The Fate of Martín (Part VII)

The night Martin was prevented from entering his apartment and ended up staying in a discreet hotel, he could hardly sleep. Disconcerted, desolate, and in a state of mental and physical exhaustion, he thought about staying in bed, but at one point, he decided to move forward. He showered and went to have a coffee and eat a croissant in a small café, and then he went to work. No, he would overcome the moment and move on.

It was complex, he struggled to concentrate, and he was extremely tired. That afternoon, he decided to talk to his boss.

"Excuse me, I don't want to be a bother, but I need to ask for the afternoon off. I promise to make up for the hours with overtime."

"What's wrong with you? You look tired, worn out, and pale," his boss said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I don't want to be a nuisance."

"Come on! Don't be obtuse, it's evident that something's wrong with you, we've all noticed. If you don't mind, tell me what's going on."

"Really, I'm sorry, but I don't want to play the victim, it doesn't suit me... anyway..."

"Last night, my wife and I broke up. Not even that, she asked me to leave the house, and I'm going through a horrible time."

Martin didn't even know why he said it, he didn't feel like sharing what was happening with anyone.

"I'm very sorry, really. You've been through a tough time lately."

"Yes, I never thought everything could be so complex and difficult."

"What are you going to do?"

"Well, that's why I wanted to ask for the afternoon off, I need to find a place to live. I'm in a hotel, but only until tomorrow. And I don't want to be without a place to spend the night. It bothers me and causes me anxiety, to be honest."

"Look, consider this, I have a friend who does real estate brokerage, and I think he has an apartment near here. From what I know, it's not very big, and the rents around here aren't high, it's not a great neighborhood, but it can help you out of this situation."

"Seriously? Anything will do. I haven't seen anything."

And his boss, along with authorizing his absence, gave him the contact information of the broker, who Martin contacted immediately. They agreed to meet with one of the broker's employees at 4:00 pm at the location he sent via WhatsApp. It was an old building from the 1960s, six stories high, no elevator, small balconies, and metal windows. The apartment they saw was on the fifth floor, faced the street, was recently painted, and showed its age, it had one bedroom, a tiny kitchen, a bathroom, and a living room: 36 square meters. The rent was within the range Martin was willing to pay monthly. They asked for a month's guarantee, and he could occupy it immediately. He used his last savings, paid the initial deposit, and they handed him the keys. The smell of paint was very strong, but he supposed it would pass with time. The documents were left to be signed the next day.
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