Chapter 11: Sin Alas

Lea's birthday is by the end of the week. The woman turned down her son's offer to go to a restaurant and said that the best holiday for her would be if everyone gathered for dinner. And in the evening, Aken, Leo, Dev, Avi, and Axel are sitting at the now sizeable oval table in the living room. Lea prepared many different foods, and she also made sure to make everyone's favorite meal.

The time is approaching midnight. A delicious dinner is saved from slumber by strong coffee, for which Lea, in addition to the cake, prepared churros.

"I collected a container for your sister too," the woman looks at Axel. "I'm sure she still loves donuts."

"Thank you," the young man smiles at her warmly, "I really can't give them to her, but I'll find a way to send them."

"Then why the fuck…" Leo stops and looks at Lea, then Axel, "I wanted to say, you didn't have to fall in love with her to spend the night on the street."

"Do you think love asks permission?" Lea looks at the son, frowning. "Do you think love also knocks on the door before entering?" She turns to Axel, "She's not your sister. On the contrary, it's wonderful that you fell in love with a person you know from childhood, who grew up before your eyes. I do not blame you."

"I envy you," Leo crosses his arms. "Women adore me because I'm cool and dangerous. When I get rich, they will adore me for my money, and I'm never going to know if someone will love me just for being Leo. You're in luck. She loves you since childhood just because you are."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Lea shouts at her son. "I'll make you wash all the dishes and clean the house! You're not stupid not to understand why certain people are next to you. So you will distinguish the one who has a heart beating next to you and not the ringing of coins in your ears."

"You'll date a rich woman," Dev finishes off a piece of cake.

"The rich don't give a fuck about me… ah! Mum, I will be left without hands!" Leo scoffs, rubbing the hand that Lea had hit with the spoon again.

"They don't swear in this house!" threatens the woman.

"I will not date a rich girl. I will not date anyone at all. I live beautifully without women." Angry Leo gets up from the table.

"What about grandchildren?" Lea looks at him in frustration. "Will you leave me without grandchildren?"

"You have four more sons; someone will give you grandchildren!" Leo walks out the door.

"Don't count me," Dev follows Leo into the yard to smoke.

"All the more so," Aken gets to his feet, "with all my love for you, Lea, I don't plan to have children." Avi grabs his plate and moves to the couch, leaving Axel and Lea at the table.

"I don't know what will happen tomorrow," Axel smiles softly at the upset woman, "but I know that the biggest mistake a person can make is to swear or promise. So don't be upset, you will have the most grandchildren in this area, and I have a feeling that the first father is not me in this place."

***

"I want to talk to you," Inna approaches Do, digging under the hood of a car in the yard. "My father forgave you too."

"You think I really needed your father's forgiveness?" he looks at the woman.

"You know that he is not a simple man, but in fact the second ruler of Nebo, you certainly should be friends with him," Inna looks at her husband with displeasure.

"What do you want from me?" Do comes up to her.

"Imagine for a second how rich we would get if we could include A-Card in Nebo," the woman squints.

"Do you understand what the hell are you talking about now?" Do anxiously looks around.

"Come on, your cartel is too weak to encroach on the lands of another, while Nebo may! You could lead this process!" the woman does not give up.

"Inna," the man hisses at his wife. "Your tongue will not bring you any good. I know that your father brainwashed you, but here in A-Card, they cut heads for talking about unification."

"You have zero ambitions! Sadly I did not understand this before we got married," Inna says bitterly and goes into the house.

***

Nura realized early on that she was beautiful. She understood that it was impossible to resist her smile. She first thought about it when she got a packet of apples in the market for free just because she was smiling at the young man behind the counter. The story repeated itself in the market, where candy fell out after the owner stroked her hair with greasy fingers for a long time. Today she had a free breakfast of delicious tea with milk and a bun in a cafe by the road only because she listened to the owner and allowed him to gaze at herself.

Nura is beautiful, and she is now firmly convinced that her beauty is a weapon and not, as Mina likes to say, a curse. Nura arrives at school every other day, isn't afraid to wear makeup, and dyes her hair red. She holds the title of the most beautiful high school girl and makes every boy freeze.

Avi does not share his friend's enthusiasm; on the contrary, they often quarrel now and do not talk for days. The latest scandal with friends happened yesterday after Nura, instead of staying in class, drove off with high school students for picnics. This morning, Avi ostentatiously tosses his backpack onto a chair next to him, showing his friend that the seat is taken. Still, Nura puts the bag away and sits down anyway.

"Well, why are you sulking?" she pulls the boy and approaches his face.

"You smell like cheap cigarettes," Avi pulls away with a twisted mouth.

"You know I don't smoke."

"So the one you kissed with smokes," the boy says irritably.

"You have a bad opinion of me," the girl corrects her hair. "Come on, are you jealous or what?" Nura approaches him again, brushing her shoulder with his shoulder.

"I do not approve your lifestyle," the boy opens the textbooks, trying not to look at her. "You miss lessons, you dress like I don't know who ..."

"You are definitely jealous."

"I do not want to talk to you."

"Come on, you're the only boy I love."

"You say this to everyone who gives you a lift?" Avi slams the book angrily. "Where is your sister looking if you started being a whore so early?"

"I'll hit you," Nura says seriously.

"You try."

"Damn you," the girl is transplanted to the next desk.

Mina now often disappears with her boyfriend, and Nura has the house at her disposal. After school, the girl goes for a walk but always returns before dark. After rummaging around in the kitchen today, Nura realizes that Mina hasn't cooked anything and decides to go to the store for a taco and cheese. Nura locks the door and walks towards the nearest shop, whose owner she hates. Nura, leaning over the counter, watches as the salesman places a cake into the bag, adding a bottle of cola and an ear of corn generously coated with mayonnaise. The girl smiles at the young boy, noticing how he licks his lips and suddenly feels grabbed across and put on the floor.

"What the hell…" Nura stops short without finishing.

"You're too young to twist your ass," Aken, who is still holding her, growls to her. Aken grabs the bag from the salesman, hands it to Nura, noting to himself that the young lady in front of him is insanely beautiful, and throws a couple of bills onto the counter.

"Hey, you pervert," Aken looks at the man. "I'll break my spine and wouldn't blink."

"She did it herself," swears the man who knows Aken very well.

"Don't look for adventure, run home," grabs the scruff of her neck and draws her closer, freezes again. Nura looks into the eyes of the wolf without blinking, and the wolf, amazed at the beauty of her face and chiseled features, is in no hurry to let her go.

Aken has never seen such beauty in his twenty-one. He looks down, makes sure that the girl has a mark, and exhales. Not a single seller selling live goods will pass by this, but it is pointless to steal this girl. A product without a price is not a product. This girl is priceless. She looks about fifteen years old, but she will grow up. All the men around will instantly become impoverished; the whole world's money for this daring beauty with the smell of childhood is not enough.

"Don't give them what they want; angels shouldn't get their wings dirty with dust," Aken barely removes his gaze from her pretty face. "Good?"

"Okay," Nura crosses her fingers behind her back and, clutching the bag to her chest, runs down the street.

Nura doesn't have wings to get them dirty...

* The title of the chapter is "Without wings" (Spanish: Sin Alas.)