Last time: Taylor beat his lil brother to a bloody heap, and did the same to his computer. Everyone is pitted against the odd-ball brother. Except a stranger he meets on the internet, who seemed on the same page as him. His new comrade promises to send him money through a P.O box...now what?
I finally exited out of the library with the conviction that there was no way in hell some stranger was sending me money via the internet. Even so I must have harbored some hope, because I traveled with my father every time he went to the post office to check his mail.
Then only a week later did my father discover a blank black envelope in his box, I quickly snatched it from his hands and said it was a letter from a computer magazine, that lost my father's interest on the spot, and he turned to his own mail. I frantically opened the fat envelope, and the stench of money promptly waffered out. I turned my back toward my father and hunched over the envelope as I peeked inside. My mind erased as my limbs went rigid, the bills were almost as thick as a paperback novel, and the bill in front was a hundred dollars. My head began shaking from side to side involuntarily. My palms were sweating and my fingers were ice cold. I finally had to snap back to reality when I noticed my father exiting the building. I raced after him with a new spring in my step as I shoved the envelope in my coat pocket. My mind was blank as it wondered out the car window all the way back home, then the sight of the tall ominous apartments filled me with dread. So I quickly exited the car and sprinted toward the library.
Once deep inside the confines of the library, among the close clutter of tall wood book shelves I reached into my pocket and peeked at the bills, there were the three hundred dollar bill, four fifties and the rest were twenties. It had to be well over four hundred dollars. I felt hope swell up in my chest, and I received a new fear, fear of losing everything. I quickly sat myself in front of a computer, and checked my mail. I had no new messages, and a whole lot of junk mail. I didn't even know how to recontact the stranger with the fat wallet. Just when I was about to exit out, another message box appeared. This time I was getting paranoid, I looked over both shoulders again, taking my time and made sure I wasn't being watched by anyone.
"I assume the letter reached you alright?"
I almost wanted to deny it, I was scared, but I also felt in debt to this person.
"Yes."
"It's not enough for a proper computer system, but just enough for a nice camera."
"y did u send me so much?!"
"It's really not that much. I'll send you more for a new computer."
"Don't"
"why not?"
"I can't ever pay u back. besides my family and he will wonder where I got the money for a new computer."
"Isn't there some place else u could set up your computer? friends place?"
"no."
"Sad."
He was making me feel like a human being, and not because he thought I was Taylor. It caught me way off guard, and I didn't know how to respond.
"Tell you what. I'll give you money to rent a room so you can set your computer up there."
"Who are you?!" I finally demanded
"I'm just a person who doesn't like to see talent squandered away."
I desperately wanted to believe his words, so I did.
"I can't pay you back." I repeated
"I don't expect you too, just keep doing what you love to do."
I didn't know what else to say, so he put me out of my misery and ended our conversation.
"I have to be going. I'll chat with you later."
"And keep checking your mail."