KINGDOM OF HELIES – CHAPTER I

“Where is the prince?”, the angered voice of the King echoed through the golden walls of the palace.

It brought shivers to the maids and soldiers. The entire castle held its breath as an unexplainable fear engulfed the beings inside those majestic gates.

“Oh! here comes the prince”, as soon as the stout old man with a long beard uttered, the entire congregation shifted their gaze to the right.

Two soldiers marched inside with a young man in tow.

The young man was clothed in a long grey robe, a majestic and yet humble smile adorning his dusky brown face, his blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight, and his brown hair dancing to an unheard rhythm of the universe. The young man was chained yet his smirk said out aloud “don’t fool yourself, I’m just playing along”

“Crown prince Jeuel requesting your audience your majesty”, the two soldiers unchained him and walked away.

“Care to explain young man”, the King said

“Well, dad…

I mean your majesty”, the young prince smiled to himself.

“On the contrary to the palace accusations, I was outside the palace gates delivering my royal duties”, his voice laced with confidence.

“What royal duty involves the crown prince of the great kingdom of Helies to clothe in rags and wander through the streets, using his maji on mere mortal manids, though knowing that the royal laws strictly prohibit it outside the palace gates unless by the royal command”, the Kings words mirrored his built-up frustration.

“Your majesty that’s where you are wrong”

“The manids out there are suffering. They need help. They need maji. We must stop being selfish and share our power with them. It is our royal duty”, the prince pleaded.

“But giving those treacherous manids access to our divine maji will bring chaos young prince”

“Imagine the riots and coups that will follow when they get their hands on the maji. We won’t be able to control them”, the old man with the long beard, war minister Khalid said while stroking his beard.

“Khalid is right. We can’t let them get their hands on maji. They are not ready. Now stop all this nonsense”

The king walked out of the court, glancing at the prince one last time. Soon the court emptied one by one and Jeuel was left all alone.

He plopped on the cedar wood floor, his arms under his head as he glanced at the golden cherry blossom carvings that adorned the ceiling.

“Cherry blossoms”, he smiled.

“I wonder what that snotty girl is doing” Jeuel muttered as his thoughts began to replay the happenings of that day.

“Royal etiquette with professor Perkin at 6:00 in the court, breakfast at 8:00, war strategy classes with war minister Khalid at 9:00 in the clock tower, defense practice with guards head Derin in the courtyard at 11:00, luncheon at 1:00, horse riding sessions with master Bella at 3:00 near the stables, maji classes with chief wizard Marian at 5:00 and dinner at 9:00 your highness”, Garen – Jeuel’s Secretary/bodyguard listed to 12-year-old Jeuel as he twisted and turned, unwilling to give up the soulful embrace of his warm bed and those silk sheets.

“Just 5 minutes, give me 5 more minutes Garen, please”, Jeuel’s pleas were certainly ignored as Garen began to strip off the sheets and exposed him to the sunlight that crept in through the arched windows.

12-year-old Jeuel’s days were packed with royal duties from dawn to dusk.

Still, even the eagle eyes of Garen weren’t enough to prevent him from sneaking out from time to time.

On that spring morning, Jeuel ditched his horse riding classes and escaped to his secret haven.

It was a mesmerizing hideout near the eastern gates of the palace.

“Just what I need,” Jeuel said as he took off his boots and plopped onto the banks of brook Idonis. The pristine waters gently hugged his little feet and the raining cherry blossoms dozed him with their sweet scent. After a few moments of lingering in its embrace, Jeuel stood up and walked up to the bridge across the brook.

A grandeur clock stood in the middle of the bridge. Jeuel’s hands traced through the carved grapevine that swirled the clock like a python, the wood was ready to crumble to ashes, evident of centuries of withering under the sun, rain and storm, yet the rusted hands never stopped ticking.

“Please come out, I’m quite sick of this hide and seek game you know”, Jeuel spouted as always. Whatever spells he tried, potions he used, the door had always been closed and the bird of the clock was never found.

