"Sir...you have only $1500 in your account right now." Inside a bank, twenty minutes before the closing time. An unkempt looking young man stood at a window with an accountant at the call.
"I see..." He was silent for a couple seconds before asking. "May I withdraw all the money from my account then Anna?"
"Certainly Mr. Dang! Just give me a few seconds." Keyboard keys clicking, fresh money extracted through the dispenser maw received and delivered into the accountant's hands.
"Here's your money all and accounted for sir. Is there anything else you need?"
The dubbed "Mr. Dang" pulled a modest smile, "No, that is all. Thank you, Anna. I'll come to you again if you're still here hopefully?"
"I hope so Mr. Dang! Times are hard these days," Anna flushed, "With people losing their jobs, and riots everywhere... It's hard to stay positive with all the crazy things happening in this country.”
"Yes, these are tough times for us common folk," Mr. Dang retorted.
Anna gave off a sigh, “Honestly... I’m shocked that I still have this job but I doubt I’ll keep it for much longer. Just today there are already two people that got laid off and I could be next," Anna put a downcast look, then perked a smile.
“Luckily if it did happen to me, I have my sisters to back me up so it’s okay.” She said before melding in a worried look. “Just tried to stay off the streets if you can, and don't resort to selling anything that could endanger your life," Anna grimaced, “Would be a shame say: selling that prosthetic arm of yours.”
Mr. Dang chuckled, "I'll do what I can to keep myself from being homeless and I don’t plan to sell my prosthetic arm anytime soon.”
He turns around to leave with springs in his worn shoes before saying one last thing, "The name’s Minh by the way and goodbye, it was nice talking to you."
"Same to you and take care.”
...
Minh walked out of the bank with the money in the depths of his wallet secured, sun rays bathed his body. Just in front of the entrance, a bipedal robot that looks like it could be from a sci-fi film wearing a baton holster has been waiting for him on the sidewalk.
"Ahh! Master Minh, you're back! So how did it go?" His robot butler questioned him with a slight accent from the British Isles.
Minh replied with, "Well Charleston, we're up to where we can pay off some bills."
Charleston synthetic head droop along with his slumped shoulders, "Oh, is that so?"
"Oy, enough with the sulking, we're not homeless just yet."
"But sire! If this is what we have along with my share, then we're not going survive like this!"
Minh knock his hand at Charleston noggin, "Not with that attitude you're not! Calm down for a minute and listen to me."
Charleston conciliate allowing Minh to speak. "I understand we're in a rough spot. Yes, I lost my job during all this madness. But we're not out of the running just yet, and there are many people are in our situation as well," he continues, "If anything, they're doing in their power to try to make something positive out of this. We should do the same!
Charleston became silent after what his master just told him before letting off a robotic sigh. "You're right. If we give up now then we already lost the battle."
Minh slaps upon his metal back. "That's music to my ears!"
Charleston become staggered by his master force, "W-well, I suppose being a pessimist isn't really helping. Giving the current situation we're in now is it?"
Minh dazzled him a smile. "You bet your shiny metal ass it won't! Now let's go home."
"Yes… let’s.”
The confrontation between master and servant had settled between them. They walk back to Minh's pickup truck and began their journey back home.
...
Minh parked his truck on the sidewalk near a typical two-story house, painted in white and blue. Choices of bright furthermore hope being washed out by age and grim. The duo made haste with grocery bags in one hand to the front porch. There stood a powerful looking jet-black horse using telepathic powers to clean up the entrance. It first took a gander at them, then stopped whatever it was doing to greet them.
The black steed nudges its head at Minh as a greeting, “Welcome back master and Charleston.”
"Hello, Adele!" Minh replied back. "Holding down the fort as usual?
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
The now named Adele shorted in reply, “Of course master. However…” She looks back to what seems to be an envelope to the front door. Minh went to take a look. His eyes widen at the contents inside.
"Well, I'll be damned."
Charleston peered at the paper as well, "Oh dear, the heating-cooling has been turned off…” Adele looks at Minh directly with her large eyes. Without speaking, Minh knew what she meant.
"I know big girl…” Minh rubs her muzzle, “Charleston and I will talk about this later. You shouldn't worry too much.”
Adele nodded and trotted off inside. 'That takes care one annoyance,' Minh thought.
