THE WANDERER

THE STING OF TIME PART 2

"Hey little rat, it's time to wake up." Biggy said, emptying a bowl of water on Erickson.

Erickson had trouble falling asleep. His thoughts kept him awake. The new environment was somewhat difficult to adjust to, he wasn't familiar enough to sleep comfortably. While in psychological discomfort, he mentally went through every single move and event that brought him to this present moment.

A few months ago, he left the orphanage and never went back. He was doing a menial job at a restaurant, the owner was friends with the custodians at the orphanage. He normally returns to the orphanage to complete his tasks for the allocated hours, but this time, he didn't. The orphanage didn't care about the well-being of the children they looked after. In their opinion, the children have no choice but to depend on them. They have no one else to turn to, the streets are unsafe and they'll eventually die of starvation, cold, or infection if they try to give them a slip. Well, they were wrong. 

They miscalculated, Erickson's hatred for their dictatorship was more than the fear of surviving alone. He had already packed all his belongings -he had little to his name- before the escape. He managed to steal some money from one of the safes in a custodian's room which served as her office. This custodian happened to be the head of the orphanage. A brutal aged woman who ruled her prisoners with an iron fist. Erickson always thought of her as a demon sent from hell to torment children, a job she executed perfectly. Seeing it was his last day at her prison, stealing her stash was the perfect goodbye present, at least that's what he thought. 

He was mugged on his first day of being independent. He lost all the money he stole. He faced hell for the next few weeks. Erickson had to beg and sometimes steal so he could eat. He managed to find a job at a restaurant. Fortunately for him, the owner had no affiliation with the orphanage. He earned a decent living for his age, a fourteen-year-old normally has no responsibilities. Although he made some money, he hated the routine, the toil, and the ungodly hours. He had to be awake late at night to serve the rich folks who came around. Erickson referred to them as idiots who fed off the sweat of the poor. Every wealthy individual was a villain in his book. Strangely enough, he wanted to be a villain. He envied their wealth, the lack of stress, the luxuries, and other fancy things they enjoy. The thought of having whatever you want without much hassle was an appealing thought to him. Though he was young, he already understood the importance of money and what it can do. To Erickson, a poor man is a useless man, he's of no value to himself and the people around him, rather, he's a burden. But Erickson wanted an infinite supply of cash, he was tired of painstakingly saving up only to spend most of it. For him to become wealthy, he needs to learn from those who already had wealth. This thought motivated him to confront a regular visitor at the restaurant.

"Hello, Mr,"

Erickson approached with confidence. The man decided to offer Erickson a tip without even looking at him. Determined, Erickson inquired,

"What do you do sir?"

"Excuse me?"

"I can see that you're very rich. I want to know how you get your money."

"I don't know what your problem is kid, but if you don't get the hell outta my face, you're gonna get some."

"Now darling, be kind to the boy would you?"

"Took you long enough babe."

"Well, you know this beauty doesn't just happen."

Erickson looked at her searchingly. A lady in her late twenties, a lovely shape, pouty lips, large eyes, and high cheekbones. She was wearing a short black dress with matching heels and a purse which was already on the table. She wore her hair thick dark hair down, giving her face a sensual effect.

"I think you have a competition, Luke." She said, smiling warmly at Erickson.

"So, what do we have here?" She inquired as Luke gently pushed her chair in.

"The kid wants to know how I make my buck," Luke said, sitting down.

"Isn't that adorable? Why don't you tell him? He seems to have the spirit of an entrepreneur?"

"What's your name little one?"

"The name's Erickson and I'm not little."

"Sure."

"Shouldn't you be at home by this time?"

Erickson was bored with her questions. He made it clear in his reluctant responses.

"I got no parents. I'm on my own."

"Oh dear, how old are you?"

"I'm old enough," Erickson replied curtly.

"Honey, leave the boy alone and join me. He's not worth your time." Luke protested.

"You know what Erickson?" She continued, ignoring Luke's remark.

"Here's my card. Why don't you come over to my place tomorrow? You'll learn how to make a quick buck. I believe one learns best by doing."

Erickson collected the card and walked away without saying anything.

"Well, that was rude."

"I don't know why you'd waste your time with a rat like him."

"Now there, he's an orphan. The kid takes care of himself. I admire that. You remember how you started don't you?"

"Yeah, yeah. Can we eat now, I'm starving."

