He stopped at Seven-Eleven and bought some beverages which Siddiq had requested. Carbonated drinks were ill-advised on a hot and humid day, yet no one could argue that they were the undisputed kings in quenching one's thirst. That's what his gang of underage workers thought, at least.
As he stepped out of the store, he was left with just the right amount to buy four parotta from Linda - they were one bread short, and being the benevolent leader that he is, he decided to forgo his own share.
After crossing a few traffic lights, Roy maneuvered the glum alleyways until he found Linda's food stall. It was at the edge of the slums, a few paces away from the mysterious entrance that leads to the deep dark depths of Donnol city. In reality, it was just a narrow passage where rusted drain pipes and garbage bins lined the walls, then embellished with abstruse graffiti only the skaters boys and local gangs knew their meaning.
In all his fifteen years of existence, he heard absurd rumors about it, such as it was the lair of a skinless serial killer, and others told about mad cultists lurking in some ruins in pursuit of reviving a dark God. There were a few lunatics who even believed that it was the passage to the underworld. Of course, it was all nonsense.
Roy dismissed it as a product of one's imagination running wild, or a gossip peddled by the bored then bought by fools. Apparently, that's how urban legends were born. It was creative, still, he'd give them that.
"If it isn't Roy," a plump woman greeted him from beyond the wooden stall. Her matted white hair revealed her advanced age. "Are you here for some egg parotta?" She asked amicably. Her gentle smile radiated through the bleakness of the place.
"You guessed it right, Aunt Linda," Roy affirmed. "I'd like to have four for takeaway, please."
"Doing overtime?" She asked. The corners of her eyes drooped visibly. "Don't overwork yourselves, alright? Just because you're young doesn't mean you can simply disregard your well-being. Health means wealth." She winked as if she had said something witty.
"No need to worry, I might look scrawny and weak but I am as strong as a bull," Roy said proudly, planting a fist on his chest. "Plus, the food you serve here is the best, and it's really cheap. Helps us a lot."
Linda let out a giggle, covering her mouth with her palm as she did. "There you go again with your cheeky tongue."
Roy never grew up with a mother but if he had one, Linda's tender demeanor perfectly suits the person he had in mind.
"Okay, wait a bit, I'll prepare your order," Linda said. Before she could fully turn around, Roy caught a smile creeping over her face. It was so hearty, so wide that her gums peeked out, but for reasons he couldn't put into words, he felt unsettled by it.
A few moments later, Roy could make out dull noises, like muffled thuds of something being slammed against the floor.
"Is everything fine, Aunt Linda?!" Roy shouted that almost tore his throat. His concern was met with a squeal like that of a pig being slaughtered. He steeled his nerves, rolled up his sleeves, ready to jump over the counter and break through the door of a makeshift kitchenette.
The door swung open as Linda emerged with a brown paper bag.
"Are you okay?! What happened back there?" Roy asked hoarsely. As he downed his saliva, his throat silently groaned in pain. His shout might have hurt him more than he expected.
"Nothing," Linda answered. "Pablo just arrived with a pig from the farm. We had to haul it in here then kill it then and there. Everything's fine now," she beamed in her apron splattered with what appeared to be pig's blood.
"Here," she stretched her hand to Roy, handing over the paper bag. "Don't worry, I made sure no stain came close to it," she reassured.
Roy inspected the contents of the bag. A familiar smell wafted over his face, but there was a tiny difference from what he had tasted before.
He looked at Linda, nonplussed.
"I added some pork jerky," she said. "It's still experimental so I'd be happy if you can give your impressions once you pass by again."
Roy's eyes widened in glee. "Are you sure? Don't I have to pay more for that?" He asked, making sure her words weren't fooling him.
"Of course I am. This is a one-off case though, the next time I'd have you pay the appropriate price." She then held her palm open and beckoned with her index finger. "Eight rials," she said.
With a knowing expression, Roy pulled out a five-rial note and three coins. "Thanks for this, Aunt Linda, I'll make sure to let the boys know." He scratched his head shyly, then peeped at the paper bag again. Inside were five egg parotta, when he only ordered four.
Roy's brows crinkled in suspicion as Linda promptly answered his doubts. "The extra one's on me, it's for Noah. She loves it, no?" she said generously.
'Noah, loves it?' Roy stilled, pondering over Linda's remark. His sister didn't mention anything about her preferences to strangers. She was a taciturn girl, someone who kept everything to herself. The only exception was him, her brother. Abandoned as orphans, the siblings fought through thick and thin and crawled through the deadly thorns of poverty in order to survive. Every dirty little secret, every woe and grief, they shared it.
"Did she say that?" Roy asked, stringing his question in a less accusatory tone.
"Oh no, I just thought she might like it," she giggled, innocently.
A disconcerting sensation pooled at the pit of his belly. It was like solving a puzzle with wool over his eyes, with only his pair of hands scrambling in vain to even assemble a piece with another. Roy's once languid mind roiled into activity, only to be pulled to a stop by a loud beeping, and a vibration in his trousers.
Roy frantically dug into his pockets, then pulled out his scuffed smartphone. He tapped on its cracked screen, swiped once, and said, "Yes, John."
"Get your ass over here this instant!" John's voice boomed over the phone.
"What's wrong?" Roy asked, puzzled. John was usually coolheaded, rarely he bursts out into a fit of anger.
"Sanjaya just struck a utility!"
Roy rubbed his glabella, sensing a headache welling in his head. "God, how bad was the damage?" he asked.
"An entire distribution line has been compromised," John explained, his voice cracked in palpable tension. "It's a goddamn EHV cable, Roy, E-H-V cable!"
Roy digested what this entailed, the repercussions, and he felt his knees buckle. "Fuck," he whispered.
"That's why I need you here right now," John insisted. "I'll have my hands full coordinating with the authorities for the investigation, I want you to secure the area and round up everyone. Gather some information for me."
The tumult of the accident went through Roy's phone like ice-cold water poured over his head. "I got it, I'm on my way," he said as he broke out into a sprint, brushing aside earlier matters, and leaving Linda who just stood stock still with a soft smile on her face.