The Family Heirloom

Still in shock, Nathan batted his eyelashes twice to be sure he wasn't dreaming. With a shaky voice, he faced his soon-to-be ex-wife, “Your house? I paid for everything in this house with my sweat. If anyone is to leave this house, that would be you and your family!, so pack your things and leave this house!”

Andrea smiled wickedly, she walked seductively around him, then she uttered with a deadly glare, “ Have you forgotten this house was bought in my name? If you don't want to be disgraced, I will advise you to pack your things and leave this house quietly, because legally, this house is mine”

Hot tears continued pouring out of his eyes. He couldn't believe he had been tricked by the woman he loved. Not only had he lost his woman, he had also lost the house he struggled to pay its mortgage.

“ How could you do this to me? Do you even have a heart at all?” he lamented. He had trusted the wrong person and he had lost everything he worked hard for.

With no hope left for him, he knew his marriage had hit a deadlock, so he had no choice but to sign the divorce papers. He picked up a pen from the bedside drawer, then he appended his signature on the papers.

Andrea snapped the papers from him, “This will represent our decree of divorce. But we still need the judge to sign the papers without any court hearings, so I want you to meet me by 2pm tomorrow to finalize the divorce process. I need to erase anything that will link me to you in a hurry” She said.

Nathan sluggishly went to the wardrobe and started packing the little cloth he had inside a backpack.

With a disgusting look, Andrea hissed at the clothes he was squeezing into his backpack, “ Can you see the rags he called clothes? I can't believe I lived with a destitute like you for three years. Please hurry up with your packings, I need privacy with my babe” she said, then she wrapped her hands around Felix's neck.

Nathan shook his head in self pity, then he picked up his bag to leave. As he was about to step out of the room, Felix,who had recovered from his attack, stopped him.

“It  really amazed me how a wretched being like you had enough strength to hit me like that. Instead of staying jobless and polluting the environment with your poor status, why can't you put that strength to use?" Felix added to the mockery.

"Well, If you would lick my foot and beg me by roaming on the floor, then I can have pity on you by employing you as my gardener. With that, you will have something to feed” Felix mocked and taunted him emotionally.

“ I don't think the shame would allow him to work under you, babe. And it won't be safe to see him around me, especially our baby. I don't want him to stain us with his wretchedness, just let him go?” Andrea complained, caressing her flat tummy. Her bump hadn't shown yet. 

“ Okay babe, if that's what you want" Felix turned to Andrea and pecked her lips shortly, displaying their affections when Nathan was still standing.

Felix's statement hit Nathan hard. He was hurt and devastated, but he didn't have any strength left to fight. All his hard work and life savings vanished within a twinkle of an eye.

When he got outside the house, he turned back to look at the house he thought was his final abode for the last time, then he summoned the courage by starting his journey of no specific destination.

While wandering on the street, thinking of where to stay, he recalled his friend, Derrick. Though it's been long they contacted each other, but Derrick was his only friend in high school and he believed he would help him with accommodation.

He checked his pocket and he found a few dollar notes.

“ At least, this will get me to Derrick's place” He muttered.

He stopped a cab and started his journey to Derrick's place. He found peace within himself, thinking he would be able to stay there for some night, before thinking of the next step in life.

When he got to Derrick's place, he was told he had relocated to another part of the city. He requested for his new address and he was surprised Derrick now lived in the urban area. He felt giddy and happy within himself, he knew his life would be better in the city.

When he got to the new address given to him,  the security guard at the checking point denied him access to the estate. He managed to convince the security guard to call Derrick's number to ascertain his relationship with him.

The security guard did as instructed and he was asked to be brought to Derrick's apartment.

Derrick was already waiting for him outside his porch. Out of extreme happiness, Nathan rushed to hug Derrick, but the latter stopped him with his hand.

“ There is no need for any hug, dude. Moreover I don't want to stain my body with your dirty body. Just state the reason you are here, I don't have all day” Derrick uttered carelessly. His expression was blank, which showed he wasn't excited about Nathan's sudden visit and he didn't hesitate to show it in his statement.