He hid his familiar disappointment. Before he could step away, an unfamiliar glow from the clock arrested his attention and locked him in a trance.

The ticking sounds dragged him closer and closer into its embrace as silent whispers echoed “she is here”.

A loud shudder from the bush broke his trance.

” Who is there?” Jeuel screeched. His limbs involuntarily moved to a defensive stance. With a simple spell, red flames of fire emerged from his palms.

“When the enemy is unknown, the fire should be your first defense young prince”, Khalid’s lessons began to make sense for the little prince.

While his racing heart expected a devilish creature or a ghastly beast to make an appearance, to his disappointment, out from the bush came a little girl.

She patted the dirt from his grey skirt, wiped the dust from her dusky brown cheeks and her honey plaits, sniffed her snotty nose, and turned her gaze towards Jeuel.

“Wow! is that fire”, her pearly eyes grew bigger and bigger as she came running toward Jeuel.

“Stop there! I said stop!”, Jeuel’s threats were left unheard as the little girl grabbed his arms and excitedly analyzed those red flames.

“What are you doing?” Jeuel pulled out his arms and stumbled back.

For a prince who lived all his life within those palace gates, who knew every palace guard and officials by their names, and was accustomed to their humble greetings and familiar smiles – this alien being was blissful chaos he won’t dare to imagine, not even in his wildest dreams.

While he was panicking about whether to fight against this species or summon the palace guards or just run away, the girl shifted her curiosity from his red flames to the clock.

“You look beautiful”, she said as her gentle fingers traced through the rugged edges of the clock. With every touch, her eyes widened and her smile broadened.

“You are a precious little angel”, she said and kissed the clock.

As soon as her lips touched the wood, a magnificent Phoenix emerged from those closed doors.

Jeuel stood in awe at the presence of such a wondrous being. A million different shades were evident in its coats and its feathered tail. Each shade glittered and sparkled under the sunlight like the rarest collection of precious stones. A huge rainbow engulfed the bridge, enough to question the existence of the sun and the chasing clouds. The Phoenix made its way to the top of the clock, seated itself like a majestic queen in her throne, and began its divine lullaby. The song waked a sense of belonging and excitement in the hearer’s hearts. Like finding your long-lost treasure or a blind man seeing light for the first time. The song brought a weird maji to the air, entirely different from what Jeuel had seen or heard in the palace.

Once the song ended, the phoenix went back into its hiding and the miracle was broken as reality came back into existence.

“How did you do that?” Jeuel asked, his minding still processing the miracle he met and the curious questions that were waiting for their turn.

“Did what?” the snotty girl said in a confused tone. She was completely ignorant of the fact that that it was she who conjured up such a divine miracle, which even the crown prince of Helies was incapable of.

“You know….. How did you bring the bird out of the closed doors? What spell did you use?”

Jeuel’s desperate attempts were shutdown abruptly when she said,

“I don’t know, I just did what my mom usually does”.

Jeuel’s fear of this alien being was abundantly outweighed by his curiosity about the secret that unleashed the bird. And for the first time in his life, the crown prince of the great kingdom of Helies gulped down his pride and made a request.

He took her hands, looked her straight in the eyes, and said, “please, take me to your mother”.

KINGDOM OF HELIES – PROLOGUE

“Soul, consciousness, spirit”

A million different variations might emerge to label the voice of our hearts. The voice we hear day and night, the voice that steers us on the right path whether we wish or not. Every one of us is familiar with the existence of this voice and a mad man alone would deny its presence. Yet, after all these years of analyses, experiments and definitions, humans are yet to find a shred of single evidence to prove this universal truth. Not even a single research paper on its existence and nor a shiny little box to record its frequencies.

For me, the Kingdom of Helies is a place of such accord. Its embracing gushes of wind and the emerald bathed grasslands are vivid to my eyes as strong as the voice of my heart. Yet, I couldn’t find a way to prove its existence.

“I looked and saw a whirlwind coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire was a gleam like amber and within it was the form of four living creatures.

Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man.

From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him.

The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking”

Desperate to prove his visit to Heaven, the exiled Prophet Ezekial took a piece of parchment and began to write. He inked his visions with intricate details and divine allegories. He poured his heart, soul, and everything into those pages because those mere words were his only way of proving the unknown which he alone knew.

I have decided to follow in his footsteps and gathered courage from his writings as I began this narrative of the great kingdom of Helies. This book is my way of proving the unknown which I alone know.

You might pass it off as a mad man’s imagination on a full moon night or a young author’s desperate attempts to get recognized. Who knows? On the contrary, you might be smitten by its pages as you urge your fellow beings to take a look into this divine world you found inside printed ink and celebrate it as a well-written masterpiece.

Whatever the consequence, my intention in writing this book remains the same.

“My memoir of the immaculate Kingdom of Helies”.

Manids – That’s how the people of Helies called themselves. While I was expecting far angelic beings with wings of fire and a Solaris glow. I was disappointed (and a bit glad) that Helies in many ways was similar to our reality. The buzzing cities, the footsteps of men marching through its streets, buying and selling and struggling to meet today’s needs.

Little boys and girls wandering through fields like those unleashed clouds on a windy evening – without any boundaries, restrictions, or traces of worries.

Its legendary women gathering around the wells, carrying their jars and their daily dose of gossips. Helies was akin to the world my ancestors bragged about – a world untouched by technology.

At this point, the familiarity of its streets might stir a monotonous median in your minds. But don’t be fooled, for the real tale begins from the palace gates.

The Great King of Helies reigned over the lengths and breadths of the land with absolute authority and power as he wielded the most powerful Maji.

What is Maji? You might ask. Well, to iterate in a simple way to grasp. Maji was the cosmic superpower that very few possessed. Though the chosen ones were generally from royal lineage, very rarely a few Manids were able to tap into Maji. The extent of the power and the accompanying abilities varied from men to men. In the beginning, I shattered my brain to find patterns, levels, and other rational devices to theorize this Maji. But my mortal brain wasn’t enough to grasp its intricateness. In the end, I surrendered myself to its enigmatic aura and decided to go with the flow. I dearly advise you to do the same.

The Kingdom was extremely cautious in shielding Maji from the Manids and devised disastrous rules to protect it. Unless for the royal command or by the royal administrators, Maji was prohibited from usage beyond the palace gates.

But this tale has little to do with the King and a lot to his beloved son Jeuel.

Jeuel – the one and only crown prince to the throne of Helies. He was a fine young man and his Maji was strong enough to vanquish the warriors of his kingdom. Indeed, this young man is the reason for this tale. The man who turned the serene lands of Helies into a cauldron stained with blood. A man whose well-intentioned actions brought utter chaos into the realms.

“This is the Chronicles of the Saviour Prince Jeuel”

KINGDOM OF HELIES – ANNOUNCEMENT

“A king, a Prince and loads of Magic”

When the crown prince of Helies goes against the King in his desperate attempts to bring salvation to his people, Where will it end?

A land stained by blood and war or the happily ever after he dreams of?

Is it even possible to break the age-old barriers with his unshaken will as the only weapon? Or will he succumb to the treacherous schemes of the hidden devils?  

What if he is wrong? What if the people indeed turn out to be unworthy? What if the feared chaos descends on the land because of his well-intentioned actions? Will he be able to face his nightmare and still stay the same?

Join us in our new creation “Kingdom of Helies – Chronicles of the Saviour Prince”

In an attempt to upgrade our works, we have decided to end our short stories series. Instead, Kingdom of Helies will be updated on the first Sunday of every month.

The story will be serialized in Wattpad too. You can use this link :

https://www.wattpad.com/story/272564124-kingdom-of-helies-chronicles-of-the-saviour-prince

Stay tuned folks 😊

BUTTERFLY EFFECT – CHAPTER I

“The flapping wings of a distant butterfly can cause a hurricane

A single act, no matter how small, can cause great change”

Julia read from her friend’s Instagram post. “Is this real? Can a small act really make a great change? she asked herself. She was seated comfortably near the window in an extremely cramped bus. The bus was overflowing with people since it was the peak time of the day.

