The Wounded Tyrant

Auckland, New Zealand.

Nicolas held his breath and sank down into his bath. He tried to relax his mind and ease the pain but the trauma started again. He remembered the night when it all began.

He was driving his car with his wife, Agnes, sitting in the passenger seat. The couple were returning from their dinner date. The radio was on and the couple were engrossed in the music that was playing. A truck was heading towards them and the driver had no control of the brakes.

Nicolas saw the truck at the last minute and swerved the car out of the road. He crashed into a tree and lost consciousness.

The blast from the crash made Nicolas short of breath. He raised his head above the water and panted. He came out of the bath with a towel wrapped around his waist.

He stood in front of the mirror and looked at his reflection. He looked at the scar on his left shoulder caused by the crash. He took a towel from the towel rail and dried his hair partially with it. He plugged in his hair dryer and dried his hair completely with it. He turned it off and unplugged it.

Nicolas maintained his signature look–side parting short hairstyle and a short balbo beard. He picked up his pair of glasses on the vanity top and put it on. He left the bathroom and walked to the wardrobe.

He opened it and took out one of his suits from the hanger. It was a navy blue suit which he wore over a white shirt. He perched on the bed and was tying the laces on his shoes when heard a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Nicolas asked sternly.

"It's Sofia, Sir." The voice replied softly.

"Come in." Nicolas said, tying the last lace of his shoe.

The door opened ajar and Sofia came in. She closed the door halfway and stood close to it.

"Good morning, Sir! I came to let you know that breakfast is ready and if you'd like to be served in your room or downstairs?" Sofia asked.

"Downstairs will be fine." Nicolas replied plainly,

"Anything else?"

"No, Sir!" Sofia said.

"Okay!" Nicolas said.

She left the room and went downstairs.

Nicolas arranged the scattered files on his bed, put them in his briefcase and zipped it. He was about to leave the room when he caught a glimpse of a picture frame on his bedside table. It was a picture of him and Agnes smiling with Ivan who was a baby then in the middle. They had gone to the beach during the summer with Nicolas' parents.

Seeing the picture reminded him of her death. He pulled open the bottom drawer and kept the picture frame. He left the room and went downstairs for breakfast. Ivan was all dressed for school and sat down patiently, waiting for Nicolas. He caught a glimpse of his father climbing down the stairs and ran to meet him.

"Daddy!" Ivan said as soon as Nicolas made it to the bottom.

Nicolas crouched down and glared at him.

"What did I say about running in the house?" Nicolas asked icily.

"Not to run in the house because I could get hurt. Sorry." Ivan said remorsefully.

"Good!" Nicolas said plainly and patted his head,

"Have you had breakfast?"

Ivan shook his head.

"Sofia!" Nicolas called, standing up straight.

Sofia came in as soon as she heard her name.

"Yes, Sir!" Sofia replied nervously.

"Why hasn't my son had breakfast yet? Aren't you supposed to take care of him like you were hired to?" Nicolas said, looking at her and kept a straight face.

"Mr Nicolas-he-he,"Sofia stuttered,

"He wouldn't eat until you came downstairs. He insisted on having breakfast with you."

She completed, with her gaze on the floor.

"You may leave now." Nicolas said plainly and walked to the dining room.

Ivan followed him cheerily. They both arrived at the room. Nicolas pulled out the chair in the centre of the table and kept his briefcase one side. Ivan did the same and sat down on the other. Sofia returned with a jug of water and poured some into a glass for Ivan.

Ivan was still finding it difficult to eat with his cutlery. He made a mess of his food on the table which stirred up Nicolas' mood.

"Sofia!" He called.

"Yes, Sir!" Sofia replied.

"Feed Ivan so that he wouldn't ruin his school uniform." Nicolas said, taking a sip of the juice in his hand.

Ivan rebelled against his father's order and didn't let Sofia get hold of his cutlery. Seeing them struggle for the cutlery made Nicolas angrier than he was.

"Ivan, let Sofia feed you or you'll stay home and forget about going to school today." Nicolas said.

