World of Taroo

by Jimmy Eriksson

  Pan had just purchased the rights to the biggest open place at the markets during the tournaments. As well as the days leading up to them. Pan offered to share the space and got the owner and Gon working for him during the time. He would pay all the expenses but there would be a 70-30 share because of it. There would be no more trouble coming from him regardless what the answer would be. Kuun and Gon looked at each other and both thought that this would be an excellent opportunity so they asked to talk by themselves for a while.

  Mr Pan let them go, and they agreed to meet next day. In the restaurant, they talked to each other while they cleaned up. The next day, both Kuun and Gon went to Mr Pan’s restaurant and met him outside. Pan was telling some workers to bring equipment to the market and build up the makeshift restaurant. He smiled when he saw the two coming towards him and welcomed them. He asked what the answer would be and became very happy when they both said they agreed to the terms while admitting it would be a great opportunity. Gon asked about Chien and would he make more trouble for them, but Mr Pan replied with that Chien would no more be working for him. He had sent him away to his brother who was working on the other side of Shetana. Pan then asked them to come and have a look at the markets and see for themselves how it all was set up. They arrived at the markets and then they could tell how big the spot was. As they walked around the markets gathering supplies for Kuun’s restaurant, they saw how the workers had started to build up some fences that would hold the grand mini-restaurant.

  A House Earned

  Jay came to the market and thought that he could make himself more professional if he picked up some small things to use in the room where he worked. He walked around and found an old man who was sitting next to some very nice wooden figures and furniture. There was a sign that said the man offered customisation or would build whatever was asked of him. Jay got an idea and approached the old man. The shop keeper listened and told Jay he could do it and it would be finished the next day. Jay gave the down payment for it that was required for the man to start the job and then left for work.

  When he came back the next day, he saw the shop keeper eating. When he came closer, the old man looked up and showed Jay in to his shop. Jay saw the trolley and it was so nice with pure cherry tree and it was impossible to find any faults on it. The trolley looked like a great piece of art and Jay never thought the old man would make something in only one day that looked that good. The man said he had worked with wood for over 60 years and enjoyed every time he got to do something different. Jay gave double the money asked of him and thanked the old man. He took the trolley with him as he left for work and put it in the room where he worked to be used later that night. He knew all the big player’s names and knew what they liked and didn’t like. He flirted with the widows and made jokes with the men.

  Working at the private rooms came easy, and he understood how to get a lot of tips from them. He sometimes got good money from them and also was offered gifts as a token of a good job. Dorin was not bothering him and let him handle the gamblers without him as he had proven he had skills. Jay was not a big drinker, but he knew he had to sometimes take a drink with a couple of them. At times, he had come home a little drunk so Gon and Senji made fun of him. Jay never really touched the alcoholic drinks before and had seen what it did to the people in the bars he slept under when he was younger. He was careful to never lose control and sometimes pretended to drink but exchanged the glasses to have water in them.

  A new player had come to the city because of the tournament. He had his brother fighting in one of the big matches and came to set up shop as jewellery dealer. The first night he had come, he won a fair bit but the following night, he lost about three times that and was furious. He shouted and was drunk enough that he had trouble standing right. He told Dorin he had been tricked and blamed an older lady for it. Rinea was her name and she was a regular client. She spent a lot of time playing. She never won a lot but had got a lucky night and cleaned the table. The man thought she was pretending to be bad to trick him to bet a lot. Rinea said she was sorry and it was only luck but the man did not want to hear and left the bar in anger.

  The same man was outside when Jay came walking two days later but the man did not notice him as he walked past. It was like he was in a trance. Jay thought about it as he walked in and said hello to Yanburu. There was a big number of people in the bar and the supreme room was booked for the regulars who had a lot of money. When Jay came in, he saw the old lady, Rinea, and all the other people he had seen so many times. At this point, the man had disappeared from his memory.

  The night began, and Jay brought out the trolley he had gotten built from the man in the market and had put it in the supreme room where it was of good use. It was full of different alcohols including one bottle of Redoli from the kingdom of Redonia that was the most expensive one. Only a few glasses were ever poured of Redoli and usually only if there was a big win. Drinks were made and Jay also went down to the kitchen where the chefs always made top quality food. As he walked upstairs, something caught his eye, and he saw the man again. He was standing by himself and looking around as he leaned at the bar. Jay walked up but there was something on his mind. It did not feel right and when he entered the room with the players, he left the food and headed down back again. The man was gone, but he saw the owner and let him know what he had seen.

  Yanburu brushed it off and told him to relax and went upstairs again. When Jay was in the room, he tried not to think about it and told himself it was just his imagination and filled the glasses up again. Rinea did not get much luck and played until her money for the night was out. She had had some drinks but not too much so she didn’t need help but Jay still offered her it. She declined and walked outside to get some fresh air. Jay could not get the feeling out of his head and got distracted so much, he had to give in to the feeling. He left and walked down the stairs to have a look. Yanburu was nowhere to be found and not the old lady as well. He looked in the front of the big bar. Rinea always sat down on the stairs in front of the bar but maybe she was still inside, he thought as his eyes could not find her at the entrance. He looked around but Rinea was not inside.

