With a happy heart, Elijah entered the elegant car with his grammie's treats on his arm and his grandpop's crossword puzzle books on the other. He also has a paper bag with his new phone inside. The box of cookies his boss gave him was resting on his left. Rather than everything that happened today, the box of cookies made his day. Oh, and being hired too.
He told the driver his address and thanked him. Elijah estimated that he'll be home by five. He doesn't need to worry about spending a few hundred dollars because his boss ordered his driver to take him home.
Almost a year has passed, yet Elijah can't help but be amazed every time he rides a car. He remembered the first time he rode one with Ryzel. Elijah was scared to death because being in an enclosed space was kind of terrifying for him.
What if they were locked inside? He read a story from one of the books his nanny gave about how riding in cars can be dangerous. There were instances where they could get trapped in a car and it would explode. What if it exploded when they stepped inside?
However, when Ryzel entered the cab and nothing happened, Elijah was convinced that maybe... just maybe, he was exaggerating.
"Of course you were, Silly-Eli. You have such an overactive imagination," Ryzel threw a sarcastic remark with a small eye-roll and helped Elijah with his seatbelt.
Elijah giggled. "I know right? My nanny Lany told me that I should be a writer and bring my imagination to life. What do you think, Ryzie?" Elijah asked his friend with so much seriousness but still managed to give Ryzel a grin.
Ryzel's mouth opened and closed several times, still unable to wrap his head about Elijah's innocence. When he regained composure, Ryzel sighed in defeat and slowly shook his head. From then on, he promised to teach Elijah everything he needs the boy to know. Life is not that nice to kind and gullible people.
Elijah sighed deeply when he remembered his best friend. He just wished and prayed that Ryzel is in good hands. That no one is hurting his brother from another mother. That's what Ryzel told Elijah. That they were brothers from different mothers.
Elijah fished out a black card and a key that his boss, Stefan Alexandrei, gave him.
"You're hired, Elijah Thompson."
Elijah's eyes almost fell out of their sockets and he had to ask Mr. Alexandrei to repeat it again. "Pardon, Sir? Did I hear it correctly? I'm hired?"
Stefan had to contain his smile when Elijah blanched and almost collapsed to the floor. Adorable, he thought. Perfect for his grumpy friend. Stefan couldn't help but formulate some plans that could make Devon get back on his feet.
Stefan was so tired of hearing lectures after lectures from Trevor scolding Devon and his broken ego. Yes, it was such a big blow that Devon was used as a money cow, and Trevor and Stefan had to stop themselves not to exterminate the cheating bugs.
Devon wouldn't want Jamie to get hurt. After all those cheaters did to Devon, the latter still cannot bear to hurt that slut. It was Devon's almost three months of drinking spree in broad daylight that made them realize that it was not just a broken ego. Their friend, Devon Slane, truly fell and got his heart crushed to bits.
In order to help his friend, Stefan knew he had to make a move.
"By the way, Mr. Thompson. Where do you live?"
Elijah straightened up and smiled. "I live in a subdivision three hours from here, sir."
The man in front of Elijah frowned. "Three hours? Do you have a car you use for transport?"
Elijah shook his head. "None sir, but it's okay. I'm used to waking up early in the morning. I also have enough savings for transportation," he informed his boss.
Stefan did not feel good about that. It just means that Elijah will consume six hours of travel to work. That would cut a lot of money in the boy's budget, and doing it for five days a week can be pretty exhausting.
"You don't mind that kind of hassle, Mr. Thompson? You would have to allocate a huge chunk of your budget to your transportation, and that's a waste of time, to be honest, when you could be resting early after work."
Elijah's heart warmed when he saw how his boss seemed to be worried about his welfare. Ryzel was right. The bosses have a good heart, even if they were intimidating at first.
"That's alright, sir. I just don't have to eat so much. I'm used to it. One loaf of bread can last me a week. If I ever get hungry, I just drink a lot of water. Also, I have my grammie and grandpops who give me food, but I don't want to rely on them all the time. When things get rough, I just keep on reminding myself that pain is not permanent. Hunger is not permanent. It will pass. What is important is that I'm alive."
Elijah meant his words to be reassuring, but they have the opposite effect on Stefan. How can such a young boy spout words with so much optimism when life kept on throwing lemons at him? Elijah makes it seem so easy but a loaf of bread in a week? He was able to survive with just that?