The Naive Nathan thought he was angry he didn't contact him before coming to his place, so he went straight to explain his predicament to his dear friend.

“ All I want is a place to lay my head on for a night or two, then I will be out of this place. I promise I won't cause you any trouble” Nathan explained.

Derrick chuckled, he accessed Nathan from head to toe, then he opened his mouth to talk, “ Look around this surroundings very well, have you seen someone like you since you got here? I am no longer in the same league with you, Nathan. As you can see, I'm gainfully employed with a good salary at the end of the month, so we are no longer compatible. I'm scared you will taint me with your poverty-stricken life if I accommodate you. I'm sorry I can't even allow you to step an inch on my porch. Leave here before it's too late, it's getting dark already”

Nathan watched his long time friend like a film and he was surprised. “ Is this how someone changes? What happened to the bond we shared in high school? Am I really cursed? Why is no one ready to help me?” He wondered.

He knelt before Derrick, he held his leg and started weeping, “ Please don't do this to me, Derrick. I have nowhere else to go, you are my last hope. I will just spend a night here, please help me for old time sake” He pleaded desperately.

Derrick looked around to check if someone was lurking around, “ Stop embarrassing me, Nathan! I can't allow you into my house and that is final. Leave now!” He shouted with finality, then he entered his house.

Nathan got up from the ground, “ I can't believe Derrick deserted me when I needed him the most, why did my life turn this way? Why will I go now?” He said with frustration. He was tired and hopeless. The best thing to avoid the security guard’s harassment was to leave the estate, so he left hurriedly.

He was walking aimlessly on the road without any specific destination. He was just following his heart, no food and no money, he was just existing. He didn't take cognizance of his surroundings, not until he was stopped by some group of boys in the dark.

He looked around and he found himself in the ghetto area of the city, “ Shit! What have I gotten myself into?” He said, then he started walking faster. He didn't walk much before he was blocked by four other boys, harmed with knives, daggers and guns. They had their ears and noses pierced and big tattoos were visible on their body. They walked closer to him and one of them exhaled the smoke from the hard drugs he took.

“ Didn't you hear my guys? What are you here in my territory?” A strong built man asked Nathan. His deep voice and his display of authority showed that he was their ring leader.

Nathan coughed continuously as he had never smoked in his entire life. He couldn't answer on time, so this made the guy angry. He grabbed Nathan with his collar, then he shouted in his baritone voice.

“ I said what are you doing in my territory, who sent you here?” He asked again.

Nathan fidgeted, “ I'm sorry I didn't know when I got here. Nobody sent me here, I was just looking for where to sleep. Please let me go”  he said hurriedly.

The guy, with his other men, laughed, 

“ You entered into a lion's den and you want to go Scot free, that's not possible. Guys!Collect that backpack from him and check for any valuable things.” The ring leader ordered, then he lost his hold on Nathan's collar.

Nathan became terrified, his backpack and his clothes are the only things left for him. He couldn't afford to lose them, so he removed the backpack from his shoulder, then he held it tightly to his chest.

“ No please, you can't take this away from me. There is nothing useful inside the bag, just let me go!” Nathan yelled. He was ready to protect his little belongings at all cost.

Annoyed by his yelling, the ring leader landed a blow on his face, then he fell. 

“ Do your work guys! If he fails to cooperate, beat him up until he succumb” he said with rage.

The backpack was forcefully taken away from Nathan and all his belongings were scattered on the floor.

“ What the hell! Is this all you’ve got and you have been stressing us since? You were busy protecting these trash you called clothes, with no money inside. Guys beat him up, then drag him outside this place. He is a bad business tonight” the ring leader commanded

Nathan was beaten until he started bleeding. The blood oozing out of his body touched the ring on his right finger given to him by his mother on her deathbed.

As the ring got immersed with his blood, he remembered his mother's last statement, “ This ring is our family heirloom, take care of it very well”. Her last statement and warnings was what he heard before he lost consciousness.