The Destiny Of Solaris(Book 2 of "The Planets In Exile")

Trophonius [Part-2]

I followed Andrew in those dark alleys, which were full of garbage cans and tins and cats roaming here and there and hiding as soon as they spot people. Even the dark cats with green eyes scared the hell out of me. I could see people, smoking and injecting drugs, irrespective of their gender. The smoke made me cough, but I tried to suppress it to avoid any unwanted attention. Shockingly, Andrew's company made me feel safe. I quickened my pace so as to minimize the distance between me and Andrew. The ground was damp and I walked on it bare foot, not that I am complaining about it, but my feet were sensitive and the surroundings were unhygienic which made things worse. I was not in a position to ask for shoes so I continued to follow him.

 Not once had he looked back, to check if I was following him or not. On the contrary, the rest of the crowd watched me intently, and I felt like they were wild mutts ready to pounce on me as soon as their leash would unlock. I could feel their stares on my skin, it felt like a laser on my skin. I know that sounds like  exaggeration, but at that moment, I was like a little bunny among foxes, jackals, and whatnot. The climate was also chilly which partially made me shiver, but the good thing was the fear which copped up inside me made me forget about all the harsh conditions, and my only focus was on getting out of that alley as soon as possible.  

 After following Andrew for a while, we finally halted.. Andrew stopped in front of an apartment. It was the only building in the alley that was enormous. The other houses were small and appeared poor in every way possible. We went inside and stepped into the elevator. This was the first time I ever stepped into an elevator.  It was exciting but the situations were not in my favor, so I remained silent and expressionless as if all these things made no difference to me. Andrew pressed ' five ' and within a few seconds, we reached the fifth floor. The exterior of the building appeared to be old, but the interior was quite the opposite. It looked like a rich man's building, the kind that celebrities and royalties live in except that Andrew wasn't either of them.  

' This is where you'll be staying from now on until I find you a new home, ' he said without even looking at me. 

I didn't understand why he was unable to meet my eye. Maybe it was because he felt guilty about his actions. I stood at a corner of the luxurious room silently. I was even afraid to check out the entire room. My eyes selected a lamp which was placed beside the bed and locked on to them as if I was in a trance during which  we usually stare at something random, unintentionally, but I was staring at it purposefully in that situation. 

Andrew took out a bottle of Jack Daniel and started to drink from it. Right after the alcohol intoxicated him, he called me. In most cases, people who are drunk, commit violence and I was prepared for a beating. When he called for the first time, I didn't move a muscle, and when I sensed his pitch growing louder the second time he called me, I then approached him. 

He laid a hand on me and said, ' Do you know, how many children's lives, I have turned into a living hell? 33..34.. Ah, I lost count. I was about to destroy your life too, but I couldn't do it for some reason. I never felt the way I did when I was trying to blind you before. One second, I was a senseless monster and the other second I try to act like a saint. Why? I don't now. The only thing I know for sure is it got something to do with you. And you know, I try, kid, I try to be on the side of angels, but my demons won't let me. I don't know why I do, what I do. I don't enjoy being this kind of person, and I take no pride in damaging those little, helpless souls. But I think, you are the key. You can help me change. I don't even remember the person I was, before I became this heartless monster. If I get out of this business abruptly, the people I work for won't be happy and they might probably end me. No matter how many atrocities I had committed in the past, I don't want to die. I want to live as a person who is worth remembering.  

 He started to drool and his words were becoming fuzzy. I couldn't understand what he was saying anymore. From what he said, all I could grasp was he still has some humanity which is buried deep down that he don't even know that there is a good version of him. Slowly he drifted to sleep. 

                                                                      " Not all bad are truly bad " 

Even as a kid, I could understand that he wanted to change. There was still a leap of faith for him. But his demons resisted the change which overpowered the angels in him. All that is required was something that could trigger the optimism in him so it can raise to the surface and purify all the evil inside him. If I spend enough time with him, I believed that I could change him. His soft corner for me was my ace in the hole. If I could change him, then I'll be saving the lives of countless children, and I may even convince him to shut down the entire operation. I totally forgot about my situation and was dreaming about how to redeem him, that was the level of my innocence back at that time. I know I was going way too fast. First I need to know if he had good intentions for me or not and if the answer is "yes," I would then attempt to change him once and for all. Baby steps, I said to myself.  

