Page 16
“Do you want me to come over and help?”
“Found it!” Sammy came out of the kitchen with the trash in hand. “I’ll take this down,” he said.
Tonia moved up to get it. “I can do it.” I can’t pay you by the minute.
Sammy stepped aside so she couldn’t reach him. “It’s greasy, and the lift is broken.” “Stay put, and I’ll be right back.”
She didn’t know what to say.
“Mingol didn’t go for a walk today, did he? I’ll take her down for a little while. Sammy said, “She can’t just lie around the house all day.”
He was already out the door, one hand holding the trash and the other holding Mingol. Then he ran down the steps.
Tonia went back to her room, feeling a little out of it. She knew something was wrong, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.
It took her a while, but she finally understood.
What did Sammy just say to her?
Sammy had seen Raph’s car right away when he got there, even though it was parked in the shadows. So he stayed at Tonia’s apartment a little longer before going down.
Mingol was a big golden retriever. Sammy carried her all the way to the ground floor and only let her down when they got there. After throwing away the rubbish, he walked slowly over to where Raph was standing.
Sammy knew Raph had seen him.
Raph’s car was parked on the side of the road, and he was smoking while leaning against a lamp post. There were cigarette butts all over the ground surrounding him.
Sammy came up with a little smile. “Hey, you should stop smoking so much.” You’re going to get married soon. Shouldn’t you be getting ready for a baby? ”
“I’m already married.”
“Isn’t a divorce coming soon?”Sammy said back, “I’ve even written the divorce agreement based on what you said. It should be there by tomorrow morning.
“Thanks, Sammy,” Raph said with a snarl. “You’re off working in another country, but you still have time to help me with my divorce.”Well, you’re my cousin.”
“Oh, you remember that? “Raph’s voice was chilly and angry.
Sammy looked down and tried not to smile. Then he scratched behind Mingol’s ears and pointed to Raph. “Mingol, do you still know him?”
Mingol only tilted her head to the side and stuck her tongue out in a silly grin.
Raph bent down and reached out to pet Mingol’s head, but she quickly stepped back and hid under Sammy’s knees. Raph’s hand stayed in the air awkwardly.
Sammy stroked Mingol on the back, and she seemed to like him more.
“The vet says Mingol is getting old and might have some dog dementia,” Sammy added with a smile. She can’t remember what happened before.
Raph took a long breath and stood up slowly. “I’m still her dad, even if she doesn’t remember.” Her mum is Ton.
“Did you know Mingol had puppies?”Sammy asked.
Raph scowled and gulped hard.
“They were born the same year that Tonia got pregnant. She lost the baby when she jumped from the building and was comatose in the ICU.
“Mingol was home alone when she had the puppies, but it was a hard birth and they didn’t make it. If Aunt Windy hadn’t called and told me to check on them, Mingol might have died with them.
Raph’s face became more complicated. “You were the one who brought Mingol to the hospital?”
“Yes. She almost didn’t make it, but they were able to save her. But she’s been in bad shape since then.
Raph was quiet for a minute. “Thanks.”
“You don’t need to say thank you. I mean what I say, Raph. “Let me take care of Tonia or Mingol if you can’t.”
Raph looked down and smiled bitterly. “Since when?”
He didn’t say what, but Sammy knew.
“Do you remember that wet night outside the library while we were in school? ”
Raph remembered and stated, “That was the first time Ton and I met.”
“It was also the first time Ton and I met. I was the first one to see her because you were in a hurry to get back to the dorm to watch the game.
Raph laughed. “So you’ve liked her all this time?”
“Back then, I really thought of her as my cousin-in-law,” Sammy remarked.
They didn’t need to say anything else. They had been cousins for 30 years and could talk to one other without speaking everything out loud.
Raph kept his eyes down and stayed still for what felt like forever.
Sammy didn’t move, either.
Mingol was the only one who felt the cold breeze at night. He pawed at Sammy’s hand and whined gently to go home.
Sammy’s phone rang. He looked at it and smiled. “Hey.”
“I’m looking at the weather, and it looks like it will rain. You should bring Mingol back.
“Okay, yeah. “I’m going upstairs now.”
“Is Mingol okay?”
“Yeah, she’s okay. No problem.
“Then why have you been gone for so long? She can’t walk for that long.
“I ran into someone I know and talked to them for a bit.”
Tonia’s interest was piqued. “In this far-off place?”
“Yes,” Sammy said. “Ton, shut the window tightly.” “Be back soon.”
“Understood.”
“Raph finally spoke out when Sammy hung up the phone. “Tonia’s pregnant.” Count your money so you don’t end yourself raising someone else’s child.
Sammy looked up at him and asked, “How do you know Ton is pregnant?”
Raph said angrily, “Just do the maths yourself.” This is just a friendly reminder.
“Thanks for worrying, but she’s not.”
Raph’s head shot up. “What? ”
“I was just taking out the trash when I saw a pack of sanitary pads in it.”
