Steemit Challenge T26-w2 | Mysterious Roommate

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When Ronnie came to live with us, I didn’t like it at all. Mummy said he was a good boy, but I didn’t trust him. He was very tall, taller than our door, and he carried one big black bag that looked too heavy for only clothes. He told Timothy, my elder brother, that he came to the city to start one import-export business. He said it with one fine smile, like in TV adverts. Timothy believed him straight away. Me, I didn’t.

Ronnie always dressed like a big man. His shirts were white-white, his shoes were shining as if he licked them. He talked slowly and politely, and Timothy liked him. They used to sit outside and talk about business, about how to save money, about which landlord is wicked. I thought maybe Ronnie was not so bad, but my stomach was still saying be careful.

One evening Timothy came home early. The door was not locked well, so he pushed it. And guess what? Ronnie was kneeling on the floor with his bag open. My brother told me later, and when I imagined it, my heart started beating like generator sound. Inside the bag were not clothes or papers. There were strange things—long cutters, saws, bunches of keys like landlord’s keys, even one small gun!

Timothy said his mouth opened by itself. “Ronnie, what is this?” he asked.

Ronnie turned slowly. For one second he looked surprised, but then he smiled again, that same fake smile. “Ah, you’re back early,” he said, as if nothing happened.

Timothy pointed. “You told me you came for import-export! Since when does import-export need gun and cutters?”

Ronnie laughed, but not like normal laugh. It was low and cold, the kind that makes you want to run. “Calm down,” he said. “I can explain.”

Timothy shouted, then explain now!

Ronnie packed the gun back gently and said, “I do business, yes. But it’s not ordinary business. I find things. Special things. Some people call me a smuggler. Some call me a spy. It depends on who is asking. These tools are not for robbery. They are for survival.”

Timothy’s hands were shaking. “So all this time you lied to me?”

Ronnie’s eyes became serious. Ididn’t lie. I just didn’t tell you everything. Carrying treasures is not easy. People chase me. Bad people. Governments. Thieves. If I don’t have tools, they will catch me. And the gun… he stopped and whispered, the gun is when tools are not enough
Timothy told me later that his body became cold that moment, as if ice entered his veins. He wanted to run out, but his legs refused.

“What if police come here one day?” Timothy asked. “What if I get arrested too?”

Ronnie stared at him for long and then smiled again, but this time the smile was not nice. “If I wanted you in trouble, Timothy, you would already be in trouble. The fact that you saw this and I let you live with it… means you are safer than most. But also…” He bent down close and whispered, “…you are now closer to danger than ever.”

When Timothy told me that part, I covered my head with blanket. I didn’t even want to hear more. From that day, Timothy didn’t sleep well. Every noise outside, even rat noise, sounded like police or bad men coming to knock. Ronnie still dressed neat and still smiled, but Timothy said he could never trust him again.

And me? I decided Ronnie is not just one person. He is two people in one bodyone that smiles and talks gently, and another one that hides in the shadows with secrets. I don’t know if he is thief, spy, or magician. But I know one thing: sharing a house with Ronnie is like living inside a scary film where you don’t know who will disappear first.

I will love to invite @luimer79 , @annu17 and @pandora2010 to participate in this wonderful contest.