Click!
And then in a burst of noise and colors, the door swung open,
"Happy birthday!!!"
Miguel immediately retreated, but bumped into Julio after three steps.
Behind him, Julio nodded with a smile as Miguel turned to him.
"You're okay don't worry." Julio said and walked past Miguel into the house.
Growing up in the favela, the instructions always instilled into the children was that when something unexpected happens, the first course of action was to retreat.
Behind the door, inside the living room were neighbors living in the apartment complex and few friends.
The room was filled with the sweet scent of freshly baked cake, keeping everyone in a festive mood.
Colorful balloons and streamers added a pop of color to the room.
At the center of the room, placed atop a table was a white cake with four candles on top.
Miguel's eyes repeatedly scanned the room until it landed on the couple standing closest to the cake and he relaxed greatly.
"What's going on Julio? What are we celebrating?" Miguel whispered following Julio into the apartment.
"What date is today?" Julio whispered back already standing before the couple at the center of the sitting room.
"What does today's date have to do...." Still speaking, Miguel's eyes caught sight of something and suddenly froze.
Written on the cake with stylish strokes were the words "Happy Birthday 10th Miguel"
'12th of August, I actually forgot my own birthday' Miguel stood in a daze, wondering how he actually forgot his own birthday.
Miguel couldn't be faulted for forgetting his birthday, since he'd never had one celebrated before. To him, it was just another regular day, except for the occasional wishes from his family.
"What are you still standing there for migo." the male among the couple standing closest to the cake waved with a smile on his face.
His face and the brothers face seemed to have been carved from the same mould, except he was more matured and had a goatee on his jaw.
He is the father of the brothers, Mr Marco Santos.
Mr Marco is a 5ft-plus tall Middle aged man with a slight pot-belly and glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.
His voice joited Miguel back from his thoughts and then he realizes that everyone was looking at him with smiles.
"Both of you go take a shower quickly and come to the party, don't keep our guests waiting" the woman standing beside Mr Marco smiled gently.
She had a slim but tall build, had raven-black long hair tied into a ponytail.
Her facial features marked her as a beauty during her hay days, however wrinkles were already beginning to form at the corners of her eyes making her look older than her actual age.
As she spoke to them her smile was filled with motherly love.
She is the mother of the brothers, Lucia Santos.
"Yes mom, we'll be right back" Miguel smiled as well while he and Julio quickly ran past the living room into a door that led else where.
The kids returned fifteen minutes later looking nice and then the celebration began.
Miguel was putting on his favorite outfit, a black velvety trousers and a white long sleeved shirt with a wolf image on the chest.
The soft feeling of the fabric against his skin making him believe that this wasn't a dream after all.
The atmosphere in the Santos home quickly turned merry, the sweet scent of Lucia's freshly baked brigadeiros filled the air making the guests' mouths water.
Miguel was then invited to stand before the cake while everyone else surrounded him. Soon chorus of the birthday song echoed not just in the room but the whole complex.
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!! Happy birthday to you!!! Happy birthday to you!!!!"
"Hip! Hip!! Hip!!!"
"Hurraaaay!!!"
"Alright migo, make a wish and blow off the candles" Marco said while tussling Miguel's hair.
He and his wife were standing behind Miguel, Julio was standing by his left side while every other person both children and adults crowded around them.
He silently made a wish and then he blew, drawing the cheers of everyone.
***
"Mom, dad thank you" Miguel holding dirty dishes bowed towards his parents as they clean up the aftermath of the party.
The party came to an end around 4pm, leading to everyone dispersing to their various homes.
"I know that organizing this party definitely cost a lot, so I'm very grateful that you held it for me."
He was well aware that his parents weren't well off. His father works as a reporter for the local favela news agency, and his mother runs a roadside stall selling local snacks.
For them, organizing this party for him took up no small cost and it went to show how much they loved him.
"It's alright sweetheart" Lucia replied.
"What are you thanking us for migo, it's our duty, to begin with" Marco smiled.
"Hey Miguel, why don't you take these leftovers to Dante, I bet the poor thing's been starving. Plus it'll be better than throwing them away" Julio who just finished cleaning the dishes returned to the room with a bag of half eaten cakes.
"Yeah you're right" Miguel's face instantly lit up.
Quickly putting on his shoes, he grabbed the bag from Julio and hurried towards the door "Mom, dad I'll be right back"
"Say hi to the little fella for me" Julio yelled after him.
"I will" was the reply that came from the stairs.
***
Miguel came to a stop alley a few street away, the stale air carrying the stench of trash assaulted his face.
Ignoring the smell, he placed to fingers in his mouth and whistled.
"Dante, here boy" he called out amidst whistling.
Woof! Woof!!
Two barks responded from behind a trash bin, echoing throughout the whole alley.
A dirty, hungry-looking brazilian terrier ran towards him from behind the trash bin, tail wagging.
Miguel dropped to one knee and hugged the dog.
"There you are, who's a good boy? You are, Yes you are." Feeling the rubbing on its neck the terrier happily wagged its tail, licking Miguel's face.
"Ewww! Stop no licking Dante. What have you been sticking your face in" Miguel hurriedly pushed Dante away.
Spreading the bag of left overs, he beckoned on Dante.
"Here, I brought you something to...."
Booom!
A loud explosion interrupted him mid-sentence shaking the few unstable buildings in the area.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"M*therf*ckers, get those Axe fools" a myriad of clamorous voices resounded in the distance.
Chaos soon descended like a blanket enveloping the whole favela in a tight embrace.
Miguel's heart thumped in his chest as he looked towards the direction of the explosion.
""Gunshots, it's a gang war"