Father Michael, the parish priest from St. Ambrose, where Mario once attended Mass.

"Father Michael," Mario greeted warmly, rising from his desk to shake the priest's hand. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

The priest's expression was grave as he replied, "Mario, I've come to talk to you about something concerning."

Mario was mildly annoyed at the interruption but curious: "Please, go ahead."

Father Michael chose his words carefully. "Mario, I've known you for some time now. I've seen the changes in you, both in your personal life and now, in your professional life."

Mario nodded, sensing the gravity of the conversation. "Yeah..."

"I'm concerned about your path, Mario," the priest continued gently. "Power can be a double-edged sword. It can elevate us, yes, but it can also corrupt."

"Father, I appreciate your concern. But I assure you, I'm doing what I must for the good of my company." Mario shot back softly. “See, when you do good, people talk. People talk about you behind your back, tryna make your ears heavy and sh–, excuse my language Father, but there are snakes crawling around.” He paused to gather his thoughts, still slurring a little, and then looked at him coldly: “I hope this much you don’t need to be reminded of?”

Father Michael nodded knowingly. "Ambition is a powerful motivator, Mario. But remember, there are greater forces at play than we can see."

After the priest left, Mario pondered Father Michael's words as he poured himself a drink. Was he truly in control, or was he being swept along by forces beyond his understanding?

Little did Mario know, events were already in motion that would test his resolve like never before, forcing him to confront the shadows lurking beneath the surface of his success.

Mario and Cecilia’s residence

"Cecilia," Mario said cautiously, "we need to be careful. This is getting dangerous."

Cecilia looked up, her expression unreadable. "Dangerous? Mario, we're not playing games here. This is our chance to take control, to dominate. This is way past playoffs baby."

City park

Mario needed to get some fresh air to clear his mind. He drove his car to the park, walked about, and lit up a cigarette. His heat-oppressed brain was making all the wrong noughts and crosses. He had plenty of thoughts and worries enow on his plate.

Suddenly the nuns seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Mario, your reign shall endure until the sky bleeds red."

Initially dismissing it as mere mysticism, Mario found himself increasingly haunted by the nuns' words. Weeks later a series of wildfires blazed the hills surrounding their city. Mario watched the horizon blaze crimson in silence standing by his mansion balcony as the prophetic message echoed in his mind.

Mario and Cecilia’s mansion

Days passed and the sky was as oxblood as ever. Mario's anxiety mounted. He doubled up on his Ativan while being on cocaine binge every night. He began to see it not just as a random phenomenon but as a sign, a warning perhaps, echoing the nuns' prophecy. 

Mario faced a crucial decision. Despite Cecilia calling all the shots of his business and hypnotically marionetting him, Mario couldn't ignore the chilling prophecy as the sky became more and more incarnadine and bloody. 

Then for the first time he took command on his own terms. He called his attorney, the reporters, the law enforcement and sheriffs and held a press conference.

The confession sent shockwaves through the legal system and the media. 

Epilogue

During his trial and subsequent incarceration, Mario thought deeply about how he lost his way misguided by his moral compass.

Emerging from prison after 30 years, Mario now was an old man with no contact with Cecilia. Last he heard, she remarried after reduced sentencing and lives with her husband and the baby who was born right after his imprisonment. The boy must be a man now, he thought, as he pictured him working at a law firm that was always his own dream.

Jobless with no home or papers and a botched record of sin, he decided to apply for any opening he could find. And as Clothos would have it the only availability was at his erstwhile school as a lowly janitor.

A house martin stood silently on a cypress tree afar observing the newly released man.

"The night has been unruly: where we lay,

Our chimneys were blown down; and, as they say,

Lamentings heard i' the air; strange screams of death,

And prophesying with accents terrible

Of dire combustion and confused events

New hatch'd to the woeful time: the obscure bird

Clamour'd the livelong night: some say, the earth

Was feverous and did shake."

                                                    Lennox in Macbeth (Act II, Scene 3)