The Absconsion

The Recriutment

Candidate 1: Jackson Junior

' You roam the city with your useless friends all day and stay at home all night and do nothing other than w*****g. It is becoming difficult to handle the family financially and emotionally. Your father had passed away a few years ago, and I thought you would take over responsibility at some point in time. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Do you know how much difficult it is for a woman to work outside the streets where we are living in? After your mother passed, I married your father because I loved him and not because to take care of all of you. But your father had left me alone in this stupid mess. Out of love for him, I am working to maintain this family despite the a***e I am facing at my workplace. Half of what I earn goes to clearing the debts your father owed. This pressure and stress are making me depressed. I am on the brink of leaving this family. If you don't intend to help me handle the family, then I will desert you and your little brother and continue with my life. I am giving you one month's time. If you don't find any job till then, then I am officially out of this family and I don't give a f**k about what would happen to you lot. I hope I made myself clear. I can't throw away rest of my life for the sake of you little brats. '       

After the long dramatic speech, Jackson's stepmother finally left for her work. Jackson, who is eighteen years old, partially died with the passing of his mother. His love for the rest of the family was what kept him going. But when his father fell in love again and married another woman, Jackson could not handle it. He didn't like the idea that his father had moved on. His new mother was only good to them because of his father. She did not want to hurt him by neglecting his children's needs and responsibilities. Her love for Jackson and his brother was superficial, but she really loved his father. Although, Jackson could never accept his stepmother to become his mother, and neither did she wanted it. For Jackson, his mother even though dead, was always around him in the form of nature. Whenever he saw any signs or omens, he thought that it was his mother's spirit that was helping him somehow, and protecting him from the dangers. 

As time passed, after the death of his mother, the distance between Jackson and his father weakened, dimmed and they unknowingly grew apart. Jackson hated his father for getting married again, but never confronted him. Because he could never imagine his father forgetting his mother and when it became a reality, he was subjected to an extreme sense of dissatisfaction, so intense and excruciating pain that he felt hopeless to even question his father. 

' Jacky, jacky. I am hungry, ' came a voice from the bedroom.

The voice brought Jackson back from the trance and he immediately mixed the cereal with milk and headed towards the room. The voice was his little brother's whose name is Aaron, who just got out from sleep. 

Seeing the innocent face, Jackson realized that it was time for him to look for a job, not because his stepmother asked, but because he recognized that it was now his responsibility to take care of his little brother. It was time for him to step up and accept the responsibility. It was time for him to become a father to Aaron, rather than a irresponsible brother. Aaron's sweet smile ignited a fire in Jackson's heart and mind that he promised himself to earn so much wealth that Aaron would never get a taste of indigency ever again. 

Aaron soon fell asleep again. Jackson decided to go out to the park to clear his mind. As he reached the park. the security cameras started to move in the direction in which he was heading. It was as if they were following him, targeting him somehow. Jackson, who was preoccupied with a plethora of thoughts did not notice them, and even if he would have noticed them, he would not have suspected anything wrong. Adjacent to the park was the forest where a very few adventurous people rarely go trekking or camp overnight but many incidents were reported saying that they had witnessed strange noises, most probably from the wild beasts roaming around, but that was enough to scare a majority of the people of the town. Jackson did not really care about his life anyway, so he often overlooked such news and continued to go inside to clear his mind at times of distress. 

Jackson went to his usual place and sat down below a large banyan tree. The tree is huge and terrifying, especially at night times. A few feet across from him was a yellow-colored public telephone fixed to a tree that was not working for many years. The place was silent except for the sound made by the wind, leaves rustling, and that of a few sparrows. 

Jackson closed his eyes and started to take deep breaths and with every breath, he tried to discard the negative emotions, cold emotions, and gloomy vibes. It was time for him to sort himself out and start acting in a way that any responsible adult would do. It was time for him and his brother to get away from his stepmother and start a new life. He was now waiting for one such chance which would turn his life around. Just when he had this epiphany, the phone which was not working for a long time, started to ring. 