Every day Julia would board the 6.00 bus. It was a miracle that her office is just steps away from the depot and because of that she always finds a seat. Every day, she would choose a window seat, put on her earphones and lose herself in her social media.

That night, a little butterfly passed by the window and a brilliant idea sparked. “Hey butterfly, this better be worth it” Julia mumbled and looked around. There was a woman in her mid-thirties struggling to cope with the ever-growing crowd. Her eyes were already weary from a hard day’s work. Julia got up and said to the woman “you look very tired. Come on, sit here”. The woman looked surprised – as if a Genie has granted her greatest wish. “O thank you so much” the lady replied and sat down with a huge smile. Now it was Julia’s turn to be squeezed in this hell of an 2hr ride. “let’s see how this story ends” Julia mumbled with a smile and held onto the railings real tight.

When the clock struck 8, little Jason dropped whatever he was doing and turned his attention towards the door. At this exact moment his mom would be barging through the doors drenched in sweats and breathing heavily as if she had just fought a battle. Indeed, her 2hr travel in that cramped bus is a battle of the 21st century. But today, she entered the doors with a wide smile. “Am I dreaming” Jason rubbed his eyes once again not able to believe his mom’s smile. She walked towards him with a huge grin and hugged him tight. “I’m so happy today Jas. You know what? a young lady gave me her seat today! It felt like a miracle. so, let’s celebrate. Let’s make your favorite cupcakes. But you should finish your homework before that little boy” She said with her radiant smile. Jason was so excited at the mention of his favorite blueberry cupcakes, he finished his entire homework in lightning speed while frequently losing himself in the warm smell of cupcakes that filled the air. He felt grateful to that unknown young lady who made his mom smile. “Thank you so much” he said to the sky and ran back to the dining table.

Alex parked his car while sighing to himself “Ha another night of constant Wailing”. Another night of his wife constantly talking about her naughty students, how hard it is to be a teacher and how dark the world is. Indeed, Alex knew how hard it is to be a teacher to 10year old boys. Their infinite energy and endless questions and merciless talking. It is one of the most tiring jobs in the world. But still he wished his wife could just stop worrying about her world and start looking at him. Stop talking and listen to him once in a while. He too had a rough day and messed up pretty hard and was embarrassed in front of everybody. He wished she could take a glimpse in his world too. He had been a constant listener and somehow these days he felt lonely even though he was sitting just by her side. “Is it too much to ask?” Alex mumbled to himself as he made his way to the doors. “I’m home” his weary voice echoed through the walls. “O love, you’re back. You know what happened today? Jason….”, his wife began to speak. “There she goes again” Alex sighed and walked towards the TV. “Jason did all his homework perfectly. all my years of hard work really paid off. So How was your day?” his wife said with a beautiful smile. The smile he fell in love with. Alex dropped the remote and froze on spot. “Did I heard wrong?” he thought. “Hey I asked how was your day?” She asked again.

Without even knowing Alex walked towards her and hugged her tight. “Love, what happened? What’s wrong? Are you sick? Did you had a rough day?” she asked while hugging him tight. “You know what? I’ve been dying to hear those words from you. You don’t know how powerful those are. Just a simple how was your day? means a lot. Every day I listened to your stories with all my heart, but deep inside I wished you could ask me too” Alex said. “So now tell me, what did that stupid boss of yours did today” his wife said with a smile. Soon the sound of laughter filled the air. “let’s stay like this for a long long time” the laughing couple thought to themselves that night.

TO BE CONTINUED…………….

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Greetings my lovely readers 🙂

Of course, everyday has become a survival war for us since the advent of this Corona. We are being drained physically, mentally and spiritually. Our plans had gone down the drain. But I still believe that if we fight together, We can defeat this demon.

