BLOODLINE Episode 14 by Ironkurtain

BLOODLINE Episode 14 by Ironkurtain

4 pm. After two uneventful days.

The 2008 model white coloured Mercedes Benz E-350 sedan grinded to a halt near a two storey gated mansion. The driver of the car glanced at the big gate and the high wall that made every activities going on in the masion unknown. Then the driver exhaled with a bright smile, glancing around the interior of the car and feeling the wood-grained steering wheel of the car. His face was like that of a little kid who just received his favourite toy as a Christmas present.

“God…….I’ve always wanted to drive this car…….”, he murmured as he looked at the smooth dashboard and it’s buttons. “……..this car is just too sleek with powerful horses under it’s hood”.

Then the driver looked at the boy sitting at the backseat through the rearview mirror. He seemed lost in thoughts as he stared out of the car window.

“Alex my boy……”, the driver called out.

The boy heard the name and looked at the driver.

“We are here………that house is 105 dash 15”, the driver said and pointed at the high walled mansion.

“Oh……’, Eric began and glanced at the gate. He didn’t know they have arrived at his destination. “I hope you like this new job sir”, he then said to the driver as he pulled out his phone from his black jean pocket.

“Boy…….i just can’t thank you enough. This is far much more better than that shitty taxi job”, the driver said happily. “And the pay is just too good”.

“It’s okay sir……just do your job and do it well…..that’s all the family want from you”.

“Okay…..and please one thing. No need to call me sir, you can call me Rogers…….i now work for your family so you are also my boss too”.

“Okay Mr Rogers…….”, Eric said with a faint smile as he opened the door. “I will go home with a taxi or call you to come pick me up”.

“I got you…….take care of yourself”, the man smiled.

Eric closed the door and the car zoomed away. Then he dialled a number. After four rings, Lisa picked up call.

“Why do you even want me to be here?”, Eric asked as he and Lisa head straight to the building. The security man was closing the gate behind them.

“I want to introduce you to some of my close friends”, Lisa replied with a smile as they locked hands.

Yesterday night Lisa had called Eric, telling him that she thought it was a good idea to introduce him to some of her close friends. After some inquiries about the friends she was talking about, Eric found out the friends were members of the fraternity she belonged. The fraternity the boy he almost roughed up at her birthday told him about. The fraternity of happening guys. Eric had flatly refused to go. After much pleading by Lisa that almost resulted into a misunderstanding, Eric agreed to attend one of the weekend meetings. Not because she succeeded in persuading him, but out of curiosity. Besides he needed to get his mind into something else after waiting for his mother’s call and getting worried about her.

“Alex….am sure you gonna like these people”, Lisa said to Eric who was following behind as they ascended the stairs leading to the living-room of the house.

Eric said nothing. Lisa noticed how unusually quiet he was and looked at him.

“Alex!…..”, she then called out.

Eric looked at her and said, “yeah……what is it?”.

“Is there something wrong?……you seem lost, are you okay?”, she asked again.

“Am fine…….”, Eric began indifferently. “Just some home issue bothering me”, he lied.

Lisa shrugged and lead him into the living-room. There are quite a number of people in the spacious place. Most of them are young; in their teens to be precise and all look like they are from wealthy families. Everybody were chattering with a cup or a bottle in their hands and alot of intermingling between both sexes.

“Welcome to our group meeting”, Lisa said with a smile and then she looked at Eric. He was going through his cellphone. It made Lisa to feel unhappy.

Some of the boys saw Eric and gave him a curious stare while the girls whispered among themselves with giggles and looked at him with admiration. One even waved at Eric when Lisa was not looking. Eric ignored the gesture and studied the activities going on before him with an expressionless look on his face.

Then one boy stepped out from the group and approached the both of them with a smile. He was well built and wore expensive designer cloths with a gold chain and a gold wristwatch. His hair was braided and had somewhat a cold look in his eyes. Probably twenty years of age.

“Hello Lisa……how are you doing?”, he began and looked at Eric. “….is this the guy you told me about?”, he asked.

“Yes…….”, Lisa replied with a smile and then looked at Eric. “Alex, i want you to meet Angel…..he is the leader of our group”, Lisa said.

“Alex……good to meet you at last”, Angel said to Eric with a smile that made Eric feel uncomfortable. “Lisa told me alot about you so i asked her to bring you here”, he extended his hand for a handshake.

“Good to meet you too”, Eric said but didn’t shake his hand. “So…….”, Eric looked around. “So these are the members of the so called happening people fraternity?”, he asked.