Jackson, even though, in a state of indifference was surprised to hear the phone ring. He decided to ignore it but it continued to ring. Reluctantly, he rose and approached the phone to lift it. He took a deep breath and lifted the phone. 

' Hello? '

' Hi. Am I speaking to Jackson Junior? ' Replied the voice, which sounded like a robot. 

' Yes, you are. May I know who you are? ' 

' I have a proposal which would change your life in a way you would have never imagined. If you wish to avail of it, press one, else press two. '

Jackson was now intrigued. Initially, he thought this was a prank, but he did not have any friends and his stepmother would definitely not spend much time pranking him. He was down to two deductions, the first that it was a scam and the second that he was randomly selected. Even if it was a scam, Jackson did not have anything in his bank from which he would get robbed. so he decided to press one, just in case this was not a prank. 

Right after pressing one, the robotic voice said, ' You have accepted my invitation and by pressing one, you have consented to all the rules and regulations which are remained disclosed. You would shortly get further notice and until then, be healthy. ' 

The call was disconnected soon after. 

                                                                                    ----*----

Candidate 143: Zain Abdullah

' You cannot do this to me. This is my life. '

' I do not want to, my friend, I need to. It is not that I hate you or resent you. This is just me protecting my future and maybe a little bit of jealousy too. ' 

' We together had built the company. You cannot kick me out now. You are what you are because of me. It was me who saved you when you were bankrupt. Begging your peers for money to eat food, staying with your friends so you can skip paying rent. I saved you from that. I made you what you are now, and you cannot turn your back on me now. '

' See, this is the kind of attitude that I don't like, and this is the reason why I need to do this. And the answer to your comment regarding you saving me, you did not pick me as your partner because you thought I was your friend or I was in dire need of money, you needed me because I talk well. You wanted me, in fact, you begged me to be the face of your company. We both needed help at that time, so we helped each other to make our lives better, but now I don't need you anymore. Therefore I decided to kick you out of my company. '

' You are a selfish bastard, an eccentric, and a devil. I will not let this go. I will talk to the board of directors and overthrow you. You don't deserve to be a part of our company. '

' Board of directors? Seriously? Did you ever attend a single meeting? Did you ever talk with your clients? You are nothing but a nerd and an anti-social individual. Anyways, you can try and take up with the board, but I'll have to warn you that it will be a disappointment to you. '

Harald was the face of the company, and Zain was the real founder. Both were important for the company, but since Zain was not good at addressing huge crowds or giving presentations, he took the help of his friend, Harald and made him his partner, and offered him sixty percent of the profits. Now, when Zain had asked Harald to make it 50 percent, Harald grew furious and decided to kick him out of the company and become the sole owner of the profits. 

When Zain talked to the board, he realized that they were all puppets of Harald. He realized that he could not achieve anything through the board. So Zain decided to approach one of their clients. The client realized that Zain was the true founder of the company. Zain decided to start a company on his own by diverting all the clients of the company that Harald and he built together. Most of the clients were ready, but the only problem was they already invested a lot of money, and diverting the project would be difficult for them since there was no investment left. But if Zain was willing to cover the amount that the clients initially invested, they were ready to shift the project. Although Zain had a lot of money, he didn't have enough to cover such a huge sum.  

Zain needed something huge to get back in the game. He was a total genius, but the world doesn't know him. In fact, no one really knows him except for Harald. For the first time in his life, he felt lonely. He wished that he had friends so they might have helped him. 

Harald soon came to know that Zain was trying to steal his clients, so he acted quickly and kicked him out of the company. Since no one really knows him, no one came to know that the founder had been kicked. Harald used his influence to block Zain's bank accounts and seize his properties. Zain was now back to square one. 

Before Zain had started his company, there was a small shelter outside the city and close to the forest, where he used to live. He packed whatever that was left of him and moved to that shelter. The house was covered with dry leaves, and it had not been dusted for over a decade. Zain went to the back of the house, where there was a drum. He lifted it, and there was a key underneath it. That was the location where he always hid the key. He opened the house, and the interior was so filthy. Since he had lost everything, the ambiance did not bother him. He sat in a corner and opened his backpack. He took out his mobile, and when he was looking at the photos of the time they started the company in the gallery, he received a call from an unknown number. No one, except Harald, had called him ever. He was surprised. He took a while but finally lifted the call.