  He finally met Yanburu and asked him if he had seen her. Yanburu could tell Jay was upset and told another worker to help find her. The worker said he already know where she was because he saw her. He said she went out with a man that was there a few nights earlier. Jay’s face changed and he ran down the stairs holding a bottle he grabbed as he ran past the bar. Well down the stairs, he ran around the corner with Yanburu and other workers after him and when Jay turned another corner so he was behind it in an alley.

  He saw the man holding a knife towards the old lady’s face. Jay told him to let her go and ran towards the man. Rinea kicked the man on the leg and he made a noise of pain then stabbed her in the stomach. Jay came close and the man changed direction and pointed the knife towards him. Jay drew the man away from Rinea that was breathing heavy and fast. Yanburu came and told the other worker to run for help. Jay used the bottle to guard against the strike and had complete control. When he believed he had got enough space between Rinea and the man, he changed tactic. He went close and the man struck at him. But Jay grabbed his arm as Gon had taught him and twisted it making the man go down on his knees. He was screaming up in the air but was silenced as Jay smashed the bottle over his head, causing him to pass out to fall onto the ground. Jay ran back to the old lady who had a slower breath.

  When asked how she was, she had a calm look in her face. She told him the man did not hit any organ and she would be fine. Yanburu said he would still let the healer take a look at her. The crowd had grown outside where they were, and when Jay came back to the room, he got greeted with applause from the people in the room who had heard already what he had done. Dorin told him he was happy he came that day when they needed people and shook his hand.

  The night went on, and Jay received the biggest tip he ever got. The next day when he came to the Judobo bar,
he got a piece of paper from Rinea given to Yanburu last night. The healer that came back from treating her had given Yanburu the letter with instructions that it was to be given to Jay. He said he won’t need him tonight and asked him to go see the old lady. Jay saw the address on the back and headed off to see Rinea. When he arrived, he saw her sitting on the porch and as he walked up to the house, she said she had something for him. Jay went in the house and before she said anything, he told her he didn’t need anything and he only wanted her to be well. She laughed and said she had lived for 86 years and was not going to die from some punk’s attack. She also said she remembered the stories that he told when they asked him to talk about himself, and she knew he lived in a carriage. She gave him a key and a paper that she had placed on a table. Jay was confused, but before he asked, she said her sister left the city of Shetana some years ago, and would not come back to the city anytime soon so she left her house to her. But she had no need for it as she had no children of her own and only needed one house to live in.

  Rinea offered to lend it for free to Jay for his help and he was not allowed to say no unless he wanted her heart to be hurt. Jay looked at the old lady and thanked her. He said he would pay her whatever she wanted and Rinea got a funny look in her face. She said she hadn’t had a man stay with her for the night for many years. Jay froze a little and was so shocked he didn’t know what to do. She then began to laugh and said he didn’t have to worry as he was too young for her. She then put her head to the side and said maybe she should widen her range of men. A nervous laugh came out from Jay who was also sweating some under his clothes.

  She then said she only joked with him and said he could live for free. Very relieved, he accepted and she told him the rent was free as long as they didn’t trash the house. And when they decided to leave, they could come back whenever they wanted as long as she was alive. She then said she had food ready, and Jay stayed with Rinea for a couple of hours. When he got back to the others, they looked surprised to see him back home. He told them the story of the fight the night before and that he went to see the old lady to see how she was.

  When he told his friends about the house, they became overjoyed, and they decided to move the same night after Jay had told them. Gon and Senji were so happy and gave Jay a big hug, and Gon lifted Jay and danced with him as he didn’t have to live in the open where so much noise was at the moment. In the house, they packed up and moved to their rooms which were located next to each other. Gon could not keep quiet and did tease Jay a little. He said he should have shown his appreciation by showing her a good time. Both Senji and Jay wrestled him down and told him to shut up.

  Market Day Grand Opening

  The first day had come and Gon hadn’t slept much. It had been eleven days since they agreed to the cooperation with Mr Pan. He had been to the market every day to see the progress of the mini-restaurant and worked out the menu together with the other chefs working there. He saw Mr Pan together with the small restaurant owner every second day, and they had great ideas that they exchanged and developed during their meetings. The people of Shetana had multiplied, and there were so many around so the noise became even louder as the days came and went.

  The three friends had been so lucky that they could move in to the house thanks to the nice lady Jay saved some days earlier. It was starting to be hard to sleep in the wagon with the people becoming so many. Every day, he woke up and had an incredible urge to get to the market. The others never woke up before him, and the sun was yet to rise but he couldn’t really sleep anymore. He lay there thinking, and at last, gave in to the feeling to leave.

