Return Of The Warlord

   A chill pervades the hallway of a hospital. It wasn't dark yet, but the damp, cold walls seemed to be doing their part in causing goose bumps to form on the skin of Alexis's hands.

   "Honey, how was your day? I'm sorry I haven't been able to--"

   "I'm still busy with my job applications. I have to send out a lot of resumes tomorrow. You can call me later, ok."

   "I'm in the hospital, my mom is--"

   Alexis' explanation to the woman on the other end of the line, who was none other than his girlfriend, was interrupted again.

   "I'll tell you later, I'm really...busy."

   "Honey, what's wrong with your voice? Where are you? In our apartment? Are you joking with your friend? Diana?"

    Alexis' barrage of questions went unanswered by Meliza, his girlfriend, who hung up the call even before his consent.

   Alexis' eyebrows knitted together in confusion. The sound of Meliza's laughter just now, was not the laughter of a joke with Diana, Liza's close friend. But it was a distraction from what had happened just a few minutes ago.

   Alexis breathed heavily, his hands clenched into fists, as his mind flashed back to the doctor's words about the urgent need for surgery to remove his mother's cervical cancer.

   "The surgery should be done as soon as possible. Your mother can no longer endure the pain, and it could become life-threatening."

   The sharp look after the confusion of prejudice towards his girlfriend, was now replaced with a sad look after remembering his mother's frail face on the bed in the hallway room.

   "I should go home and talk to Liza about this," he muttered determinedly.

   Alexis turned toward the door at the end of the hall, and got out. Alexis almost drove past his black car, as his mind was completely distracted by the pale face of his mother in pain, contrasted with his current financial situation.

   Alexis had some savings, but it certainly wouldn't be enough to cover his mother's hospital bills, along with Liza's request that they get a house before the wedding, which was Liza's dream, of course.

   Alexis thought that the money that was supposed to go towards the down payment for the house would have to be used for his mother's treatment first, and Alexis planned to discuss this with Liza.

   Before heading to his apartment, Alexis stopped by a cake shop and picked out a strawberry flavor, Liza's favorite.

   When he arrived at his apartment, Alexis deliberately turned the key and opened the door very quietly, hoping that Liza would be pleased with his little surprise.

   After passing through the small living room, he arrived at the door to his bedroom, but didn't open it immediately, even though he was holding the doorknob.

   Alexis's cheerful expression turned somber when he heard a voice in the room where he usually made love only to his girlfriend, Liza.

   Alexis quickly puts the cake box on the living room table and puts his ear to the door.

  "Gimme more, baby. Humm...it's so..."

  The male voice Alexis heard just now immediately made his blood boil, his mind full of thoughts of what Liza would look like if she were making love to him.

   " Joe. I'm about to reach it. This is so beautiful, I love you, baby..."

   That's the sighing voice of the young woman Alexis knows so well, and he can imagine what's been going on inside.

    Liza had just quit her job at a small advertising company on the edge of town, and had been unemployed for several months.

   Alexis was the one who came along at the right time. While she was unemployed, Alexis confessed his love and invited her to live together in his small apartment.

   It was Alexis who supported Liza with love and compassion, going so far as to work part-time on weekends in addition to his main job as a staff member for a finance manager.

   Without waiting any longer, Alexis opened the door with a kick, accompanied by an angry glare.

   "LIZA!" he called out.

   Alexis' loud voice boomed like a thunderclap, leaving the two people in front of his dazed and confused.

   Liza quickly pulled the blanket up to her chest, and the young man beside her took a quick step, grabbing the underwear and trousers at the bottom of the bed and using them haphazardly.

   "Damn it!" cursed the young man, who was none other than Joe, the odd-job man they used to call to repair the damage in the apartment.

   Last but not least, the plumbing was repaired after a few other parts of the low-rent apartment.

   Alexis is forced to call on Joe to use his skills, as his busy part-time job on weekends is already taking up a lot of his time.

   Before Joe could finish buttoning the zipper on his blue jeans, Alexis was already pulling at the back of his shabby shirt collar.

   It was obvious that Joe had finished fixing something in the apartment, and probably at Liza's beck and call.

   "Damn it!" snapped Alexis, as he turned Joe around and attempted to punch him in the face.

   "STOP!" hysterically shouted Liza from behind Alexis' back. "It's about time you knew, Alex." Liza tried to prevent Alexis from hurting Joe.

   Alexis twisted his face and looked at Liza with a frown on his forehead.

   "What do you mean, Liza?" he asked sharply.

   "Joe is innocent, it is because I love him."

   "What!" Alexis did not expect this response from Liza. "Tell me that's not true, Liza. You make me sick!"

   Meliza moved closer to Alexis, forcibly removing Alexis's hand from the back collar of Joe's shirt.

   "As you heard. I love Joe. He gives me happiness, even money!"

   Alexis would have stumbled, had he not immediately steeled himself for Liza's honest statement.

   "Liza!"

   "What?" said Liza. "Now Joe has his own workshop and shop. His business is thriving, and yours?"

   Liza sighed for a moment, before continuing. "You're just a worker with a small salary. Can I only boast about your handsome face? No, Alex. Now it's all about money...MONEY!"

   Alexis's blood boiled even more when Liza took off the ring and threw it in front of his face.

   "Go find another woman. I don't need it anymore!" she said sarcastically, not caring anymore about the hurt Alexis was feeling right now.

   Liza then approached Joe, and pulled the hand of the man who was 2 years younger than her.

   "Let's get out of here, and leave this useless man alone!" Liza took Joe's hand and stepped away, with one hand holding the edge of the blanket, but then let go and threw it on the bed.

   Liza changed into a topless lingeri, then stepped into the closet, picked up one of the blazers on the row of hangers, and put it on.

   Liza continued to roughly remove all her clothes, after pulling out the suitcase at the bottom of the wardrobe.

   Liza asked Joe to stay nearby as a shield from Alexis's anger.

   "That savings...did you give it to the real estate agent?" Alexis quickly remembered this one thing.

   "What savings? It's all gone for m. needs!" Liza replied without looking at Alexis.

   Joe grinned, because the savings Alexis had intended to use for the down payment on the house was also a gift from Liza to him.

   "Liza. That's my money!" Alexis could not accept Liza's selfishness.

   Liza handed Joe the suitcase containing most of her clothes, as Alexis was approaching and was going to intercept their departure plans to hold them accountable.

   Liza then switched positions in front of Joe, taking turns being the shield of the handsome young man who did have a natural talent and expertise in repairing things.

   "WHAT!" shouted Liza. Her eyes bulged, showing a challenge. "You said it was our money, right? So I have the right to use it, too!"

   Alexis's right hand shot up, about to smack Meliza on the cheek, but he decided against it, replaced this outburst of anger with a shout of exasperation, and made it a decision.

   "Get the hell out of here! And don't show me your faces again!"