Home. That sounded nice.
OWEN
I feel weird nowadays.
It started when the new therapist came in, I think.
It's not easy to find a good one given my circumstances but I think Jimmy hit the jackpot this time. Lucy came in highly recommended.
And I just realized on our first meeting that she's Grandma's granddaughter. What are the odds.
Grandma is someone I met during the turbulent years of my juvenile days.
We are not close and I don't think she actually even knew me but I knew her and that's what matters to me. Our encounter seeded something in me, something that came by chance, by accident, by luck.
—
Flashback
A fight broke out that day.
It was ugly and a lot of people got involved. The police came and although it wouldn't have been a problem if I had been taken in because my family's influence can bury anything, I ran. I don't know why I'm even fleeing but the adrenaline, the rush, it kept pumping in my body that it felt like I'd break if I stopped moving.
I went through corners, alleyways, over walls, and fences I shouldn't have crossed until I made it into a busy marketplace. My heart kept racing even when I judged it was safe. I stood, crouched down, hands on my shaking knees, panting, recalling the recent events. I remembered taking down three students before taking a hit myself. After getting punched in the face it became a blurry exchange of fists and kicks and takedowns. Despite the hazy memory, I was proud of myself.
I don't remember the reason behind the brawl but I was there and it was an opportunity to blow off some steam so I went in and joined the ruckus. It was fun. I felt empowered. It felt more satisfying than anything I felt for the last 15 years of my life. I was free.
I was so absorbed in the moment that I didn't notice one person was following me the whole time. A stray.
I felt a shadow move behind me and just as I turned my head I saw a gray metal tube hanging inches from my face. I couldn't dodge it. Time slowed down and I grit my teeth because that's the only thing I can do right now. Bear the pain and pray I don't pass out in one hit.
Despite the disaster, my eyes were trained to look in a fight so even in this situation, I kept them open — so I saw. The man holding the wretched weapon lost his balance and threw himself to me in an awkward embrace instead. I managed to get a grip on his arm so he was forced to unhand the metal pipe. I tried to hit him as I released his arm for better reach but he managed to run away like a dog.
That was a close one.
I know my face is pale and can feel my hands are partially shaking from the shock.
"Are you okay, kid?"
I looked back and an old lady holding a long stick went into view.
"Yes. Thank you." I immediately stood upright and gave a respectful bow to whom I knew was my lifesaver.
It looked stupid even by my standards. A delinquent — that's me. Bending his head in the middle of the street towards an elder.
My being a delinquent was intentional. I knew I only had that time in my life to be as rowdy as I could be before the responsibilities got dropped on my shoulders.
The pressure got to me when my parents passed away.
It was my birthday. I remember waiting on the couch, with a silly bowtie and my neatly combed hair. My nanny gave special attention to my looks because it was a special day. My parents promised that they would make it on that day despite having business engagements overseas.
As cliched as it sounds, some mechanical failure caused the plane crash. There were no survivors. I saw the footage on TV. A lot of people died but only my parents' names and photos made it in the headlines.
To this day, I can't recall everything that transpired after hearing the news but the next day I overheard our house staff talking about how pitiful I was, still waiting for the chairman and the madam the whole day, until night, until I couldn't stay awake anymore, until sleep forcefully came to my young body.
I was a child but I am also Owen Augustus Hunt, the sole heir to the Premier Group of Companies. We mostly deal with real estate but our influences go as far as our subsidiaries can reach — electronics, medical facilities, entertainment, even politics.
The impact of my parents' absence was devastating. They were my pillar, my shield, the people who protected my youth, hoping to gain more time before I had to deal with old greedy raccoons inside and outside our family's corporate empire.
Every asset, every privilege, every right was arranged to be mine in the end. Someday. Not when I'm ten years old. They wanted to prepare me, groom me to be strong enough, smart enough to deal with the responsibilities that came with it.
Luckily, I still have my grandma with me. She came the day after the accident. I was relieved to still have someone on my side, unconditionally. I considered myself fortunate to have her even when I wished things had gone differently with us.
The wake was held, the funeral was done, the lawyer read the will. Everything was settled, at least on paper.
I should have been mourning the loss with my grandmother for a few days more but she was too busy taking care of the group's management. While it was originally hers and grandfather's company, the group flourished under my parent's regime, she didn't want to lose what they left behind. I admired her. I still admire her today but I have long realized that what we want for me is different.
I knew my grandmother was grieving too, I mean, of course, she lost her son and daughter-in-law. But, unlike me, she can turn to work. I had no one.