Atlas woke up at his apartment, on his bed, past twelve the next day. He had a massive headache that cleared only after he took some painkillers. There was a strange black bag next to him and the memories of the events that happened the previous day came flooding to him.
He was still wearing his trousers from the previous days so he felt inside his pockets.
"The money I earned from all my jobs is still there. It wasn't a dream," as he did this, he looked at the black bag once again, and felt it was too suspicious.
After a while of consideration, he decided to seek help from Tiny who he was pretty sure was there. Luckily, Tiny had already sent a message to him.
It read:
"If you want answers, join the club. We'll be waiting for you today at four o'clock"
"PS, I left you and that other kid a little something. So, check the bag next to you,"
Atlas wanted to curse at Tiny for finally roping him into the club, but his mind was still preoccupied with the strange black bags.
"I wonder what it is," he muttered as he fiddled with the zip nervously.
After a while of fiddling, he finally managed to open the bags and what he saw shocked him. Cash. Nothing but cash!
Atlas weighed both bags manually and felt himself brimming with joy.
"There have to be at least millions in these bags!"
He wanted to sit down and spend the next few hours counting the cash, out of sheer excitement but then a new message from Tiny came in.
"Don't bother counting. I split it evenly between you and the other boy. The cash in the bags stack up to five million. The other twenty have been wired to your bank account. My father actually allowed you to keep it as a way of giving his thanks"
Atlas fainted upon hearing the amount. How many years would he have spent working before he could have gotten that amount? New messages came in and he hurriedly read them.
"Don't worry about spending the money. You've got my father's permission to use his name. Don't use it easily, though. I'll explain the reason later"
Atlas threw his phone aside and hopped into the shower then dressed up in some casual clothes that he had; a pair of black joggers, a white shirt, a black hoodie and white sneakers.
Ever since he was a child, Atlas had always preferred the colours black and white over most others. Hence, his choice of clothes rarely ever differed from that.
After wearing all his clothes and picking up his phone, Atlas looked over his shoddy room with the multitude of posters and other items. He zipped the bags and forcefully stuffed them under his bed.
He then moved out of the bedroom and inspected the rest of the old-fashioned and dilapidated apartment.
"I can't believe we're finally moving out. After all these years, I'll finally be able to fulfil my promise to mom,"
His voice contained a sense of melancholy as he took in the whole scene.
Atlas was a man though and one thing his father had always told him was that real men didn't cry! He left the apartment and locked the door behind him and silently prayed that no one would try to steal the money inside.
The first thing he went to do was get his mother. She was working as a teacher in some public elementary school.
"Good morning. I'm looking for Mrs Stoll's classroom please." He greeted the seemly old lady at the front desk.
Atlas hadn't been there before. He tried not to interfere with his mother's personal life a lot in order not to stress her. So apart from them seeing one another at home, he rarely met her outside that.
The old lady didn't look up from her paperwork and answered according to routine.
"And who are you to her?"
"I'm her son, ma'am,"
His response caused the old lady to look up and even adjust her glasses a little bit.
"Well, you don't look like a teenager at all. Mariah talks about you all the time, young man," the old lady smiled and yapped on but it was still a warm sight.
Atlas smiled and let her continue till she was finished.
"Oh, I'm very sorry for keeping you. She's just down the hall on the left,"
Atlas nodded at her response and waved at her, then went to his mother's class.
She was teaching a class of small children who were happily reciting the new words and counting and whatnot.
"Hello,"
Their activities came to a halt as Atlas entered, though.
"Oh, honey, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in school by now?"
She asked multiple questions all at once, leaving her small students looking at both of them. But Atlas didn't answer her and only stared at her for a brief second.
His mother, Mariah Angelo Stoll was a fair-skinned bespectacled lady with long black hair tied up into a ponytail and fair, green eyes. She wore a plain white shirt and long skirt. His mom was said to always have a warm smile on her face.
Atlas had never once seen her smile turn upside down.
"I want to go buy a house, and I need you to come with me. It's your house, after all,"
She was filled with questions as always, but Atlas quickly answered her by using the excuse Tiny gave him.
"I'll be back soon, kids. I promise,"
Amidst the yells of the children, Atlas took her to the principal's office to get leave.
An hour later, they were standing in front of their new house.
"I love you mom,"
His mother said nothing, but all she ever needed to say was being expressed by the tears dripping from her face.
****
Author's Note: Follow my Instagram @purplemidnightnovels
For more updates on God Of Gangsters and access to short stories, go to my p.a.t.r.e.o.n: Purple_Midnight
[Note: Things went slowly and wholesome for this chapter, but everything picks up after the next few chapters]