Angel smirked and looked at Lisa who stared at Eric curiously, wondering what he meant by “happening people fraternity”.

“Anyway am sorry about that little encounter you had with one of my boys”, Angel apologized non-committally. “Sometimes we frown at our members hanging around some certain kind of people…..people way below our level”, he said and glanced at Eric from head to toe.

“Levels huh?…….that’s interesting”, Eric said without looking at him. “So did my levels in anyway convince you guys to see me?”, he asked.

“Well….you have to be grateful to Lisa because she is the one who made it possible for you to attend this meeting”.

“Grateful?, what makes you think that i even want to be here hanging around with you guys?”.

“Alex……”, Lisa began slowly but Angel gestured at her to stop.

“You might not want to be here but as time goes by, you will like being with us”, Angel said. “Alot of guys and mostly girls want to hang with us…….but few are chosen”.

Eric pursed his lips and nodded. Then he saw the boy he met at Lisa’s place. The boy saw him and whispered to two other boys. One of the other boys regarded Eric with contempt while the other sized him up with a smirk.

“So what do you guys do in this group?”, Eric asked as he stared at the three boys staring back at him.

“Alot of things……”, Angel began and glanced at Lisa. “The guys and girls get together and have fun…….all kinds of fun……parties……or group things”.

“Group things?……”, Eric murmured and looked at Lisa. “What kind of group things?”, he asked her.

“Get together as a group and have discussions,….. share interests”, Lisa replied. She had a look of disappointment in her face as she stared at Eric.

“And is it kind of educational?”, Eric asked. “Do you guys learn new things or share knowledges that educate the naive ones amongst your group?”.

“I believe that one is done in school”, Angel replied and looked at Lisa. “Why don’t you and your friend make yourselves comfortable. There are refreshments on the table over there”, he said to her. “I will talk to you later”, he concluded and left.

“What is the matter with you?”, Lisa asked Eric.

“What do you mean?”.

“You sounded so impolite to Angel…..he is a very nice person. Why be so indifferent to him?”.

Then one of Lisa’s female friend came over.

“Hey Lisa how are you doing?”, she began with a smile. Then she looked at Eric and said “hi”.

“Hi Tracy……..i just came now, how are you doing?, where are the others?”, Lisa asked the girl.

“Come……they are in the dining”, the girl said and took hold of Lisa’s hand.

Lisa looked at Eric and then at the girl. “Okay let’s go”, she said and followed her to the dining.

Eric stared at them as they left and sighed. Then he went over to the table that had cups filled with fruit punch and bottles of beer. He took a bottle and opened it with his teeth even though there was bottle opener on the table. After taking a drink, he glanced at a few faces and watched the activities going on around him. Some members gave him a curious glance while a few nodded and said “hi” to him. Eric did the same to them and continue looking around while drinking his beer.

Then the three boys who were staring at him came over and stood next to him. Eric saw their movement but he ignored them.

“Hey Steve, how many guys do you think we have here?”, one of boys asked the other. He said it loud enough so that Eric could hear him.

“I don’t know…..maybe ten or more”, the other boy replied and and looked at Eric. “More than enough to put some sense in any disrespectful person……especially if they are alone in here”.

“So that means the said person need to show some respect or suffer the consequences……like having his head busted open”, the third boy put in.

Eric smiled and drank his beer. ‘Thugs wannabes’, he thought to himself. That’s why he feels no remorse for that kind of individuals whenever his pounding their face in.

“I really like that mulatto chick called Lisa”, the boy said again. “Dude those ass can give you serious wet dream……you should have seen it when she wore a tight mini-skirt on her birthday……i felt like grabbing her and giving it to her there and then”.

Eric still ignored them.

“Well if I’m there while you are doing it, i will definitely join you bro……..you know…….hold her down while you do your thing and take over when you are done. Anyway she is a member here……who knows……one of us might get lucky and take a dip into that space”.

The three boys laughed while Eric keep drinking his beer; still unmoved by their taunts.

“Hey i remember you”, the boy then said to Eric after seeing that he was neither giving them any attention nor showing any sign of anger toward them. “Aren’t you the guy who disrespected me at Lisa’s place?”, he asked.

Eric still ignored him. Then the boy stood infront of him while the other two flanked him.

“What was it that you said to me last time?”, the boy asked.

Eric said nothing.

“What is the matter?, did a cat get hold of your tongue?, are you not brave again?”.

Eric looked away and raised the bottle to his lips to drink.

