Chapter 42 My Own Criminal Rat


Johnny scrubbed his shoes over the emptied house's kitchen floor back and forth as he stayed curled in a ball on the floor. He hoped the rhythm of his scraping would scratch out the thoughts of abandonment that he had. No money, no life, he was screwed again by people he thought would be there for him, taking care of him, to the end. This time he even put his finest effort in and Tatiana hadn't even given him a cut or a thank you. His blood began to boil and he could feel his rage building. He scraped his feat back and forth back and forth but it didn't work to quell the painful rush of thoughts that invaded his mind. He felt tears flood his eyes and could do nothing now but give into it finally. He was superior in every way to everyone but his life was not living up to his own perceived destiny.
 
Thoughts pushed in of his cold father now giving him warmth against the rest of the even much icier world. He longed to be in his old lush bedroom in his father’s castle.  It didn't seem like a castle before he left but looking back Johnny's vision was clearer on just how beautiful it was there. Nothing had compared to that life since and his confidence waned until all he could think to do is go beg his father to let him move back into his house of security and comfort. Tatiana had failed him and so had everyone else. He knew that even if he found her, this betrayal was reality and she would only betray him again.
 
He grabbed his chest and tried to squeeze the pain out. Nothing worked to relieve this pain it dug into him stealing his breath from the soul he had buried so deep he thought it no longer existed. He struggled to lift himself up knowing he had to leave this house before he died in it.  His legs didn't want to move but he pushed on until he was out the door and into the air outside. It surrounded him like an oxygen blast as he struggled to breath it in. It seemed like hours passed as crushed memories of Tatiana ripped away at him all the while he felt he was struggling against death itself.
 
He wouldn't die for her he wouldn't die for anyone. He would go back to his father and share again in his riches. By now, he thought, his father would be overjoyed to see him and forget about his previous ideas to make Johnny work. He could once again relax in that easy life again.
 
Thoughts of his past most wonderful life pushed him forward and gave him renewed strength against all the treachery of Tatiana. His posture began to return as he reached the sidewalk moving in the direction of his father's house imagining how wonderful life would be again until finally he was smiling again. He had no money and his clothes were soaked in the stench of his struggles. This was no way to return to his father and Johnny knew he had to either steal a dumb tourists wallet or turn a quick trick to get cleaned up. He wouldn't tell his father the truth about his life away of course.

A lie would serve him much better in getting what he wanted from his father as knowing the truth would only set Johnny back. He began thinking of the best lies to tell as he headed towards the streets he knew had the ripest crowds of suckers to get the money he needed quickly for fresh dapper clothes and a taxi cab ride to his father's house.
 
By the time he was in the middle of the crowds of tourists he felt like the real Johnny was back. He was headed back to being on top of the world the son of a wealthy man and back to his life of leisure. He had decided on the perfect lie for his father and easily picked the pockets of enough suckers to enact his planned return. He knew he was once again untouchable; a god.
 
Johnny spent the next few hours lavishing himself with his new stolen fortune regaining his strength until he could hardly recognize himself in the mirror. His new clothes and haircut made him look like he belonged in his father’s life of riches. He was impressed with his good clean look and knew his father would definitely approve. He called a cab out and jumped in happily providing the address that always impressed. As the cab jumped forward Johnny giggled happily.