Minh and Charleston walk towards a simplistic but sleek-looking kitchen. With stainless steel appliances including an indoor vegetable garden. Minh and Charleston set there to set their groceries down. "Mind making food while I feed Adele, Charleston?"
"Right away!" Charleston enthusiasm spurt out at his master command and promptly set to work.
Minh can't help but give out a chortle. 'Even in desperate times, he's still ecstatic about housework,' Minh remembered when he was younger, Charleston was always happy doing housework whenever his parents were working. He was in charge of taking care of him alongside his two other siblings.
"Sire?" Charleston's call brings him back into reality from his thoughts.
"Yea I'm going."
...
After dinner, Adele slept in her stable. At the same time, both Minh and Charleston are discussing in the living room.
“Sire,” Charleston spoke, “The money we accumulate today barely pays the rest of the bills within this house besides heating," Charleston tells Minh, "however... we won't have enough to pay for our food expenses despite our garden did well holding us out, but now needed to replant them which could take awhile.”
"Added the fact how much effort for Adele are to be fed and properly maintained; she going starve if we cut back on their food portions. We simply cannot sacrifice that," said Minh.
"Even with the odd jobs that we’ve been doing for the past four years?" asked Charleston. "Do you have any ideas or some form of a plan?"
"Well..." Minh pondered for a moment. 'What have we been all this time...'
“Considering our country financial situation during the last three years: The student loan debt bubble burst, the welfare state collapsing, companies overreaching...” Charleston’s eyes fuzzled for a moment, “Not to mention people migrating everywhere, there’s many moving to the farther midwest.”
”Texas, Louisiana, Michigan, and other states like them,” Minh plucked out food with a toothpick, “Don’t forget people fleeing from those states are bringing their crap as well. He gave out a swift sigh, “Ah, the world we lived in.”
“That is true, but there’s nothing for them here.”
“Isn’t that why people camping out in the great plains?”
“Precisely, but won’t last due to tornados propping up.”
“Hah!” Minh couldn’t help himself with this news. “Figures, and so much for going with that option.”
"Then... is there anything we can do? There has to be something sire," Charleston persisted with hints of weariness in his voice.
"Whoa! I didn't say anything yet, calm down..."
"Oh right! I'm sorry for being a pessimist again... Can you really blame me, though?"
"No, of course not. But here's an idea, how about we can drive around the country? My truck can take us anywhere with the money saved up!” Minh rises from his chair. “Also, remember that mobile tiny house I build that's sitting in the backyard? Adelle can fly, so she can keep up with us."
"Yes, where should we go if that's the case?"
"Hmm...” Minh ponders for a moment. “That’s a good question. Don’t we have to potentially deal with bandits?”
“Unfortunately yes, crime had risen since the events I presented earlier. Charleston responded in kind.
“That, along with relatives and friends have their own problems to deal with to deal with us,” Minh slumped in his chair. He's starting to lose his patience. 'I want to sleep...Actually, let's do that now.'
"How about we turn in for the night and resume talking tomorrow? I'm felt like my head's about to burst open with its contents spewing." Minh suggested.
"As you wish, I bid you goodnight and hopefully rejuvenated in the morning," Charleston disappears from the living room which Minh also takes his leave to walk to his bedroom upstairs to turn in for the night.
...
Changing to his night attire, he hops into his bed. However, thoughts began to drift and doubts start to pop up. 'Maybe our time is finally up,' he thought to himself. 'Honestly... I'm shocked that we even made it this far…'
Minh stares at his bare ceiling. 'There's a way out this...has to be.' "Think Minh think! You're used to be the part of the Starblazers here," Minh whispers to himself.
"You been and got out of these kind situations before or something similar to this, You can it do again. " He ponders once more. "...Crap...I got nothing..."
Minh turns at his nightstand to grab a pendant. Its gothic in its design which bestowed a murky sea colored jewel snuggled into the socket. He stares at it with his yearnful eyes as if he yearns something...
"Bah!” Minh put down the pendant. “Looking at this won't do me any good! She won’t come out no matter how hard I look. I'll get us out of this!" Minh said with determination in his face, He stares at the pendant again before saying, "I will get us out of this!” Minh puts away his pendant and tries to sleep.
Later in the night around 7:25, Minh finally starts drifting off to sleep. Not before uttering a few sentences. "I wish all three of us would get away from here…somewhere far away from this hellhole." Just before closing his eyes Minh said one last sentence: “Another world would be nice... anywhere than here…”