“What is it gonna be you f@cking bastard?”, the boy bawled, knocking the beer out of Eric’s hand and grabbing his shirt. “What is it gonna be now!!”.

The boy’s bawl and the sound of a beer bottle falling on the floor attracted the attention of everyone in the living-room and they stared as the boy keep getting rough with Eric who did nothing.

“Hey Desmond!, that’s enough!”, it was Angel and standing beside him was Lisa and her friends. “Don’t do that again”. Then Angel looked at Lisa. “I think you have to leave with your friend…….and i think we might reconsider your request for joining the inner circle…….we don’t need people hanging out with trouble makers”.

Then Lisa went over to Eric. “Let’s go”, she fumed at him and headed towards the door.

“Alex……seriously, do you have to act like that?…..infront of my friends?”, Lisa asked irritatedly as both of them stepped out of the mansion, heading towards the gate.

“Aw come on Lisa……..those people are not your friends. They are not the kind of people to be made friends with”, Eric replied as he followed her behind.

“And why do you say that?!”.

” you might not see it now but with time you will know what i mean…….especially that guy called angel”.

“What is it about Angel that seem to make you not to like him”, Lisa then stopped and looked at Eric. “You have only gotten to know him for like thirty minutes and you just don’t like him at all……what is the matter?, is it jealousy?”, she asked.

“Aw come on…….you know me better than that Lisa”, Eric said with a chuckle.

“Then why do you have to be jerk towards him?, not to talk of the unruly behaviour with other members”.

“Lisa, that guy is nothing but a scavenger and some kind of a green snake in a green grass. Didn’t you hear what he said?, i know that everyone want to be in a place where fun things happen but ‘all kinds of fun’ could mean anything……’Group things’…….Lisa seriously?,……that ‘group things’ just don’t sound right. I have a bad feeling about this people. I don’t know how long you have known them but a group that regard other people not in their level as lower human being?……is that really the kind of people you want to hangout with?”.

“I think you misunderstood what Angel meant”, Lisa muttered.

“Maybe……but i met one of his so called boys during you birthday party and do you know what he said to me?, that alot of guys are coming to you because they heard that you are……..never mind”, Eric shook his head. “This people want you to join for a reason and i feel it is not a good one”.

“Well…..then whatever it is i can still learn how to live with it…..just as i had always done”.

“What does that suppose to mean?”, Eric asked.

“Everybody that i have ever met always had a reason to be with me”, Lisa sighed and looked down. “And i just don’t understand why……..no one seem to take me as a normal person they can interact with or even see past this”, she said and gestured at her body and face with her hands. “It’s either am something for them to show off, coming to me out of curiosity or because they think there is something special in hanging out with me”, then she looked at Eric. “Even you Alex”.

“What?……..what do you mean?”, Eric asked.

“All those times Greg did what he did to you why didn’t you put him in his place long ago?”, Lisa asked, staring at him. “Why the sudden change in attitude after you met me?………sometimes i even feel that what happened in the school gym was something you set up just to impress me”.

Eric smirked and shook his head.

“Lisa, i have done alot things that i’m not proud of”, he began quietly. “But the willingness to undergo a near death experience just to impress a girl i have known for just a few days is not one of them and am sure Greg will agree with me”.

“Then tell me because i want to know!”.

“Tell you what?……because am not sure what’s going on here?”.

“Who you are?”

“I thought you already know who i am?”.

“I thought i knew. But after doing alot of thinking, i found out i don’t know much about you. Even what i heard everybody in our class say about you is totally different from what i have seen so far”.

Then Lisa looked down and said, “Am sorry if i sound confusing, but the thing is am in a dilemma here. You heard what Angel said to me. Now i have to choose between you and them”, she pointed at the mansion. “I know them very well and what they are about, and some of my best friends are there too. But i don’t really know much about you even though i like you so much…..maybe it’s love…….and i don’t even know what you have in mind for me”.

“And do you know what they have in mind for you?”, Eric asked and jerked his head at the the mansion.

“How i feel about them is not the same as how i feel about you”, Lisa replied. “And if they hurt me, it will be nothing compared to how i will feel if you hurt me after i have decided to choose you over them. That’s why i really want to know the truth about everything……about you and your reasons for this relationship”.

“Lisa, the reason why am with you is because i like you…..we like each other alot and you know that very well…….there is no curiosity or showing off, none of that”, Eric began. “Secondly, you can’t just know everything at once and there are somethings that are best not known at all. If you wake up and find out about something, then you deal with it accordingly, that’s all. Knowing everything at once could be bad……dangerous sometimes.

