Reborn Tycoon; Ethan Wayne’s Rise

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

“Arghhh!”, he shouted, hitting the landline in anger against the glass box.

Ethan breathed heavily,his fist clenched in obvious, physical anger though he was inwardly happy he hadn't broken the glass nor the landline. He'd seen a policeman around the corner and he was certainly not prepared to go to jail.

“Better you were in cell than outside”

He still had nowhere to go. He ran a hand through his hair trying not to lose it.

“God, where am I gonna go?”

He breathed in and then out, finally deciding to call his girlfriend. He pressed down the number buttons, his heart hoping that he'd hear her ever consoling voice as the buzzing sound began. He held onto the receiver like it was some fragile item but the call ended up terminating with no response. He dialed again, this time slowly, like heart and hope were breaking into bits in him. The buzzing began, taking longer than usual.

But there wasn't any response.

“Hey Maddie.. urr.. this is Ethan. I … I'm really in a very bad state right now? I .. I kind of lost my apartment today, guess you'd have heard what happened… or not. I just… I'm out of options and I just need to lay my head for the night. I'm hoping you don't mind”

He released his hold on the button and the beep on the other end confirmed his message had been sent. He strolled back to where his stuff was, not even knowing where to start. He couldn't possibly take them all with him.

Bending down, he picked the boxes up and some of the items that had fallen over the unclosed boxes. He stacked them up, looking around if he could find some shed of some sort. Just then, he sighted the policeman locking up the phone box.

Picking up one of the boxes, he rushed there.

“Sir!”, He called out, half running to where the phone box was. “Sir!”

By the third call, the policeman had placed the lock on the phone box.

“Sir! Sir…”, he finally got his attention as the man turned towards his direction. He immediately pulled out his torch and Ethan was almost struck blind. He had to balance both himself and the box in half reaction time.

“Uhhh”, Ethan groaned lightly, squinting his eyes and then opening them wide to adjust. The policeman shifted his torch slightly though most of it still shone on his face.

“Who are you and what do you want boy?”, the stern voice of the policeman came through. He finally diverted the direction of the light rays so Ethan could see properly.

“So.. sorry to disturb you sir. I was wondering if I could put some of my things in here”

“In where?”

“In the … phone box.. ? I'm stranded and I don't have any money…”

“Kid, I can't help you ok? This is public property, I can't give you the keys and can't be held responsible for your goods either”

“No I'm not asking for the keys sir…I just… just need to put my stuff,just so they're safe. I'll… I'll be here first thing in the morning to take them out”

“Unfortunately kid, I won't be here first thing in the morning. Additionally, to tell you the truth, I don't buy your story boy so hope along. I've got a family to go to”

Ethan stepped back, disappointment bitter in his throat as he swallowed hard.

“Yes sir.”

He took a few steps back and then headed back to the gate where his stuff was but more arranged this time. Stacking them up against the school's fence, he silently prayed they'd stay that way. A lot of homeless people had already taken their spot against the wall because the ornamental trees bent over the low fence, giving them some shade. The wind blew lightly but with much humidity so Ethan could tell that a rain shower was imminent. That would mean his boxes would get wet.

Fuck!

What a day.

He stared at his boxes stacked up just to where the decorative thorns had begun. Just then, he noticed the homeless man lying not so far off lean towards his direction. He watched carefully, completely skeptical as he made an attempt to shift the boxes.

“I'm not.. I don't want anything to do with your boxes”

Ethan stopped, immediately feeling foolish. “I'm… I'm sorry”

“It's ok.”, the fairly advanced homeless man responded, positioning himself properly as he lay his head against a pile of seemingly ragged and dirty clothings.

“I could help you watch them if that'll help”, the homeless man suggested

“I can keep them in my little tent over there. It's waterproof as well so there'll be no rain”.

Ethan looked in the direction of the tent. It was fairly big.

“That'll be… that'll be great sir. Thank you .. thank you so, so much.”

“It's alright. Just make sure you mark every item you have”

Ethan began looking into each of the boxes but rather slowly as something else was on his mind. The man's extended love towards him was both suspicious and unusual. He was homeless, perhaps not yet but that was definitely his state. He was, whether he admitted or not, as homeless as this man who despite such, had offered to help keep his stuff in his tent.

Nevertheless, he had to shake his thoughts off and hurry. The winds were getting stronger and stronger and he had to get to Maddie's, at least before he was too late.

The man helped him drag some of his stuff into his tent before he left.

“Thank you… thank you sir”

“It's alright son. Just be here early before they chase us away.”

“I will. Thank you”

The old man nodded. “You should get going. Those clouds won't hold for long”

Ethan nodded, thanking the man once more. Then he half-ran all the way to the main junction so he could get a bus home. What Davi had given him wasn't much, but it sure could get him home.

On second thoughts, he thought to divert to Davi's. But she had a lot of kids she took care of and Ethan didn't think it was fair to inconvenience her like that. With a drunken husband to tame as well, it would be greed to override her graciousness. It would always be a wonder to Ethan, how people who had very little, still went on to be kind with the little they could.

He'd missed the 7.30 bus but luckily for him, a half filled one passed. He ran to catch up trying to get the driver's attention. He'd been so desperate to meet up, he'd bolted like a flash and had gotten to the next bus stop, even before the bus came to a stop. The doors of the bus slid open and Ethan got into the bus.

It would be a twenty-five minute journey to the shocker of his life.