ONE WEEK CHAPTER SEVEN

We go back in time once again, we are about to learn how Andrew was able to provide for both himself and Raphael within just a short six months of being away from his family.

Normally, the likelihood of that being possible isn’t much, such circumstances can only come to be when he wins the lottery which isn’t possible as he didn’t seem like someone who did, or he gains a nice job that pays very well which isn’t possible since he was a minor. No need to keep guessing about it all when we can just read the story.

Their parents had just died, Andrew was just a few months away from his fourteenth-year birthday while Raphael had already completed his tenth-year birthday. Thinking back on it now, Andrew looked way more mature with the scar on his face. Without that scar, he just looked like a good kid who couldn’t even protect a single stuff.

Andrew was a far thinker, he did things based on the worst-case scenario and never for once thought that he could ever be blessed with all his desires. To him, there was always a great possibility that things could go south, but no matter how far into the future he had thought, he could never think that his parents would leave him this early down the line. He didn’t have a contingency plan for such a situation and thus it caught him off-guard and defenseless.

But he knew that he had to do something to change this situation, he didn’t have faith in any of his relatives and didn’t even for once wanted to go to them for help or even depend fully on them. He wanted to always have control of his fate at all times, or at the very least, a bit of control.

So on the same day after his parents were buried, he ran away from home, picking up the little clothes he could bring along. He didn’t know where he was going, or how he was going to fend for himself so he didn’t bring his brother with him. He ran to the streets to figure things out for himself.

But seems like he underestimated the streets as it was way harder than he had initially thought and no one was willing to take him in or give him a job.

He had to sleep on the cold ground of the streets, with mosquitoes feasting on him, and him being bullied, probably if not for the fact that he had such a mature stature and not everyone was willing to have a scuffle with such a person, he could have been killed or made to do something unimaginable. He had cried bitterly on both the first and second day after running away as it all seemed to be unbearable. But while crying on the third day, he remembered that he wasn’t doing this for himself alone but mostly for his brother. He didn’t know what kind of thing his brother was going through at this moment, and his being this way doesn’t solve anything, but only makes things worse. He didn’t know what his brother was going through at this moment, he had to find a way to bring his brother away from that place and be able to fend for him also.

On the seventh day, when he was about to give up, something happened. He saved a young man from being killed after being accused of being a thief. He had seen how the crime went down, and he didn’t even intend to say anything in that situation, but seeing that just a word on his part could save the skin of the young man, he reluctantly said something and the true culprit was apprehended, while the man about to be killed was set free.

Seeing the young boy who saved him going away, the young man ran up to him, then tries to strike up a conversation by saying, “Thanks for saving my life. If not for you right now, I would be dead”.

“No problem about that. It just took a word on my part”, Andrew replies with no intention of continuing the conversation.

“But you saved my life regardless, and am glad for that”, the young man replies. “So what is your name?”, the young man continues. But Andrew does not reply and just keeps on walking with the bag of clothes he had on himself.

“Ohh, I forgot to introduce myself first, my name is Francis”, the young man says while waiting for Andrew’s reply. Andrew finally stops and then looks at him before saying, “Andrew. Do you have a job for me?”. Such a question catches Francis off guard and he replies in haste, “Uhm...No... nooo”.

“Ohh”, Andrew does not say any more words and just continues walking away. No matter how much the man tried to call for his attention, he did not heed his call. “Where do you stay so that I can at least drop you off?”, Francis says seems to have almost given up and if this boy in front of him still doesn’t reply to him, he would give up.

Being asked such a question makes Andrew’s eyes a bit watery, he stops for a while, and without turning back he replies, “I don’t have a home to return to”. Although his voice was not that loud, Francis was able to hear what he had said.

“Huh? You don’t have where to stay? How have you been able to survive then?”, Francis was shocked when he was told such words.

Andrew turns to look at this guy while thinking, ‘Isn’t this guy able to process stuff with his brain? Or getting old makes you slow in picking up things? But he isn’t that old right?’.

Seeing the look leveled on him by the kid in front of him, Francis understood that he wasn’t thinking the right way, but he overlooks it all as he had initially saved his life. Having a close shave with death has taught him a lot.

“Then why don’t you come along with me?”, Francis suggests after a while of thinking. Although he didn’t know this kid, he thought good of him and intends to help him.

Andrew stares at Francis for a long while not knowing what to say in reply. “Come along with me then. You can stay with me”, Francis says once again, “Don’t worry, I am not a bad person”.

Saying those sorts of words to Andrew would paint a bad picture though, as he always thought those were the words said by bad people.

He shifts back noticing that the man in front of him was getting close to him. He didn’t trust him one bit and he had rushed things up by suggesting that he should come along with him.

It was at this moment that another man who seems to be a lot older and more mature than Francis comes running along and stands in front of Francis out of breath and with a worried expression on his face.

“Joe”, Francis says on seeing this man. Joe was shocked about the way he had called him, but doesn’t put much thought into it as he replies, “I have looked all over for you, Sir. Where have you been? Sir and madam would be worried that you haven’t gotten home by now and the blame would be placed on me, I could even lose my job”.