“Well i still want to know”, Lisa put in.

Eric sighed. “You want to know?”, he asked.

“Yeah…..i want to know”, Lisa replied. “Everything”

Then Eric dipped his hand into his pocket and took out a picture and handed it to Lisa. She glanced at the picture and looked at him.

“So?……what does this suppose to mean”, she asked.

“The truth”, Eric said and pointed at the picture. “That is Alex…..i am Eric”,

“Eric?…..”, Lisa sniggered. “What are you even talking about?”,

“My name is Eric Uzo and i live in Metro-city with my mother. That guy in that picture is Alex Philips, the son of the Philips family”, Eric stated.

Lisa stared at him as she held the picture in her hand.

“I got into some kind of a situation that i wouldn’t want to tell you about and ended up in the Philips family house”, he continued. “Alex is hiding somewhere or possibly still missing or even worse. So i was told by this strange woman to replace him……like impersonating Alex. That explains why Alex seem to change after going missing. Everything you have seen so far, the fighting, the boldness……..everything, is not done by Alex because the person is not Alex……..i am not Alex”.

Lisa stared at him and then burst into a fit of laughter. Eric stared at her and he wasn’t surprised. What he just said to her definitely sounds crazy. And him telling her all these things which happens to be the truth with all the words going around in school about him having mental problem will certainly have her convinced that she had being dealing with a deranged person.

“Alex……..”, she then began with a sigh. “You could have just told me that you are done with me, that you are no longer interested in me…….that you want to break up with me because you are too scared to answer my question”.

“Lisa that is the truth i know it sounds crazy…..by the way why are u talking about breaking up?, we are not in a relationship…..we are just friends……right?”, Eric asked, really confused and doing more damage.

Lisa shook her head and looked away.

“The funny thing is most guys lie to get into a relationship or to end it which is normal as human beings. I always thought you were different from most guys but you have taken it to a whole new level. And of all the rubbish lies in this world, it is the one only found at the bottom of the barrels of lies that you can come up with”, then she looked at Eric. “Alex, i may have thrown myself at you so easily but am not a five year old kid. It will hurt me if you dont want me anymore but it will hurt more if you also think am less than a fool”, tears welled up in Lisa’s eyes as she stared at Eric.

“Lisa…….am telling you the truth….it sounds crazy for sure but that’s the truth”, Eric said with regret in his voice. “Even the woman told me to never meet you again but i refused even though i heard she’s a dangerous woman…….i could be putting you in danger too”, more damages.

Lisa stared at Eric for a while and sighed.

“Alex…….you can leave now”, she then said and wiped tears rolling down her cheek. “You should just go……..and never ever talk to me again”.

Then she started heading back to the mansion in quick paces.

“Lisa wait!…..”, Eric said to her and she stopped and looked over her shoulder.

“What?…..”, Lisa asked him with a unhappy look on her face.

“I know that I’m the last person you want to see now but you have to listen to me”, Eric said. “……..those people in that house are not good people, especially that guy called Angel……there is more to that ‘having all kinds of fun’ and ‘group things’……..you need to stay away from them”.

“Well……maybe that’s what i need now……”, Lisa said to him. “Maybe i need Angel to help me get alot of things out of my mind……and i will do just like you said, if i wake up to find out about something, then i will deal with it accordingly, that’s all”.

Then she entered the mansion while Eric stared at her.

Eric stepped out of the compound as the gateman closed the gate behind him and looked around. Then he pulled out his phone from his pocket to make a phone call. Suddenly a black van raced towards him and screeched to a halt beside him as he frozed and stared at it. Then the door slide open and Nina stepped out. She pointed a gun at him and pulled the trigger.

***********************************************

Eric woke up and felt weak, quite weak but not very weak and his head felt several sizes bigger with a throbbing headache. His body was in a sitting position. He knew because of the slight pain he felt in the back of his neck due to the strain caused by his head bending forward. But he couldn’t move his arms and legs; like they had been tied to something. Then he slowly opened his eyes but it was dark, he couldn’t see anything. He closed his eyes and opened again and still can’t see anything. Then he heard a sound and recognized it. The click clack of a female high heels and something being dropped; perhaps on a table.

“Eric…Eric…Eric….”, the female voice sang and then started humming in cheery tune.

“Woman, you can see that I’m awake so please take off this blindfold…..atleast let me see what is going on”, Eric said.