“The flapping wings of a distant butterfly can cause a hurricane

A single act, no matter how small, can cause great change

Even your teeny tiny help can save a life.

Lets help each other, support each other and save each other.

Stay tuned to find the hurricane our little butterfly caused.

The next chapter will be updated next sunday.

Don’t forget to share, comment and follow my blog.

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Till then, Adios amigos!!

PRODIGAL SON 2.0 – Chapter I

Vincent Yong – one of the top richest men in Asia. His business empire is spread far and wide, reaching through South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, China and even India. The Yong corporation is a major player in almost every sector. Investments, startups, real estate, production, exports and imports – name it and they will be there. Vincent Yong had two sons. His eldest son Kaleb and the youngest Angelo. Both these men were definitions of perfection. There taunting height and majestic aura . Kaleb’s eyes were  always brimming with sincerity, a tint of sadness shaded by his coldness. Angelo on the other hand was more like a demigod. Without a single worry in his heart, living in his own dreamland. He went around as a playboy and the prodigal son of the family.

The day when Angelo turned 21, he barged into his father’s office and demanded him to give him his share of the Yong empire. His father always knew this day would come and indeed he was prepared for it. He took a black card (you know those credit cards without any limit) out of his desk with the name Angelo inscribed on it. He said, “this card holds nearly 100 million dollars. I always knew this day would come. But it came much sooner than I expected. Remember, the moment you take this card – you should take responsibility for your actions. You must bear the consequences. The world out there is not as innocent as you think”. but none of those warnings went through Angelo’s ears. The sight of the card itself was enough to make him jump into his wonderland. He snatched the card out of his dad’s hand. With the unlimited power in his hands, he packed his bags and took the first flight to Las Vegas – the sin city. He always wished to open a casino there and the best way to learn is to experience it – Angelo thought. He entered into the first casino that caught his eyes and began his game.

He felt like Alice who slipped through the bunny hole into her wonderland. A land of mirage. Were even time, had no bounds. Within the walls of the casino, there is no day or night. No hunger or thirst. He felt like he had slipped into heaven. He took his card out and decided to try his luck. he went from one table to another. But luck never favored him – not even once. By the time he realized that his card was almost empty three nights and three days had already passed. With the little consciousness that he had after all those shots of vodka and those nameless foods that he ate, he decided to call it quits. He picked up his luggage and his dear card and staggered through the streets and in the trance, he somehow ended up on a dark alley. It was almost 3.00 am. It was dark all around and the alley seemed lonely and suspicious. But Angelo being a drunken mess, slopped on the streets and closed his eyes.

The next morning a bizarre headache woke him up from his slumber. He clenched his head and looked around to realize that he was lying on the sidewalk of a stinking alley. But there was more, all his possessions were gone – his luggage, his passport, his cellphone and his black card – everything was gone. That’s when he realized that he was doomed. He doesn’t even remember his dad’s phone number (O man! who remembers phone numbers these days). “What the heck am I gonna do now? I’m doomed”, Angelo screamed in those streets of Las Vegas.

On the other hand, Kaleb was fighting with time in his office. He buried his self within those piled up files and his 24*7 busy schedule. All these years he has always been the Good son. For him, the smile on his father’s face was the most important thing on the face of the earth. He was the top student in his school, the top student in his university. Infact he topped everything he tried his hands on – “the Midas touch” people said. Because he knew that’s what his father loved. whenever he showed his achievements to his dad, his dad would hug him tight and say “ha! I’m so proud of you my son” and those words alone were enough to keep him going. He never had time for friends nor did he ever thought of picking up a hobby for himself. His father’s happiness was the fuel that made him run all those years. Kaleb was the perfect son – The kind of man the world envied. His perfect life – The mirage people chase through their lives.