"You're always starving love." She flirted with him.

"Well, we both know where all that energy goes." Luke returned the favor.

A few hours later, Erickson was tidying up the place when he decided to reach for the card in his breast pocket. The card had her name and address.

Selene Lawson

Woodwolthe street, House 4.

"What? No, it can't be." A coworker exclaimed from behind.

Startled, Erickson turned around to see that it was Thomas. Thomas, a close friend of Erickson's at the restaurant, was a mild-mannered man. He took a liking to Erickson a few days after they met.

"It can't be. Miss Selene gave you her card?"

"Yeah. Why do you sound surprised Thomas?"

"You don't know her, do you?"

"Well, she comes here to eat with that guy every Friday. So, a loyal customer I guess."

"Nope, she's more than that. She's Luffy's girl."

"Lu-what?" Erickson sounded confused.

"That's Luffy's girl."

"Yeah. You already said that. Who's Luffy?"

"That's the guy he came in with."

"You mean Luke?"

"Well, the streets know him as Luffy. He rules this town. The biggest drug trader in the district. No one even dares go against him. He has eyes and ears everywhere. He owns the police."

"Yeah. I've heard of Luffy in my previous jobs. Never knew it was him."

"What previous jobs? You're too young to talk like that."

"So, he's rich?"

"Yeah Kid. He's living the life. He's got a great girl, money, power, and a gang. Hell, he has an empire."

"Interesting...."

"So, what are you going to do with the card?" Thomas asked sheepishly.

"I'll use the info on it. I'm gonna work for Selene. She's going to teach me the ways of success."

"Wait, what about your job here? And how are you sure she's not bluffing?"

"That's an interesting thought. You know what, I quit. I've always wanted to. Just lacked a reason before, but now I got it."

"You're quitting your job? You don't even know the nature of the work you're going to do for her."

"I don't have to. I know the type of person she is, she'll take good care of me." Erickson replied thoughtfully.

"How do you mean?"

"Well, given her first impression, I perceive a motherly nature. Which makes me suspect her intentions of being with that brute of a man called Luffy. It's a mismatch."

"Yeah. You're right kiddo. You're not the only one to have such thoughts. But you know women, you can never know what's going through their minds."

"Thomas. With all your years of experience, you still don't understand women?"

"Love is not to be understood my boy, just go with the flow."

"So, you don't critically evaluate your partners, you just indulge in your primal urges?"

"You have a rich vocabulary for a fourteen-year-old."

"Of course. Now that I have no responsibilities, this is the best time to invest in myself. And the best investment is knowledge, and knowledge comes from books. They give you a glimpse into people's thoughts, smarter individuals with rich experiences. You'll avoid making mistakes if you study the mistakes of others. Books can give you this."

"You mean you spend all your money on books?"

"Not all. I still keep enough aside for something else."

"Something like what?"

"I don't know yet, still getting familiar with all this business and economics stuff. I'll act when I have sufficient knowledge."

"And how do you determine that."

"When I'm confident enough to take calculated risks."

"You have a good head on your shoulders kid. Hope you do something good with it."

"You don't have to tell me that."

"So, are you sleeping here tonight?"

"Nope. Going back to my place."

"I don't understand why you don't want to stay here. The conditions here are better compared to your place."

"Comfort breeds complacency, when there's no pressure or discomfort, there will be no need to innovate."

"Ok then. But choose your discomfort carefully."

Erickson went to Selene's place. It was as he suspected. There was something off about Selene. Besides the annoying and never-ending questions, her mannerisms betrayed her. She's definitely not from around here, Erickson thought. Luffy must have friends in high places to meet someone like her. Erickson did little chores at her place, and he was rewarded with cash. But this was not all. She also asked specific questions regarding his time at the orphanage.

They became friends over the weeks. Erickson saw Luffy at her place from time to time but he managed to stay out of sight.

Erickson and Selene had conversations on different topics including physics, philosophy, math, politics, economics, and even religion. She was impressed with his extensive vocabulary and in-depth knowledge. Selene repeatedly offered him a room at her place but he declined. Selene felt sorry for him, a little kid at that age going through all he has gone through. She was rather surprised that her offer was turned down, repeatedly.

"You're not from around here are you?" Erickson asked, putting the lawn mower in place.

"What makes you say that?" Selene asked. She was sitting on the veranda, a book in her hands.

