Week 3:Adulthood:Addiction
1120 Words
“OK, that is enough. Miss Frieda, your friend here is too noisy” shouted the old man.
“K did you eat the sandwiches all by yourself last night?”
“Sandwich es?”
“Yes. Looks like you screamed because of overeating” laughs Serene.
“Did I? Well, I felt hungry at midnight I guess.”
“Looks like you had nightmares. You started screaming in the night and Mr.Belworth complained 3 times already this morning.”
“I had a dream about an old lady with a ponytail”
“Pony Tail?” laughs Serene as she puffs the pillow off her bed.
“It’s 9 already and the fair ride is at 1. We have to leave fast K.”
“That’s nearly 4 hours. What’s the rush?”
“Ok. If you say so, it’s still an hour's ride to the fair from the lodge.”
“It’s a hotel. A Hotel, Miss.”
“Wow, imagine if we had s*x…lol” laughs Serene as she begins to pack her bags. Her 20-odd t-shirts and a dozen pants filled the room.
“What do I wear K. Don Hadgigi is going to be there. And he said if I clicked a shot with him at the ride, I would get a 5 grand bonus and a free trip to Singapore at Christmas time with any person. Imagine Singapore in December, wow.”
“Isn’t that like 9 months from now? I am feeling exhausted. It’s like if I had traveled to some dozen countries in a year or so.”
“It’s 10.”
“10. Really?”
“Yes, Milan, Moscow, Vienna, Rio, Munich, Mumbai, Anderlecht, Rome, London, and Boston. It’s a city, yet you know what I mean. I will get 70 grand at the end of the year according to my contract for traveling to 18 cities with a DP, although only 65 for not bringing him to Rome, Rio, and Moscow. Thanks to you.”
“To me? What do I do actually?”
“You’re my tour and model guide/agent, as you asked Don Hadgigi’s sister, Sara Hadgigi, the owner of Milan Models Wears, of which I am one out of the 27. Both are rivals though, yet Don does pay a wage. Yet he is an artist. Remember Vienna when he was encircled to have a licensed DP for every trip and an advertisement? I will be attending a T-shirt fashion show 2 days later at that skyscraper. See that?”
The boy starts to feel as if fire ignited in his belly.
“You ok K?”
“Acidity, I guess.”
“It’s reflux Ser. And pardon me for entering your room as your sounds have nearly woken up half the guests.”
“Half?”
“Yes madam, we have only 5 guests yet the p*****t they give is extravagant, unlike you.”
“OK, I will pay you 200 at the end.”
“Ok. Can I give you an Eno Ser? It aids in digestion.”
“Yes. Please”
The young man looks at Serene’s Siempre watches, all of which had the same carvings as a rook.
“You look well after a drink.”
“Yes. I do. These watches do resemble a rook.”
“Yes, the company logo. Yet, 100 euros is cheap for a model. Natalie Ruiga works for a 15000 Govinco. Imagine me in 2 years. I will be a millionaire like her in 2 years. Although my bank account is like 75,000 at the Reg Bank, 60 grand at the Wiston Bank, and wait, 140,000 at the Italian National Bank.”
“You speak good English despite being Italian, and smart too.”
“You are talking smart. Imagine if you had done that to the Hotel Manager.” chuckles Serene as she strips off her T-shirt in no time.
“You know a half T-shirt into a T-shirt is quite sexy”
“I wish you were my DP. Remember Munich where you clicked me? My salary got increased to 70 grand from 50.”
“Am I a photographer? OK OK a guide/agent”
“A DP assistant, to be exact. It’s my creation.”
“So where’re my wages then?”
“See, now you are talking business. You received 3 2000 checks each this year. It’s in your handbag.” Serene pulls out his handbag, a blue Saint Charles from Vienna.”
“That’s girlish!”
“Yes, I gifted it to you like a year ago..”
“Is there something, like really mine?”
“Yes, these letters and this hospital receipt.”
The young man looks at the receipt. He looks horrified after reading the receipt.
“I was imprisoned?”
“Yes, you were drugged by some Farla gangs in Italy more than 3 years ago. Hadgigi found you lying motionless in Milan Docks when she was on a tour and she had to travel by port. It took you almost 8 months to recover from your addiction.”
“Addiction?”
“Yes, the drugs they gave you were blood poisoning. It was intoxicating your body and you were losing weight. She referred you to me after your 8 months imprisonment. I cleared up your police records and gave you a job being my guide/DP.”
“I was lucky to have found Hadgigi then.”
“Yes, you would have been dead by now if not for her.”
K looks at the letters to which Frieda nods. “Not now. Last time you looked at one you disappeared for a week.”
“So is it because of the drugs that I have lost my identity.”
“Perhaps. But you have an identity of your own. See”. Serene shows him a card
“Mr. K, ADP/Agent, Miss Serene Frieda, Model, Italia. Quite the identity”. K smirks as he hugs Frieda, to which Frieda gives a smile and pushes.
“OK, dress up and we will eat some breakfast and go out, OK. I have some shopping to do at the Boston Fashion Wear which is some 20 minutes from here. We will get a cab and then head to the fair.”
“Shopping? Can’t you wear the same dress? You look great.”
“Well, Don will be there and I need to get the 5000 and the trip. Remember”. Serene smiled as K looked at the hospital receipt.
“Give me that!” Serene snatches the receipt and stuffs the receipt in the handbag.
“There you go. That’s more like you. Clean and Mean”
- Writer