' Hello? '

' Am I talking to Zain Abdullah? ' Said a robotic voice. 

' Yeah. Who is this? '

' I have a proposal which would change your life in a way you would have never imagined. If you wish to avail of it, press one, else press two. '

Zain knows that this was stupid, but he was looking for magic, not logic, so he pressed one on his keypad.

 Right after pressing one, the robotic voice said, ' You have accepted my invitation, and by pressing one, you have consented to all the rules and regulations which are remained disclosed. You would shortly get further notice, and until then, be healthy. '

The call disconnected right away.

Zain tried to locate the call but failed. He did not try hard because he was not that intrigued. He came across all kind of  scams during his time and also he could not think about anything other than the ways of earning a very huge sum. He has enough skills to land a new job or start a new company, but he wanted to reclaim his company by snatching away his clients from the very company that he had built from the scratch. And in order to do that, he needed a humongous amount in a very short time. 

All he could now do was wait for a miracle to happen.

                                                                                         ----*----

Candidate 210: Elly Tucker

' I want you to meet me after school at my place. My wife and kids are going out of town so I would like some company. Before saying no, think of what I can do and what consequences you have to face. I hope you are wise and will make the right decision, if not for yourself, then for your family. '

Elly was a high school student who is smart and beautiful, but the only bad luck was that she belonged to an indigent family, because of which she had to work really hard right from childhood to pay for her education. Her brilliance always helped her in the form of scholarships, and she made it to high school. Everything was going well until the person who is in charge of granting scholarships turned out to be perverse. He lost his sanity and was harassing Elly for s****l favors in return for granting the scholarship. 

This was the first time in Elly's life that someone was attempting to assault her. She had seen such things in movies, but when those things happened to her in reality, she could not process them. She wanted all of this to go away, so she could study peacefully and help her family lead a comfortable life. That was her one and only goal and focus. Studies and family were the only things that she ever cared and thought about. 

Now Elly didn't want to go to her sir's place that night. She wanted to tell her family, but they themselves were helpless, and even if they decide to take any action, going against the one who is holding her gift would not be such a wise choice. Reluctantly, Elly went to her perverse educator's house. 

When he opened the door, a wave of fragrance hit her. The interior was decorated with flowers and candles as if he called her on a date. Elly froze and remained outside the house. Her teacher slowly held her hand and pulled her inside gradually. In a few seconds, Elly was inside and the door was closed. 

' Why did you call me, sir? '

' Come on, Elly. Call me Benjamin. I am not your sir now. '

Benjamin offered her water, then grabbed a chair and asked her to sit. Then he put on the TV and they watched a funny drama. Benjamin was being a gentleman and Elly felt for a second like what if she misunderstood him? What if he really wanted some company? 

Even though if it was true, no educator would call a student of theirs to provide them company at late nights and that too when their family was out of town. Benjamin was keeping things really cool and in a friendly way. But whatever Benjamin did, Elly found it unnerving. Because once if she let her guard down, she would probably not be able to see for the signs of malicious intent. So despite Benjamin was being good to her all this time, she decided to be invulnerable. 

After watching the TV for a while, they started to eat, and even during dinner, Benjamin was not making any kind of movie against Elly. Elly hated herself for a while as she felt like she was waiting for him to make a move on her. She did not realize that she was just being cautious. Benjamin offered her wine which she refused. Upon insisting she drank a sip, she knew she was not supposed to do that, but she did.   

Benjamin stood up to bring another bottle of wine, and on his way back, for the first time, he put a hand on Elly's shoulder. Elly's senses heightened. Chills passed all over her body. Benjamin was filling her glass whilst his arm was on her shoulder. She wanted to push him away but couldn't move. 

After the dinner was finally completed, Benjamin went inside and brought her a dress to wear. 