After a few seconds, the female voice said, “Take off the blindfold.

The black cloth covering Eric’s head was taken off and he saw himself in an empty room well lit with a fluorescent light. He looked at the big man in black suit as he dropped the black cloth used For covering his head and went towards the door and manned it. Then he looked to his side and saw Nina standing near a table facing away from him with an open suitcase on the table. He couldn’t see it’s contents but he could see the hammer and electric drill machine beside it with a pair of rubber gloves. The drill machine power cord was connected to an extension power cord that ran across the room to a power socket on the wall.

Nina looked over her shoulder and smiled at him.

“Nice to meet you again handsome. Did you sleep well?”, she asked.

“Am getting really tired of you shooting me up with tranquilizers……and at least put me in bed like you did last time than have me tied up in a chair”, Eric said and glanced at the tapes used in tying both his hands and legs.

Then Nina went over to him and hummed the tune as she stared at him.

“Hm…….”, she inspected his face gently and smiled when she was done. Then she bend over him and placed her hands on his thighs.

“What are you doing?”, he asked her casually.

Nina continue humming as she felt his legs and thighs.

“Hm…..that’s good……you have strong muscles in the right places”, she then said.

“So does that mean that I’m qualified for whatever it is you about to do to me?”, Eric asked intently.

Nina said nothing and went back to the table. She slipped her hands into the rubber gloves and felt the texture. Then she picked up the electric drill machine that had a drilling bit mounted on it and pushed the button. The drill switched on with a whirring sound that filled the whole room. Nina stared at the drilling bit that was spinning too fast and looked at Eric. Her eyes moved from his face down to his knees and she smiled with a wink.

“So…..what the hell is going on here?”, Eric asked but Nina said nothing. Then he looked at the big man standing near the door. “Excuse me big guy, can you tell me what is going on because am not sure if this is some kind of a performance or if i am about to be brutally murdered”.

The man remained silent.

“Hey big guy…….i know you are not deaf….”

“Not only are you stubborn but you talk too much”, Nina said as she switch off the drill machine and placed it on the table after taking out the knife with serrated blade.

“He is not complaining”, Eric murmured.

“Yeah….he doesn’t complain….he never complains and follows instructions to the last full stop. Unlike you boy”.

“Maybe it is because he still pisses himself out of fear even though he is oversized”.

“So you are not scared huh?, boy you should be scared ……really scared”.

“Scared?……..of what you are about to do?, psh!….”, Eric smirked. “I’m more scared of dying slowly from one of those strange diseases than a butcher knife wielding woman whose favourite toy is a drilling machine”.

“Anyway i gotta commend you on your bravery…..did you know that it was a tranquilizer i was pointing at you instead of a real gun”, Nina asked.

“I didn’t know that”, Eric replied.

“Most guys i have pointed a gun at usually piss themselves and pass out even before the hammer hits the bullet”.

“Atleast you have seen that i am not most guys”.

Then Nina held both the knife and electric drill and glanced at both of them. As if she was wondering which one to use first.

“Woman am getting bored here…….why don’t you just use both of them”, Eric suggested. “Then you can drop the first one that seems to be boring”.

Hahahahaha…….oh you are really funny”, Nina said sarcastically. “So funny that am sure that man over there will like you alot”, she said and pointed at the big man. “He might even take you to his house and let you sleep with his girlfriend”.

“Oh really?……..so where in ‘gorilla city’ does he and his girlfriend live?”, Eric asked.

Nina dropped the knife on the table and came to him with the electric drill. She wasn’t smiling again. She stared at Eric with a contemptuous look on her face and then looked at the big man at the door. She nodded at him and he left the room immediately. He came back about 20 seconds later, dragging a woman with him. Her hands were tied behind her. She was Esther, Eric mother.

Eric saw her and frozed as she protested the big man’s grip on her arms. Then she saw Eric with Nina standing near him with the drill. Esther shrieked and tried to rush to Eric but the man’s powerful grip rendered her immobile.

“Eric!……Eric!!…..let my son go!, you devilish woman!”, Esther spat at Nina as she struggled to free herself from the man’s grip.

“No woman…….i told you to call him but you refused….which meant that you cared less about him and your stupid and stubborn brat refused to follow my instruction, which meant that he didn’t give a damn what happens to you”, Nina stated. “So i will have to kill you both. But first i will make you watch while i torture him……but i will leave him conscious enough to watch me kill you before finishing him off”.

Then Nina switched on the drill machine and brought the spinning drill bit close to his right knee cap.