“Found it!” Sammy came out of the kitchen with the trash in hand. “I’ll take this down,” he said.
Tonia moved up to get it. “I can do it.” I can’t pay you by the minute.
Sammy stepped aside so she couldn’t reach him. “It’s greasy, and the lift is broken.” “Stay put, and I’ll be right back.”
She didn’t know what to say.
“Mingol didn’t go for a walk today, did he? I’ll take her down for a little while. Sammy said, “She can’t just lie around the house all day.”
He was already out the door, one hand holding the trash and the other holding Mingol. Then he ran down the steps.
Tonia went back to her room, feeling a little out of it. She knew something was wrong, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.
It took her a while, but she finally understood.
What did Sammy just say to her?
Sammy had seen Raph’s car right away when he got there, even though it was parked in the shadows. So he stayed at Tonia’s apartment a little longer before going down.
Mingol was a big golden retriever. Sammy carried her all the way to the ground floor and only let her down when they got there. After throwing away the rubbish, he walked slowly over to where Raph was standing.
Sammy knew Raph had seen him.
Raph’s car was parked on the side of the road, and he was smoking while leaning against a lamp post. There were cigarette butts all over the ground surrounding him.
Sammy came up with a little smile. “Hey, you should stop smoking so much.” You’re going to get married soon. Shouldn’t you be getting ready for a baby? ”
“I’m already married.”
“Isn’t a divorce coming soon?”Sammy said back, “I’ve even written the divorce agreement based on what you said. It should be there by tomorrow morning.
“Thanks, Sammy,” Raph said with a snarl. “You’re off working in another country, but you still have time to help me with my divorce.”Well, you’re my cousin.”
“Oh, you remember that? “Raph’s voice was chilly and angry.
Sammy looked down and tried not to smile. Then he scratched behind Mingol’s ears and pointed to Raph. “Mingol, do you still know him?”
Mingol only tilted her head to the side and stuck her tongue out in a silly grin.
Raph bent down and reached out to pet Mingol’s head, but she quickly stepped back and hid under Sammy’s knees. Raph’s hand stayed in the air awkwardly.
Sammy stroked Mingol on the back, and she seemed to like him more.
“The vet says Mingol is getting old and might have some dog dementia,” Sammy added with a smile. She can’t remember what happened before.
Raph took a long breath and stood up slowly. “I’m still her dad, even if she doesn’t remember.” Her mum is Ton.
“Did you know Mingol had puppies?”Sammy asked.
Raph scowled and gulped hard.
“They were born the same year that Tonia got pregnant. She lost the baby when she jumped from the building and was comatose in the ICU.
“Mingol was home alone when she had the puppies, but it was a hard birth and they didn’t make it. If Aunt Windy hadn’t called and told me to check on them, Mingol might have died with them.
Raph’s face became more complicated. “You were the one who brought Mingol to the hospital?”
“Yes. She almost didn’t make it, but they were able to save her. But she’s been in bad shape since then.
Raph was quiet for a minute. “Thanks.”
“You don’t need to say thank you. I mean what I say, Raph. “Let me take care of Tonia or Mingol if you can’t.”
Raph looked down and smiled bitterly. “Since when?”
He didn’t say what, but Sammy knew.
“Do you remember that wet night outside the library while we were in school? ”
Raph remembered and stated, “That was the first time Ton and I met.”
“It was also the first time Ton and I met. I was the first one to see her because you were in a hurry to get back to the dorm to watch the game.
Raph laughed. “So you’ve liked her all this time?”
“Back then, I really thought of her as my cousin-in-law,” Sammy remarked.
They didn’t need to say anything else. They had been cousins for 30 years and could talk to one other without speaking everything out loud.
Raph kept his eyes down and stayed still for what felt like forever.
Sammy didn’t move, either.
Mingol was the only one who felt the cold breeze at night. He pawed at Sammy’s hand and whined gently to go home.
Sammy’s phone rang. He looked at it and smiled. “Hey.”
“I’m looking at the weather, and it looks like it will rain. You should bring Mingol back.
“Okay, yeah. “I’m going upstairs now.”
“Is Mingol okay?”
“Yeah, she’s okay. No problem.
“Then why have you been gone for so long? She can’t walk for that long.
“I ran into someone I know and talked to them for a bit.”
Tonia’s interest was piqued. “In this far-off place?”
“Yes,” Sammy said. “Ton, shut the window tightly.” “Be back soon.”
“Understood.”
“Raph finally spoke out when Sammy hung up the phone. “Tonia’s pregnant.” Count your money so you don’t end yourself raising someone else’s child.
Sammy looked up at him and asked, “How do you know Ton is pregnant?”
Raph said angrily, “Just do the maths yourself.” This is just a friendly reminder.
“Thanks for worrying, but she’s not.”
Raph’s head shot up. “What? ”
“I was just taking out the trash when I saw a pack of sanitary pads in it.”