Chapter 2- The game of marbles

"We are not doing this alright!", I shouted.

"I am not a fricking drug-lord, I don't want such type of dirty money"

"Hey, do you have any money huh? Listen son of a female-canine we both know our positions. We are both in over your head. Is your genitalia gonna pay for your mom's hospital bees? Or do you want to see your parents rot, you ungrateful jerk?"

"I don't want this dirty money"

"No money is dirty bro. Money is money. Money is opportunity. A million in one chance was given to us. I mean what were the odds bro? A marijuana plant in the backyard.", Santu chuckled." A fricking plant my G-O-D"

"Hey, you are going to get rid of it now! I am going home. I will not be in this mess. Make sure you get rid of it for heaven's sake."

I was distraught, torn apart, the devil and the angel playing marbles at the back of my brain, prying on the last bit of morality I had left. The only thoughts were money and morality. After debating I knew that I did not want to become a drug lord. I just wanted to go home curl up and sleep.

However, a different fate awaited me.

As soon as I went home I saw my mother missing. I knew something was wrong. I searched everywhere and saw her passed out near the foot of the stairs drowned in a pool of her blood. She must have fainted, hit her head on the stair railing, tripped, and fell. I was taken aback at that mortifying sight. I felt nauseous and threw up.

What the hell was wrong with me? I am a man and I must man up.

I crouched and checked her pulse. A very faint one still preserved my mother's life. I this time of dilemma I had two options. One calls my drunk father or calls the ambulance. I dialed the hospital number.

Curse the horrendous system. Every minute felt like an eternity. I pulled my mother out from the red mess. I did not even dare to clean her wound. I stood helpless. No superman saved me but the ambulance siren. I rushed out, brought in the stretched, and somehow managed to get her in the vehicle. Cutting through the never-ending traffic of evetime India the ambulance raced against time and we finally reached the hospital.

The doctor took her in and I sat gambling my chances.

The doctor returned and said that my mother was alright but in two months she needed the transplant or saving her would be impossible. I called my father. He was wasted under some liquor store probably and did not pick up. Staring at the uncertain despair I sat down with tears in my eyes...

The clock ticked..

By this time the game of marbles was over and the devil had won.