Ivan gave in and surrendered his cutlery to her. He didn't want his father to yell at him or tell him to stay back. Nicolas ate half of what he was served and cleaned his mouth with a serviette. Ivan was done as well and drank the water in the glass. He stood up from his chair and left the room. He went to the armchair he had sat earlier and grabbed his backpack. He put on the straps of the bag. Sofia cleared the table and returned to the kitchen.

Nicolas stood up from the chair. He grabbed his briefcase and left the room. He arrived at the living room and walked through the archway with Ivan. He held the door open for Ivan and closed it behind them.

He pressed a button on his car key and unlocked the car. Nicolas got in and kept his briefcase on the passenger seat. Ivan sat down comfortably at the back. Nicolas turned on the ignition and drove out of the compound.

<>

Alejandra was setting the table. She put the cutlery in place. A small portion of the living room was used as the dining area. She was already dressed for work. She wore an orange shirt and a black wrapped skirt.

She let her dark ash silver to purple ombré coloured hair fall on her shoulders. Her hair was long and wavy–a typical beach wave hairstyle. She went to the kitchen and took a bowl filled with snags from the kitchen island. She kept it on the dining table. She went back to get the jug of water. She was filling the jug with water.

"Bo!"

The voice startled Alejandra and made her flinched. She spilled some water on the floor. Alejandra turned to her side and sighed.

"Judy! You startled me!" Alejandra said, placing her hand on her chest.

"Good morning, Sis!" Judy said jovially, collecting the jug from her hand.

"Morning!" Alejandra replied as she got a mop and cleaned the water on the floor.

"Where is Mum?"

"She is still in her room." Judy replied as they went to the dining table.

"Ooh! This looks delicious!"

Judy sat down on a chair and served herself.

"Oh! I'll go and call her." Alejandra said and walked to the door leading to the corridor.

"You better not finish the snags before I get back."

She walked to her mother's room and knocked on the door.

"Mum? Are you awake?" Alejandra asked but got no response.

She felt a bit worried and turned the handle. She opened the door and walked in. She surveyed the room and found her mother standing close to the window with her arms folded.

Alejandra exhaled calmly and walked up to her. Alejandra touched her shoulders. Maria del Pilar was startled by the touch and turned to her side. She saw Alejandra and smiled at her.

"What are you thinking about?" Alejandra asked, hugging her from behind and placing her head on her shoulder.

"Nothing." Pilar replied.

"You're thinking about Dad, aren't you?" Alejandra suspected.

Pilar remained silent. Her silence confirmed Alejandra's suspicions. She knew her mother still missed her father. After his death, life has been tough on them. It left a big scar on Pilar's life.

"Mum, over-thinking won't do you any good. Especially in this condition. Remember the doctor had advised that you rest and go out more often. How about this? When I get back from work, I take you guys to a restaurant or to the cinema or watching your favorite soap together in the living room. Only one condition. You have to come out from your room frequently and not lock yourself in." Alejandra proposed.

Pilar nodded and rubbed her forearm as a sign of her approval. Alejandra gave a warm smile and left her room. She closed the door and leant against the wall. She felt really bad for Pilar and wanted to cheer her up. She returned to the living room with a sad look on her face. By the time she got there, Judy was done eating.

"Is she coming?" Judy asked.

Alejandra shook her head and sat down on one of the chairs at the table. She looked at the meal she prepared and lost her appetite.

"Alejandra," Judy said, sitting next to her,

"You don't have to get yourself worked up about Mum. She will definitely get over this. Trust me! She is probably still hurt with all that happened."

"It has been a half a decade since Dad passed away. She'll never get over it." Alejandra said.

"She-."

Her ringtone interrupted Judy. She picked up the phone and accepted the call.

"Hello?" Alejandra said.

"Ale, where are you? Mr. Anderson is going through the attendance register." The caller said from the other end.

"Oh no! I totally forgot about that! I'll be right there." Alejandra said and hung up.

Alejandra rushed to her room and grabbed her handbag as well as her laptop.

"Bye!"

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Judy asked with a grin.

"Like?" Alejandra said.

"I don't know. Breakfast maybe. And a hug." Judy said, handing her a theroms flask with the meal she prepared in it, in a plastic bag.

"Aw! Thank you! I don't know what I would do without you." Alejandra said, hugging her sister.

"You could probably raise my allowance a bit." Judy hinted.

