My Homeless Billionaire

Chapter 13

“You couldn’t help Mother Sonto, but at least help her,” said little Dave to his brother.

“I’ll wait for her cries then.”

Dion had pulled Felicia to the kitchen. “Dion! Dion, let go!”

“What in the universe are those little creeps doing in my house!” he had let go of her arm. She was only glad she was free from his grip.

“Dion—”

“Don’t ‘Dion’ me, lady, just chase them out!”

“You better not use that tone with me, boy! Where’s your respect?”

“I do not want demons in my house. I cannot be sailing with demons on my ship!” he started making his way out. Felicia knew where he was heading and what he wanted to do. He was going to chuck those kids out, himself. Felicia was not about to let that happen. She grasped on him, “Dion!”

“Let go.”

“Dion!”

“I said, let go!” he pulled off and she fell off. She got up. She took a pan and ran to the door before he could walk out. She pointed the pan at him. He sneered, “You really think that will scare me off?” he pulled out his cell phone.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m calling security.”

“Dion!”

“Would you look at me, I forgot you sent all of them away. I think the police will do. This is trespassing!” he was sliding on his phone-screen. “Serious invasion of private property.” Felicia managed to seize the phone from him. “Don’t be stupid! You will be the one going to jail for pushing the boy out of the moving car leading him to a nearly fatal injury.”

“I did not do that.”

“Your word against three witnesses. Me, the driver and the boy’s brother. Oh, and I’m sure he’ll love seeing your pretty face behind bars. He is not at all happy with you.”

“You do not wish to go against me.”

“And you do not wish to try us.”

“I am a very influential man.”

“So, what? You’ll bribe your way out? I’m sure Bowman will distaste watching news afterwards and the papers will sell like hell. You have become quite a regular on the headlines.”

“I will make your lives a living hell, much more than they are now.”

“Now, Dion. Don’t make this ugly than it already is. Just stick it out till the boy gets well and then we can all go back to our lives.”

“Get out of my house. I wish to never set my eyes on you again. Can you make my wish come true?”

Felicia was taken aback a bit. She did not see that coming. She had to think of something and quick. “Who’ll care for the kids? You? I doubt you have it in you. Remember, they are demons to you. Spooky little creeps. You sure you can spend even a single night alone with them?”

“I’ll call back my workers.”

“And what will you say to them? Either way, those kids can speak for themselves. They will speak, and you know news don’t stay down with helps. Your helps don’t like you and you know it, spreading the rumours will come naturally to them. Soon, the world will find out the horrible man you are, even to innocent blood.”

“Fine. You may stay.”

“A wise decision you made there, sir Hill. Rest assured, the kid will be alright.”

“And when that day comes, I want you out. For good.”

Felicia was not all happy with that. She saw him walk out. She let him. She knew begging him would be useless.

…………………………………………………………………….

Dion had a call from his father. It was a regular check-in between father and son. Dion enjoyed hearing his father praise him for his good work as an acting CEO of the Metallic Wholesalers. His father was raving on and on about how well the business was thriving under Dion’s leadership. “I do my best, sir.”

When the talk was over, he got down to his work. He was in his study. Later on, Felicia walked in, “Dion, dinner time.”

Without raising his face to see her, “Not hungry.”

“Oh, Dion—”

“Stop right there!” he cried. “Don’t walk any further, turn, walk, close the door and continue walking.”

She did not bother him anymore. She did exactly what he said. A pile of papers waited for him to look over on the table. He wanted to get done before the next sunrise. He worked tirelessly till four in the morning. Felicia woke up and found that she was still alone in bed. She knew that she would find Dion in his study. She went and found him packing up. “Babe, you work too hard.”

He did not consider her. He walked right past her after he had switched off the light. In their room he was glad his lamp on the table on his side was on. He changed to his pyjamas and slotted in. She followed in.

Morning started well. Felicia had made breakfast for everyone. She wanted to win him over again. Vincent and Dave got excited the moment they saw their breakfast. They saw all that bacon and eggs and toast and milk. It was wonder for them. They carried themselves with grace but their eyes showed the busy fireworks blow up a stadium. They were quick to sit and gallop. Dion showed into the room all dressed and packed. “Won’t you have breakfast before you go?”

“My chef has prepared something for me, he’ll bring it in the office.”

“Oh, Dion… Dion, I’m sorry…I just didn’t want you to go on ahead with the police. You were practically handing yourself over to them.”

The man was walking, making way to the door that led outside, she held onto him, “Dion, please don’t ignore me. Dion, I hate seeing you like this.”

“And I hate being late,” he finally, managed to pull himself out of her grip. He went past the kids. He ignored them as if he did not see them and they did not bother him either. They only watched him leave.

Felicia sat herself down. She found herself chatting with the kids. She was curious, she asked many questions, “Don’t you think Dave is too young to have brought him with you when you ran from the home?”

“By too young I take it you mean, too young to die? Well, there was no life in there either. There is no life there. TB had taken over and children followed one another in their deaths. Many of us couldn’t stay anymore. Staying there only meant waiting for death to finally come visit you. And you know that that visitor will not love you and leave you. But he will love you so much that he will take you with him. We could not afford that. I know I will die someday, but that is not how I want to die.”

“You know you cannot choose your way to die?”

“But some deaths can be avoided.” Vincent argued, “If you stay away from gangster lifestyle, that’s one way of avoiding death. If you keep away from provoking people and doing bad against them, that’s another way of avoiding death. You could work hard. Hard enough to afford life, that is yet another way to avoid death. Take your medication as your doctor prescribes, watch what you eat, keep vigil when you cross the road… There are many ways to avoid death.”

Vincent took a few breaks to swallow his food, “We thought we had our deaths figured out. We ran, we spread, and some were found dead in the streets. Besides TB, a day was torture enough. There are many kids in there, and often many of us were neglected. Even food was scarce. Parents don’t adopt anymore, instead, they give us away.”

“Must have been tough.”

“It was rough. No matter what, Dave and I are not going back there. When my turn comes, I wouldn’t want the grim reaper to find me waiting for him on my deathbed, I’d rather he finds me in the ring where I can fight him to the last breath through my lungs. I’d rather die pushing in the street than waiting on my deathbed.”