Chapter 2 THE AWAKENING

It was 6 in the evening and Romsey was on his usual relaxation chair, but today was different from the rest of the days, he wasn't resting at the cafe, a means of escaping all his worries at home. He had no bottles of understanding near him, according to him those bottles helped in calming him from his continuous turmoil.

It was entirely a different thing altogether, he had just returned from walking into several companies job-hunting, but the character of the directors towards him has been that of clear hostility.

He leans on the chair, his arms spreading across its tip. Recollecting all he had faced that day, one of great importance was when he stepped into Tony's office.

"Hey, Tony".He had greeted him, recognizing him as one of his childhood friends. Tony had grown alongside Romsey and three other boys who lived in the suburbs of Canada.

" Who are you?" Tony asked curiously, pretending not to know Romsey from Adams.

"How dare you march in here and refer to me just as Tony?" His face showed a slight frown, and his lips tightened.

Romsey could notice the disdain in his face, it was so obvious that the other people who were sitting opposite began to laugh.

"I'm sorry sir, I walked in here and thought I was so lucky, you never mentioned to me that you are now a business owner". " I hope you can remember me", Romsey playfully said, his voice sounding low and calm.

"Who are you that I needed to confide in before doing what I want to do?" Tony had answered, his voice sounding heavy and firm, raising his brows and narrowing his eyes.

No one needed to inform Romsey that he had to sound formal, his tone changed immediately as he lowered his face.

"I'm sorry sir, I lost my job and right now I am in dire need of another, anything that I can earn some dollars with. I need this job", and I'm happy you were a childhood friend and can relate to how close we were back then, "I'm very sure that you'll assist me". Romsey says everything he has to say, he never wants to be interrupted by Tony, sounding calm and pitiful.

Tony raises his head slowly, pulling down his lenses with his fingers, then using some minutes to glance at Romsey from his head down to his toes, one would be mistaken to say that he was admiring him, as nothing on Romsey's body exceeded $300. The problems he faced in life were written all over his body.

"What gives you the confidence that I know you from anywhere?" " And if I am to know you, what makes you feel your low life could make me employ an empty brain like you here?"

"After all you were a bastard, and everyone knew your mum to be a stripper". Tony's words hit Romsey so hard, it felt like a sharp knife piercing through his ears.

"What can you add to my business? You'll only bring me ill luck and losses, I'm sorry to say it, but I don't want to open my eyes and see you wait there. As you can see I was busy with my customers. He continued, the people sitting there laughed again when he mentioned that Romsey's mother was a club stripper.

Romsey looks up with disbelief, he wouldn't believe those words came from a man he had played with and did most of the things with back in the day, he remembers when he helped Tony with all the money he had when he came telling him that he had a serious issue at hand.

One of the men who sat in the customer's area shook his head, "all these boys who aren't prepared for their future, they walk around becoming beggars on the street, causing problems for everyone. Canada should do away with persons of his kind. The rest laughed in Unison. Their voices tore through the air

"You needed not to talk about my mum, man". He replied, a level of anger showing on his face, it was obvious that those words reminded him of something intensive. He folds his fists, looking at Tony, walking closer to where Tony is seated, his back resting on his office chair.

"Walk out of here man, everyone has his ladder to climb, you are a failure and I wouldn't want you to rub it on me, at your age, you should have a source of livelihood".

Romsey stood lifeless as though his real self had walked out of his body. His eyes fixed on Tony, then on the others who were laughing and humiliating him.

One of the ladies in the room seemed to understand the pain and spoke out

"There's nothing funny about being broke, it's a stage in life that everyone has to face", she said as she handed him a card.

"F *CK off ma'am, there's time for everything, and at this level, this man is got no hope than begging or he gets to learn a trade" another man replied. At the same time, they laughed till they began to cough.

Romsey turns to walk out of the place, his face lowered to the ground, he could hear Tony ask the other man, "Do you have a deodorant with you? I think I'll need to respray this place with some air freshener" as they laughed even loudly.

He waited outside and looked at himself trying to figure out if he was looking bad. His hands wiped some drops of sweat from his forehead.

"Gosh! What a life am I living? He speaks to himself, his voice sounding low and curious. A reminder pops up on his phone, and he brings it out, straining his eyes so he can see the writeups on the screen.

"I just wish I'm all of them rich folks who had fortunes stored up somewhere". He added, smiling gently to wave off the humiliation he had just received in Tony's office.

He turned back to check, and couldn't still believe what he experienced back in that office.

Immediately his eyes got attached to the signboard, he read the names on it as though he was trying to memorize them. "D E, Resort". "

His office has a nice name, though". He said as he walked towards the road.

A car driver horns at him. "What are you looking at man? Get off the road!!". As he zooms away.

Romsey matches down the walkway, his shoes leaving giant strides on the muddy floor. Arriving home, he walks into the house with a bit of fear.