“Nina please let my son go!”, Esther screamed as Eric remained calm on the chair and stared at Nina.

Nina keep bringing it closer and closer.

“Nina……please let him go, i beg you!”.

It fell on deaf ears as the drill was about to pierce through the skin of his knee.

“Nina please!!……he will do exactly whatever you say….please”, Esther cried. “Eric will do whatever you want”.

Nina heard it and paused. She switched the drill machine off and straightened up. Then she slapped Eric hard across his jaw. And slapped him again, this time harder and the sound of the hit echoed around the room.

“You heard what she said boy?, you are going to do whatever i say…..”, Nina barked at him. “You are going to do whatever i want!!”, she almost screamed.

Eric said nothing and just stared at her with blood trickling down from his nose. Then Nina dropped the drill machine and looked at Esther.

“She really loves you……so don’t disappoint her again. I will be keeping her here with me until we are done”, then she looked at Eric. “If you in anyway disobey me……even if tell you to eat by 6 pm and you eat a minute earlier or late, you will get your mother back piece by piece with the glue you will use to stick her back together……do you understand me?!”, Nina barked again.

Eric stared at Nina and said nothing.

“Take her away”, she ordered the big man.

“Please there is one thing i want to tell my son”, Esther began as the big man was about take her out. “Eric……there is something i always wanted to say to you….but i never thought it will be in this situation”.

Nina signalled to the man to stop.

“Eric i love you so much but……..but am not your real mother…….i….. i stole you from the hospital, Ernest is not even your father…… that’s the reason for her blackmailing me…..am sorry”, Esther apologized tearfully.

Eric heard it and shook his head. “No……mom stop…….that’s not true”, he murmured. “You are lying”.

“Son i have to tell you this incase anything happens to me……..i want to make this confession to you and have your forgiveness……so even if i die, i will die a happy woman”.

“No……it is a lie….you are lying mom…..tell me that you are lying”. Eric breathing quickened abit.

Then Nina gestured at the big man to take Esther away.

“Aw what a bad day for you…..”, Nina said softly as she gently caressed his head. “Atleast mommy still cared for you……hm?”, then she bend over and kissed him on his cheek. “So if you want to see her again, you better do what i say”, she whispered into his ears. “But if you want her to die, then you can go ahead and do whatever you like…..but in the end i will still kill you….boy”.

Then she took the black cloth and covered his head.

************************************************

The van gently grinded to a halt about fifty metres away from the Philips mansion and the headlamps switched off. Nina took black cloth off Eric head and the light in the van made him to squint and blink a few times as he eyes started getting used to the light. Nina looked at him with a faint smile while he remained silent and stared ahead of him.

“Home sweet home…..”, She began as she dropped the black cloth on the floor and looked at her wristwatch. “Eight-twenty pm…….wow you are quite late today….well am sure you can give them a good explanation…….tell them you had a date with your girlfriend……..by the way, have you……”.

“Yes i have broken up with her”, Eric put in.

“That’s good……now that is what i want you to always do Eric”, Nina put a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it. “You do as i say and everyone get to have some peace……..”

Eric said nothing with no expression on his face as Nina looked at him.

“Aw come on……..don’t feel bad…..after this job, you can still have any other girl over there in Metro-city”, Nina continued, still rubbing his shoulder. “Or i could hook you up with one…….one who will even allow you do whatever you want with her”, she smiled.

“Get your filthy hands off me before i break it”, Eric murmured.

The smile on Nina’s face faded as she slowly slide her hand from his shoulder to her laps.

“Are you really that mad at me?……..boy i taught you a valuable lesson, which is to always listen and take instructions seriously because if you dont, things like these happen……to you and to the people close to you”, Nina stated. “Or am i wrong?”, she asked

Eric remained silent.

“Perhaps i even did you a very big favour……think about it”.

Eric still remained silent.

Nina pursed her lips and slide the door of the van open.

“Oh one more thing…..”, she began as she glanced outside van. “If the Philips take you to the hospital for any kind of check up, you play along…….no funny attitude or any of that stupid behaviour of yours that will raise any suspicion……just act natural. After the check ups you call me and tell me exactly what they did…….okay?……now get out!”, she motion to him to get out of the van.

“Mommy is really angry with you Alex”, Suzanne said to Eric; following him as he headed toward his bedroom. “You came back home late today. What happened?, we even called your phone several times but you didn’t pick up”, she continued.