Vincent yong loved both his sons equally – well that’s what he thought he was doing. He knew that Kaleb had always been the Good son. He never had to worry about him. But his thoughts were always filled with Angelo, the boy who always end up in trouble. He had to rush out to save him every time. But this time things have gone out of control. He has lost contact with him and it’s almost 4 days since he heard about him. “Where in the world has this child gone? What if something bad has happened to him”, all those meaningless thoughts haunted his mind.

It was a bright sunny day and the weather was so good. Kaleb woke up much early than usual because today was the big day. He had a meeting with Richard Yu – the real estate shark and if he could manage to pull off this deal, the Yong empire would easily become the largest in Asia. He put on his best suit. The grey one and chose a white shirt to match it. The young man looked majestic and handsome in his attire. He grabbed all his files. It took him nearly a month of sleepless nights to reach till this point. He marched his way into the meeting room.

Well, who couldn’t be swayed by the young master’s aura? And Richard Yu was no exception. The thirst to succeed and the insatiable hunger to reach the skies – Richard Yu could sense the fire burning in Kaleb’s eyes. Richard Yu knew that nothing could go wrong in this young man’s hands. The meeting went on very well and in the end, the contract was signed between both the parties. Kaleb was thrilled. He took the contract in his hands and marched towards his father’s office his face gleaming with pride. He felt just like his 5-year-old self, how he used to walk happily to show his report card and his dad would smile brightly hug him and say “I’m so proud of you son”. He was sure he would hear those words once again today. He couldn’t hide his happiness. He pushed through the doors and when he was about to tell his dad about his victory he was cut off. Vincent said “O Kaleb, I have been looking for you since morning. You know Angelo has been gone for almost 4 days and there is no news about him. I’m so worried I couldn’t even sleep last night. Find him, Kaleb. I can’t let anything bad happen to him”.

Suddenly all his happiness went down the drain. He won’t be getting any hugs today. He hid the disappointment in his eyes. It has always been like this. Though he was the good son, he had no place in his father’s heart. His dad’s thoughts were always filled with Angelo. Every time Angelo ends up in a mess, his dad would send him to clean it up. Angelo was a useless boy. He always fails in his subjects and he barely got his degree. He always spends his time in the club’s and picking up fights. But dad loves him the most. when that one time Angelo somehow ended up with a third prize in the school running race, dad made a very big fuss and even arranged a party to celebrate it.

“Even his tiniest efforts are recognized, but all my works are invisible to dad. dad loves us both equally. But It’s not fair, isn’t it? He should love me more” Kaleb thought. Beneath the cold facade, there laid hidden a petty Kaleb who longs for his father’s attention like a 5-year-old, who gets jealous over his brother and who loves hugs. But like always he hid this part of himself. Rather than showing his disappointment and his yearnings, he would happily hide away his tears and his emotions. He felt that his emotions are a liability in his path towards success and his tears are his biggest weakness that he wished to hide from the world. He would always choose his father’s happiness over his own. He hid the contract at the back of his hands and told him “Don’t worry dad. I will look into it”. He barely hid his tears and walked away from the office.

After wiping out his tears he called his secretary and asked her to track the black card, Angelo’s passport and his mobile phone during the past 4 days. “Use all our resources and make this task your top priority”, he told his secretary. His secretary came back and handed him a file that contained the location of his brother. Angelo’s mobile was last used in the Lotus Casino in Las Vegas after which it couldn’t be tracked. The black card was also used their last night after which there seems no traces of it.  “Angelo went to Las Vegas and spent half of his fortune in the casino last night. But after that, he should have checked in to any hotels or resorts. But the card wasn’t used after last night. something must have happened last night. was he mugged? is he alright? is he hurt? where the heck is he now? if he has lost his card he should have tried to contact us by now. Where the heck has this stupid boy disappeared this time?”, he thought.

