Chapter 18 - I'M TRAVIS

𝑇𝑜𝑟𝑜

I groaned, stretching out my lazy bones in the morning ray. I sat up and stretched the numb bones in my leg. I rubbed my forehead which was attacked by a migraine. It pounded that it affected the nooks of my eyes. I shut my eyes momentarily to ease off the pain but no it won't go away. Not only that, I had this insane dream where I was fighting a dude. I trail my mind back to last night. Trying to recall the fragments of the dream. I recall fighting someone and almost killed them with a fork, driven through the hands.

It's all a dream, still, I shiver 'cause it felt so real. I shoved the thoughts to the back of my mind. Dragging my lazy body which weighted thrice out of the bed. I yawned and stretched the remaining numb bones. I walked out of my room and made my way towards the bathroom, half asleep. I guess I still feel sleepy even after I slept for a long time. I walked my way into the toilet but it was a little dark, except for the morning rays which illuminated the toilet from the high window.

I searched for the switches, I found them and flicked them on but the lights refused to come on. I decided to do my business, I stride to the toilet and shrieked out in fear at a tiny being there. Doing his business.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?" The little kid smiled at me and stood up from the toilet seat. He switched on the tap of the wash hand basin a little high and adjacent to the toilet seat.

"You must be Mr Grumpy, aren't you?" He wiped his hands when he was done washing his tiny hands and moved toward me. I retreat my steps, gawking at the smile on his face. His brilliant almond blue eyes twinkle with life. His slanty pointed nose and lips gave way for me to see his front broken milk teeth and the brown hair made his child's face stand out. But the question is who is this kid and how did he get in here? With whose permission?

"Though that man is my father, I liked what you did to him." He kept babbling and I tried to process what was going on? Am I having another hallucination? These days I don't know what the heck is going on with me, why do I keep seeing things? People to be precise. "I like the way you went 𝑀𝑀𝐴 on him.…."

"Whoa, hold on," I stopped him mid-way and scrutinised him from head to toe. I don't remember seeing a kid his age or a face like his. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Ohh I'm the son of Nino's friend," he enthusiastically introduced. "Don't you remember me?" He gestured to himself. " I called you and you flew in like 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑚 and saved Nino from my dad."

"NINO!," I thundered her name, the energy in the room shifted when the little kid flinched at the effect of my voice. The brightness in his eyes was replaced by a tint of fear and he wasn't smiling anymore.

Just as I was about to call out her name again, she came rushing in with a mopping bucket and a mop in her other hand. An apron was draped over her night dress and she tied her hair in a messy bun except for the fringes that hovered over her forehead. Two strands came falling to her temples.

"Yes?"

"Who is this kid?" I pointed towards the little boy who didn't utter another sentence but instead ogled at me.

"Oh, my friend's son. Daniel." The corners of her lips curled into a smile but straightened in a thin line when she noticed I wasn't smiling back. To be honest I was raving mad at the thought of another being in the house. I was being tolerant of her presence but that wasn't enough for her, she brought in another person.

"Where are his parents?" I tucked my arms against my chest and queried calmly.

"Don't you remember?" She gave a puzzling look. A look of 𝐴𝑟𝑒-𝑦𝑜𝑢-𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠?

"Remember what?"

"What happened last night?" She tilts her head. Interrogating me with her eyes. "I mean I was terrified by the other side of you but at the same time I was relieved you came at the right time.…."

"Hold on," I pulled out a hand and stopped her. "I don't get the picture of what happening here. I was in bed all night long, what do you mean I came at the right minute. When? Where?"

She retained the puzzled look in her eyes for a minute before heaving out a breath. "Listen, I was in the middle of something when you yelled out my name like a psycho." She motioned to the mopping bucket and the mop in her hands.

"I will assume you playing dumb or having trouble remembering things. For 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝑠𝑎𝑘𝑒! you almost murdered his dad last night."

"He deserved it," Daniel chirped in. "He did."

"Daniel?.…" she scolded him with her eyes. "I get he's been a terrible dad but he's still your father. Show some respect."

