100 Days in a SUIT – A Borrowed Time
Introduction:
Mistakenly Acknowledged
Day 1: March 4, 2021
I ejected thoroughly all the exhausted pressurize gulp of air out of my chest when the two aged men in black suits were already out of sight. It occurs that I safe, for now.
My knees were both associated with one another, twitching and trembling as I am trying to straighten them on these shimmering strips and bend over my exhausted body against the concrete wall.
A withered vegetable is how I picture out myself right now, freaking out and terrified.
I slowly unzipped the service government backpack where the straps were wrapped through my waist to grope the handkerchief and wipe up my face, neck, and armpit trickling with oil and sweat.
Subsequently, I checked out the counterfeit watch I bought for only twenty bucks from a beggar just now in the street.
“Bullshit! It’s twelve noon already. My half-day has been consumed for one package only? This is insane. I’m gonna be late for the other packages.” I screwed and scrunched up my face while murmuring.
I am on the run as though twenty men in black suits who are like an eagle, eyes widened and focused and prepared hunting its prey.
The reason I stepped into this building was basically to deliver a package to someone.
Typically, I worked as a postman at the Cebu City Hall’s mail department for almost a year now.
Unfortunately, I am a third-year college student when forcibly chased out from my parent’s house after they both die in a car accident two years back.
I am studying at one of the most comprehensive schools in Cebu City, the Cebu International School where my tuition fees were freaking expensive.
It was Uncle Rico, my mother’s brother who firmly banished me out of the house after finding out I am only an adopted child leaving my two minor brothers and sister, not by blood, in the house.
For Rico’s family, I am only a great burden to them, with no work, no talents, and no skills at all. Truthfully, they were right about me as I am totally a spoiled brat when my adoptive parents were still alive. Because they come from a well-heeled family, they gave me everything I want.
Wandering all over the place, I was totally hopeless. No family, no house, and friends who didn’t give a damn about me, I wasted all my trust funds through several vices I could get in. I was in the vision of a misguided student addicted to casinos, drugs, and alcohol.
There’s a time that one of our instructors noticed that I was high and drunk during his discussion. In his anger, he brought me to the Dean’s Office to have my evaluation.
Unfortunately, I tested positive on a drug test examination resulting in complete expulsion from the school.
Because of what happened, I realized the truth that it was me who did this to my own self. Therefore, I was totally determined to straighten and change my life. As I recall, I still have my younger brother and sister who might need me someday.
Days passed, I applied to several private companies within Cebu City but got rejected due to my undesirable school records.
Luckily, God has never forsaken me. I got a call from the City Hall for an available position but, as a postman.
Desperately, I accepted the offer and here I am in this humongous building.
“A very urgent announcement! There was a young man with at least 6’2 ft. long, brown complexion wearing a grey Cebu City government uniform. Once you encounter the descriptive man, please do not hesitate to contact our security department…”
As the announcement still repeating, I immediately stood up and straightened my crumpled uniform.
There was no bit of sound from my steps when I lifted my feet gently heading to a room, securely locking it, and waited for a better opportunity to escape.
I took off my hat and uniforms and threw them into the trashcan. I am pretty sure they could not recognize me anymore with a sleeveless shirt and shorts.
I didn’t anticipate they were that militant to necessarily conduct an emergency lockdown throughout the building in order to seize me.
“Psst, Mr. Kenneth? Why are you hiding here?” He hissed. “Mr. Kenneth, do you hear me?”
Unexpectedly, there was a wheel-like geezer possibly in his fifties eagerly patted my back that caused me to total panic and immediately move two steps back giving him a swift strong punch.
Like in the cartoon movie, “One Punch Man”, though Saitama punches his enemies once, they simply stumble and fell to the ground.
Likewise, that’s exactly what happened to this geezer. All those documents he was holding scattered throughout the room. I immediately unlocked the door when…
“Mr. Kenneth, why did you punch me in the face, huh? Are you delirious or deranged? Have you forgotten me already?”
