The Rising Phoenix

Jason was confused. He took the phone down and looked at the screen one more time but he was certain that he didn’t know who was at the other end of the call.

“Who is this?”

“It is I Harry, young Master. Your Grandfather and I have been in search of you for decades.”

“I don’t know you Harry. You must be mistaken. I am Jason Caruso not your Master.”

“No young Master. Your name is Jack Walker and I would prove it to you, come to the address I would send to you.”

The call dropped and a message came in almost immediately. “No 51 Chariot Street.”

Jason dipped his hand inside his pockets, there was only a 20 dollar note left with him. The Palmers couldn’t let him take the bike which was given to him or any other possession.

He walked through the road until he got to the highway. There was a taxi coming and so he waved at the driver who pulled over in front of him.

“Take me to this address.” Jason showed the address on the phone screen to the driver who nodded.

“That would be 18 bucks.”  

Jason looked at the driver for a while. He wasn’t sure of what he was doing but he decided to go with his guts. He got into the car and the driver zoomed off.

There was a bit of traffic on the way but they got to the destination later on. Jason alighted from the car and gave the dollar note to the driver through the window in the front seat.

“No man. That would be 25 bucks now.”

“But we agreed on 18!”  Jason was a bit pissed off with the fact that the driver wanted to reap him off but he kept calm.

“The traffic was crazy man! We spent a lot of time on the road. The extra would be for inconveniences.”

“But I only have 20 dollars.” Jason said politely but the driver was pissed. He got out of the car and pushed Jason very hard.

“Don’t play with me man. I am gonna mess you up.”

Jason was shocked at the driver’s reaction but he stood there. He already had enough arguments for the day and wasn’t ready for another.

“Yo! Wait, I know you. You are the husband to Isabella Palmer. The one everyone has been talking about. I guess the post wasn’t wrong about you. You are truly a loser.”

Jason could never imagine how far his story had gone. He bent his face in shame completely speechless.

The driver dragged the 20 dollar note from his hand, entered his car and sped off. Jason just watched as he zoomed off shaking his head. That was the last money he had and he wasn’t sure of how he was going to be getting home.

He looked up and saw the address on the tall building, it was the same one as the stranger had sent him. It was a tall glass house of about 30 stories.

Jason pushed open the two gigantic doors at the entrance of the building, there were two security men standing at the two posts of the door inside the building; they were very muscular, their eyes covered with dark glasses and guns strapped on their waists, for a moment Jason was really scared at the sight of the two brawny men who stood like statues without any expression.

“Welcome young Master! Your Grandfather has been expecting you.”

A man probably in his late forties appeared in a black clean suit. His face broadened with a smile as he extending his hands in a welcoming gesture.

‘Young Master? Grandfather?’ Jason looked very much surprised at what the man before him was saying.

“Come, I will take you to Lord Walker.”

Jason followed the man through the foyer of the building. The building was massive, the curtains hanging on the casement windows were embroidered with golden laces. The floor was tiled with exquisite marbles and the ceiling was gold plated with lovely paintings hanging on several corners of the hall.

‘Is this heaven?’ Jason thought. He had never seen such a beautiful house, more elegant than that of the Palmers.

They climbed the staircase leading to the top floor and the man went through the hall leading to a room by the left. The man who introduced himself as Harry opened the door of the room and walked in immediately. Jason stood at the door for a while taking inspection glances.

“Lord Walker! Master Jack is Home!”

The old man who was seated on a wheel chair was facing the window of the room staring at space but after hearing what the butler said, he pressed a button on the automated wheelchair and  it tilted around facing him towards the direction of Jason who was still at the door looking confused.

“Oh! You have grown so much!”

There were tiny drops of tears flowing down the cheeks of the old man. He pressed another button and the wheelchair moved forward stopping few meters away from Jason. The old man tried to get up and Harry rushed to assist him.

When he was finally up with little struggle, he hugged Jason tightly, tears still rolling down his cheeks.

“You look so much like David. The resemblance is so striking!”

Lord Walker pressed Jason unto his bosom tightly, the feeling of sensational satisfaction and fulfillment radiated throughout the ambience of the room.  

“You are welcome Jack.”

The whole drama still shocked Jason, he couldn’t comprehend what was unfolding before him. He just stood still speechless.

Jason was asked to sit and he sat next to the old man. Harry shut the door behind him and left them alone in the room.

The old man told Jason that he was his Grandfather and he had been in search of him for over 26 years. His parents had taken him on a vacation while he was still a toddler but they died on a boat cruise while they left him in their hotel room.

After their bodies were discovered, the old man searched for Jason for years but no one  knew of his where-about. He couldn’t be found in the room, someone must have taken him away before he could arrive.

Jason began to join the dots; he had lived in a foster home from his time as a toddler given the name Jason, until he was adopted by a young family who couldn’t have kids thus giving him the name Jason Caruso. The news of hearing of his parents’ death pained him but on the brighter side, finally he had an identity.  

The old man of about 80 years Lord Charles Walker revealed to his Grandson that the Walker family was the founder family in Granada Hills and Lake Hughes. The Walker family was one of  the wealthiest family in the country and all over they world. They had a conglomerate  industries, firms and companies of Gold mines, Real estate Companies and other manufacturing companies spanning across half of Granada hills, parts of Lake Hills and other branches all over the country, parts of Asia and Africa.

The Walker family had an estimated net-worth of over 10,000 trillion dollars. That was a shocking revelation for Jason. He couldn’t believe that he had been suffering his entire life while his family was the wealthiest family in Los Angeles.

“I am sorry you had to pass through all that. But that would change now.” the old man said after Jason had told him all he had passed through.

Lord Walker pressed a bell on the table and Harry walked in few seconds later.

“He will make sure you get the best things of life. From this moment, your status has changed.”

Everything was happening so fast for Jason, he couldn’t believe his eyes. ‘Am I dreaming?’ he asked himself pinching his hands softly.