Back in the days ,the Sun was so bright that me and my friends used to question our mothers.
Momma ,why is Mr. Sun so full of energy everyday ?
Our mothers being mothers, always used to reply coz he always finishes his food and eat lots of vegetables. Then all of us used to have competition. Who will eat more veggies and the winner used to decide the play of the day. There were many things to do in the vast grasslands.
I was born in the country of Sweden. My birth place was at countryside. It was a very sunny day on which I was born . My mother always used to tell me that when I used to cry as sometimes the Sun was so bright that we were ordered not to play outside.
It was like my freedom being taken away from me.
When I used to cry for going out , my mother at first used to get angry and I used to get quiet. Who would like to get some spanking from Mommy on a bright sunny afternoon and knowing that your friends would be coming for playing after an hour. When I used to get quiet and sit in a corner of our living room , she used to prepare cookies and used to call my friends at home. We all sat together having cookies while telling each other about our stupid imaginations.
Can you believe one of us literally told us that he was a wizard and he can make things disappear and then he made us close our eyes and fitted seven cookies which were in a tray in his mouth ,which was indeed a world record.
My father Mr. Dave Brown was a rich man. He had was an olive industrialist. Near our home we had a olive orchid as well. My father and his friend used to own that. My father used to live in a city that was some thirty miles away from our place. He used to come for a week every month. I lived in countryside till the age of eleven. Then my father as he was facing a very busy schedule ,was not able to come to visit us.
He asked me and my mom to come and stay with him in the city. I was excited at first to be honest. I thought of big buildings , big theme parks, new environment and above all new people. Even though he was a rich man , my father never took us to the city. But now all of a sudden, we were going to shift there. I remember , me and my friends used to watch movies based on cities. My initial enthusiasm lived for a very short time. Soon I found myself crying in the corner of my room instead of being happy. I was to leave my friends and my childhood behind. I remember we had a night stay before leaving the next morning.
A van arrived along with a truck to load our things. There were not many things to carry as my father already had many in the city. Moreover the caretaker of the olive orchid and his family were to live in our house. As the van started to move , I took my head out of the window and waved at my friends and my neighbors. My eyes were filled with tears so did my mom's and my friends. Two of them ran along the van ,they kept on saying that " Robert promise that you be coming in regular intervals to visit us. We will play in the meadows once again. "
They started to lag behind , the van picked up its speed then I raised my voice and shouted
' I will surely come to visit you all and don't forget me. I will be your friend forever '. I hoped they listened to me. Soon I lost their sight and took a final glance at my beloved olive orchid.
Soon it was dark , I sat putting my head on my Mom's shoulder and slept. My eyes were paining, I wept alot.
I slept for like hours , my mom asked me to wake up that it was only half an hour left and we will be at our new home. I took a look outside and there was enormous lighting. I saw huge buildings and then we reached our destination. I saw my father waiting for us at the main door. I like those kids you mentioned Mr. Conwell ran and gave a hug to my father.
My days in the countryside were very good and innocent. But in the city thi gs were going to take a different end. The man you know as Robert Brown was not born in the countryside but in the city.
It was my third day in the city and I was wondering around exploring this new world with a servant.
That was the first time in my life, I saw someone smoking a cigarette.
No one used to smoke in the meadows. Though there were quality drinkers but I realized that way ahead.
A young boy not more than eighteen was smoking with his friends. His eyes were red and so were his friend's. When I saw him , he did nothing but just smile at me. Our servant yelled at them and they quickly went away. He asked me " Oh my little sir, don't bother about them. They are a bunch of nuisance to the society. They're spoiled kids and w can't do anything about bit just ignoring them ".
We came back home after seeing the city for fifteen more minutes. That night I was wondering , why did that boy smile at me. I continued seeing such people everyday. That city was filled with smoke from cigarettes. I was tempted by that smell but my mind always said that it is wrong. Then time passed by and when I was thirteen, in my school there was an annual day function. So we the participants were asked to stay in school for a bit longer. That was the day I took my first puff. One of my seniors offered me to smoke. When I saw them smoking behind our school's cantine. At first my ideals came infront of me. I said no then they used force , two of them held me. Then one of them ignited a cigarette and brought it closer to me. That smell , in my two years living in that city nothing more tempted me than that smell.