He gripped his hands into his knees before getting back to his poise.
I rolled my eyes and gave him a dirty look in complete confusion when this old man acknowledged me and glared at him from head to toe. It appears that I never heard nor saw him in my entire life, not until today.
“Umm, I’m sorry but, have we met before?” I stammered.
“What kind of nonsense and unjustifiable question was that, Mr. Kenneth? You’re joking, right?” He furrowed his face in disbelief.
I gave him a half-smile before I replied.
“Hahaha! Hahaha! Of course, how would I forget you? You just did nothing but good to me.”
I immediately shrugged him off to ease up my trembling knees.
I am cautiously buying out whatever drama this geezer is up to for me to secure my escape from those pursuers.
Happiness blows his face like a comet. “Mr. Kenneth, the entire Movenpick Hotel Mactan is truly being delighted for your unexpected return. The fact is, we extremely needed you as our entire assets were frozen after your father’s body was found and confirmed dead from the plane crash.”
I bit my lip and zipped it as I am tongue-tied about how to respond to everything he was telling. However, I simply nodded my head every time he purportedly how happy he was finding me here at the building.
“Where are we going? I curiously asked.
“I would be introducing you to the boards, Mr. Kenneth.” He simply replied while leading me to some private room.
He suddenly raised his hand to me as a gesture to wait first outside. He then unlocked the door.
“Excuse, ladies, and gentlemen! Settle down, please… Please, keep your voices down.”
Mr. Geezer extremely sighed after he was totally rejected by those people inside the room. I assume they were having an argument about something.
They never listened to him. Instead, they continued from debating.
“STOP!”
To everyone’s surprise, he hardly slammed the table using his bare hands. Though he felt the pain, he needed to do something.
“Okay, can I talk now?”
He eagerly waved his hands calling me to enter.
All the people inside the room shifted their full attention to me from the time that I stepped into the door down to in front of them.
I may be hot and handsome but, they stared at me like who just got back from the land of the dead.
The fifteen people in the room were in a daze as their faces lit up and their mouths opened with a wide “O”.
“Blessed us, oh, Lord! We had finally found the sole heir, alive.” She stammered.
She was an old lady possibly in her sixties immediately crawled towards me and kissed my feet.
“We were truly overwhelmed for your return, Mr. Gerard.” She added and soothed herself before she bowed his head and the rest followed.
I was even getting more confused when she addressed me by the name Gerard. Who is Gerard? This geezer acknowledged me as Kenneth and now Gerard?
I heavily breathe out releasing some of the tension that had built up in my shoulder and gave them a half-smile.
“Okay, I believe that would be all for today’s meeting. We’ll reschedule the meeting once all of your attitudes mature.” He enthusiastically shrugged me and we went out of the room.
News travels fast. The entire employees in the Movenpick building erupted from my sudden arrival.
They all lined up in the hallway and bowed their heads unanimously in full respect.
I frowned in disbelief as to what was really going on. I only bowed my head all the time and felt terrified since it was only me who knew the truth.
“Umm, just out of curiosity, where are we going now?” I took a deep profound courage within my inner self to ask.
“Home, Mr. Kenneth. I am taking you back to the villa.” His happiness overflowed when he replied.
To my surprise, there were around fifty men in black suits greeted me heading to the exit not to mention that I acknowledged some of them. They were the ones who seizing me lately.
One of them courageously strode beside me. “We’re so sorry about lately, Mr. Gerard. It was not our intention to scare you as we tried to stop you from running but you managed to hide from us.
I simply grinned and nodded my head as I am completely in wonder who is this Mr. Gerard they were referring to. Is that powerful and influential he is that everyone bows after him?
Meanwhile, there were six Rolls Royce royal cars parked and waited for me outside. Mr. Geezer gently assisted me in hopping into the third car.
And that’s how my life suddenly shifted.