"Nice try, Judy! But I have got to go." Alejandra replied, collecting the bag from her,

"See you when I get back."

Alejandra walked to the front door, opened it and left the flat. She went to the lift and waited for doors to slide open. She checked her wristwatch constantly until the doors slid open. She got in and soon arrived at the lobby. She headed for the door and pulled it open. She stood in front of the building and stopped a taxi.

Nicolas pulled over at Ivan's school. Ivan unfastened his seatbelt and looked at his father. Nicolas waited for him to leave but he didn't. He glanced at the rearview mirror and saw the sad look on Ivan's face.

"What is it?" Nicolas asked dryly, without making eye contact with him

"Daddy, my class show-and-tell is today. All my friends' parents will be present in class and I-." Ivan said softly.

"Ivan, I've a lot of workload today and won't be able to attend." Nicolas said bluntly, cutting him off.

"Oho! Okay!" Ivan said sadly.

Ivan opened the door and got out of the car. He closed the door behind him, ready to wave goodbye at him when Nicolas drove off without looking at him.

Nicolas drove straight to his company and parked his car in the underground car park. He grabbed his briefcase, got out of his car and locked it with his key. He walked to the lift and pressed the button on the wall and waited for the door to open. He got in as soon as the doors slid open and stopped on the sixth floor. He got out and walked straight to his office.

"Good morning, Sir!" His employees greeted him.

He turned deaf to their greetings and went to his office. He placed his briefcase on his desk and sat down on the swivel chair. His personal assistant came in minutes after he did.

"Excuse me Mr Nicolas, may I come in?" Mady asked him.

She had knocked on his door once and opened it ajar. She had worn a black trousers suit which she wore over a white tube top. Her hair was styled in a bun and had gold hoop earrings on.

Nicolas replied in a nod and flipped the page of the file he was reading over. She walked to his desk, holding a blue file in her hand and kept it on his desk.

"Sir, this is the file you requested yesterday." She said.

Nicolas kept the other file aside and quickly reviewed the one she brought. He flipped through the pages and returned it to her.

"Everything is in order. Have any of our investors called?" He asked her, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"No, Sir." She replied.

"Okay!" Nicolas said flatly.

"Mr Nicolas, you have a meeting with Mrs Jimenia at noon." She reminded him.

"Cancel all my appointments for today and reschedule a new date for the meeting." Nicolas said plainly.

"Okay, Sir!" She said.

She was about to leave when Nicolas called her back.

"Mady?"

"Yes, Sir!" She replied with a faint smile on her face.

"Order a bouquet of red tulips and keep them in the reception, will you?" Nicolas said, focusing his gaze on the file on his desk.

"Are you going on a date?" Mady asked him curiously.

Nicolas glanced at her coldly and she knew her limits.

"I'll go and order the bouquet now." Mady said awkwardly.

She headed for the door, opened it and met Camilo at the door. She smiled at him and left the office. Camilo peeked at Nicolas and walked in.

"Hey, Nick! How are you?" Camilo said jovially as he walked towards his desk.

"I'm good!" Nicolas replied firmly, focusing on the file was reading.

"Are you okay?" Camilo asked him worriedly.

Nicolas nodded and continued with his reading.

"Your psychiatrist called." Camilo said, starting off calmly.

The word psychiatrist changed Nicolas' mood. He closed the file.

"She said you haven't been attending your sessions lately. You keep rescheduling it and you never show up."

"I don't need a psychiatrist. I'm perfectly fine and definitely not crazy." Nicolas said flatly.

"Come on, Nick! We both know about the trauma you are going through." Camilo pointed out.

Nicolas didn't respond and heaved softly. He stood up from his chair, walked away from the chair a bit and stood in front of the window. He had hands behind.

"Today is her birthday." Nicolas said ruefully in a a firm voice.

"Nick, I didn't-." Camilo said remorsefully.

He felt bad for the manner of approach he used.

"It's okay. I plan on going to the cemetery to visit her." Nicolas said.

"If you want, I can accompany you." Camilo offered.

"No, I can go by myself." Nicolas said.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Nicolas said, facing the office.

Mady opened the door and entered the office.

"Mr Nicolas, the bouquet has arrived." She said.