 Mina: Wait a second. The words that you are using sound so mature, Tron. You were just a small kid back then. 

Tron: I might have not thought about those things to that extent at that time. Since I am telling you the story now, I am expressing what I felt later when I had grown up. 

Mina: Alright, go on.                                                                            

So the next day, when I woke up, I could see the breakfast ready on the table adjacent to the lamp at which I stared yesterday. Andrew as no where to be found. I wondered how I even had a good night's sleep after what I went through the previous day. I approached the table to have a bite. 

 ' Stop right there, said a voice from behind, Brush your teeth first. ' I recognized the voice and it was Andrew's. He pointed me to the washroom and I obeyed him. At that instant, Andrew reminded me of one of the nurses back in my orphanage. After I freshened up, we ate together. He didn't look as vulnerable as he was last night. He looked like a totally different person. At that moment I understood the effect of wine on people. We silently completed our breakfast.  

 ' I'm leaving for work. You can eat whatever you want from the fridge. I'll be back by night. Stay inside and don't you dare leave the building. ' 

 I wanted to say something in reply, but I couldn't. Andrew recognized my hesitance. 

' Is there anything you want to ask me? ' 

' Can I, uh can I come with you? ' I asked explicitly.   

 My reply took Andrew by surprise as he was not expecting me to talk. After a couple of moments, he nodded and I tagged along. I was surprised that he even considered my request.

By the time we got down, a car was already waiting in front of the building, a luxurious limo indeed. That was the first time I ever got into a limo or to be precise that was the first time I ever got into a car. Andrew suited up well and I didn't even know where we were going. But I definitely figured out that he wouldn't dress up this good if he was visiting his g**g members. On the other hand, my clothes were shabby and I felt like I was spoiling the interior of the limo because of the dirt on my dress. My improper clothes made me feel inferior. The funny thing was even the driver was well suited than me. After a while, we came to halt abruptly and I thought that we arrived at the destination. But Andrew asked me to wait inside, while he went out to do something of which I had no idea. He came back quickly and handed me a cover and asked me to get dressed quickly. When I opened the cover to check what was inside, I was delighted to look at a brand new suit. I didn't even know that suits come in small sizes too. I quickly undressed and put on the suit. The fine leather and its smooth texture comforted me in a way I have never experienced before. While I was stuffing my old clothes into the cover in which the suit was present initially, Andrew opened the door.  

 ' You look good, ' he said with a formal smile.

' Thank you, sir, ' I replied doubtfully. 

' You don't need to address me as sir every time. You can call me by my name. ' 

I was still not at a stage that I could call him by his name because I was still terrified of him despite his kind gestures. No one can turn into a saint overnight. Even if it does, that phase don't long last. I believe that an epiphany would surely bring a change, but it takes time for completely manifesting. 

                                                " Drastic changes are never permanent."

I was still overwhelmed by the suit and how it made me look. A few days ago, I was just an orphan, but now, I am wearing a suit and riding in a limo. At that moment, I felt the importance of attire. How a mere clothing raises your standard. The way people look at you, the way people treat you, everything changes in an instant. 

Finally, we reached the destination and to my surprise, it was a Racecourse. I had never been to one, and in fact, I had never been to anything in the first place, so this made me jump in joy, which I didn't perform of course. I followed Andrew side by side. The race did not start yet. So, we just stood and waited. The stadium was entirely filled with people. I had never seen so many people together as one which thrilled me. I looked at as many people as I could and none of the people were wearing ordinary clothes. Everyone were either in suits or tuxedos, with small pocket watches that looked expensive. Even though I was wearing a suit, I felt like I don't belong to places like these. It is meant for the rich, and me acting like a rich kid doesn't really make me one. After all, I was just an orphan. So after filling my eyes with the views of racecourse I tried to initiate a conversation with Andrew.

 ' Are you betting on any horse? ' I asked. 