Stefan has never felt so disturbed. That's why he did what he felt was the best action. "Mr. Thompson, how would you like to move to a place near here? In that way, it would be less hassle on your part."
Elijah scrunched his nose and scratched his brow. He only has five hundred dollars in his savings. Moving here would mean spending money. "It would be nice to move here, Sir. I saw the buildings on the way here. They are so tall and beautiful. But I think it would be expensive. I don't have money. Those are not my priorities right now, sir."
"Well, good for you! We actually offer our lucky employees a place and a monthly allowance. We approved your application, Mr. Thompson."
Elijah gasped in surprise and cupped his cheeks as he stared at his boss with wide eyes. "You did?" Elijah couldn't remember applying for such, nevertheless, he was close to squealing and jumping in joy.
His boss nodded and gave him a key and a black card. "This is the key to your apartment, while this black card here is your credit card. You can use it to buy food and clothes and other transactions... what's wrong?"
Stefan can't help but wonder why Elijah was staring at the card so hard.
"Sir, that's so cool. You can do a lot of things with just a card? How is that possible? Is it like magic?"
Stefan frowned and thought that Elijah was just messing with him, but the genuine wonder and amazement in those round, blue eyes were a testament that the boy was genuinely curious.
Stefan handed the card to Elijah and the latter gasped and grinned, then delicately accepted the card, as if it was a precious gem.
"Is that the first time you ever saw a card? Any cards similar for that matter?"
Elijah nodded and examined the black, metal card with gold engravings. It has some numbers and his boss's name on the bottom.
"This is yours, sir." His boss nodded and smiled.
"Yes. For now, you're going to use that. But I'll make sure to give you your own card in three days," Stefan informed Elijah and the latter's expression brightened up.
"Really, sir? Thank you!" Elijah was so happy that his boss will give him a magic card. After a few seconds, he scrunched his nose adorably. He sat up straight and looked at his boss intently. "Sir?"
Stefan lifted his brow and leaned against his chair. He crossed his arms over his chest, bracing for Elijah's question. "Yes?"
"How do you use this magic card, Sir? Do you wave it around and food will appear?" Elijah's eyes widened and his mouth parted for a silent gasp. "Maybe, you use ancient spells to make clothes and food appear? Can you make cookies appear? And a glass of milk?"
Stefan almost guffawed at Elijah's ramblings. The boy knows about ancient spells, yet is unfamiliar with black cards.
Elijah shook his head slowly and placed the card on his boss's desk. "Though I just ate them for breakfast, so I guess not," Elijah continued, referring to the cookies. "Ryzel told me it's not wise to be greedy. Also, my tummy will hurt if I eat too much. But can I share a secret with you?" Elijah asked with a playful giggle. His boss nodded, with a small smile on his lips.
"I ate cookies once for breakfast and lunch, and my tummy did not hurt! Ryzel was just being a meanie. But my teeth hurt after because I forgot to brush my teeth, and Ryzel knew, so he said no cookies for a week, Silly-Eli. No cookies! The horror!" Elijah cupped his face and shook his head furiously, utterly terrified.
Stefan guffawed at Elijah's horrified expression. He couldn't contain it anymore. The boy was innocently hilarious. Stefan composed himself when Elijah narrowed his baby blues on him.
"By the way, do you want some cookies? We can ask the staff to bring you some."
Elijah almost squealed in happiness, but when he remembered what Ryzel told him, he shook his head. "No, thank you. I just ate some this morning." Elijah needs to control himself. Self-discipline is important. Yes.
"Okay." Stefan simply said and he witnessed how Elijah's upturned lips turned downwards almost instantly, disappointment crossing his expression.
Elijah blinked several times and pouted. He did not expect that his boss would agree with him that fast. He sighed and rubbed his tummy. Bye-bye, cookies.
"Going back, you can use that card to buy what you want instead of using cash. Just hand it over to the counter and they will know what to do. The pin is ..." Elijah nodded but his expression was a bit down. He must have really wanted to eat some cookies, Stefan thought.
Stefan subtly reached for his phone and texted one of the kitchen staff to prepare a box of cookies. After sending the text, he glanced at Elijah who was forcing himself to stay cheerful and failing.
