As Cade pushed the glass door open, two kids came running. Their chuckles enveloped the market as they ran around and played hide and seek. They were with their mother—a tall woman who was wearing a red dress fitted to her voluptuous figure. She removed her sunglasses and called out to her sons. "Dylan! James! Take it easy."
She reminded him of his deceased mother. Mrs. Robertson would walk around with the grandest outfit, red lipstick and stilettos, and a black dress. Everyone would think she's in the middle of shooting a film or on a catwalk. Her steps were graceful and her eyes were diamonds.
"Mommy, I want that toy!" little Cade said while pointing at a huge robot as tall as he was. Cade was 7 years old back then.
"Of course, sweetie. Why choose one toy when you can have everything in this place?"
"Really, Mom? Everything?" Cade scanned his eyes around Toy Planet where they sell various expensive toys. They were in the area for the boys where they displayed robots, race cars, board games, Over-The-Door mini basketball hoop, stunt shot indoor vehicle, and many more.
"Yes, sweetie. You can buy everything. Even people," Mrs. Robertson said while caressing his hair. Her long, red-colored nails were as elegant as the rubies.
Cade shook his head to clear up his mind. He placed the ingredients one by one—some eggs, powdered sugar, flour, baking soda, milk, butter, and vanilla essence. The aroma of sulfur compound from fresh fruits was mesmerizing him, as he could almost taste them in the air.
After paying for everything he bought, Cade crossed the street and went to where he parked his car. In the darkest night, the electric lights glowed, and the striplight flickered to lighten not only the streets of London but also the burdened hearts.
Cade opened the car door and was about to get inside when something tugged the plastic bag in his hand. It was a stray dog covered with mud. Cade pinched his nose when a foul odor leaked from the animal.
"Hey! Stay away from me! You filthy little creature!" Cade tried to kick the dog, but it didn't let go of the bag and pulled it harder until it slipped from his hand.
"Hey! That's mine!" Cade chased the dog into a dark and stinky alleyway. The walls were soiled and grim. "Hello?" His voice echoed through the ghastly passageway. The narrow alley was dim, like hopeless souls inhabited the area. Cade wrapped his arms around his body and rubbed his hands on his shoulders as the chilly wind passed by.
"Is anybody there?"
A loud cough made him leap. "Holy mother of Christ!" He groped for his phone in his pocket and turned the flashlight on. There was an old man sitting in the corner with the dog beside him. The plastic bag was ripped, and the ingredients were scattered all over the place.
"Found you," Cade said. He directed the light to the dog. "Excuse me..." he shifted the light to the man, "do you own this dog?" The beggar had wet hair, shabby clothes, and greasy skin. Cade looked away to suppress a vomit.
"No. But he follows me around," the beggar replied in a low tone.
"Don't you know he stole my groceries?"
"I don't. He gave them to me. I was hungry."
"You dare ruin the night of other people who contributed nothing to your misfortune," Cade said as he picked up the ingredients one by one. "You want food? Fine then. Eat this." Cade threw the eggs at the old man one after another. The egg white splashed to his head. The dog had gone wild at what he did. Before it could bite or scratch him, the old man hugged the dog and prevented him from harming Cade.
Cade showered them with a bag of flour. The dog could only bark his anger.
"It's okay, buddy," the man whispered to the dog as he stroked his head. The dog lifted his head, stared at his wrinkled face, and licked it.
"I hope you will take this as a lesson not to mess with anyone higher than you," Cade said. He tossed some money in the air and pulled out his phone. "Antoine, I'm afraid to tell you that a thief stole my wallet, so I cannot buy some food."
The beggar picked the money on the mucky ground and said, "I am thankful for your kindness, young man."
"You better be," Cade said and spit into the canal. He turned around when he heard his name being called. Cade covered his face with his hand when someone pointed the light at his face. "Stan?"
"That's me," Stan said and put down the flashlight.
"What are you doing here?"
"I should ask you about that. What are you doing in this awful area right at this hour? Do you have a secret door in those blocks?" Stan surveyed the light on the wall. Molds crawled on the cracked edges of the blocks and vines grew aimlessly. "Well, a dog snatched my groceries and brought them here with his owner."