"Tch...," the little kid made a sarcastic sound under his breath.

"I don't know what you two are yapping about," I spoke up, darting my eyes from her to the little boy. "But I want him gone today unless you start paying rent."

"I have to pay rent in my father's house?"

I close the gap between us and leaned in, locking eyes with her and then whispered. Poc ( point of correction ) it now belongs to me. Making me the rightful owner and I have every right over everything here including you.

I gave her one final look before walking out of the bathroom. I didn't do what I came in to do. Her presence including the child pissed me off. And what were they blabbing a while ago?

"He won't stay for long," she yelled after me.

"Don't care. I want him gone by nightfall. And do something about the toilet lights, I told you the last time they weren't working perfectly."

I combed a hand through my hair, finding it hard to believe every word that had flown out of their mouth. Have they gone insane? Why would I rescue her from whoever was after her life? I walked into my room and flopped myself on the bed, suddenly I felt an itching pain in my hands. I raised my hand to my view and they looked chapped. Dull white with a touch of yellow. Lacking blood. The heavy pounding was going on in my head and I can't seem to soothe it away.

It banged like I'd hit my head somewhere but the fact is that I can't take my mind off what they said. Was that the truth? Did I do that as they claimed? I dismissed the disturbing thoughts, I rose to my feet toward my desk but stumbled back on the bed when a hazy memory hit the right side of my brain.

"We ought to help her," a man in his late twenties said.

"What do you mean we?" I looked at the man who sat across from me. Legs crossed. Was undoubtedly handsome accompanied by his wine fluffy hair that cascaded down to his shoulders. Face shaped like a square and behind that face conveys an impish, vivacious and wacko person. His eyes held so much mischievousness. I trailed down my eyes to his appearance, he was clothed in a thick black leather jacket coupled with leather pants on his waist. Wrapped around his feet were heavy timberland sneakers. They could squeeze the life out of anyone they step on.

I stared at him as he wrapped white linen against his palm and flashed me a brilliant smile. He has this killer smile that could get any woman's heart race. "Who are you? And how did you get in here?"

"I'm Travis." He flashed me another smile. "Technically I moved in the day you bought this house."

I laughed. Amused by his response. The last time I checked I lived here with that lady.

He shook his head in dismissal. He stood up and moved up to me and took the phone from my grip. "Didn't you hear the child scream she's in some danger?"

"We made a rule she won't involve me in her mess."

I kept an icy face.

"Listen I'm in to kick butts," his fists bump in the air. Showing off his martial art skills. "I want to send ass flying. Are you gonna ignore her cause of some silly rule?"

"I pass, and I won't stand here and listen to some weirdo I'm meeting for the first time."

"If you are not, I will." He sprints to the door and dashes out in the cold night. I watched his figure disappear into the calm innocent night. 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑑𝑜. She left the door open that's why that dude could intrude. I need to set more rules for her.

Leaving my door open to the dangers of the night.

I had another intense pain in my head when another memory came to view. I saw myself and the Travis guy from earlier in some apartment, in a sitting room. Fighting some dude. I guess I followed him against my wish.

I watched in despair at the scene before me. I knew from the start something was dark and eerie about him even though a mischievous smile was plastered on his face. He twisted the fingers of the helpless man, I wondered what this man did to deserve this treatment.

"𝑆ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑑𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑟 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑦." I looked over at the lady in the direction his finger was pointing. There she was battling to breathe. I returned my eyes to him when I heard a pained outcry from the man. I lost my footing when I saw what the latter did. He placed the man's hand on the dining table and drove the fork through it. I coughed as a knot grew in the pit of my stomach.

The white linen he wrapped against his palm was soaked with blood. Dripping with blood. He crouched down to the lady who seemed to have started breathing normally. He helped her stand up to her feet. With the help of the little boy, I saw a while ago in the toilet and led her out of the house.

Moments later, he came back for the other woman who was never conscious.

I fell to my back on the bed as thoughts swept from every direction. I watched the whole scene, I didn't save anyone from anyone. That mysterious guy did the work so why did she and the kid sound like I was the hero who saved a princess in distress?