The boys all brushed their teeth, the man that gave the command had left already. After the women finished washing the dishes the boys used in eating, they left. But before leaving, they said to them,
"We'll be back in the afternoon to prepare lunch".
After the women left, the boys residing in the same apartment as Simon and the ones occupying the other apartment got along with each other. They chatted, laughed, and engaged in other stuff. They talked a lot about the upcoming football match, after that, they went back into their different compartments.
Entering their different compartments, they put on the television once again searching for an interesting program...too much relaxation. Simon was enjoying every bit of it here. But his enjoyment was gonna get spoilt soon.
The footballer arrived at the front of the building in one of his cars. Coming out of his car, he sauntered over to the building's staircase and began mounting it. Then he arrived at the corridor where the two compartments were located, it's about time for elimination. Arriving at the first door of the compartment, he knocked on it and told them to come out. Recognizing that it was the footballer's voice, they willingly and gladly came out.
Then he walked to the door of the second apartment, knocked on it, and told them to come out...and so they did. Now, all the boys were standing in the corridor facing the footballer directly...including Simon. The footballer glanced at them all and asked,
"How are you guys enjoying your stay here?".
They all gave him positive replies, then he said something that perplexed them all and sent shivers down their body.
"Am gonna be eliminating one of you from taking part in the upcoming football match for young ones. I take that person as a big fool". He said this with much seriousness on his facial expression.
They were all confused 'cause they didn't know who he was referring to. Then he glanced directly into Simon's eyes, pointed at him, and voiced out,
"You are the big fool, come out".
Simon was utterly confused, what was happening? He placed his palms on his chest and inquired,
"Me?".
"Yes, you, come out!". The footballer voiced out in an audible tone of voice, annoyance evident in his facial expression and tone of voice.
Simon walked out of the group of boys and stood close to the footballer. He was utterly confused, why was he referring to him as a big fool? Then he thought of something,
'Did he found out that I was lying to him about living with my Aunt? Did he found out that I've got no parents, that I am currently homeless? That's really bad if he's found out'.
The footballer glared at Simon and said, "You've being eliminated from partaking in the football match, pack up and leave".
Simon just felt like crying at that moment. The easy route to achieving his dream of becoming a footballer was about to get spoilt? Why was this happening to him? He inquired of the footballer with tears almost falling from his eyes,
"Can I please understand why you are doing this? Can I get an explanation".
The footballer glared at him once again and uttered, "Keep on pretending, you're really good at it. Now would you pack up and leave before I do something stupid?".
Simon knew that he wasn't joking when he took his phone from his pocket and started operating it, who knows who he was about to call? He could actually do something stupid. The boys just watched as these events took place, they said nothing...they didn't even know what to say. Simon went into the apartment, put on shoes, wore his backpack, and came out of the apartment.
His facial expression was really gloomy, he strolled over to the footballer and inquired of him once again,
"So I wouldn't get an explanation why you are doing this?".
The footballer just kept him quiet with that serious expression still plastered to his face. Simon knew that he wasn't gonna get an answer to his question, so he began sauntering out of the corridor. After the boys couldn't sight Simon anymore, one of the boys mustered up the courage to ask the footballer why he eliminated Simon from partaking in the football match.
"Not that I'm questioning your authority or trying to imply that you don't know what you are doing. But I just wanna ask, why did you eliminate him from taking part in the football match?".
The footballer glanced at the boy and answered, "That boy is a f**king criminal, he isn't gonna put me in trouble or spoil my name. That's the only explanation I can give to you guys".
The boys still had more questions to ask, but they kept them to themselves, the furiousness on the footballer's face was enough to keep them quiet. The footballer glanced at them all and asked,
"Have you guys being given those essential stuff?".
"Yeah". They responded in unison.
"Did that fool that just departed from our midst take part of it?".
"Yeah".
"Shit! well, you guys should go back into your different compartments. Note, we'll be all going for a training tomorrow, the match would soon commence".
Those were the footballer's last words before he departed from their presence. The boys strolled into their different compartments while chatting amongst themselves, they didn't just understand the reason why he eliminated Simon from taking part in the football match. They kept on asking themselves this question,
"Is he truly a criminal?".
Simon strolled on the street filled with sadness. He just felt like the ground should open so he could fall into it. What was saddening him more was the fact that the footballer didn't even say the reason why he was eliminating him from taking part in the football match. If he eliminated him 'cause he lied about living with his Aunt currently when he wasn't. When his parents were dead, when he was f**king homeless. Then, how did he find out?
Anyone passing that glanced at Simon knew that he was sad, it was evident on his face. He thought to himself while scratching his head with his fingers.
'What am I gonna do now? I'll just have to go find James...that's the best thing to do. I hope I'll find him in that hotel or around the hotel'.
*********
Meanwhile, that same morning, James woke up lying comfortably on the hotel's bed. He just felt like lying on the bed for some more hours before standing up to engage in the day's activities. He didn't dash into the bathroom to brush his teeth or take his bath immediately, instead, he just sat up on the bed. He thought of the activities he had plans of engaging in today.
'I'll go search for Simon, and if I don't find him, I might begin searching for a job. Or let's say, I'll begin searching for a job. Going to a music school would come later, I gotta at least start gathering money".
If there was a TV in the room, James would have loved to put it on and watch an interesting program, but there was none. So he got up from the bed and strolled into the bathroom to brush his teeth and take his bath...and also, do other things caused by nature. He came out from the bathroom after he was done freshening up, then he dressed up in one of the clean clothes in his backpack.
After dressing up, he didn't evacuate the room immediately, instead, he laid on the bed once again, but not fully though...his legs were still touching the ground. After lying there for minutes, he got up from the bed, wore his backpack, and evacuated the room straight to the receptionist's desk. He handed the key over to the receptionist, then the receptionist asked him,
"Are you coming back?".
"Maybe, maybe not". James retorted.
"What of that friend of yours? you said he was gonna come later, but I didn't see him".
"Something came up, maybe the next time I come back here, he'll be with me...that's if I come back here".
"OK".
With that, James walked out of the hotel. He made up his mind to come to this hotel if the need to spend the night in a hotel arises again. Coming out of the hotel, James began strolling on the street...he was in search of Simon. He was searching for him in case something bad had happened to him. He'll look for him the best way he can, and if doesn't find him, he'll stop.
As he sauntered, he glanced about to see if he'll sight Simon. He still had in mind that he'll try his best not to get close to the orphanage home he ran from...a lot would happen if anyone from the orphanage sights him.