Stan shifted the light to the poor dog and its owner shivering in the dark. "What happened here?" He looked at their miserable appearance covered in flour, eggs, and sugar. He wiped the man's face with a clean handkerchief. "Don't touch him, Stan. Are you not aware of the bacterium in his body and the diseases he might have?"
"All of us have trillions of bacteria inside our body." Stan held the man's hand. "Wait here. I'll be right back."
"Wait. Where are you going?"
After a few minutes, Stan came back holding a plastic bag with a towel on his shoulders. "Thank God I have some snacks in the car."
"And a towel?"
"You know I'm always ready in case you and Theo get in trouble. When we need to cut classes or be on an unplanned road trip. Or when you suddenly think of stopping by the lake." Stan poured some water on the man's face, removed his shirt, and wrapped the towel around his body.
'Despicable,' Cade thought.
"What's your name, Mr?" Stan asked.
"I... I don't know. I lost my memory in an accident."
"Just call him Mr. Dirt, so we can all move on and have a good night's sleep," Cade interrupted. Stan glanced at him with a scowl on his face. His eyes were shooting daggers at him. 'What?' Cade mouthed.
"Mr. Stranger," Stan gave him the plastic bag filled with food, "this is for you and your dog. I also added some canned goods and cup noodles. The night is deep. I'll come back here tomorrow and help you gain your memories."
'Really, Stan?' Cade thought with a frown. "Stan, tell me if you want to stay here with your new friend. I'll go ahead."
"I'm coming."
Stan and Cade walked together while looking at the full moon. Their cars were a few meters from afar. Their steps were little, those that people intend to do when they don't want to separate their ways in an instant.
"Why are you so rude, huh?" Stan asked in a playful tone and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "Hey, did you wash your hands?"
"Nope." Cade harshly pushed him away. "So gross!" Stan laughed and sprayed some alcohol in his hands. He also sprayed Cade's whole body to piss him off, which was a success. "What the hell, man?" Cade ran after him and promised to choke him to death if he caught him.
"Let's race till I pass by your house," Cade said as they drove side by side.
"Stop acting like a child."
"But we are. We're just 17, not adults."
"Exactly. We don't have a license. If the cops catch us, it's over. Uncle Wilfred will hate me, and Dad will kick me out of the house."
"Come on, Stan. You're no fun."
"Keep your eyes on the road, will you? Unless you want to end up in the morgue."
"What's the use of having a car anyway when we can't race?" Cade blurted.
"Do you want me to be blunt right now and explain how stupid you sound?"
"Nah. Save me from your lectures, smartass."
When Cade arrived home, Antoine was already waiting at the door. "Are you fine, Young Master? Did the thief hurt you?" Antoine examined his body. "No. I didn't fight back and gave him what he wanted. A few scents. It's not my loss. It's like a little charity," Cade said in a casual tone.
"I thought you dislike giving away some money? You hate charities."
"Antoine, since when did you have a higher position to question my decisions?"
"My apologies, Young Master. I do not know what I was talking about. Please come inside." Cade could breathe in mixtures of roasted lemon chicken, Balti curry, and the rest were expensive dishes. He closed his eyes and inhaled the flavorful aroma. "Marvelous!"
His eyes flickered when he remembered something more essential than the food. "Ah. Before I forgot, prepare a good bath before I scrap my skin because of this foul odor." Antoine sniffed Cade's body. "There's nothing bad about your scent, Young Master."
"You haven't seen the number of germs I have encountered today, Antoine. Do what I say. Quickly!"
"As you wish, Young Master," Antoine said and snapped his fingers to the maids. They got the signal and hurried to make a sea salt bathwater.
"Cade," Mr. Robertson said while walking down from the grand staircase. "I included you in a study group for advance learning at Westgate High to prepare for your entrance exam in Mchalmmond High."
"Oh, thanks, Dad. Does that mean you think I'm dumb? I'm the top one in class last time I checked."
"The standards of Westgate are different from Mchalmmond. It's an international school with higher standards. The top one in Westgate might be the lowest in Mchalmmond. I hope you get my point."
"Yeah, Dad," Cade said, "I never knew you care that much."