"Okay! Leave it with the receptionist. I'll pick it up on my way out." Nicolas said.

Mady nodded and left the office.

<>

Mr Anderson was seated at his desk and was reviewing the attendance register. He glanced at Alejandra twice and looked at the book. He raised his shiny bald hair and removed his glasses.

"According to the attendance register, you have been late to work four times this week. Do you mind explaining why you chose to be tardy, Miss Ortega?" Mr Anderson asked her, keeping a straight face.

"Well, you see, my mum's illness became worse these past few days and it's really hard juggling work and taking care of her." Alejandra explained.

"If your work is interfering with your personal problems, why don't you resign and deal with them? That way, you'll have enough time to take care of your mum." He said sarcastically.

"No, Sir. I don't mean it like that. I was only-." Alejandra said.

"Miss Ortega, I'm not in the mood for your lousy excuses. I have spared you enough and this is your final warning. One more slip up, you'll be fired." He said firmly, closing the book.

"I promise Mr Anderson, this won't happen again." She said, thanking him.

"I have heard that before." He said flatly.

Alejandra left his office with a smile on her face. Maurice was standing by the door, outside of her office. He waited for her to come out of Mr Anderson's office.

"How did it go?" Did he fire you?" Maurice asked curiously, approaching her.

"No, he didn't!" She said, opening the door of her office and walked in.

She walked to her chair and sat down.

"He spared me but this is my last strike."

"That's good! How is Judy?"Maurice asked her.

"She is fine!" Alejandra said.

"And your mum? How is she?" He asked her.

"Honestly Maurice," She said, looking at him,

"I don't really know. The doctor said her heart is slowly giving up and she needs to undergo a transplant urgently. But I don't have enough money saved up to pay for the surgery and the medical expenses. I've already taken a loan from the bank and recently repaid it a week ago. I still have debts to pay and my salary can't cover it one bit."

"I could lend you the money. I really don't mind." He offered.

"No Maurice, that won't be necessary. You've done enough already for me. I haven't paid you back the one you lent me. You've really done a lot for me and my family. I don't know how to repay you for your kindness." Alejandra acknowledged.

"You don't have to worry about those things. See it as a gift from me. In life, you have to make some sacrifices for the ones you love and care about." Maurice said with a smile and held her hand.

<>

Nicolas arrived home later than he usually did. He had left work at noon and spent the rest of the day at the cemetery. He placed the flowers he ordered on Agnes' gravestone and sat down on the grass.

Then, he returned to the company and signed some documents and he went home. Sofia heard his car drive in and unlocked the door for him.

"Good evening, Sir." Sofia greeted him as he walked in.

"Where is Ivan?" Nicolas asked her as they walked through the archway and arrived at the living room.

"He is in his room. He is sleeping." She said and he hummed.

"Did he have dinner?" He asked, sitting down on the sofa and she nodded.

"Okay. Take this to my room."

He gave her his briefcase and jacket. Sofia did as she was instructed and returned shortly. Nicolas was still sitting on the same spot.

"Did you need anything, Sir?" Sofia asked him.

"No, Sofia. That will be all. You can retire to your quarters now." Nicolas said flatly.

"Okay! Good night, Sir!" Sofia said.

She left the living room and went to the quarters.

Nicolas looked at the lonely room and sighed. He stood up from the chair and walked to the staircase. He climbed up the stairs and went to his room. He had his bath and changed into his night clothes.

He left the room with his medicine bottle in the pocket of his trousers and went to the kitchen. He poured for himself a glass of water and took his medication with it. He climbed up the stairs and stopped in front Ivan's door. He opened the door and saw that his son was fast asleep. He smiled and left the room. He closed the door behind him and retired to his room.

Alejandra woke up early and was making breakfast for her family. She was humming to the sizzling tune of the snags when Judy walked in.

"Good morning, Ale! You're up early." Just said, stretching her arms in the air.

"Yes. I've a lot to do at the office today. Plus, Mr Anderson has been complaining about my tardiness and I don't want to get fired." Alejandra replied as she turned off the heat of the cooker.

"The only reason you've been late to work is because of us." Judy said frankly.

Alejandra heaved calmly and looked at her sister.

