Chasing

Leonardo looked at his father, completely disappointed. His father was still sitting on the couch, crying and trembling from the fear he had felt with that gun pointed at his head.

"When will this end, father?"

"Forgive me, son. I will stop, I swear."

Leonardo nodded and left the room, leaving his father behind. He was so angry and scared, he didn't want to argue now and he knew that if he stayed there, he would end up saying things that would hurt them. This was one of the things he had learned from his mother. She always said that we should think before speaking because words hurt, and once we let them out, there's no turning back.

Leonardo entered his room and changed out of his uniform, putting on more comfortable clothes. He sat on his bed, deep in thought. How would he come up with this money?

He thought about asking his boss at the restaurant where he worked, even though he knew the amount was high and could anticipate the response. He should try, and if he couldn't get it, he could try getting a loan from the bank or maybe mortgage the house.

He heard his father coming up the stairs and opened the door, peeking as he entered the room and lay down on his bed. He couldn't deny that he was worried, but he was also tired of this life. It was always the same thing.

In the morning, Leonardo woke up early and took a shower. He got dressed and before leaving, he left a cup of coffee ready for his father on the table.

He walked to the bus stop to go to the diner. His plan was to arrive early to talk to Gerard before their restaurant opened.

Upon arriving, he entered his daytime job and went to the kitchen, where he found his boss making a shopping list.

"Good morning, Gerard. Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Leonardo asked, looking serious, and Gerard looked at him and nodded.

"Of course, Leo. Let's go to my office."

Leonardo followed him and sat down, looking anxiously at Gerard in front of him.

"Tell me, Leo, how can I help you?"

"I know it may sound crazy, but I need to borrow some money," he got straight to the point, with Gerard, he didn't need to beat around the bush.

"Ah, yes, and how much do you need?"

Leonardo looked at him hesitantly, took a deep breath before responding.

"Twenty-eight thousand dollars."

Gerard looked surprised, expecting the amount to be a little lower.

"My God, Leonardo, that's a very high amount. If it were up to five thousand dollars, I could help you. Is it your father again?"

"Yes," his facial expression didn't hide the concern he was feeling.

"Sorry, Leo, but I don't have that amount to lend you."

"That's alright. No problem," he thought for a moment and continued, "Can I leave early today? I need to find a way to raise that money today, without fail."

"Of course, you can. As soon as Denise arrives at ten, you can leave, okay?"

"Alright, thank you, Gerard. Excuse me."

Leonardo worked until ten, as agreed upon. The morning rush was busy, and time flew by quickly.

He walked to the bank where he asked to speak to the manager.

He sat down, waiting, his legs bouncing constantly. He was anxious to get the money.

"Mr. Leonardo Guerrero?"

A short man called him from the door of a room. He stood up and went to the man, shaking hands with him. The man closed the door behind him as soon as he entered and directed him to a chair.

"Please, have a seat, young man," he pointed to the chair, indicating for Leonardo to sit.

Leonardo sat down, and the man looked at him curiously.

"My name is Andre, how can I assist you, Mr. Guerrero?"

"I need a loan, I've had an account here for some time."

"Alright, could you give me your ID?"

Leonardo handed him his ID and watched as the man worked on his computer.

"We can approve a loan amount of seven thousand dollars."

"That's all? I need a little more."

Andre observed him even more curiously and took off his glasses, wanting to know why he needed the money. Maybe it was for an investment? A trip?

"And what amount would that be?"

"Twenty-eight thousand dollars."

"Hm, I see. Unfortunately, it hasn't been long since you opened the account with us, and we can't approve that amount."

"So I want to mortgage my house, I brought the necessary documents for that."

He took the house documents out of the envelope and placed them on Andre's table, who took them surprised and looked at them with a more analytical gaze. He noticed that Leonardo seemed like a responsible young man and felt curious about why he wanted this money. But with his vast experience, he knew that there could also be the possibility of him getting involved in some trouble.

"Just a minute."

Andre looked at the documents and continued typing on his computer, completely focused. But he made an expression that Leonardo didn't like very much, it was that "sorry, I can't help" face that he knew all too well.

"Mr. Guerrero, your house is already mortgaged, and the installments are overdue. If they are not paid by next month, you will lose the house."

Leonardo felt as if heavy ice stones had fallen on his back.

The manager showed him the mortgage data from a few months ago, and Leonardo discovered that his father had done it without even informing him.

Leonardo left the bank frustrated. What would he do now? His only hope was the mortgage. Now everything was lost. He would lose the house, and his father would be killed by a loan shark.

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