Of-course Kaleb cared about his little brother. Though he always felt that Angelo doesn’t deserve all those attention and Love. Though he always felt jealous of him. Kaleb loved his little brother. Though he hated the fact that he had to clean up all his mess, he always made sure that his little brother was not hurt. He protected him from the cruel world that he had witnessed. He took the family burden, dedicated his life to the Yong empire, dealt with all those bastards who tried to hurt family so that they could live a happy life. But somehow in the course of life little Angelo chose the wrong path. Picked up wrong friends and ended up running away from him. when he demanded his portion of the wealth, Kaleb thought his little brother was joking and like any time he would come back crying. But this time Angelo was in a distant land and anything could go wrong. Anyone might hurt his little brother. All those worst-case scenarios started playing in Kaleb’s mind. He kept the contract in his locker, packed his bags and took his private jet to Las Vegas. It was a 23hr tiring journey. “Hey brother stay alive. I’m coming for you”, Kaleb whispered to the clouds.

On the other side of the world, Angelo was still clenching his head. He knew he was doomed. But his rumbling stomach forced him to stand up. He staggered through the streets. He went to the pawnshop and traded his limited-edition Jacket (the only thing that was left behind) just for 56$. He then entered into a shabby little restaurant and ordered the cheapest item from the menu. The food felt awful but this is what he could afford at this moment. He remembered the times he would complain about the lavish dinners his dad would prepare for him. He silently wiped away his tears. He walked through the streets not knowing what to do. He can’t return to his country- He has no passport. He has no way to contact his dad or his brother because the stupid Angelo never remembered their phone numbers. Though the Yong empire is huge in Asia, America is something beyond their territory and so there is no way he could bump into someone from his company. So, all he could do now is believe that Kaleb would come here looking for him. Till then he has to stay alive. He has to find a job. He knew that the only job he could get at this point is being a waiter. Though he knew nothing about it, he was confident that people would hire him just for his looks. He went into a nearby store and picked up the cheapest ripped jeans and a T-shirt. He paid for the dress and had around 10$ left. He walked inside every restaurant that caught his eye and begged them to recruit him as a waiter. Most of them refused, some people laughed some even thought he was mad. This went on for hours till night. Angelo was starving because he never had time lunch. He reached the last restaurant in the neighborhood. It was too shabby to be considered as a restaurant but nevertheless, it was his only shot. When he was near the door, he saw an angry man coming out. He threw the apron on the streets and shouted “I’m done with being a waiter and I quit” and went away. “Maybe God is indeed trying to help him”, Angelo thought. He went straight to the manager and blurted “I can start working right from now. All I need is 3 meals a day and a place to stay”. The manager glanced at him from head to toe. He was indeed in need of a waiter and the shabby young man in front of him looks like he is in dire need of food. He handed the apron to Angelo and said “You’re hired young man, Now start cleaning the tables”. The words he was dying to hear.

Even the simple task of cleaning tables seemed daunting to Angelo. Throughout his shift, he kept on making mistakes. Most of the customers glared at him. Some even bashed him with ugly words and some other drunken idiots tried to pick a fight with him but he successfully dodged – all those years of boxing classes came in handy that night. After the horrible night that felt like a worst nightmare, his shift ended around midnight. The manager allowed him to keep the tips for himself. An entire night of hard work gave him just 10$ tips. The manager handed him a plate of leftovers. Though it looked like trash his hunger got the best him and somehow the horrible food tasted like heaven for him. After finishing his meal, the manager took him upstairs and showed him a tiny room that felt like a prison cell. There was a single bed at one corner, completely covered with dust. There was an inbuilt bathroom on the other side of the room. “Who knows when was the last time a human had entered into this dungeon”, Angelo thought. The manager turned towards Angelo and said “Hey young man, from now on this is your room. You can stay here as long as you work here. I can give you 3 meals a day and you can keep the tips. But nothing more. So good night”. He said and left him behind. Angelo entered the room and closed the doors behind. The hard day’s work was already taking a toll on him. There was no strength left behind to even cry, to wallow at his pathetic self.  He dusted the bed and fell on it like a dead man. His weary eyes took him into a trance into the dreamland.

