บท 10: Anonymous Sender
Calix's ARCH heavy bike roared to life. With his face hidden under his black helmet, his slender hands covered in grey leather glovelettes, and his athletic frame clad in a black leather jacket and pants, he appeared nothing less than a bike racer.
His silverish-black bike was one of his most loved possessions. Whenever the chaos of his life became unbearable he would take it out for a spin.
The cool breeze of autumn was a foreshadowing of the coming chilled drafts of winter. It rushed past him, howling and announcing a subtle change that was peeking at him from the horizon.
Calix zig-zagged through the traffic, skilfully manoeuvring his bike among the crazy hordes of people that made up Angel City. He found the name ironic for all he saw were devils. There were no angels in this city, if there ever were, they had long forsaken it.
The divide between the rich and poor was as wide as an endless ocean and it was widening even further. Rich people lay comfortably in their soft silks while the poor lay shivering on the sides of the road.
There weren't enough homeless shelters in the city and with its ever-growing population and industrial revolution hitting it in the past couple of years. Angel City was fast becoming a hub of trade and business.
Calix found his fingers numbing from the cold and yet he welcomed it. Anything to feel alive for he considered himself a walking corpse. That heart inside him beat but it didn't feel that flickering love. He had seen so many bodies, naked, torn, violated, bruised and injured that he felt nothing for the human flesh anymore. Especially in an intimate way.
People's sufferings bothered him deeply and it bothered him even further when he couldn't do anything about it. He hadn't been able to forget Skyla's bruised face. There was this innocence and resilience about that girl that had tugged the rigid chords of his heart.
He needed to breathe and bury her thoughts. To achieve this he decided to visit his favourite spot on the cliff, overlooking the sea.
Stopping near a burger joint, he wanted to grab a burger for himself so he could eat while watching the turbulent sea. He hated fast food but there was no one who would cook for him so occasionally he had to eat it. Otherwise, he mostly depended on fruits, veggies and protein shakes.
He took off his helmet and let his ebony hair be swept back by the breeze. Placing the helmet on his bike Calix strode over to the counter on his long legs.
"One fish burger with fries," he told the cashier and he nodded.
After ordering he glanced around and found people busy with their gadgets, buried in their smartphones. No one had time to lift their heads and hold a conversation.
Calix sighed, he detested how smartphones had taken over the lives of the people and had made them their slaves. Collecting his order he exited the joint holding the paper bag containing his food.
A young boy of around 10 years of age with no shoes, a tattered-looking shirt and a dirty face stared at the bag in his hands. He was sitting on the sidewalk. His weak body trembling against the harsh wind which was getting colder as the night ambled further into its darkest hours.
The sight hurt his broken soul, a child so alone and helpless would end up in the clutches of the wolves that roamed this city dressed as men.
Walking over to him, he bent down and asked, "Where is your home?"
The boy was a bit taken aback. He thought the stranger would reprimand him for longingly staring at his food.
"On the eastern side. My mom is sick, she couldn't work today and so we have no food. I couldn't hear the cries of my younger sister. She is hungry and needs milk. So I came and sat here," he spoke in a pained voice, his eyes shimmered with tears he was holding back.
Calix gaped at his innocent face for a few more seconds. He saw his reflection in the boy. Taking out his wallet he handed all the money he had in it to the boy along with his food. He then took off his leather jacket and wrapped it around his malnourished body.
"Eat the food. Buy medicine for your mom and milk for your sister. And stay home, this is not a place for a child. Someone can abduct you," he instructed the boy who had been shocked beyond words. He jumped at Calix and wrapped his flail arms around his sturdy frame, in an attempt to hug him.
"Thank you! Kind Sir. I will never forget this," he cried happy tears and Calix found his heart-stirring.
"It's no big deal. On second thought, I will drop you home," He picked up the boy and seated him on the back seat of his bike. He then placed his helmet on the boy's head, it bobbed due to its large size. The boy sat happily, riding on a bike almost thrilled him.
Taking his place in front he started the bike and along the way bought medicine and milk for his family and some other essential groceries.
Calix then dropped the little boy outside his dilapidated-looking one-room establishment and watched until the boy had happily entered it. There was this gaiety in his step now as he waved him goodbye.
Calix's heart brimmed with satisfaction as he drove away.
His hunger was gone, all he wanted to do was lie on that cliff and hear the turbulent ocean underneath it.
He drove over and parked the bike at the side. Arriving at the usual spot he glanced at the blue ocean. The foaming waves collided with the cliff like an angry serpent and rolled away just to repeat the process over and over again.
He lay down, with his left hand behind his head and his left leg arched up. His right hand went around his neck and he found the locket of a one-winged angel. The one thing he held dearest in his life.
He placed it on his lips, the metallic surface was warm and it soothed him as his gaze was held by the humongous white orb in the sky. Its soft wisps covered him in their comforting embrace and eased the burdens of his heart.
Lost in the beauty of his surroundings, he was startled when his phone chimed. He was in no mood to entertain a client. This was his day off, so he took out the phone with a creased brow and checked the notification which left him stunned and changed his life forever.
[10 Million $ have been deposited in your bank account. The money is non-refundable.]
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