"The reason I work is to provide for you and Mum. You both are my priority and I've to make sure you both are well taken care of. I'm not complaining and you shouldn't worry either. Just focus on your studies and become the software engineer you've always dreamt of." Alejandra said with a smile on her face.

"Ever since Dad passed away, you've sacrificed a lot for us. You had to drop out of the university and started working to provide for us. You even had to give up on your dreams to become the Managing Director of the biggest graphics company in Auckland." Judy said ruefully,

"When I graduate and get a job, I promise to repay you for all your kindness."

Judy hugged her. Alejandra hugged her back and stroked her hair.

"I know you will. But right now, I've to go and get ready for work." Alejandra said and broke the hug.

"Okay." Judy replied.

Alejandra smiled at her and left the kitchen. She went to the bathroom and had a quick bath. She came out with a towel wrapped around her body and another on her hair. She went to her room. She took the towel off from her hair and dried it with her hair dryer. She unplugged the hairdryer from the socket and kept it on her dressing table.

She opened the wardrobe and took a green top with a nature-themed design on it and a pair of blue flare trousers from the rail. She removed the hangers and put them on. She styled her hair to a ponytail with two strands of her in front. She used a curling tong to make the strands curly. She wore light make-up and stud earrings. She wore her handbag over her shoulder and left the bedroom.

"Bye, Judy! I'm off to work." Alejandra said as she walked to the living room, putting her phone in her bag.

"Okay! Have a nice day!" Judy said, setting the table.

Alejandra walked to the front door. She got hold of the handle and remembered something.

"Judy?" She called.

"Yes, Ale!" Judy said, putting a plate on the table.

"Has Mum-?" Alejandra said but was interrupted.

"Alejandra, you worry yourself too much. Mum is fine. She doesn't need you to be checking up on her every minute. She is fine. Trust me! Besides, you need to learn to be a little selfish and think about yourself sometimes." Judy said, walking towards her.

"But-." Alejandra said.

"No buts! You've to go to work or else you will be scolded again." Judy said, opening the door and pushing her out of the flat.

"Wait!"

Judy slammed the door in her face and locked it from inside. Alejandra sighed and went to the lift. She got to the lobby and caught a glimpse of her neighbour, Mr Austin.

"Ah, Alejandra! It's nice to see you!" He said, rolling the newspaper in his hand.

"Oh,no!" She groaned inwardly.

"Mr Austin!"

She put on a fake smile.

"How are you?" He asked her.

"I'm good, Sir!" She replied.

"Looks like you're going to work." He said and she replied in a nod.

"You remind me of my youth. Back in the 80s, I used to work as a waiter in a fast food restaurant in Houston. I was hard-working and handsome too. I'd flip burgers with my bare hands and make deliveries on foot. I'd spend days on the road, delivering burgers to customers who lived very far away. I overcame all the obstacles that came my way." Mr Austin said, exaggerating a little.

"But now, all these gadgets came in and ruin the essence of life. All that children do these days is to stay indoors, watch television or play video games. They hardly care about nature and the eco-system."

Alejandra checked the time on her wristwatch and saw she was running late.

"Sorry Mr Austin, but I've to go now. Maybe some other time." Alejandra said, leaving the lobby.

"Okay! You take care, now!" Mr Austin said.

She was close to the door when she heard her name.

"Alejandra!" Oscar, the doorman, called.

She turned to the side and looked at him.

"Your mail has arrived." He said, showing her the envelopes in his hand.

"Okay, Oscar! Give them to Judy. She is still in the flat." Alejandra said and he nodded.

She opened the door and left the building. She walked along the pavement and stood beside the traffic light. She waited for the lights to turn red and looked both sides. She used the pedestrian crossing and walked to the other side. She was almost at the other end when a car drove towards her.

The driver didn't see her and almost knocked her down. The car came to a halt and the bumper almost touched her.

Alejandra was frightened when she saw the car. She froze like a statue, her heart raced and she swallowed hard. She closed her eyes in fear and stood still. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the car parked in front of her. She looked at herself and saw she was still in one piece.

"Phew! For a minute there, I thought I was gone." Alejandra said inwardly with her hand on her chest.

She let out a sigh of relief. She went to the driver's side of the car.