The bright sunlight crept its way into that small room to wake Angelo, who was still stuck to his bed. He rubbed his eyes, looked around and realized he was still stuck in this nightmare. He heard loud banging on the door. He opened the door and saw the manager standing there bubbling with anger. “Hey young man, do you know what time it is? Make sure to come down in exactly 5 mins, otherwise forget about the breakfast”, he shouted and went down. Angelo just washed his faces and went down. The manager handed him the mop and ordered him to clean the entire restaurant. He remembered how his maids would clean his room every Friday. With the little knowledge, he did his best to clean the room. The room ended up looking sloppy and wet but still, it wasn’t the worst. It was already 11.45 when he finished his cleaning. His tummy was rumbling for food. The manager handed him a plate of last night leftovers. It didn’t feel appetizing, but he had no other go. He simply gobbled the food. After which he was ordered to clean all the dishes and prepare the vegetables for tonight’s service. All those works sucked the energy out of him. Just when he thought he could rest for a bit, the manager ordered him to take a quick bath and come down because the guests have already started coming in and they need a waiter. He rushed up took a quick bath and began his job as the waiter. Tonight was much harder than yesterday. He went around with a forced smile and took orders from all those drunken men. It was around midnight when the service ended. He jumped onto his bed and counted the tips – 8$ for a night. He laughed at himself. “If this goes on, I will die of overwork and hunger before I could even return home”, he thought. His tired body dragged him into sleep and he couldn’t resist more.

The next morning started as usual. But even before the manager could bang on his doors, Angelo got up much early and started cleaning yesterday’s mess. Just when he thought things were getting better, a few plates slipped from his hands and shattered to pieces. The angry manager shouted at him with blazing eyes. He said “You have shattered 50$ worth of plates. You better pay up or you are dead meat today”. Angelo couldn’t control the tears running down his eyes. He traced through his pockets and found 28$ and nothing more. He handed it to the manager and said “This all I have got”. The manager replied, “Well then, you better work here till you pay off your debts” and went away. Angelo went on cleaning will crying. He was hopeless and helpless at that point. he never knew he was such an idiot. “I couldn’t handle even such a menial task. How in the world did I ever thought I could run a casino” he wallowed at his pathetic self. It was already midnight when Angelo’s stomach started rumbling for food. Due to the fight that morning he forgot to eat lunch. Clenching his stomach, he sneakily searched through the kitchen for food. He was ready to gulp down anything edible. By then a plate full of roasted salmon got his eyes. With hunger blinding his mind he ate it like a hungry cat. But it turned out to be the biggest mistake of his like because the salmon was specially cooked that night for an investor who was expected to visit around midnight. It was brought from a nearby town and cooked to perfection by the manager himself. The investment was a huge deal for the restaurant and Angelo ruined it without even knowing. The sight of the empty plate and Angelo standing beside it was enough to make the manager realize what has happened. Exploding like a volcano, He punched Angelo in the face, grabbed his throat and dragged him to the streets. “How dare you? do you even know what you have done? you have ruined my one chance to change my life. You are such a useless idiot and I don’t even remember why I hired a dumbass like you. Now get lost otherwise I might end up killing you with my bare hands” he shouted and pushed Angelo into the streets. Poor Angelo couldn’t understand what went wrong. He was sobbing in the middle of the street. His eyes became blurry. He saw a distant flash of light coming towards him. A car was speeding towards him. He had no more strength to run. He had no more strength to live. “It is better to disappear. Sorry dad, I was never the son you wanted. I will never be perfect like Kaleb. I thought I could survive on my own. But I failed. I don’t deserve your love. Sorry Kaleb, I was never a good brother. You always protected me but I always brought you trouble. I’m sorry for running away” Angelo sighed while looking up the sky. “If there is another life, I wish I could be with you once again” he looked up the sky and closed his eyes waiting for the moment to end his life.

………………………………………. To be continued.

Hope you guys loved the story.

If you have any questions for Kaleb, Angelo or me feel free to ask in the comments. I would be doing a Q&A at the end of this story.

The next chapter will be updated on 12th July 12.00pm

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