In a bustling city people move about communing in their daily lives. In a different area, where there is a large red brick building and pillars, green grass and lush vegetation. A nice clean bared fence, a statue that flouts one wealthy, even before stepping foot in one's home.
A House layered with gold and diamonds with large frame paintings on the walls. A prestigious woman sits alone at a large rectangle table, her morning meal in front of her, several servants stand to the side waiting for her orders. She sips her tea, then glances over. One of the servant bows then leaves.
Two flights of stairs he ventures to stop in front of double doors. Moans can be heard beyond, the gentlemen knocks. In the room a young man thrust his hips vigorously against dark skin, the ruffles at the bottom of her dress lifted over her head as she bent over railings into the bed. The young man began to grunt as the knocking on the door became louder, he yelled.
"I'm coming!" arching his back while pulling her in tighter by the waist. Moments later he fasten his trousers as the servant leads him to the table. Now sitting in the middle of the table plate presented in front of him, he starts to eat. The lady too now touches her food. All the servants bow before leaving. The lady addresses the young man.
"Richard dear, your father is back from his voyage, after breakfast the servant will take you down to the docks. You must welcome your father back, please do be presentable."
The young man stops eating, his lips press hard together, the fork in his hand shakes.
"Oh Richard, please do stop with that unsightly shaking."
He place the fork on the napkin
"Mother, why don't you go welcome father back, there are things I have to see to on the other side of town, it's nowhere near the port." The mother gave a fake smile
"Richard, that little business of yours where you run around with those melancholic orphans you call friends, it was okay when you were young and your father was away. But it's not anymore, plus it is more trouble than help anyway."
Frustrated, the young man shouts. " Why, father doesn't give a damn what I do, he is always going out to sea on his voyages, he doesn't care what happens to you or me, he's a self old--."
The woman slams her silverware on the table, she picks up the butter knife pointing it at Richard.
"Richard Thomas Wallis, you better shut your goddamn mouth and shut it good, now listen to me. You will not bad mouth your father under this here roof, your father is a hard working good man, he served his country, and helped the people. All the luxury that both me and you can enjoy comes from his years of slaving away. He even chose to marry me fully knowing the debt my family was in. Your father is a good man and a hero. And if you want his respect and acknowledgment, then clean up your act, stop getting into fights, fornacting with maid's, or besmirching the family name by firing random bastards here and there, how will your father respect you when you don't respect yourself."
The young man sat sulking in his chair. she drops her butter knife as the servant comes to clear their plates.
"Now Richard, after this you are going to go down to those docks and receive your father with pride. OR, SO, HELP, ME, GOD. you will regret it, if only you were like your brother."
A second dish was brought to them, she took a few bits then looked at him, all the fire Richard had earlier was snuff out. Feeling bad she tried to cheer him up.
"Richard, it may not seem like it but you're more like your father than you know, both you and your brother have the rough exterior he had when he was young, not to mention you don't mind being around the common folk. I just can't stand being within a hair's breadth."
After the morning meal, Richard enters a black carriage with silver chrome fixtures pulled by two beautiful healthy horses. The velvet interior was fluffy and soft, the coachman snaps his rains. Richard stairs out the window, after a while he knew they were coming into the outer city with the clicking from the horse's hove against the stone road grew silent. The carriage slowed almost to a crawl, Richard watched as people walking on the street were proceeding faster then he was. Sliding the window he sticks his head out, the coachman imminently addresses him.
"I'm sorry young master but there seems to be quite the stir at the dock, it seems the entire city is here."
Richard reassures him that it is not his fault as he steps out of the carriage, his leather polish boot sinks into the muddy road.
"Listen, I'm going ahead on foot, try your best to get the carriage as close as possible, once you've found a safe spot, come meet us."
The servant nods, Richard steps to the broken sidewalk making his way to the docks with the rest of the crowd. The crowd became thicker and thicker the closer he came, the chattering of voices molded together to the point you couldn't understand, but all eyes were in a trance for whatever was ahead, captivating all who saw. Pushing his way through, Richard shoves a large man in a brown trench coat and a patch flat hat.
"Hey what's the big idea?'' he grumbles, grabbing Richard with such force.
The stench of alcohol burns Richard nose watering his eye, he peeks through the tears.
"Oh boss, that's ya, I'm sorry I didn't see ya there, thee lots of peeps here." The man attempts to wipe the smuggest from his hand off the coat while apologizing.
"It's okay Erick" Richard tells him.
Erick is a lad younger than Richard that works at his business as muscle if needed, because of his frame he is often mistaken as an adult man, and a brute of a man at that, but he's a kind hearted boy that has to be tough to get by.
Richard pulls out a rag wiping the brim of his coat, " why are you here Erick, aren't you supposed to be at the shop." Erick rubs the back of his neck.
"No boss, almost all business has stopped, everyone has been gathering at the dock, Paul told me and some of the younger lad to come down and see what's what."
"That seems to make sense, the old man is back. "
"Bosses father is back, didn't he leave, boss if you're trying to get closer to the dock me and the boyz can get ya there, but be worn, it's crazy up there."
Richard agrees to let Erick and the lads make a path for him, he follows behind Erick's large frame as he yells, grunts and moves people aside. The younger boys distracted or post up when it looked like a scrap was bound to happen. Erick moves out the way allowing Richard to see. what lay before his eyes froze him in fear.