Eric didn’t say anything. He opened the door to his bedroom and quietly walked in. Suzanne stopped by the door and leaned against it’s frame as she stared at him with her arms folded. It’s being quite long since she had seen her brother in this mood; that was before he went missing. She thought that he had changed but it seems as if he is still the same. And it disappoints her.

Suzanne sighed. “Anyway am going back to bed. I hope you sleep well”, she said and left, closing the door quietly.

Eric sat on the bed and picked up the laptop on it and lift it’s lid. He gazed at the power button for a few seconds and pressed it. The device came to life with a low humming sound and the screen brighten up. He needs to do something, anything……anything that will keep his mind at ease because of everything that had happened to him earlier. And what he had found out.

What his mother said to him……what the woman whom he had always seen and thought to be his mother, said to him keep ringing in his head. The exact words she had said with her voice keep playing and replaying endlessly. Now he has some questions that need to be answered.

He was stolen. For what reason?, from who?, from where?. Who are his parents?, where do they live?…….who is really this woman he had been calling his mother for the past nineteen years and why would she take him away from his parents only to raise him as her own child?.

Eric ran the fingers of both hands through his waved hair. This must be a dream…..all these things, everything must be a dream, he thought. Maybe he is undergoing one of his psychotic episodes and seeing things that are not there. And will soon wake up from one of those damn blackouts, lying somewhere in his house in Metro-city with his mother beside him. Or perhaps he had finally gone mental……his mind dwelling in some illusion while his body is in a wheelchair in some mental institution and wasting away. All these things that are going on now; Nina’s mission, seeing the picture of someone that has a striking resemblance of himself, Philips family, Lisa,………and what his mother said. They all seem to be proof of that.

Then Eric looked at the laptop screen and saw he had two messages. Definitely from Chunky-guy and he don’t want to check it because now is a very bad time to read something that will escalate his emotions further. As he clicked the internet icon to surf the web, the door to his room suddenly flies open and Agnes stomped into the bedroom.

“Where are you coming from?!”, she barked at him. “I asked you a question!……where are you coming from?…..and will you get up when am talking, this useless boy!”, she fumed.

‘This is definitely reality’, Eric thought to himself as he glanced at Agnes and ignored her as he continue doing what he was doing. He is now getting tired of this aging nagging meat-sack infront of him and this is not the time for her or anybody to barge into his room and make loud noises.

“Not only did you get yourself suspended from school, now you also think that you can do whatever you like in this house….go out whenever you want and come back anytime you want!”,

Eric remained silent and wondered when she started caring about Alex’s school activities.

“The worst thing is Barry supporting you……i have told him several times that your mental problem is not yet cured”, Agnes continue fuming. “And instead of him to have you sent back to the hospital like i told him, he will never listen……just as he refused to listen to me when i warned him about adopting a baby probably from some lowlife in the street!”.

Eric heard that and suddenly threw the laptop with full force at the wall beside Agnes. It’s lid got separated from the rest when it hit the wall. It made Agnes to give out a shriek and stare at Eric with wide eyes and her mouth wide open. Then he got up from the bed wildly and stood infront of her; glaring down at her as she stared up at him. He was breathing hard. His body felt hot and slightly shaking with rage, all his muscles begging him to unleash some never seen before kind of fury and making promises of a fantastic job to be done if he just allowed his brain to relay the go ahead. But deep inside him was something. It was speaking with a soft whisper…… telling him to exercise restraint, to take steady deep breaths and calm down. It was speaking with a voice……the voice of Esther. He had heard it alot of times and sometimes he ignored it, especially in the heat of a bad situation. But now he is paying alot of attention to the voice because he is scared. Scared of the thoughts of losing the owner of that voice.

Agnes made for the door but Eric got there first and slammed the door shut. Then he picked up the broken laptop and glared at her as he tightened his grip on it. He could see the fear in Agnes eyes as she kept looking at him and glancing at the broken device he held; expecting the worst to happen to her.

“Before you leave this room……”, Eric began quietly. “I want you to tell me one thing…….what do you really want from Alex?”, he asked.

“What do you mean by what do i want from you”, Agnes replied quietly, scared that her talking abit louder will attract a wrath delivered by a broken laptop computer.

“I said what do you really want from Alex?!”, Eric asked again, abit louder this time and making Agnes to quiver. “What do you derive from all these belittling and name calling?……answer me!!”, he barked at her. “Is it joy?…….enjoyment?……some goddamn validation of your position in this family?……what?”.

Agnes stared at him in silence.