"Although I'm at a developmental checkpoint in my life, I can see through your superficial charm. And, you ask a lot of specific and intelligent questions for a bimbo."

"Hahahahahahahaha," she laughed for what seemed like an eternity, holding her abdomen while hitting her thighs with the book in her other hand.

" Oh my God. Kid, you should try comedy. I almost died laughing. Developmental checkpoint?" Who talks like that?"

"Uhmm.... I'm talking about puberty. You see, at this stage, I see members of the opposite sex in a different light. Not you though, you're beyond my threshold of physical and sexual appeal."

"Are you always this blunt?" Selene said, trying to hold in another laughter.

"Well, time is money. I can't tolerate the hurdles of courtesies and the trivialities of social conventions. So, who are you really? Why are you here?"

Selene smiled. A benign smile a mother gives to an ignorant child.

"You're too young to speak in such a manner. Aren't you done with your chores, don't you have friends to hang around with?"

"Why are you so eager to dispose of me? You were never in such a hurry to see me go when you were in charge of the questions. Don't treat me like a kid. I'm not dumb."

"You're really starting to get on my nerves, Eric. Run along now."

"It's Erickson, not Eric."

"Erickson is a mouthful, I prefer Eric." She said curtly.

"Fine. I'll make this easier for you. You got into town just eight months ago, and now you're part of Luffy's gang"

"How did you come about that info? And no, I'm not a part of his gang. I'm his special lady."

"Please, spare me the bullshit."

Selene gasped in astonishment. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"I've been on the street long enough to know what's going on. I know when people don't fit in when something's off. It's like a sixth sense. I also got friends and connections. They tell me stuff."

Erickson walked to the veranda and took a glass of juice from a table.

"Ok. Here's what I got." He said after taking a gulp, then continued.

"I think you're an undercover agent gathering dirt on your target. You're just waiting for the green light to engage."

Immediately, Selene's countenance changed. She went over to Erickson, grabbed him by the neck, and slammed him against the wall. She moved so fast that Erickson couldn't think of evading the attack. Still holding Erickson against the wall, his legs barely touching the floorboards.

She said,

"Listen to me, you little brat. I've been on this case for five years, five years. I'm finally getting close to rounding up the scums fucking this town up and I'm not gonna let anybody ruin it. Not even a kid who thinks he's smart."

"And here I was thinking you were gentle and had my best interest at heart. You should know a fourteen-year-old figured out your little plan without much effort. If I could do it, Luffy definitely can. I suspect he already knows. If not him, then his men."

"Do you ever shut the fuck up? I can easily snap your neck right now and no one in the world would even care. You got no one kid. I'd be careful if I were you."

"That's the whole point. I got nothing to lose, there's no need to be cautious of anything. One day, I hope someone will put me out of my misery."

Selene quickly took her hands off him. She just realized that she almost choked a kid to death. But in her mind, this wasn't a kid. He's an adult in a child's body.

"I can help you, you know that right?"

"How exactly do you mean?"

"I've lived in the orphanage all my life. I've worked with these goons. I can assist. "

"There's no way I'm putting your life in danger."

"Yeah right. Says the lady who was about to murder me a few minutes ago."

"Even if you could help, we can't round them up yet. This is not only about Luffy, he also has a rival. We need them both. This is the only way to put an end to all this nonsense."

"A rival, you mean Chief?"

"Yeah. We also need him. I've been trying to get Luffy to engage him, but he's too comfortable with his power to worry about Luffy. I know the tension is there, we just have to push it and get them under the same roof."

"You're not even listening to me. I just said I can assist. How come Luffy doesn't suspect anything yet?"

"Can't you tell?" Selene asked, staring deeply at him.

"Yeah, yeah. I know most men are slaves to their primal urges, but come on."

"Luffy's not that smart. He just fed off the power and fame of his predecessor."

"You mean stone cold? I've heard stories."

"Yeah. That's him. At least he was smart enough to keep his business quiet and under wraps. But Luffy killed him and took over his empire."

"Yeah. I'm aware. So, will you let me help you?"

After some moments of silence, she finally spoke, "you show promise kid. If you pull this off, I'll set you for life. Even though I'm conflicted about sending a kid on a dangerous mission, I think you can handle this. There's something about you."

"Nothing much. I'm just stupid enough to trust the girlfriend of a criminal, a girlfriend who happens to be an undercover federal agent. So, I guess we have a deal."

