For three solid weeks, Bella and Hancho hobbled around his apartment in silence.
They moved like mute pantomimes, directionless and bruised by something neither would name.
Hancho’s time at the gym doubled, denying Bella the chance to watch the veins bulge in his arms during a bicep curl. So she stayed home, staring out the window, eating beans out of a can.
On the street were happy couples, arm in arm. Some walked dogs. Others pushed baby strollers.
“Will I ever get there with Hancho?” she asked herself.
Before she had a chance to answer, he came bursting through the door with a box.
“This is for you,” he said, sliding it her way. The side of it grazed her left calf.
Inside was a leather briefcase.
What the hell was Bella supposed to do with this?
“It’s very nice,” Bella told him. “But… what’s it for?”
“What’s it for?” Hancho’s face turned red. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead. “You’re gonna go to work.”
Then came the expletives. Then the mumbling. Something about how ungrateful she was.
Back in Wisconsin, Bella’s only job was at Dairy Queen. She started in high school and worked there until several days before she left for New York. If she showed up to Dairy Queen with a leather briefcase, everyone would’ve laughed. The manager might’ve pulled her aside and asked if she intended to move up in the company.
As she stared at the briefcase — tilted sideways in its cardboard cradle — Hancho told her to use her time wisely. He gave her two days to find a decent office job.
“And what if I can’t?” Bella asked.
“You don’t want to know,” Hancho replied, gym bag in hand.
He slammed the door behind him. Its vibration sent a chill down her back.
In next week’s post, Hancho’s abusive energy is put on hold while Bella navigates joy in unexpected places.
Oh, and if that briefcase link above gave you a tingle of “maybe I need that,” just know it’s an affiliate link.
If you grab one, I might make a few coins — not enough for a mansion, but maybe enough for Bella to upgrade to a can of organic beans.
SaaS Onboarding Storyteller 