' Well yes, but not today. ' 

' Then why are we here today, if I may ask? ' 

' We are here today to witness the performance of various horses and use this information to make a decision that might win us some money and bet on it the following day. Remember this, kid, the answers to all our questions lie around us. We just need to be able to put them together and draw insights from them. Insights give you a new perspective to look at something. ' 

                                            " We are surrounded by data, but starved for insights. "

I didn't know much about how a racecourse or betting usually functions, so I haven't asked any questions further. As we were waiting, a man approached us.  

 ' Welcome, Mr. Andrew, welcome to my racetrack. It's a pleasure to have you here after a long time. ' 

' Thanks, Mr. Esposito. How are things going? ' 

' Business is running pretty good and I have God's grace on me as always. And who is this little guy, Mr. Andrew? '   

' Ah, he is just a new member of our g**g. ' 

' Isn't he too young to be a part of your g**g? Anyways, you never bring any of your g**g members here. Anyways, good morning, kid. My name is Lorenzo Esposito and I'm the owner of this racecourse called "Firewood." Would you like to come with me to have some delicious snacks, whilst these gentlemen wait here for the race to start? ' 

I looked at Andrew, waiting for him for some kind of permission. He nodded, and I smiled instantly for the first time. I followed Lorenzo and he led me into an exquisite food hall, which looked like heaven to me. As soon as I entered a scent of caffeine hit me which refreshed me. The hall consisted of everything I knew and a plethora of things that I didn't even knew existed. The owner mistook me for someone who came from an influential family because of my outfit. The chefs in the food hall were waiting for me to order any food that I liked to eat, while the kids my age dressed in torn clothes don't receive any food even if they beg all day. That is the harsh reality of life. 

                                   " Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life. " 

There were so many items on the list that I became nervous like a student who forgot an answer to a question. But finally I asked them to bring a Coca-Cola, which I had seen on the posters. I sat in a comfortable chair, sipping my drink, and the moment I took my first sip, I felt guilty. I began to think about all the children who don't get to eat at least once in their day and here I was sitting in a lavish café and sipping a cool drink. Lorenzo came and sat beside me. I don't know why, but for some reason, Lorenzo seemed to like me. There were many other children like me but he didn't seem to show the interest on any of them that he was showering on me. Since I also felt comfortable with him,  I initiated a conversation with him, and in the process, he told me how the betting system works. That was the first time, I learned something that wealthy people do. The knowledge that I received that day made me feel like a scholar, you know. I understood that talking with people would really benefit you as you can learn from them, share your views and grow in the process.

                                      " Conversation develops a capacity for empathy, a medium for     

                                                knowledge transfer and a source to inherit intelligence. "    

The race was about to start, so I and Lorenzo went out and joined Andrew. The race was really exciting but it finished too soon. Andrew was busy conversing with other affluent people, so I went back to the hall of heaven, the food hall, and ate so much that I felt my belly would go Kaboom.  

Andrew had some other business to attend to, so he asked the driver to take me back home, and while I was walking towards the car, Lorenzo appeared and said, ' Hope I get to see you tomorrow. ' 

I smiled and left. Right after heading back to the apartment, I could feel my eyelids becoming heavy. I realized that I needed sleep so badly because I wasn't getting proper sleep for two days except for last night, because of all the drama. 

                                                                                -----*-----

A classroom filled with laughter and shrieks from the students, everyone eagerly waiting for the teacher to stick the mark sheet on the notice board. As soon as the teacher pasted the sheet, everyone began to rush towards the board to check their ranks. One of the boys was standing at his place, waiting for the crowd to clear. He was excited and tensed at the same time. His anxiety kept peaking with every passing second. The crowd didn't seem to disappear anytime soon. With a deep sigh, he started to make his way ahead through the crowd. After a lot of struggle, he managed to get through to the board. His eyes landed on the name of the first ranker, unfortunately, it wasn't his. His eyes rolled down to the second name, but no luck. He gulped in fear. His eyes kept rolling down and came to halt when he finally spotted his name, and when he looked at his rank, it was 7th. The noises around him started to fade away as if the world around him was dissolving. He receded his steps and reached his place. It took a while for the crowd to clear, but eventually, every student resumed their place.  

The teacher then congratulated all the students on their marks and didn't point out any student who scored low marks, instead she attempted to cheer everyone. Then she started to list out the names of the students who were eligible for the scholarship. The teacher started to read the names of the students from first rank and stopped after saying the name of the student who obtained 6th rank. She looked at the boy and said, " If only you had have made top6. " and turned gaze to other students. 