' It's late, sir. I should head back home, or else my family would be worried. '

' Exactly. It is late, and it is not such a safe neighborhood for a young and beautiful girl like you to roam outside. I want you to stay here with me. I will drop you early in the morning before no one wakes up. Now wear this and get inside so you can take a rest. '

' Thank you for your concern, sir. But I will take my chances. '

' Elly, my dear. Please stay. I insist. '

' I'm afraid I should leave right now. '

His calm and gentle face soon turned into a furious one. The mask of gentleman finally fell off, and then Elly could see his true colors. 

' You little piece of s**t. I have patiently waited for a long time to make you feel happy and comfortable. But when it is your time to make me happy, you are trying to escape? I will not let you go until you do what you came here for. '

' Why me, sir? What did I ever do to you? '

' I never had any kind of intentions for you until I saw you in your prom dress. I got so excited, and I couldn't stop myself. That was the moment I started seeing you differently. '

Elly never dressed in a way that attracts attention. She believed in inner beauty rather than revealing beauty. But on the prom day, the guy she was going with bought her that dress which was a bit uncomfortable for her. But upon insisting, she wore it, and unfortunately, that brought her to the present situation she was in. 

' Please, sir, let me go. '

' If you leave, then I will cancel your scholarship right now, and your future would be burnt to ashes, and your parents would continue to lead miserable lives. '

Elly had two choices in front of her. Give in and save her future. Resist and lose everything. Benjamin approached her slowly and started caressing and touching her at inappropriate places. She closed her eyes, and in a split second, she made a decision not to lose herself in the process of saving her career. She shoved him away and said, ' I have seen many houses adjacent to yours while I came. If you force me to stay, I am going to shout as loud as I can. '

' Get the f**k out of my house. ' He took out some papers and tore them down in front of her and said, ' Officially, I am declining your scholarship. Go to hell. '

Elly left the house, heartbroken. Even though she saved herself, she lost herself too. She went to her house and sat in her room with the lights turned off. After a few minutes, she got a call from an unknown number.

' Am I talking to Elly Tucker? ' Asked a robotic voice.

' Yes. '

' I have a proposal which would change your life in a way you would have never imagined. If you wish to avail of it, press one, else press two. '

Elly simply pressed two.

' Let me rephrase my proposal. I have a proposal that would get you back on track, and it would also help your family in every way. If you wish to avail of it, press one, else press two.'

The caller now got Elly's attention. Since she needed help now as her scholarship got canceled, she decided to press one. 

Right after pressing one, the robotic voice said, ' You have accepted my invitation, and by pressing one, you have consented to all the rules and regulations which are remained disclosed. You would shortly get further notice, and until then, be healthy. '

The call disconnected right away.

                                                                                    ----*----

Candidate 349: John Lee

An elder keeps coughing, and her son who was watching television walks over to the kitchen and proffers a glass of water for her to drink. 

' You should do something about that cough. Cough and cold bothered you a lot in the past. It had been over a week now, and I think it is time to consult a doctor. '

' It is alright, John. I am habituated to this mild cough. '

' Trust me when I say this, it does not sound mild. It feels like you are going to cough up blood every time you cough louder. I am worried about you, okay? You need to understand my emotions. Let's go to a hospital tonight and have you tested. '

' You are an adult now so I can talk about our financial situation with you. We spent most of our savings on your brother's education. We sent him to a great university, and I am glad we did that. Going to a doctor now and purchasing the medications might cost us more, and we are not in a position to bear them in addition to our daily needs. Anyways, don't worry, I will drink warm soups, and that would definitely help in minimizing the severity of the cough. '  

' I promise that I will get a job soon so we could finally get out of this situation once and for all, and when my brother also starts earning, we'd be so rich that we would even donate to the hospitals to help needy ones just like us. '

' I'm sure you would. '

John Lee was the elder son who had recently graduated but was still in the search for jobs. He was not really interested in doing a mundane and monotonous job that would finally pay a mediocre amount at the end of a month. He was not a genius like his brother. But now situations have changed, and it was required for him to earn some money so he could treat his mother and also help his mother run the family. Doing the job was inevitable, but the time to search for it became faster. Earlier, he decided to wait for his brother to complete his education and earn the money but now he needed to do the job right away, the only option he could think of was to lend some money, enough to treat her mother and buy healthy food and medicines. 

