As the sun slowly peeps out from behind the horizon and bathes the skies in a warm glow, the sparrows are awakened by one another’s chirps greeting the dawn. Glittery droplets are sliding down from the leaves of the evergreen shrubs. The squirrels are wandering around with their shaggy tails mopping the dusty ground. One accidentally runs into Isaac’s face.
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“Achooooo!”
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A snot comes out of Isaac’s nose, he rubs his nose with his knuckle. Then he turns to his left side, Tommy is still snoring with saliva dripping out of its jaws. Probably it is having a dream where he is savoring all the toothsome food with his friend, Isaac. Isaac gazes up at the sky, puffy white clouds are hovering above the sky-scrapers. The birds fly through that ever-developing canvas of the dawn, as if their wings are fine quills, drawing such buoyant hues.
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“Well, I can say that this is a mixed blessing. I would never be able to witness suchpulchritudinous splendor if I had never left that cage. However, I gotta make my living from now onwards alone, hopefully, it will be just fine…...” he prays under his breath.
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“Don’t worry, I‘ve got your back. And together, we can strive for this. Remember, a family keeps nothing from each other. When there’s a hurdle, spill it out and we will overcome it together,” Tommy puts his hairy paws on Isaac’s hand as he makes the speech.
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“Alright then, but the very first thing we need to kick-start the day is to get both of us some food from the restaurants nearby. Let me see……”He rummages in his string bag, “Thank god, it’s still here. My scholarship for coming first in place in all subjects at school, they’re still here. Surprisingly, they weren’t snatched by avaricious Luke.”
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Caged in his fingers is a note of USD50.
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“So…… the breakfast thing is kinda being solved now, I suppose,” asked Tommy, tilting its head.
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“Well, for now, yes. But for weeks or months, that’s gonna be a ‘no’. We have to come up with a plan to get our bread and butter before both of us starve to death.”
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“Two heads are better than one, let’s just relax and put our heads together only after we get our hunger appeased,” suggested Tommy, then he scuttles across the road and halts his steps in front of a food stall.
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The food stall is operated by an old man who has already gone completely receded. His fuzzy white beard is expanding its colony to his wrinkled neck. He looks friendly enough though, at least by looking at his appearance, you wouldn’t link him up to those waiters who would roar at customers when they couldn’t catch up with the orders made by them. Isaac takes a swift look at the prices of the food.
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“Guess we could only afford one hotdog and one sandwich, Tommy,” sighs Isaac.
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“The sandwich with only ham and scrambled eggs?”
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“Bruh, the one with only lettuce indeed,” Isaac says as he rolls his eyes at Tommy.
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After making the payment, they wander on the streets, where the hectic city is beginning to come around. Pedestrians are flooding the streets and the steel monsters are starting off from their homes. They leave nothing but a ball of grayish breath behind. Soon as they make their way to another destination, the puff vanishes.
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“ Hey, have you ever thought about working for money? Perhaps in a restaurant or a grocery store? You know? That kinda place,” asks Tommy as he takes the last bite of its sandwich.
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“Alright then, let’s get our first mission completed straight away! Let’s go back to the stall just now, shall we?” He answers as he devours the hotdog held in his grasp.
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Patting off the dirt stuck on his shorts, Isaac sets off with Tommy. When they reach that stall, a long queue of customers is already blocking their way, as if they are the barriers that a little kid and his furry pal will never conquer. The sun has become boiling hot when they’re finally up to the very front.
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“Hey, kiddo. It’s you again huh? What’s on your mind for lunch? Spaghetti or noodles? Or simply just curry with rice? Gotta hurry cuz the people behind you are already starving. By the way, I’ll give you two extra chicken wings if you buy any of these, and this offer is only for you so please stay low-key,” the old man is handing him a bag of grilled chicken wings with herbs on them while rushing him.
“Sorry, but we are not buying food from you this time. We want to know if you would kindly offer us a job to us, like frying the chicken or cleaning the stove. We beg you for that,” Issac implores.
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“WHAT? A kid like you? No, no, no. You gotta wake up at 4 a.m. in the morning before the sun peeks out from the horizon before the birds come out to hunt for fresh worms. But having enough sleep is of paramount importance for a kid like you. Therefore, I’m afraid that I couldn’t grant your request this time, but here you are,” the man says as he hands him a bag stuffed with chicken wings and spaghetti, “my gifts for you. I wish you the best of luck finding a job that you are capable of.”
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Then they leave with dispiritedness, munching the chicken wings given by the man.
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“Cheer up, Isaac. It’s just the first time we got rejected. Chances await in the near future, and here we come!”
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A scent drags their attention while they are marching on the road. A high-end eatery is where the scent comes from.
Isaac cannot help bursting into it even if his mind tells him not to do so.
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“Excuse me miss, are you still hiring cooks? From just my appearance you may think that I have no flair for cooking, but in fact, I am an excellent cook. Would you just kindly offer me a chance to showcase my ability to cook? I am sure that, with my zest for cooking…”
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“Sorry kid, we don’t hire kids like you who are below 14 years old, come back here when you pass more of your birthdays,” the waitress interrupts.
