A New Path

I've been walking for minutes, unsure of where to go, and I'm not even wearing shoes. I look around for someone to help me and notice a poster for a mechanic. I can do that job; I was studying mechanical engineering in college. At least, I was studying it before... So, I head to the shop and meet one of the workers, who asks, "Why are you here, sir?" I reply, "I came to see if I can get the job." He introduces himself as Mark, the owner, and raises an eyebrow at my disheveled appearance. "Let's focus on your skills, not your clothes, okay?" he says.

As we talk, I notice a Kawasaki motorbike and can't resist the urge to tinker with it. I fix it and even add a few modifications to make it go faster. Mark is impressed and offers me the job on the spot. He also lets me sleep in the storehouse when I reveal I have nowhere else to go. The past two months have been the most peaceful of my life – doing what I love without anyone pinning me against the wall.

Mark hasn't been coming to work every day, so I assume he's sick, but I don't know where he lives. I ask my coworker Joe, who tells me it's normal for Mark to be absent sometimes. Just then, Mark drives in, looking like he's been beaten up. Joe and I rush to his side, and what happens next leaves me stunned.