The Alex Box: A Tale of Loss and Legacy

Lord Have Mercy

(Goshhh! What the F***!!!)

His eyes shot up, aghast at Jude's callousness; as he began to experience the sick feeling of uneasiness all over again.

"Come on man, you know I can't do that. Moreover, I am a pebble in your shoe, so why won't you get rid of me, you complained this much and yet won't give up chasing after me."

"Bro I am already avoiding you, I urge you to do the same, so we let each other be?"

"Perhaps you find it hard to do just that, I am already trying to relieve you of myself, yet, you won't allow it" he said in a petrified and confused tone.

He felt tempered again as the boys laughed like he was some stand-up comedian.

Ryker tends to react to mockery like one who has a whole secondary heart with which they reserve animosity solely for retaliation.

His choleric outbursts ignite when hold up to ridicule.

In his world, he believes that no one in their right senses should crave or welcome any sort of pillory.

He almost, impulsively pounced on Will, one of Jude's most audacious disciples.

But he quelled the urge to go all beastly and manage his anger, one of his rarest deliberations.

He considered the fact that his beast can be conciliate, but not an unleashed bullet.

"Oh, that?" Flashing a mischievous smile,

"Well, you were. But, I take that back, moreover, I need your talents for my missions and you're gonna give them. You owed me, remember?" He said with much pride.

"Just be reasonable, and learn not to question my deeds no more, is that taken?"

He was indignant at first, but by each measure of oxygen he silently stole into his lungs, he regained composure gradually.

"Yes, but you don't mean that. Do you?" Ryker regarded the operation he, undoubtedly, was planning.

Answering his question, but with a question sheepishly.

Ryker probably knows it, that it's of no use asking such questions, Jude doesn't waste his words.

But himself, he seems to derive pleasure in breeding annoyance.

"That's it. You just won't learn!" He grunted with a frown on his face.

"Well, we shall see. 8:20 pm tonight!"

"Do we have a deal or not?"... "Huh!"

*** Present ***

"You can't outsmart me," he bragged,

"And don't attempt to eschew the emperor either, the outcome might be fatal... Of course, it will."

Nodding conclusively as he gestured for them to leave strolling behind them,

Then he stopped almost by the door, as soon as his boys were relocated to the exterior of the building and probably beyond its eaves by now: he turned around, and in his rarely heard friendly voice meant only for coercing;

"How can you not see bruh?"

"I'm trying to make you my right-hand man," he confessed,

"Moreover, don't you think?" He said, projecting his right index finger, to touch his temple repeatedly, intent on delivering his speech and expression with a curt conveyance.

"Your thoughts should not always revolve around receiving, you can't keep depending on people's money to satisfy your gambling urge, and other necessities."

"You've gotta work towards a mainstream for steady income too."

"And I must say, I know myself, those boys combined, will never measure your smartness and rigidity, I see the potential in you, bruh, activate it, maximize it, and let's rule the world together!" He admonished Ryker rather politically

"Now, take my offer for your betterment, or else, I'm sorry I'll have to force you to do that of mine." Rubbing the side of his waist, where the gun was safely tucked; and I trust you won't sabotage my plans." He declared as his eyebrows raised in suspicion.

An epiphany struck Ryker immediately, it was like he took back his all his momentous advice and gave him a treacherous idea to replicate and maximize to save himself from his hook, immediately the word rang in his eardrum; all he could think of, is a way to be free from his brutal threats, which is of course, to sabotage his plans.

"The emperor never takes chances." Jude vocalized, partially surprised by Ryker's expressionless face, prompting his reverie to alleviate as he became conscious of his surroundings and acknowledging his presence.

"Yeah, yeah... Und-- understood!" He faltered. As Jude continued with his majestic strides to exit the flat.

.

.

.

.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

He cursed, as he punched ferociously into the side of the wall where Jude had rested his back like he's got no worries in the world, intimidating and terrorizing his sanity.

Consequently, he had bruised himself.

He hissed, cursed, shakes head furiously at intervals as his left palm cupped my injured fist with an inspiration of self-blame.

He hissed again as he looked up towards the quartz table clock placed side-by-side with the family's photo on the even surface of the table, northwest of the sitting room.

And his heart achingly raced; he could hear his heart pound against his chest unrhythmically.

"But wait, not too long I came in, and now it's 10 minutes past 4 pm," He mumbled with frustration.

"I'm not going to be part of that… No, no, no…"

"F*** NO!"

He shook his head bitterly like he meant it, perhaps he does.

He went back in, into the room but he was too disturbed mentally to maintain a sitting position,

He took to restless pacing as the uncomfortable sensation built, making him sick in the comfort of his room, unable to think properly.

He came back out sweating profusely, he ambulated to the sitting room, managed to fit his butt on a section of the old couch, and propped up his feet unto the center table, as he mull over the possible ways to be extricated from the incriminating law-breaking scheme.

(Do I run for the hills now, perhaps I would be free from their threats? Hmm... That is impossible though. Useless idea ever!

Go report them? Still would not proffer the liberation I sought.

Ah!

Lord have mercy, I need a plan that will pull out their fangs and get Jude, especially, out of my hair, make me a free man once again.

I swear, I'll eat my hat if I got lucky enough to get out of this jam.)

Ryker supplicated like a man of piety.

The door opens to present an always glamorous Evelyn Orton Hartley in her simple but corporate vintage dress walking in holding Riley in her hands and her handbag in the other hand, as her face brightens with a glamorous smile that spells hope to her patients at the hospital, a caring nurse at work and a lovely woman in her neighborhood.

Evelyn is Ryker's and the other two boys' mothers.

She has been under the yoke of single parenthood for a year and half decade.