Double Souls

Tuesday morning, Hong Kong International Commerce Port, a cargo ship with Philippines flag slowly entering the port. Guided by a tugboat, it's slowly docking in pier 11. After shutdown, the engine, ship crews start to do their respective jobs when the ship in docking. One of the sailors walk downstairs to lower hatch after arriving in a small cabin down there he banging the door and shouting,

BAAMM BAAAMM!

"Wake up brat! We already arrived in Hong Kong!"

With squeaking sound, the door opened and a juvenile appears in front. His skin tanned with messy black hairs, wearing a plain shirt and dull jeans, smiling while asking the sailor:

"Really uncle Horta?"

"Smelly brat! What profit I get by deceiving you, of course, it's true. Just don't leave the ship yet. Let's that immigration and customs officers finished the routine check on this ship, then you can leave the ship. You don't want to get caught and deported back right?"

"Yes uncle, I've come this far and it would painful if I must return before I get success here"

"Alright I still have other things to do, just pass by and said goodbye to me before you leave the ship OK? And don't forget to take a bath. You smell like shit here ha ha ha ha".

Richard Marcos, that juvenile's name, only smiles wryly and raised his arms to sniff his shirt. He is indeed haven't take bath for 2 days, living in a narrow and close cabin without air conditioning, what kind of body odor he had is obvious.

"Okay, right away," said Richard sheepishly.

The inspection takes couple hours, and after checking the goods in the manifest and no signs of drugs smuggling over the ship, the customs officers leave the ship to inspect other ship that arrives in the pier.

Richard that already takes bath and changing clothes, goes upstairs to meet uncle Horta in the bridge. His hair already combed neatly, wearing a clean shirt, blue jeans and snickers and dark blue jacket over his shirt. A big backpack hanging in one of his shoulders, he looks just like a common guy that you can find easily everywhere.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Without waiting for an answer, Richard opens the door and entering the bridge. Beside uncle Horta, there's nobody in the bridge. He sits near table enjoying drinking coffee while reading a newspaper. He is this ship's captain, the bridge is like his office.

"Yo brat! Ready to leaving?"

"Yes uncle, thank you for your care to me. I don't know how to return this favor to you"

"its okay brat, you don't owe me anything. At least this is I can do to your mother. It's a pity that she died in such age, we've been friends of ages, helping her son is naturally I should do."

"I'm not an ungrateful person, uncle! If someone helps me at least I must say thank you"

"Hahahaha…good…good…I know you're a good and decent boy. Your mother must be proud of you. C'mon takes a seat and talks for a while before you leaving. Don't just standing there!"

Richard nodded and grabs a chair to sit.

"What do you want to talk uncle?"

"Tell me, after your mother passed away, why don't you looking your father? Instead, you just going to Hong Kong"

"My father? He left me and mother when I still a baby and no news from him after that. Maybe in his eyes, I don't exist, why should I Looking for such shameless and irresponsible guy like him?"

Rage starts to arouse within Richard's heart, he felt irritated when remembering how hardship he and his mother had been through all these years. His mother only a high school graduate before married to his father, when they divorced, their marriage only last 3 years with Richard still a 1-year-old baby at that time. Being a single mother, without high education and no relatives, Richard's mother must do any jobs that she can do. Dishwasher in the restaurant, a street peddler, housemaid, waitress, all she did to raise money for Richard and her living expenses. Luckily she still has a small house that she and her ex-husband buy when she just married.

When Richard grow up, at age 8 he starts to help her mother earn money by cleaning his neighbor yard, become goat shepherd, delivering the newspaper, delivering groceries from local supermarket to its consumer. His neighbor always praised him as a filial son.

Uncle Horta sighed, of course, he knows what kind of hardship and bitterness that mother and son had been through.

"Okay, let's not talk about him anymore. Even if I'm looking for him myself, I don't know where to search. He just vanished without a trace like swallowed by the earth. Now tell me, what your plan in Hong Kong"

"Um.... Get a job as soon as possible maybe?"

"Damn brat! Do you think the job is a thing that just falling from the sky? Sheesh I know it would like this, so take this"

Uncle Horta takes a piece of paper and handed it to Richard.

"What is this uncle?"

"That's my friend address and his phone number in Hong Kong. Go to his place, tell him Horta send you and he will take care of you. Besides English, you can read and speak mandarin right?

"I do. You know old man Chen? People call him eccentric but actually, he is a good person. He teaches me mandarin language, although he said my writing like a bunch of wriggling worms in his eyes. He also teaches me martial arts so those kids in school can't bully me because I don't have a father".

"Good…good, but stay alert and be careful, Hong Kong is not a small town like where you came from. Keep a low profile and don't offend dangerous guys, you know what I mean right? Now give me a hug and go chase whatever dreams you have outside".

Horta stands up and stretched his arms, Richard following and hug Horta tightly for some times before letting him go.

"Thanks, uncle, you've been good to me just like a father to me"

Tears start emerging in corner of Richard's eyes.

"Hey is that tears in your eyes? …. why you start crying now? If you feel so hard to separate with your uncle, just take sailor licenses and work with me in this ship"

"No uncle, I'm not crying. This is tears of happiness. I'm just glad that there's still kind people like you uncle, besides I've made up my mind, but thanks for the offers"

"Hahahaha…okay then, but if you feel can't make it in Hong Kong and want to return, this ship still here for one week"

"I'll remember that ….now I must say goodbye to you"

"Good luck kid, be good"

Richard takes his backpack and leaves the bridge. When he reaches the deck, he stops to see the surrounding scenery. It's a bustling pier, crane, and big truck, crates moving there and here. He inhales a deep breath, holding it for a moment and then shouting:

"Hong Kong HERE I COME !!!!!!".