"Hey Mister! Hey Mister!!" Alejandra said as tapped on the window.

The driver didn't respond and remained in the car.

"Hey, I know you are in there! Have you gone nuts? I could have died because of your reckless driving. Are you even a certified driver? Do you even have a driver licence? You could have killed me, you know." Alejandra said angrily.

The driver didn't come out and remained in the car.

"You think you're some kind of big shot,huh? Well, get ready to talk to my lawyer when I sue you for reckless driving and attempted murder." She threatened.

She saw the door opening and took two steps backwards. She folded her hands and wore a serious look. Nicolas turned off the ignition and came out of the car. He closed the door and stood in front of Alejandra while wearing a straight face.

"You look perfectly fine to me. You're still alive and can talk." Nicolas said flatly.

"But you almost hit me and I could've die. Even with your four eyes, you can't drive properly." Alejandra said boldly.

"Be grateful I didn't!" Nicolas replied coolly.

Camilo, who was seated at the passenger seat, came out of the car when he saw the argument was becoming intense.

"I'm sorry, Miss! I apologize on his behalf." Camilo pleaded.

"You don't need to apologize to this fraud." Nicolas said coldly, hiding his hand in his pocket.

"Fraud? Who are you calling a fraud?" Alejandra said, offended by his description.

"Come on, Nick! You almost hit her with your car. The least you could say is sorry." Camilo said coaxingly.

Nicolas stared at Alejandra coldly for a while and heaved. He checked the time on his wristwatch and noticed he was running late. He adjusted his glasses and went back to the car.

Alejandra's eyes widened when he ignored her and went to his car. She clenched her fist angrily. She stood in front of the car and folded her arms.

"I'm really sorry. I don't know why he is like this morning. Please accept my apology on his behalf." Camilo pleaded.

Nicolas started hooting his car horn and Camilo looked at him through the windscreen. He glanced at Alejandra and went back to the car. He put on his seatbelt and looked at her. Nicolas kept hooting his horn but Alejandra didn't move. He waited for two minutes but she still didn't move. He put it in reverse and then to drive.

"Um, Nicolas?" Camilo asked confusingly,

"What are you doing?"

Nicolas did say anything and drove towards her.

"Nicolas!" Camilo said, holding the grab handle.

Nicolas stepped on the accelerator pedal and made screeching noises with his car. Alejandra stood fearfully and wished she had moved away earlier. She closed her eyes again and her heart beat faster than earlier. Nicolas swerved the car around her and drove off. She opened her eyes and saw the car was gone.

"He is so rude! He almost tried to kill me, again! Thank God he didn't." She said, placing her hand on her chest.

Her watch started bleeping and caught her attention.

"Oh no! That jerk made me late!" Alejandra said.

She left the road and walked to the pavement. She walked further and stopped at the bus stop.

Nicolas was still driving to work and Camilo wasn't happy with his behaviour.

"You've just apologized and put this behind you." Camilo said, not in support of his behaviour.

"I didn't have to. She was only going to threaten me with a lawsuit and get me to pay." Nicolas said, taking a right turn.

"You almost hit her!" Camilo said, raising his voice a bit.

"But I didn't! She's still alive and walking on both legs." Nicolas replied airily.

"You're unbelievable?" Camilo said.

Nicolas stepped on the brake and the car came to a halt.

"Why are we stopping?" Camilo asked curiously, looking at the dashboard.

"Get out of the car." Nicolas said .

"Why?" Camilo puzzled and unfastened his seatbelt.

"Camilo, just get out of the car, will you?" Nicolas said with his hands on the steering wheel.

Camilo got down from the car and closed the door.

"Do you want to get you something from there?" Camilo asked, pointing at the pharmacy beside him.

"No! I wanted you to get out of the car. See you at work." Nicolas said and put it in drive.

"What? Wait!"

Nicolas stepped on the accelerator pedal and drove off. He left Camilo behind. Camilo reached for his phone in his pocket and realized he had left in Nicolas' car.

"F**k! I left my phone in his car!" Camilo cursed,

"What am I going to do now?"

He looked around and didn't see any bus stop around. He couldn't call for a taxi either. He sighed and trekked to work.