                                                                                 ------*------ 

The next morning, I was all hyped up for the race. Because it was the first time that I was betting, I mean Andrew was betting plus I get to meet Lorenzo again and also eat a bunch of free snacks. Another suit was ready for me to wear that day, which was placed beside the bed. I was well adjusted to the suit even though I had worn it only once.  

I freshened up quickly and put on the suit and it was awesome. Two days ago, I was a frightened little kid who was sure that he would die, and the next thing I know, I was trying on new suits and getting ready for a freaking horse race. It was the beginning of the best moments of my life. By the time I got down, Andrew was already waiting inside the car for me. I apologized right after I got in and he nodded in acceptance.  

I knew the route to the racecourse now, as I was traveling there for the second time today. We reached there and Esposito welcomed us as soon as he spotted us. I overheard Andrew talking about betting with some people I didn't recognize. Out of curiosity, I asked him which horse he was betting on. I didn't expect a reply, but surprisingly he said "7." 

As soon as I heard 7, I recalled the dream that I had yesterday regarding the ranks and somehow I felt that seven would not be lucky for Andrew. A strong urge for suggesting Andrew started in my mind.

Bet on the sixth horse, I said.  Andrew couldn't understand why I giving an opinion. He gave me a weird look, but I appeared confident and I didn't even know the reason for this confidence.

' Why? ' asked Andrew. 

' I don't know, but I feel like it is going to win. ' 

As soon as I suggested, I could hear murmurs from people around me. Some of them even said, ' He is a freaking kid, what does he know? Just ignore him. ' 

I don't know why, but Andrew did bet on the number I had suggested. I was shocked and tense because if my prediction failed, he loses a lot of money and I didn't have any clue about what he might do to me. I tried to convince him to change his bet back to what he initially thought, but he didn't listen to me.  

The race started and the seventh number horse took a head start and was leading the race initially. I could feel the cold stares of everyone around me. Horse 7 was leading even after half of the race was completed. Horse 6 was struggling at position 3. Why did I even suggest, I thought to myself. My heart was racing as if I was running in the race along with the horses. I couldn't take that pressure, so I closed my eyes. After few seconds, I could hear screams, some in exasperation while the others in excitement. My mouth dried up and I was repeatedly swallowing saliva.  

Suddenly, I could feel arms around me. They squeezed me tight and lifted me in the air. I thought I was being assaulted, but surprisingly when I opened my eyes, I could see Andrew smiling in a way, I thought impossible. I never thought monsters like him could smile unless there's some humanity left inside him, buried deep down. I decided that at that moment that I would change him, turn him into a good man, no matter what the cost. I know that smile thing might sound overrated, but at that time, it meant a lot.  

After he put me down, Lorenzo approached and he looked happy too.  

' You are not an ordinary kid. You are so special, ' he said.  

This was followed by a plethora of compliments from many other people, and some of them were like, ' Are you an oracle? ' 

I didn't know the meaning of the oracle, but that was the next thing I intended to find out. So, after the celebrations, we headed back and reached our apartment. I spotted a mobile phone in the top drawer of a table previously, so I took it out and started searching for the meaning. I learnt how to use a mobile phone back when I was in the orphanage. As soon as I typed the word, I understood that an oracle is someone who is wise, insightful, and can predict futuristic outcomes. Along with that, I could see the names of some oracles, and one of them was "TROPHONIUS." It was big and sounded ancient. I officially didn't have any name till them, so I cut some letters in between and named myself "Tron." Well, that's the story behind my name. 

Mina: Wow, I really couldn't comprehend how you went though what you went through, but I am glad that you turned out great and your life took a positive turn.

Tron: Yeah. I think about this everyday. Maybe I am a Loki cause I survived all the situations that life had thrown on me. 

Mina: That's all god, but how do you know Rogers?

Tron: I met Rogers on the race course one time and we connected somehow. As the time passed, I changed Andy and simultaneously the bond that I shared with Rogers surged. Eventually, he adopted me and Andrew was okay with that. 

Mina: If I ever become a writer, Tron. Yours would be the first story I would ever write. 

Tron smiles and the celebrations continue.