Living under the shadow of the usurer

Harry’s life was going downhill fast, especially when he started borrowing from loan sharks at extremely high interest rates. Harry had been pacifying the loan shark with small payments from time to time that didn’t even make a dent in what was owed. The interest on the loan kept going higher and higher, making the balance owed greater than what he had originally borrowed. Harry had defaulted on his loan to “Nino the Butcher”, the new loan shark in town. Everyone in Brooklyn knew who Nino the Butcher was and that he always found a way to collect loans from him.

At midnight, Boobala heard her apartment doorbell ring violently 6-7 times. Opening the door, Boobala saw a vicious-looking gentleman with dark features. He was holding something in his hand that looked like a knife. In the most threatening tone, he slapped the knife in his hands and said, “Tell her husband that Nino wants all his money paid tomorrow at noon or else.”

Boobala closed at the sound of his words. He closed the door, closing it quickly behind her. She was shaking with fear. Harry didn’t even bother to ask who she was. He had a feeling that he would soon be dead if he didn’t get the money.

Harry was completely scared, not knowing how to get out of this dilemma. He began to scold and insult Boobala, blaming her for not caring about her fate. “Your mother F@#!$@%, you are despicable and worthless. You don’t know how much I despise you. It’s your fault I’m in this situation!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. Needing someone to hate to make sense of his meaningless existence, Harry clenched his fists and punched Boobala. His nose began to bleed profusely. She started crying hysterically, not knowing if she had a broken nose, which only made him more angry. He hit her again, knocking her to the ground and kicking her. Blood dripped from her mouth.

He picked her up by her hair, yelling, “Ugly bitch, are you listening to me at all? I said go get some money from your Uncle Marvin or your friend Myrtle.” He started shaking her by the shoulders, yelling “Do something, don’t just stand there like a fucking idiot!”

Accustomed to the frequent outbreaks of violence, the neighbors kept their doors closed. They never liked Harry and avoided him like the plague. However, Boobala in horrible pain and still bleeding, tried to calm him down. The more he tried to calm him down, the more angry and out of control he became. Harry was furious as he paced nervously across the floor of his apartment. He cried out in despair. “The only person in this whole world I can count on who has the money to bail me out is Uncle Jake. Why is he on vacation in Florida now? I don’t even know how to contact him!”

The raving and delirium finally ceased. An awkward silence filled the air. Boobala was surprised to see Harry staring at her, not saying a word, as if she had fallen into a trance. After sitting there for what seemed like forever, Harry buried his head in his arms on the table and began to cry, “I’m going to die, I’m going to die,” which he repeated over and over again.

No.: 12 (16-9-2011)

Now I go to sleep…

Nino the Butcher had a notorious reputation in Brooklyn. He was getting tired of Harry bothering him with his soft talk. This time Nino was serious. There was no way out. Harry was now gripped by the consequences of his gambling habit. The mere thought of such an outcome sent a wave of dizziness washing over him. Feeling sick, anxiety rising in his chest and experiencing symptoms of nausea, he had a terrible urge to vomit. He got up from the table to go to the bathroom, when suddenly the pain was almost more than he could bear. “Booba!” Harry yelled, trying to keep the panic and fear from showing in his voice. Another wave of pain washed over him, taking his breath away as he fell to the ground clutching his chest. Boobala ran to his side as he lay on the ground in an unmoving heap.

Harry? Boobala said anxiously, gently shaking her husband’s shoulder. “Please, Harry, open your eyes.” Silence answered him. Boobala tried to shake him again, in a much louder tone of voice she yelled “HARRY, HARRY! PLEASE OPEN YOUR EYES!” Still no response. She sat there in shock, her body shaking with wrenching sobs. Reality was beginning to sink in as a blade of excruciating pain twisted through her heart. Realizing he was gone, she yelled at the top of her lungs, “Harrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyy!!!”

Boobala’s ordeal was finally over. Harry had died suddenly of a heart attack at the young age of 36. Boobala couldn’t believe that Harry was dead. She was heartbroken but also relieved. She had always been in the best of health, hardly ever experiencing a period of illness. Although she hated him for the physical and verbal abuse of her, she still loved her psycho husband. I guess you could say theirs was a love-hate relationship, an on-and-off love affair. They had been married for 17 years. She was now a widow at 35 years old. For better or worse, Harry shared her dawn of love, her first sexual experience. A strong addiction that she found difficult to break. Her victim role seemed to suit her quite well.

Having no life insurance or savings to fall back on, Uncle Jake had to pay for the funeral expenses. Uncle Jake was retiring and wanted to leave the apartment and move to Florida. He had to get away from Boobala. He told her that he had to go. Picking up the remaining pieces of his life, he ventured out in search of a better and more peaceful way to live.

No.: 13 (24-9-2011)

Can dreams come true?

Boobala had no more social life than her only childhood friend, Myrtle, who was always concerned for her well-being. Since Myrtle lived on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, Boobala was able to get a one-bedroom apartment near her. As in any apartment building, you can’t help but have a nosy neighbor. In Boobala’s case, that role was filled by Mrs. Grime. She was an old woman who lived alone, always needing someone she could talk to. Since she was never kind enough to shut up, she went from one neighbor’s apartment to another, looking for gifts, cigarettes and the latest dirt. Boobala avoided her nosy neighbor at all costs.

Boobala was now earning a considerable amount of money as a Buyer/Product Manager-Women’s Clothing for a local department store. Mom and Dad had passed away. Uncle Marvin sold the business and retired to Florida with his wife Ethel. All Boobala did was work, saving every penny she earned. No one, perhaps, has ever had a greater fear of being poor than she herself. She cringed at the thought of losing everything she had worked to make a name for herself. She was deathly afraid of being trapped in the cold and hostile world, unable to find work, destitute and with nowhere to go. Being the frugal person that she was, Boobala would shop locally instead of taking the elevated train on Marcy Avenue.

As was his way, whenever he came across sweepstakes entries in stores, he would fill them out in the hope that he would eventually win something. She had been doing this for several years. Filling out the registration forms was becoming a monotonous practice. Somehow that day, the image of a ship in the window seemed to catch her eye. He stood out like a flickering neon sign, urging her to look. Boobala walked over to the window and started reading, thinking it was the usual ‘blah blah blah’. The poster offered a free cruise, with all expenses paid. She kept debating whether or not to give him one last chance. Finally, unable to resist the temptation, she filled out the form for the umpteenth time, forgetting everything until the day the doorbell rang and the man in a sailor suit delivered the telegram…

No.: 14 (25-9-2011)

Is this the part where we say “The End”? The end of what? We don’t have to. Wasn’t every episode fascinating? Aren’t you a little curious to find out more about what happened to Boobala? I bet the suspense is killing you. Boobala is incredibly eager to get back on track. So what do you say, should we take it to the next level? Let me know and let me hear some of your comments too!