Steve's Basement

-Henry? Are you awake?

-What? Yes, I am.

-Are you picking up Jonathan in school tomorrow, right?

-What? No, baby, I can’t tomorrow.

-Really? I asked you three days ago and you told me that you were fine picking him up.

-I don’t remember that. Are you sure you asked me this?

-In some way I already expected that you couldn’t do it. You always can’t.

-Are you for real, Mary?

-Yes, I am!

-You know that this isn’t true. But tomorrow I have this commitment that I already told you about, it is very important for me and for our family.

-Yes, you told me. By the way, you just told me that was an important commitment, what is this thing that is so important to you? Should I be worried?

-No, it is just something I am doing after work. Some extra stuff.

-So you can’t pick up our son in school because you have some extra stuff to do? Explain it to me more please!

-Oh, come on Mary, it is almost midnight, we have to wake up early tomorrow, let's sleep.

-No, Henry, just explain this to me, I’ll sleep better knowing that you are fine.

-What are you so afraid of? It is just some extra business.

-No, it is better for you if you start to talk. I want to know important things.

-OK, I will talk, but you have to promise me that you won't talk about this with anyone.

-Yes, honey, you can always trust me.

-Af, OK, how can I start?

-Really, Henry, what is so difficult that you have to think so much to talk about?

-It is complicated.

-Just start, no judgments here.

-So,

Henry, speak, you are driving me crazy. By the way, you are a chemistry high school professor, what can be so secret in your job?

Yeah, that is the problem.

-No way, are you not happy being a professor? It was always your dream!

-Yes, but the wage is so small. And now you are pregnant, we will need more money in the future.

-Don’t worry about the money darling, we can handle it.

-Yes, I know.

-So what is the matter?

-Two months ago Steve and I started to think about new ways to increase our income.

-No way, I know Steve is your best friend and colleague, but he is crazy, Henry!

-No, he is not. But it does not matter right now.

-Ok, so what is the incredible idea that you and Steve had?

-Now is the hard part.

-Henry. Just. Talk.

-Ok. We thought the idea was good in the beginning. And we thought it was very simple to do it.

-What is the idea?

-Well, we thought, we are professors in an expensive high school, and our salary is lower than the money that the parents give to our students to hang out on the weekends. That is revolting.

-Yeah, I have to agree with you and Steve, that is very revolting.

-So we just started to charge some money from those students that have not enough grades to go to an elite university next year.

-Are you kidding me, right Henry?

-No Mary, come on, what can possibly go wrong?

-Everything can turn out wrong. Everything!

-That is not true. Every parent's dream in that school is very simple: “my son has to go to the best university possible.”

-If that's not true, why are you so worried and can't pick up our son tomorrow?

-Well, the plan didn't work as we planned.

-What the fuck happen, Henry? Are you in trouble?

-I wouldn’t say trouble, just a small problem.

-What is the small problem then?

-Well, how can I say it? We have this very problematic student called Elon.

-And? Did you and Steve blackmail him to have better grades?

-Yes, this kid is so rich, we didn’t think there would be any trouble with him giving us some money so we can feel less angry about the wage situation.

-And what happened?

-He threatened us that he would go to the school's principal and the police. So we have to take action. We didn’t think that any of the students would be upset with the offer for better grades and achieving their parents' dreams.

-Oh my god, what was the “action’’ you took?

-Well, after some talking with no results we just had one idea: Elon can’t go to the principal and the police. We have to stop him. Elon has to disappear.

-No way. Where is the kid?

-Elon is in Steve's cellar. I know that this is horrible, but is just temporary, Mary.

-What the fuck, Henry? For how long are you planning to let the kid in Steve’s cellar?

-I don’t know, Mary. This was the best idea that Steve and I had. We have no idea of how to continue from here. Everything is lost. I am lost. I don’t know what to do.

-Yeah, this is complicated. A kid arrested in Steve's basement was off my list of problems to deal with tomorrow. I thought our worst problem for the week was who was going to pick up our son in school.

-I don’t know what to do.

-Yeah. Neither do I.

-And you Mary, what are you doing tomorrow that you can’t pick him up in school? Just don’t tell me that you and your friend Amy arrested a kid in some basement.

-That is not funny, Henry. Not the best time for bad jokes. I’m genuinely afraid of what can happen.

-I was kidding, but don't be afraid, we will find some solution.But what are you doing tomorrow?

-I planned to visit a client after work, but now I think he has something to deal with that is more important than my visit.

-How can you be so sure of that?

-I just had a feeling that I wouldn’t arrive at the perfect time.

-That is crazy, how can you feel that?

-Just did. Can't explain.

-Ok. Goodnight then, honey.

-Yeah, goodnight, Henry.