“Such a thing won’t happen, Joe”, Francis replies with all confidence. The thing was that Francis was just being driven back from school as they were currently on breaks. While getting back, they passed by a place and some stuff being sold on the way caught the attention of Francis. He demanded they stopped, to which the driver was initially reluctant, but Francis wasn’t the kind of person that would take no for an answer and managed to force him into stopping the car. One thing led to the other and that was how he was framed and almost killed.

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“Can we go now?”, Joe still wasn’t satisfied and therefore asked. He understood the kind of family he was working for and wasn’t willing to risk it. This was the only way he who was illiterate was able to sustain and feed his family, the pay was good after all.

“I was talking to him previously, just give me a moment. If after my words this time around, he still doesn’t relent, we are going home”, Francis says in reply. This was the time that Joe takes a good look at the person Francis was talking about, he looked unkempt but had an innocent look and was young. Joe squints his eyes and turns to look at Francis. He was sure this young boss of his had nefarious thoughts over this child but doesn’t intend to get himself involved in it, his family was important to him and he doesn’t intend to get them hurt over this.

Francis turns towards Andrew once again, before he was able to say anything though, Andrew says, “Let’s go then”. Such a reply catches Francis off guard as he had been trying for a long while to convince this boy but he didn’t even bulge a bit, but now he suddenly decides to go with him.

Joe still didn’t say a word though and just stares at this boy. Andrew has decided to risk everything and tag along, from the way this guy was being treated, he was probably from a very influential family, perhaps one even richer than his parents. He was finding a way to get his brother out of the place where he was currently, and this seems like the quickest way to do that, legitimately.

Seeing Francis quiet even after stating his decision on the matter, Andrew says once again, “Aren’t you going anymore?”. The words return Francis's senses to him and he stammers while saying, “O..oh okay. Guess, we should start going”. Those words once again shock Joe, but he doesn’t still say a word and they locate their car which was a black colored big four-runner car.

Immediately as he opened the door for his boss to get in, Andrew immediately jumps in. Although Joe does not intend to say anything, he was still scared for this boy, but something scares him more. He sees Francis smiling at these actions and not saying anything or even cussing at this boy.

This was strange no matter how Joe thought of it. Where was the young man he knew? Or he maybe had other plans and doesn’t want to ruin it yet?

After Francis got in, he immediately took his position in the driver’s seat and drove them to the house. When they were in the vehicle, Francis asks Andrew some stuff about himself, to which he answers quickly. There was no need to hide stuff about himself, which could be found out with just a little digging and cause a rift in their relationship along the line.

He also made sure to emphasize the fact that he had a younger brother whom he intends to bring in. Francis just smiles while saying, “In due time, it will be arranged”. Joe while driving overhears their conversation and didn’t for once believe what Francis was saying to the boy. He didn’t doubt the story the boy told at all though.

They quickly got home though, and Andrew was soundly asleep in the vehicle. He hasn’t been able to sleep properly in these few days he was out of the house. He probably wasn’t even aware when they got to the compound. He was too lax when entering into a place he hasn’t been to before. The compound was huge though, well-fenced and a huge duplex was situated inside the compound. There were three extra cars by the side of the compound, each with its beauty and specs. Having such a life wouldn’t be too bad for the current Andrew, it was something he dreams about right now. But in the future, he had more than this.

On getting out of the car, Joe sees a woman who was standing in front of the compound, the moment he sets his eyes on her, his heart starts beating quickly like a naughty child who has done something wrong and was caught.

The woman seems to be in her late fifties but was still beautiful in her rights, few white hairs could be seen in her perfectly packed hair. Her face was stern on seeing Joe, but the instant she saw Francis, her heart warms up and she ran to hug him, then asks immediately while touching his face and body like someone who has been in an accident, “How was the journey? Where you hurt? Are you tired? Did he shout at you?”. The person she was referring to was Joe, no questions asked.

“I am fine, Mom”, Francis says with a smile on his face. Such actions even shocked his mother. But this didn’t stop her from walking towards Joe and starting to berate him, saying all kinds of stuff to him without any iota of respect, and Joe had his head lowered not daring to retort in any way.

You might think that her behavior at this time might be too much, but it wasn’t to her. This was her only child, and a male at that whom she was able to give birth to after many complications and at her old age at that when she was a few years away from menopause. She and her husband spoiled the boy rotten and allowed various of his bad behaviors which grew to be overbearing to others, but they didn’t care as long as he was happy.

“He isn’t at fault, Mom”, Francis says hurriedly seeing that she has raised her hands and prepared to slap Joe for a crime he didn’t commit.

“Hmm”, the woman was shocked once again by this behavior of Francis, but still put her hands down while staring at her son awkwardly.

“I will explain everything when father comes in”, Francis says while staring at his mother, then says to Joe, “Get him out of the car and put him in one of the rooms”.

Joe does not dilly-dally, and he was about to carry Andrew out of the car, but Andrew with his bag on his shoulder, climbs down from the car while admiring the compound he has come into. Francis’ mother strains her head to see who the new entrant was and was shocked to see this young boy and wonders why Francis brought him here, to their home.

‘So you are tired of fake sleeping right?’, Francis thought with a smile on his face. Although Andrew had tried to pretend, there was no way he would be able to keep the cover long in the presence of an elderly person, but Francis did not intend to break his cover as being cautious in a new environment was to be expected from anyone.