Wale hadn't slept a wink that night. It was already 2.00pm and Kind was still fast asleep. It had been a major struggle putting his best friend to sleep the wee hours of the morning for Kind had become like a wild child with a sugar rush, but exceedingly horny.
To Wale, like had always been use or be used, and taking advantage of his best friend's gullible ness was going too far. Yet despite that knowledge, he'd pushed him on and on, wine after wine until Kind had turned into a beast with an unquenchable thirst.
He knew he was using kind to fill up his loneliness, unable to imagine a life without him, something that even Cherry was not aware of the depths of his hollowness.
After the passing of his wealthy parents at only seven years old, everyone came offering to take care of him including his relatives. They knew what had been written in his parents will, everything being transferred to him since he was the sole heir and no one could touch his parents assets without taking care of him. Some put up with the mockery his parents left behind, others tried to swindle money from him by claiming custody of him so he could give up his rights to his parent's assets over to his immediate guardian but the clause had been very clear and his adoption closely monitored.
Wale met Kind through his parent's closest ally, their family lawyer, Frank, who on several occasions had found himself playing the role of a father to him. However, after multiple betrayals from close relatives, how could he trust a stranger?
Frank had been equally suspicious as the rest of them to Wale.
By the time he had turned eleven, Wale had lived with seventeen of his relatives and family friends, both distant and close. Everyone wanted a cut of the cake his parents left behind and when they found out if any harm became of him, all the wealth was to be transferred to an undisclosed charity, they barely stayed and Wale often wondered if having money meant being alone.
After a while, he accepted his fate. Use or be used and that's when Frank, his parent's lawyer who'd now become his confidant and only left ally appeared with a little boy, saying since he had not said a word to him in two years, perhaps he could say one or two to his nephew who happened to be Kind, and just like his name, Kind had been welcoming at first but extremely ruthless and obnoxious when they were only the two of them.
Wale remembered having a fight with him when he didn't know how to play a lot of his games. He used to sit by the corner in solitude and wait for Frank to come and take him to a hotel room, which had now become his new home.
"There is no use talking to you. Even my robots have much to say as compared to you. Why did you come here if you didn't want to be here? Go back to your house!" Kind would often yell those last five words at him and his mother would give him a stern warning or a thorough spanking when he argued back.
It's not like he had wanted to be coming over to their place every weekend but Frank kept on bringing him but Kind had been right. He felt like a robot, a puppet following what everyone told him to do just so he wouldn't be alone. He was lonely and he hated it.
It scared him, the sound of silence.
It made him think horrible thoughts, some loud enough for him to hear and imagine everyone coming after him, chasing him with knives, stabbing him, hitting him, spit on him...
It frightened him... The night of his parent's death.
"I hate you." He said to himself one day while looking at the mirror in his hotel room and the sound of footsteps behind him started him.
"Two years without saying a word and you utter those three words as your first... You wound me young master."
It had been Frank and Wale had wondered how long he had been watching him.
"I insist you must never utter such words to yourself. Your parents must be turning in their graves seeing you this melancholic. You have much to be grateful for for being alive young master therefore, let your parents be at peace my dear child."
Frank had been on his knees, his hands resting on Wale's shoulder. At that time, he had appeared deeply concerned but Wale still wondered if his affections were real, or perhaps he too was wearing a mask like everyone else?
The only person that had openly rejected him was Kind.
To Wale, everyone else looked like they had something to say but never did, their smiles, laughter and concern for his well being were because he would rid them off poverty for decades to come.
"I brought someone here to play with you young master. Would you like to play with my nephew again? He's been asking to see where you live since you often went to visit him at his home."
"Can I live here uncle? I love it!" Kind rushed into the room ecstatic however, his expression changed as soon as he saw Wale. "What is he doing here uncle? You brought him to your house?"
Frank stood up, holding Wale's hand and said, "I suppose I've always had a soft spot for both of you, that's why I want you two to get along Bunny. You must stop being mean to him from today henceforth."
There was a loud silence in the room followed by a hysterical laughter from Wale, something that surprised both Kind and his uncle.
"My goodness young master, I haven't seen or heard you laugh in the last four years! This is refreshing!"
"He isn't a mute?" Kind had asked but his uncle had ignored him as he crouched to Wale's eye level, his eyes full of joy.
"Was it something I said?" Frank had asked but Wale shook his head. "This is how you should be young master. Be a child, act like a child and live like a child!"
Frank later left after preparing some snacks for the youngsters together with a stern warning for Kind to act like his name.
"So your other name is Bunny the rabbit."
"Hey! You can't call me bunny! Only uncle calls me that and I hate it...!"
"Acting all mucho but clearly you're not for you to earn the name Bunny," Wale had teased on then burst out laughing again.
"You've never said a word to me since we met but the first thing you want to do is make me angry." Turning back to look at the door from where his uncle had left from, Kind had warned. "Still, I don't like you and don't call me Bunny again. You are not my uncle."
Afterwards, Kind started asking questions about Wale and his life. It had felt good to share his fears with someone else and that made him feel more vulnerable than he already was.
"How old are you dummy? Uncle Frank said you're eleven so you shouldn't be acting like a spoilt child and making him worry about you like that!" Kind said accusingly. "I never spend time with my uncle anymore because of you. You're always there with him and act like you don't want to be there. You shouldn't have come if you're just going to ruin the mood. Mom said I should like you but no matter how much I try, I still hate you."
Wale smiled. It felt refreshingly different to hear someone speak exactly what was in their minds instead of pretending. "I can handle your hate. You show it too well so you must never love me. I'd equally hate you for it."