"You will be starting tomorrow, Elijah. I think it is better for you to move to your new apartment as soon as possible. Don't worry, the place is near here and has tight security." Elijah seemed hesitant about moving here so Stefan added,
"You can save more money if you move to your new apartment. How many hours did you travel from your residence to here again, overall? Vice-versa."
"Six hours, sir." Elijah knew that having an apartment near his workplace means more savings and sleep hours. However, he will be leaving his plants, his grammie, and his grandpops behind.
"Why are you hesitant, Elijah? Do you have a lover... perhaps?" When Elijah frowned, Stefan was relieved. His plans would not be ruined after all. "Don't mind me. That was so random. Why are you reluctant, Elijah?"
Elijah fiddled with his fingers and his gaze fixed on his old shoes and their faded laces. "Well, I will be leaving my plants behind. Also, I won't be able to see grammie and grandpops anymore. That's just so sad."
Stefan knew he had to step up his game when Elijah was so close to rejecting him. "How about this? During weekends, you can stay in your old apartment and tend to your plants. As for your grammie and grandpops, you can contact them through Facetime."
The frown on Elijah's forehead got deeper and from their short conversation, Stefan knew what it meant. "Too many big words?"
Elijah's cheeks reddened and the boy shyly nodded. Stefan chuckled and explained what a phone is and how he could use Facetime to contact Elijah's grammie and grandpops.
Stefan ordered his staff to buy a new phone for Elijah and Stefan taught Elijah how to use one. Elijah was a fast learner, so Stefan did not have a hard time. When Elijah agreed to move out, Stefan knew that his efforts were worth it.
All for his friend. All for Devon.
****
Elijah thanked the driver and climbed down the car. He opened the rickety gate and happily entered his place. His place may be run-down, almost dilapidated, but that's all he could afford for now. He needs to save money so he can continue his search for his bestest friend.
Although his grammie entered him in some raffles where he won a general renovation package, he rejected it. Things should be earned. If you want something, you have to work hard for it.
Elijah knew that he was being stubborn, but at an early age, he had to work to be able to eat leftovers. This is something his nanny didn't know. When Lany was unconscious from too many beatings, the ruthless couple would work little Eli to the bones until Elijah's small hands bled and his knees bruised. He was six that time.
He placed his bags on the floor and fished out his apartment key from his pocket. He inserted his key on the knob and was rooted in place when he felt a hard stare on his back.
Elijah turned around immediately and no one was there. The street was clear and there was enough illumination to check if there were suspicious people around. He shrugged it off and grabbed his stuff inside his place, then properly locked the door.
Elijah placed his things on top of the dining table and washed his hands. He turned the light switch on, the single bulb flickering for a few seconds before it steadied.
Elijah's apartment was small. The living room, the kitchen, and the dining room are all in one area. When he stepped inside his house, two more steps and he would reach his creaky sofa. Another three steps are all it takes to get to his dining area.
Two steps right would be his kitchen where a single-burner stove is located on top of a concrete plane. On the left of the stove is a sink, and beside the sink was a small rack where he placed his clean plates and utensils.
The walls are bare and the paint is already fading. The roofs are leaking, but Elijah was thankful that the rainy season is over. Eight steps right from his kitchen are his room with a single, wooden bed.
Elijah was already used to the hard bed so he does not complain. His room was also small. The area was two meters in width and four meters in length. His room was also bare, except for the small dresser, and on top was the picture frame with his family.
What was added was his shot with Ryzel. The photograph was taken two weeks before Ryzel disappeared.
Elijah has also a bathroom and at the same time, a toilet. Since Elijah has a small frame, his 2x2 bathroom-slash-toilet was enough for him. Sometimes, the water gets cut off, so Elijah goes to his grammie to take a bath.
Overall, Elijah can't complain. This is much better than the basement after all. If not for his nanny Lany, Elijah wouldn't get fed, and he would be living in total darkness. It was through Lany's efforts that Elijah got to eat hot meals and had an illumination in the cold space.
There was no ventilation in that basement, except a small crack on the wall where little Elijah would peek, wondering how it would feel to experience the morning sun on his skin, or feel the fresh breeze on his face.
When Elijah turned one, Lany decided to escape from the hellish place, but the evil couple discovered her plans. As a punishment, Lany was whipped 100 times. She endured it all for Elijah's future. Lany knows that Elijah has a bright future, and she will do her best to keep the boy safe.
That's what Lany promised when she caught a glimpse the familiar rose medallion hidden in Elijah's bag.
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