John did not have any collateral, so all the banks, straight away rejected him, which made him sullen with grief. Now the only way to obtain money was from a local thug. If people don't pay in time, then they would face repercussions. But John did not see any other alternatives so he asked the thug to lend him some money for the treatment. The thug always dealt in millions that money for just consultation and medicines seemed petty. So he gave John the amount he needed without any strings. 

John was really surprised. He took the money and headed right to home, and then took her mother to the hospital. After a lot of scans and X-rays, the doctor called John to his cabin. 

' Is my mother, okay? '

' I am afraid she isn't. How long has she been coughing? '

' It is not continuous, but I think from years. '

' Has she ever coughed up blood? '

' What? No. Never. I had never seen her coughing up blood. '

' You have never seen, or she had never coughed? ' 

John was now confused and felt guilty because he never stayed at home, so he don't really know the condition of his mother.  

' What is the problem, doctor? '

' She has lung cancer, and her left lung is almost damaged. We need to remove it surgically, and the procedure is called "pneumonectomy." In most cases, one lung is enough for a person to lead a normal life, but in this case, I am afraid it is not possible. Because her right lung alone is not enough to deliver adequate oxygen and remove enough carbon dioxide from her body to stay healthy. Therefore we should do a transplant. '

' How much does it cost? '

' If you have insurance, then the company would 80% of the charges for this operation. '

' No, we don't have any. '

' Also, we will be on the lookout for the donor, but the list of patients waiting for a lung is too high. It would probably take a lot of time before her time comes. We need to find it early. '

' Is it possible to donate my lung to her? '

' We need to examine you to know about it. '

After the examination, the doctor informed John that his lung was a perfect match for the transplant. John was so happy because he could, at last, do something for his mother other than disappointing her. Now, he has to think about arranging the money. Thug was the first person that came into his mind. He immediately ran to him and asked for a huge sum and explained to him about he doesn't have any collateral. 

Thug waved his fingers, and one of his goons brought an agreement. He asked John to read the terms and then sign on it. John, who was in haste, signed on the contract without even glancing and then ran to the hospital with the money. He deposited the money in the hospital for the surgery and the doctor had informed him that they would perform the surgery next month as the surgeon was away and also his mother was too weak to handle the post-surgical stress. They injected saline and antibiotics to boost her strength. 

John was too focused here that he had never read the agreement. After a month, the goons approached him to collect the debt, but John did not have any. John was tied up and taken to the local thug. 

' Do you know what happens if you don't pay me on time? ' 

' No, sir. I don't know. Please leave me. My mother needs me. ' 

The goon then opened the agreement and started reading the agreement out loud, ' If the individual is unable to pay the debt on the said date, their body parts would be collected instead. '

John was now terrified, and he snatched the agreement to read it for himself, and it was really a part of the agreement. 

' So I will start by taking away your lung. '

' Please, sir. Please give me another month. I had not read it. Please, my mother needs surgery, and I have to be there. I promise I will return the money next month. '

Surprisingly, the thug gave John another month to pay off his debts and if he fails, then his lungs would be collected instead.

John now found himself at the crossroads because if don't pay those goons, they would take the very thing that is needed to save his mother. John sat in the parking lot at the backside of the hospital, which was probably empty. He wanted to smoke, but he was not in a position to spend even a single penny.

As he was gazing at the dark sky, his phone started to ring.

' Hello? '

' Am I talking to John Lee? ' Asked a robotic voice.

' I am John. Who are you? '

' I have a proposal which would change your life in a way you would have never imagined. If you wish to avail of it, press one, else press two. '

John pressed one instantly.

Right after pressing one, the robotic voice said, ' You have accepted my invitation, and by pressing one, you have consented to all the rules and regulations which are remained disclosed. You would shortly get further notice, and until then, be healthy. '

The call disconnected right away.