I forgot my values and said give it to me. I want it please leave me. Both of them left me and I snatched that cigarette and took a puff. It's been fifty years.
I still feel that sensation ,the way I kept it in my mouth and took a puff , my throat started burning and I started coughing hard. My Nose was searing but I was enjoying the smell of smoke. I finished that cigarette in just friction of a second. I demanded for one more. " This is kid is enjoying it. The way he finished that one. Looks like he was thirsty for centuries ". One of them said laughing.
I didn't pay much attention and I continued. It took me three to stop. My head was heavy , my eyes were red and paining. I ate one mint candy that my seniors gave me. I wanted to make it home as soon as possible. Then I went home and slept without having dinner. I told my mom that I am very tired of practicing.
From that day on Robert Brown started to build his infamous self. I became an addict of not only smoking which was just a childish act infront of my deeds. When I was in high school, I started drinking also. As my father was a highly respected rich man.
I was never short of money and I was also like my father very famous among my seniors and classmates. I was the godfather of brands. As soon as I graduated from my school. My father enrolled me in a business college so that I can take over his empire. In college I didn't get any time for alcohol. Drugs always kept me busy. My mom somehow got some hints on my habits. I couldn't figure out from where as my haters were in dozens and I was pretty famous specifically among ladies.
At the age of twenty , I joined my father's business as my had a heart attack and doctors advised him not to take much load. I learnt about business at an early age of twenty one. I infront of my parents was able to create an image of an honest and hardworking man.
But they were too kind to know my real businessess.
I was in touch with many drug mafia's living outside the country. I used to supply drugs and alcohol.
I purchased a house and started to live apart from my parents. This decision of mine was a gift to the beast inside. I was a free wild now. I could do anything that I wanted too. I had fresh air to breath in but still I wanted to cough in smoke.
The conditions grew worse when I turned twenty-three. Now I was drinking more alcohol than water. Wines, whiskey, rum there was everything of top quality. I now had severe anger issues and I got more than a hundred stiches in my hand in less than a month , I used to break windows and other things made up of glass in a single blow. I faced an excessive threat from my rival company in the field of alcohol tenders. I was very furious in front of my bare eyes , he took my deals away from me. I couldn't handle myself. I used some of my connections. I remember I said to a assassin " Kill him !! Kill him !!! Take money as much as you want. I want him dead that rotten piece of flesh ". I drank too much after that though I was already drunk but no one was there to stop me.
I fell unconscious on the floor of my office. I had too much beyond the capacity of a twenty-three year old man. The next day my rival was dead and it was all over the media. A maid woke me up in morning and showed me the newspaper. I made millions over night. I developed close relations with under world. I could kill anyone who dared to come in my territory.
I felt like a God. Money made so strong and crazy.
I used to beat people up and enjoy their screams.
I had a impressive body. My day started with a glass of wine and ended with young ladies around me.
I had big cars and farm houses. Now I wasn't scared of anyone. I didn't hide anything now, Everyone on the sphere knew about me and soon the news reached Mty parent's ears too and they decided to visit and counsel me.
I remember that day very well. My maid opened the door for my parents. I was lying soundly in my room. I was in no mood to wake up that early. I had a great party with myself last night. I woke up with my mother's shout " He is not my little innocent boy , look at him. He is just a stranger .Ask him where my boy is W".
' Who's there shouting this early morning. Can't you see I am sleeping '. I opened one of my eyes and was forced to open both. I saw my mother broken in tears and my father holding her as she is on the verge of collapsing. I went to her , I spread my arms to embrace her. She freaked out and pushed me away and cried " Stay away !!! I said please stay away!!! You're not my boy. You're a monster who ate him.
He smelled with the fragrance of innocence and you only smell with alcohol. Sorry to disturb you. Dear, let's go we are in the wrong house, looking for the wrong person ". She cried bitterly and held my father's hand and took him away. I am feeling sad now but in that moment , I was so cold. I didn't bother to stop them. They went away and I had my glass of mine as usual.
Things then took a great turn for me . I didn't know that my life will change dramatically. My heart started to beat again. Let me now tell you all the story of Robert Brown's death and the birth of Mr. Oswald.
To be Continued.....
F.Frank