“Alex never begged to be adopted in this family in the first place”, Eric continued. “Neither is he competing with you or anybody for anything in this house. All he ever wanted was a normal childhood just like the other kids…..so is that too much to ask for?…….all these hurtful things you have been saying to him without any reason, have you ever for once in your miserable life asked yourself how he feels about it?……woman, how do you even live with yourself?, how do you even sleep well at night?……tell me what even makes you better than him?!……oh, because you think he is an orphan?”.

Agnes still remained silent with a downcast gaze.

Then the door opened slowly. Eric looked and saw Barry with the rest of the family standing at the door staring at him. Eric sighed and dropped the mangled laptop on the floor.

“Alex, i want to see you outside……in the balcony”, Barry then said to Eric and left.

Eric glanced at Agnes who is now sobbing with downcast gaze and walked out of the room. Suzanne followed while Daniel and Victoria entered to comfort their mother.

***********************************************

Barry poured himself a shot in the glass from the brandy bottle and swallowed the drink. He sighed and glanced at Eric who was standing beside him; resting his elbows on the balcony handrail and staring ahead. The dim lighted place made his expressionless face quite unnoticeable. Barry poured another shot. He looked at Eric and offered him the drink. Eric looked at the glass in Barry’s hand and then shifted his eyes to hi face.

“Go ahead…..you are not a little kid anymore”, Barry said to him.

Eric took the glass and gulped down the drink with one swill. He stretched out the hand holding the glass to Barry.

“More…….please”, he said to Barry.

Barry looked at him curiously and poured another shot in the glass with a smile.

“It’s like you are having alot of stress lately son”, Barry said as Eric gently let the hot drink to flow inside him. “One of the things that comes with growing up and being a man”.

“Yeah…..”, Eric muttered.

“And there are times it gets too much that you will feel like…..breaking something……doing some damage or hurting someone”.

“Yeah…..tell me about it”, Eric smiled.

Then Barry takes the glass from Eric and poured another shot in it. He held the glass close to his firm chest shown by the tight fitted white t shirt he wore and gazed at the night sky.

“But sometimes you have to exercise some restraint in your actions no matter how you feel son”, Barry then said and sipped from the glass. “You shouldn’t have done what you did in your room”.

“So…..what’s your point dad?, that i should just sit still and get berated?, that i should always be reminded of who i am and how i came to this family?”, Eric asked.

“No my son”.

“Then what?”.

You did what you had to do son, i know that. But to smash things?……..son, most of we the men folks always feel and want to do that but these kind of emotions are best left unexpressed because it had turned alot of us into wife beaters”, Barry stated. “She is your mother even though you were adopted. Some of us had it worse and they were our real mother…….i told you about my own mother. Son, she was ten times worse. If i have to smash something for everytime she had made me feel terrible, then you will need freightliners to ship it away……I just let her know how i felt and even told her that i will stop visiting her”.

Barry sighed. “That’s what i want you to do son”, he said. “And not trying to knockdown the building with a laptop computer to show her your anger because one day you might decide to use her to do the job……..and every other women you will meet in your life”.

Then Barry poured a shot and handed the glass to Eric and headed towards the glass door. Then he paused and looked at Eric.

“Oh i just keep forgetting to tell you this…..” he began. “Mr Williams wants you to come to his hospital……he said you have to undergo some examinations and test”, he said to Eric.

Eric remembered what Nina told him and said, “Oh okay……when are we going?”, he asked.

“Whenever you feel it’s the right time for you”, Barry replied.

Eric thought for a while and furrowed his eyebrows.

“Dad…..can i ask you a question?”, he said to Barry.

“Go ahead son”,

“Whose idea was it?,…….i mean whose idea was it for me to go for the medical examination?”,

“It was Mr Williams idea…..but if you don’t want to go then no need”.

“Who was also there when he suggested the idea?”.

“Well……no one else was in the living except us…me and him……actually i initially objected because i didn’t see any reason for it but i later agreed on our way to the golf course after he wouldn’t shut up about it”, then Barry looked at Eric curiously. “Why all the questions?…..is there anything wrong?”.

“No dad…..”, Eric replied. “One more thing…….. you and Mr williams went to the golf course right?, did you drive the car?”, Eric asked again.

“No…..i was drinking so i told Jim the chauffeur to drive us there”, Barry answered and looked at Eric more curiously. “Son what is it?…….why all these questions”, he asked.

“Nothing…..”, Eric said with a smile and sipped the hot drink. “Just trying to remember something”.

BLOODLINE Episode 14
#OpraDre