The rain is pouring heavily outside the house as the water pellets plumets the window of my room. I sigh pulling the cover to my head. Sighing again, I undo my cover and get up. I look outside the window and grimaced.
"I freaking hate this weather!" I say as I start walking out of my room. On my out, I kick some scattered garments under my bed. I have no idea if they are used or not. I might check them out when I get back. Or not.
"Good morning Rafael!" my little sister, Connie, beams.
"Morning!" I say half-heartedly. She smiles at me as she hands me my toothbrush. I said thank you to her and walk straight to the sink.
I see my twin sister using the sink and look at me in the mirror. I stare back at her in her deep blue eyes which she inherited from our dad while me and our little sister Connie got our green eyes from our mom. She is older than me by four minutes as she always throw at my face. She nods and passes me through her room. I try smiling at her but I don't think she catched it on her way. I sigh, and turn to use the sink.
"Are you going to the shop today Rafael? It's raining cats and dogs." my mom asks me while making our breakfast or should I say their breakfast.
I look at her and notice the tiredness plastered on her face. She is beautiful despite the burden of raising a children of three of which under the puberty stage and one which is a toddler. Even though Connie hates being called a toddler. I still calls her one and categorized her on that stage.
"I do." I say. She didn't say anything else after that but offered me a breakfast.
"Nah I'm good. Jensen will probably bring some food later." I say. She nods and I return to my room. I grab my phone and headphone on the bed then head out. I bid goodbye to Connie and mom as I run down to the street with the rain pelting my head. I'm grateful that the rain have slowed down a bit.
I might have to check out my car at the shop after it broke down last week. Of all these days.
● ● ●
When I enter the shop, I see my co-worker's car at the parking lot. He's got ahead of me for the very first time. I smile and run through the back of the shop.
"Hey Raf." Jensen waves.
"You're early." I say with a smirk on my face. He gives me the middle finger and I laugh. I grab my apron on the rack after I punched in my time.
The day passed by in a blink of an eye. I started this local job as a counter attendant but sometimes I do the other things in the shop like washing the dishes which only happens when the dishwasher is out. I don't complain since it adds to my paycheck. More work, more money.
"Would you like to come with me after we finish closing up?" I look up at Jensen briefly while counting the money on the counter.
"Yeah, I think so. I don't have any plans after this."
"Okay sounds good."
An hour later, we start packing up and walks out of the diner shop. We walk to his old car and drive to the nearest 7/11. I turn on the radio and settled with a local radio station which they are currently playing a cheesy song from the 80's.
"You are such a hopeless romantic." Jensen says while his eyes on the road.
"Said the emo punk." I say jokingly. Jensen has been my friend if not best friend for the past two years. I met him on the job when I first started. He lives on the neighboring town from where I live. His town is much way better than this excuse of a town. We go the same school though which is Damascus High located pass the Wickery Bridge. And we both play the same sport - basketball. It's the weekend so we decided to play some rounds before we head back home from work. I go to work on Monday through Friday at four p.m. to seven p.m. same with Jensen since we have classes prior to those hours but every Saturday we have eight hours of work and on Sundays we only work for a half day. I don't complain at all.
After driving for few minutes we got to the nearest 7/11 store and buy some snacks. We've been eating the same stuffs at the diner for the past two years and you can say that we are sick of it. Don't get me wrong, the diner offers the best meals in town and everyone knows it. It's just that when you work at the diner and when they give you free food you will want to buy and eat somewhere else at some point.
● ● ●
After buying the things we need from the store, we drive again for another few minutes to the court. We play for 40 minutes good. While in the court, I feel like I can conquer the world. As if everything comes to halt. It's just me, the ball, the court, and my play mates. I also play for our highschool team. I'm the point guard of Damascus' basketball team since Junior high. And I am very good at it. The coach and school can attest to that. Basketball is in my blood. When I was a kid my father used to bring me to those games. And he used to play basketball as well when he was in college and drafted in the NBA. I'm trying to be just like him and play in the National basketball team one day. Maybe play even better than he did.
Were you proud of me dad?
Are you proud of me?
The game ended in our favor. I made more than half of the points our team earned. Jensen hits my back with his palm and I lock his head laughing. We laugh and celebrate at the small court. The other team congratulates us even though it was only a friendly game.
"Damn, man, you can be a star in the Junior League." one player in the other team says.
"That's my boy." Cameron says. Although he is better than any of us in the court. He played many times in the International Basketball League. He is one of many basketball players I look up to. And he is just only ahead of us by two years. I am proud of him as he is to me. I smile at his comment.
● ● ●
It is nearly seven in the evening when I got home. The rain is still pouring nonstop but slowed down through the day. I am exhausted as hell after working for eight hours and playing a game afterwards. I don't complain much though, other days are much worse than this.
Connie is sprawled on the couch playing with her dolls. Mom is making dinner at the kitchen while Alex my twin sister is texting through her phone. She glances at me and before I could say Hi she went back on her phone doing whatever she usually does. Sighing I make my way to my room.
"Welcome home, Rafael." Connie says in between playing with her dolls. I pats her head and smiles.
"Hi mom, what's for dinner?" I ask.
"Your favourite."
"Chicken curry?"
"Yep."
I nod and starts walking to my room. I toss my phone and remove my wet jacket. I do my own laundry since I don't want to burden my mom with such petty things.
● ● ●
During dinner, my mom asks how my day went.
"It was okay better than some days for sure." I say.
"How's Jensen?" She queries and put some extra rice on my plate. Alex rolls her eyes and doesn't participate with our conversation. I think she never does.
"Jensen... Jensen is being Jensen." He's been in the house many times before and because of the persistent rainy days, he can't visit more often. My mom likes the boy very much. And I do too. He's been my friend for all these years after all. After the meal, I help my mom wash the dishes. Alex dries them and puts back in the drawers. I head to my room after I showered and brushed my teeth.
● ● ●
Me and Jensen are texting in the last hour, talking whatnot but mostly basketball and girls. Well his girl to be exactly.
"How's our lady friend?" I ask.
"Jennifer?"
"Who else dumbass? Unless you have other girls besides her." I say.
"She's okay, we're okay."
"Hey, would you wanna come with us this Sunday after work?" he asks.
I contemplate for a moment and reply.
"And be a third-wheel? No thank you."
"C'mon man you did the last time." he insists and I laugh.
"That's when you tricked me you aren't bringing your girl man. That was so wicked of you."
"That was my bad. I didn't know what to do with her." I plug the headphone to my ear and play some songs on Spotify.
Jennifer is his first girlfriend in the last year I've known. They've been hanging out every Sunday after work. She have been to the diner a few times before. She is a beautiful Latina girl. But there's a side of her that I don't like. I guess there's a side in all of us that others doesn't like or we personally doesn't like. Either way I support my friend. As long he is happy with her, I am happy.
"How about you? Any love interest?" He asks with a wink emoji on his text.
"Nah man, I am focusing on school stuffs and work. Besides, I have better to do than going out with someone." And besides this town is full of shit. Everyone here is full of shit. Maybe one day, I thought.
We've been exhanging texts for a while now until I feel the exhaustion takes over me.
I don't dream at all.