MARTHA'S HAIR

He left the shoes on the table, once again. He didn't have a good night... Telephone rang.

He answered, he only could hear a famale fast breathing... He knew who it was.

_ Martha! Its you?? You again...Come on answer me, you damm bitch!

You took my car, my television, my money... Answer me!!

Line went off. Took a couple of bottles of beer and lay down on the bed. Room was empty, only a sad picture hanging in the wall. He light up a fag and fell sleep.

Phone rang again. He jumped from the sofa and dropped all the ash accumulated in his chest.

_ Martha.. If is you again..I swear....

_ No, I'm not that ho'..Tony, but it can be worst than that, trust me. I had a couple of guys asking for you tonight, and the don't smell as good as Martha.. ' Tell you that.

_ Hi Jack, sorry..Thought...

_ ...Did she left again with all your stuff...?? Bloddy...

_ Yes... Well, Jack if you see her...

_ Hey! You've watched The Scarletts match? That son f' bitch of Vinny Lopez beat up the referees head... For an early strike out!! You culd see all his brains and all... Has been sick, man... I knew that idiot was getting high every day at that Club... I've lost 500 tonight!

_ Yes, hey Jack... Im very tired, has been a long day... We'll talk tomorrow..

_ You're finish Tony!! That girl is gonna destroy what's left of you..!

Tony hang up. He opened the fridge and took another beer. He then started to remember about what Jack mentioned. He watched all The Scarletts games of the season, 'till the finals, and he had missed Vinny Jones beating the referees head, in front of millions of people that night.... He felt even more misserable.

Somebody knock at the door. Tony went to open. It was Mazzurros men.

_ Hey Tony, how you doing?? We got to talk...

Tony let them in. He start to feel sick, like if all the beer he had drink that day, was coming back up. He was gonna throw up anytime.

_Tony, it's been a while since we last saw you at the Club... Marti 's worried about you... And his money too...

_ Yes... Well, just been busy... And I had couple of problems with my girl...

_ Oh... that bitch...

_ Yes, she's... Anyway, Im just getting back now..so...

_ Tony, I really pity you, man.. A woman can't leave you hanging like this. Them,out there... they're spitting on the image of hard man you used to carry... Don't respect you anymore. I don't even now how she's still 'round you, really...

You use to be taugh, you taught them... How was that..? Like you educate a kid, you educate them... You used to say that...or didn't you...?

_ Could we leave my problems aside...

_ Well... that's the problem, y' see. Your problems are our problems.

Suddenly, he felt like a baseball batt hitting his neck.

Blood started to run through his hair and dropped in the wooden floor. Mazzurro's men started to kick and hit all his body while lay in there. He soon lost his vision.

He just stayed there, waiting for it all to finish.

_ Hey, Ethics class finished for today, Tony. But will be back soon. Oh, before I leave... In case you ask yourself how we found you... We just had to ask your lovely Martha... She's always commendable, don't ever trust a woman...

_ Not even your mum.., Vincenzo? asked one of them.

_ Those are the worst...

Mazzurros men left. Tony fell unconscious.

He woke up next days afternoon. The sun was facing him, straight in his face, coming through the space between the blinds. Martha was standing there.

_ Oh, god..!! Tony... What happened. I did want to warn you, last night... But I couldn't... They lied to me, you've got to believe me. I want to come back, take me back, baby!!

Tony looked at her while standing up.

_ You watched The Scarletts last night, baby, watched the game..?

_ What..? What this has to do with anything..? You've gone crazy..

Tony took his old baseball batt, the same Vinni Lopez signed for him once... And beat Martha's head sending her to the other side of the room. Her delicate body finished sitting straight, her shiny blue eyes looking at Tony, standing in the middle of the room, blood start to run through her beatiful face.

Tony grabbed a beer, sat down on the sofa and lost his eyes in Martha's hair.