"It seems so Eric."

"It's Erickson."

Erickson left her place feeling elated. Now, he has a chance to finally escape the slums and make the most of himself. But how is he going to pull this off?

Erickson gently walked into the bakery, taking everything into detail.

"Hey, little boy wonder, what brings you here?" A heavily built man smiled at Erickson.

"Just looking for a job, Lamar," Erickson replied casually.

"Here, have some bread. It's fresh from the oven."

"Hmmm, this is delicious. As always. So, you got a spot for me?"

"Don't play the dumb kid. I know you ran from the orphanage." He grabbed Erickson firmly by the wrist.

Erickson desperately tried to free himself from his grasp, it was an impossible task.

"It was dumb of you to come here, kid. The orphanage placed a bounty on you. You're too much of a problem to be left roaming. You're a loose end. We have something great going on here kid, we don't want a brat like you to ruin it."

"You call child abuse and smuggling of drugs great?"

Erickson whimpered as he desperately tried to escape the firm grip.

"Stay still and shut up. I have to call someone." He said, slamming Erickson's side against the wall. An attempt to weaken his resilience. It worked.

While he was distracted, Erickson bit him on the arm. He gave out a loud cry in pain as he watched his prisoner move quickly out of the bakery with his bread.

Erickson felt great for coming this far. It won't be long now. He thought to himself.

"Yeah, yeah...I'm up."

"This is the moment kid. Start talking." Chief said with a menacing grin.

"Luffy got a girl. They always come to eat at a restaurant every Friday. I once worked there. I also worked for his girl. We were pretty close."

"You mean you got close to Selene? Lucky Bastard." Someone murmured from the back of the room.

"Go on," Chief commanded.

"That's all," Erickson replied immediately.

"What?"

"That's all you need. You just have to get him to the restaurant this Friday. I got every detail of his bodyguards, drivers, cars, and even his barber shop. I researched him. You don't have to do anything."

"Hahaha. I love this kid. Doing all the hard work. Would you look at that?"

"I sense the sarcasm in your tone."

"You're a damn right kid. I expected more."

"You never asked me the details of the plan."

"Wait, you have a plan? For how long."

"Since I started working at that place, I just pieced them together last night."

"Good. Let's hear it then."

After thirty minutes of explanation, they were ready. The gang was pretty impressed with his plans. They loved it. Chief finally decided to give him breakfast. He has earned his keep.

It was on a Friday, the day of the operation. The team geared up with weapons and decided to head for the restaurant. It was called Oasis. The plan was to come in as customers, a team will be outside, both at the front and back of the building, sealing every escape route. The main team, involving the Chief himself, will go in as a customer. They'll wait until they're left alone with Luffy, given he always leaves last. But their mission was over even before it began. The customers who were already inside were security operatives. 

They already had the building surrounded. They were just waiting for Chief before engaging. The scene was uneventful. The two tyrants of Loja city were arrested in a shameful way along with their men, all thanks to a little kid with strong wits.

"You did good kid," Selene said, looking proudly at Erickson. She was wearing a beautiful emerald dress with matching earrings and a necklace.

"Glad to help."

"Now it's my turn to meet my part of the bargain."

As she spoke, a strange-looking man walked towards them. He was handsome, cleanly shaven with a bald head.

"Erickson, I'd like you to meet Mr. Richards. I guess you already know him."

"Hello, Erickson. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Erickson was drawn to this man, he looked strangely familiar.

"Who are you?"

Richards chuckled and said,

"I'm a billionaire, CEO of Gaia corp. Strangely, you've never heard of me."

"I have. Just doing a reality check. I hope I'm not dreaming."

"This is all real Eric, as far as we can tell," he paused, then continued, "apart from making money, I also have a place for gifted kids like yourself. A place where you can grow and be your best self."

"Mr. Richardson has an orphanage for young geniuses," Selena cut in.

"The orphanage," Erickson exclaimed immediately.

"Don't worry, they're fine. We got your friends and have also apprehended those in charge."

"I don't have friends there," Erickson replied curtly.

"It doesn't matter, you've saved lives kiddo." Selena commended.

"So, what do you say kid?" Mr. Richards asked mildly.

"Only a fool will turn down an offer from a billionaire. Last time I checked, I'm not one." Erickson replied.

"Indeed. We're going to do great things, Eric. Great things I tell you."

Mr. Richards concluded.