  Gon packed his things quietly and left the house. Shetana was not very quiet before but then, with so many people coming for the pre-tournament fights, it looked full of people all the time even at night. He arrived at the market where some of the owners had started setting up. He saw one of the men who had finished the last of the preparation of the tables and chairs, and he was on his way home. They greeted each other and the man left for his bed. Gon arrived to the big make shift tent that was set up and met another couple of helpers that had come early to prepare for the kitchen. Gon had collected his best tools and set them all down at his station. He helped the rest of the people in the restaurant to prepare, and soon, the sun was rising.

  Mr Pan arrived together with his daughter whom Gon had never seen before. The daughter seemed to be in her late 20s and introduced herself as Bianca and her dad had put her in charge of greeting the guests for the better tables for more important guests. Gon was cooking for full speed and with a couple of hours left. He felt great and happy to work as a chef and considered himself very lucky. He heard a voice shout his name and saw Senji waving as she continued to her work with the girls.

  Senji and Gon had grown closer since they came to Shetana, and Senji found herself going a longer route to make sure she saw Gon cooking. When they came back to the house, they spent more time together talking as they were alone during the time Jay was working. The market was busy with people and some of the other stalls had already opened. Kuun came in and said they would open in 15 minutes. Gon had been ready for a long time and threw a couple of buns on a plate and ate them. He saw the crowd gathered outside the tent. When they finally opened, the customers did not let themselves wait and the outside tables became full quick as the day was beautiful and warm.

  The day went very well, and Bianca had a very busy day at the tables with the richer customers and some of her father’s clients and other business partners. It had only been half day but she was already tired. From the market, the noises were so loud. The market was huge, and there were so many different stores and activities. But not only people who wanted to enjoy some good food or shopping had come today.

  From one of the shops, a pair of eyes was watching carefully at the restaurant. The man with the eyes had been walking around the restaurant since it opened and then sat having tea at a competitor’s restaurant. He had been sitting there for a while then and once in a while, made gestures in various locations. He had also not been totally alone as people had, at times, come up to him and whispered things in his ear. With a whistle from the man hiding behind a hat and scarf, some men rose from the next couple of tables. In the tent, the customers were eating and drinking with more people waiting for a table.

  Mr Pan was standing next to the kitchen and was looking happy about the success of the restaurant. The men who rose from the other restaurant tables were standing in line waiting to come in. Gon had never stopped and was having a great time but someone was watching him from a way back. Happy voices were all around, but from the men in the line, there was nothing spoken. With no notice, the men in the line brought out wooden sticks that had been hidden under clothes, and started to attack the workers in the tent. Very fast, more people joined in who had already come in to the restaurant and also started attacking the customers. Mr Pan was quickly surrounded by some of his closest men who started to move him away. But he told some of them to leave him and get his daughter, Bianca.

  Gon came out after slamming a pot over the head of a man running in to the kitchen and saw a couple of workers in trouble and rushed in to help. He jumped in and kicked a man in the chest as he came in and hit another with the wooden club he brought from the kitchen. The attacking men were many, and soon, the tent got customers fleeing from it. The employees were fighting but were outnumbered and the bodyguards protecting Mr Pan had to give up on helping Bianca and got Mr Pan out first and then came back for her. Some of the bodyguards and workers were fighting in the more secluded section after trying to get Bianca and were getting pounded by the attacking men.

  Bianca was trying to get one of the men away from her by having a table between her and the man. On the other side of the restaurant, Gon was putting three men out of action by hitting them with a chair one by one and with a few of the workers managed to get the upper hand. Gon ran to the doorway where Mr Pan was asking Gon to help his daughter. Gon and a couple of gua
rds run in to the secluded part where some of the guests were coming out, injured. Some had minor bruises while others bled from their faces. As they joined the fighting mob inside, other objects started to fly in the air. Gon swayed to the side to not get hit by a bottle but it hit another worker that fell down.

  In the corner, there were the bodyguards holding off five men from getting to Bianca. They were taking a beating from the wooden sticks and chairs wielded at them. Gon grabbed a smaller table that he intended to use in helping the bodyguards but ran straight into some of the men attacking. He threw the table on one intruder as he came closer while pushing another so hard he brought down two more. Some of the guests lay unconscious on the floor together with workers and attackers. The bodyguards were outnumbered, and Bianca was screaming for help as the attackers were finally able to grab her. Gon tried to get close but was being pushed back by the flying bottles and other things thrown at him. And with so many attacking at the same time, it becomes hard to focus on anything other than defence. There was then concern that the men would be able to take her away. Some of the men ordered to keep the peace in the city then also joined the fight, and they were finally able to push on using shields that protected them against bottles.

  As they then were more an even number fighting, Gon moved to the side and tried to engage with the men surrounding Bianca. He had to stop and hide away as the men were joined by a familiar man. In front of the exit of the tent on the other side of the restaurant stood Chien, and he had a knife to Bianca’s throat. Mr Pan saw what was happening and told Chien to let her go. Chien never went to Mr Pan’s brother and was very offended by the fact that he was so humiliated by Gon and that Mr Pan did nothing to aid him. He had left for his old gang and had told them about the restaurant plan and how much they could make if they were successful in kidnapping his daughter. Chien threatened the life of Bianca and demanded a large sum of money to secure her release.