CHAPTER TWO

BRYAN

“Thank you Mr Fox, I appreciate it, even more so, the children appreciate it all, your efforts, love, time and the money.”

I look up at Miss Kharity, smiling, as she expresses her gratitude for the gifts I just dropped off for the children at the orphanage.

It isn't even part of my monthly donations, but I sure love to see the smiles on the faces of these children.

The joy is inexplicably real. It's not that kind of joy you get from Cats, or Chicken and chips, or Thai noodles, or even Basmati rice. No doubt these are good but the feeling of joy only come when you're with them.

The feeling of joy that comes when I'm with these children remain with me, that keeps me going.

“You have to understand it's really no problem Miss K, I enjoy doing this. I'll be on my way now, I'm quite late” I say cheerfully.

“Thank you so much, say thank you kids”.

“Thank you Mr Bryaaan!” The children shout in unison and in joy.

It makes me happy, and I laugh.

“It's okay, Thanks everyone. Bye”.

I make it outside to my Mercedes parked around the curb and I proceed to head to the hospital, but just before I do, I text Mike to know when the emergency surgery for the Craniopagus twins will begin.

_“9am dude, hurry up”_

I frown, it's 8:25am and the hospital is a 30 minute drive from here. So I crank up the engine and drive as fast as I can, but slow enough to avoid a ticket.

Thankfully I'm at the hospital by 9am on the dot. And I make it in the Operating Theater in time for the surgery.

The surgery takes a good 16 hours, So when we are done, and the surgery is a complete success, everyone is completely exhausted, and I don't have it in me to make the drive back home, so I crash at Mikes. His house is just around the corner. A five minutes walk at most, and it's almost like my second home. I'm probably here more than I am at my own place. Main reason being the proximity to work.

We're walking to Mike's when he starts asking a series of uncomfortable questions.

“So you're still in that shit with Maria?”

“Yh, I guess”

“Dude she doesn't even like you, what are you doing?”

“You don't know that she doesn't”.

Well, of course I do. Maria isn't exactly a girlfriend you have if you're looking for something serious, I'm not looking for something serious, I just want to have sex, and she gives me that when I want, lots of it.

“Are you looking for signs? Because you've got them. Sometimes you're gone for days and she doesn't even bother checking up on you, she only spends YOUR money, she doesn't want to see your family and the worst ick, she calls you Mr Fox”.

“I think Mr Fox is sexy” I say, a hint of disappointment to my voice.

“You're definitely just in this for sex”

Well... You're not wrong Mike, but I don't say that out loud. Instead, I deny.

“I'm not”

“You are too”

“Not”

“Are”

“Let it go man” I blurt in frustration.

“Lock your credit card for 5 hours, just 5, and I bet she's breaking up with you.”

“Dude!”. I shout, hitting him on the shoulder.

“I'm telling you man”.

He might be right, but I don't particularly care, I make tons of money, and my family is rich. I have enough to go round.

I'm definitely not complaining.

Mike's Apartment complex is quite the catch, it has a beautiful rooftop with a swimming pool right in the center. The only discouragement is how many floors it has, but Mike happens to be on the last floor, 15b, door directly opposite the one to the roof. Touché.

I take a shower and head to bed, but the sleep isn't forthcoming. I can't stop thinking about what Micheal said, I need a real relationship, I need real love, I need to let go off my fears.

I step out to the roof, and relax upon seeing the sky, and in a matter of minutes I doze off with my thoughts.