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Then they once again leave with disheartenment. Having no idea of what they should do next, they lie down on a random bench with some bird droppings on.
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“Tommy, perhaps we should just wait for death to come and haunt us. I mean, as you can see, people are all rejecting us. No one would ever hire me unless I meet their age requirements. Perhaps we are just doomed to die. Let’s just succumb to our destiny,” Isaac suggests as he slowly closes his eyes, immersing himself in the sun.
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“Never give up that easily. Giving up implies that you won’t stand any chance of being successful, but if you keep the passion within you and keep on trying, you still stand a chance of getting a job. These are my words to you. I bet you get what I mean, don’t you?” Tommy nudges him.
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“Alright then, gonna try it for the last time,” Isaac yawns as he stretches his arms, “the exotic pet shop nearby might welcome us. What about going there?”
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“That’s my boy. Sure, let’s start off,” Tommy says as he wags his tail rapidly.
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The boy and the dog thus direct their steps toward the pet shop. Through the glass, they could see hundreds of thousands of different species of pets. Some are burying their heads into their bowls while others are snoring in their designated beds.
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“I guess a spacious store like this will surely require a great deal of manpower, so it’s quite worth a try.”
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He pushes the button on the door’s frame, then it opens automatically.
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“Good day, kid. How are you doing? What may I help ya with?” The shop assistant questions Isaac with her cheeks dimpled.
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“Pretty nice, miss. I am wondering if your boss could hire me as a shop assistant or just simply a janitor. I swear that I would do whatever you guys offer me and I am keen on looking after animals. Please, just gimme a chance,” the boy kneels down, bowing till his cheeks touch the floor.
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“I’m sorry but I’m kinda bewildered. No offense, but you are only a kid, how are you capable of taking care of pets? Moreover, the pets here are unlike ordinary ones. Some of them are ferocious and would snap your fingers before you even notice, perhaps…” the shop assistant says, trying to make him leave the shop.
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“Oh, you want proof? Please wait for a second. I’ll be back in no time,” he dashes out of the store and returns with Tommy embraced in his arms.
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“Woah, I can say that’s quite impressive. Shimmering furs, body in good shape, mesmerizing eyes, and fluffy tails with no hair tangled. I’ll ask my boss to consider it. Please wait here for a moment. You may take a look around at our store,” she says as she pushes open the office’s door.
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“I can’t believe I did it! Tommy, you are right. I should never give up easily,” he yells in inexplicable ecstasy, “now let’s wander around to get familiar with our working place!”
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They then hang around in the shop. It is quite a pleasant time for both of them to spend with each other until one of them trips over the lying electric wires on the floor. The tank connected to the end of the wires then falls from the shelf. Followed by a crispy ‘clink”, the tank shatters into thousands of millions of pieces.
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“Uh-oh, I’ll handle the mess. Tommy, could you please talk to the shop assistant to beg for her forgiveness?” Isaac requests.
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“What? No, sorry I can’t. You are the only human that can communicate with me. Moreover, the market price of that tank is around USD 100000, I don’t think just an apology would get things all solved,” it says as it shakes its head. “It’s better if we run now, before she witnesses this mess.”
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It’s the first time that Isaac decides to run away from the responsibility.
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“Oh my, what’s going on here? Boss, the tank you treasure the most is now nothing more than a pile of shards. What shall we do now?” She narrows her eyebrows, glaring at the catastrophe which has just occurred.
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“Go after them of course! What kinda stupid questions are you asking?” The boss roars frantically.
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All of a sudden, storm clouds begin to swallow the sky, and the wind starts to howl and whips everyone’s face. Branched lightning lit up the sky. Buzzing and hissing, they tremble with the anger of being shackled to the atmosphere since time begins. The thunder is trying to thrash anything with its unleashed power.
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“Hurry up, Isaac. They are right behind us.”
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“I’m running out of energy, dude. I suck at sports.”
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Just about when they are losing hope, a dense forest emerges in front of their eyes. The trees are overhanging their limbs across one another. The scent of rotting leaves is shrouding the whole greenwood. The entire place is far beyond spooky.
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“What shall we do now, Tommy? Should we go inside?” Isaac asks as he quivers and shivers.
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“Yeah, probably. We are dead meat if they catch us red-handed, but if we sneak inside now, we still stand a chance to survive,” Tommy answers.
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Panicking, they dash toward the forest with all the remaining energy they have in their limbs. What makes the whole thing inconceivable is that, once they slink into it, the thunder stops grumbling. The waves are no longer crashing at the fishermen’s feet. The sky has once again reclaimed its tranquility.
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“Damn, we have completely lost track of them, and now, only buildings are left to be seen,” the boss growls in exasperation.
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“How come? I mean, all the buildings in this area are guarded by the most elite soldiers, they will never stand a chance of getting into them.”
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“Who knows? Maybe they have already drowned themselves in the waves of rain and lightning. Oh, poor kids!” He giggles, “c’mon, let’s return to work.”
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