Chapter 6- Aggrieved 4

Todd kept thinking about his wife, what to tell her. Honestly he was tired of the marriage but he was unsure maybe to let go. Maybe marriage was not for everyone. He would try listening to her today. Maybe they could heal their ailing marriage.

Everything was his fault. His wife had no problem. She had also endured him and his irresponsibility for much time. He knew all this before. He just didn’t want to believe it. Now, that he was sacked, it was like the part of his brain that was blindfolded had been shown light.

He made up his mind. He would correct all his mistakes. He would allow her to hurl any abusive word she wanted at him. He would have a happy home. Damn him, why couldn’t he think like this sometimes ago. 

As from now on,he would be caring. He would do her wish, only her wish. She would be the boss. He would become his servant. He continued thinking and his mind grew in joy. He rubbed his head. If he could be happy by just thinking like this. He imagined how happy he would be if he experienced it.

He prayed in his mind to meet her at home. He shook his head. He had been missing all this for a long time. He used to cloud his mind with bad thoughts whenever he was going home and his unhappiness would keep rising. 

Now that he was thinking of love. He was happy despite receiving sack letter a while ago. This was how life was supposed to be for everyone.

He got home, parked and got out of his car. He saw a car parked with its trunk popped. He guessed what could be happening. 

“No, no, no” he murmured as he moved with fast pace towards the house. He met Stephanie at the door dragging her luggage.

“Please, Steph, no” Todd pleaded. This should not be happening. Not now that he had decided to change his ways. He held back her hands to stop her from moving forward.

“What's no, Todd?” Stephanie struggled to free herself from his hold. She couldn’t ,he was too strong for her. She looked him in the eyes but broke the eye contact quickly. It seemed she was afraid she would feel pity or guilt if she stared longer.

“Take your hands off me!” she shouted at him still looking away. 

“I’m sorry,I have reflected on all my past actions. It was all my fault. I am an idiot. I am just so stupid to see you. Please, I will change. Just give me another chance” Todd continued begging helplessly. He felt so bad this was happening when he realized what he had been missing. He went on his knees. He would do anything not to let her go.

“You are not. You are not stupid. You just don’t want me. You don’t want to be with him. Please, I’m begging you to let me go. I’m dying” she dragged her luggage along as she walked with might. She stopped after taking few steps away. She turned back to Todd who was still on his knees.

“I'm not just going for sometime. I am leaving forever. I will make it official. It will be good if we can both forget about us” she said sadly and walked on to the car.

She put her luggage in the trunk and shut it by slamming it hard. She wiped her face. She was probably crying silently. She entered into the driver seat and ignited the car.

Todd wondered why she was the one driving but that wasn’t the thing to worry about right now. He should be concerned more with his life that was now a sinking boat, an aircraft that had ran out of fuel mid air, an erupting volcano or something worse than all these.

This was the day of dashing hope for him. He got to work very elated thinking about the progress he would make on Project X only to be welcomed by Mr. Jude with a sack letter. 

He got over that easily thinking how he would become happy with his wife. That was also corrugated. His wife had left, forever,driving away some cab.

It could never get better, it would only worsen. He didn’t want to think about what would happen next. He stood up and went inside.

Instead of waiting for what would happen. He would rather make something happen. He collected some batrachotoxin and mixed into a glass of wine. He remembered why he had kept that chemical. It was to kill his wife the time  he would think she deserved to die.

He shook his head. He himself knew he wasn’t a good person. He smiled until it changed to a big grin. Not everyone would be good or have a good life. He believed he was one of those that should be bad. He was mistaking by trying to be good.

“I am the devil” he screamed at no one. He smiled wickedly. “Yes, you are” he replied himself.

“And you have a mission to accomplish” he threw away the glass of wine very hard.

“I can’t die until I finished my mission”

His mood had changed. He wasn’t feeling bad anymore. This was how he was supposed to be. He was enjoying the moment.

He went out. He had a mission to destroy the world and he wouldn’t be able to do that in his living room. He walked along the street and came to a bar.

He felt the place would be ideal for a start. He could tell anybody his mission and no one would take him serious. He made his way inside the bar. He was surprised to see a lot of people drinking right now. It was hardly afternoon, still morning.

Their attention was glued to the television set hung high above. Todd didn’t look at the television. It wouldn’t be convenient to watch due to its positioning. The installer must have wanted to punish the viewers.

A man rose and moved to the centre of the drinkers. He raised his cup high like he wanted to make a toast.

“To Mayor Mount's victory” he shouted. The others also raised their glasses.

“To Mayor Mount's victory” they all chorused.

Todd ignored them. He didn’t understand the victory they were toasting to. He went straight to the bar counter. He sat down on a stool and winked to the guy behind the counter.

“Please,I’m straight” the guy chuckled.

He quickly changed his face back to hard one maybe he noticed he had not seen Todd's face before.

“A shot of your hardest liquor” Todd said with a neutral face, no smiles, no frowns. He wasn’t there to make friends and he wanted the guy behind the counter to know that.

The guy poured a glass and passed it to him. Todd took it and drank all at once. 

“This your hardest?” Todd was not pleased with the drink. He looked at the guy with disgust. It was like the guy underrated his drinking ability. 

“If you want anything harder than that, I will have to call the….” the guy was not amused by that. He looked like he wanted Todd out of the place.

“Call anyone you have to call. Give me a harder something” Todd interrupted him and banged his hand on the counter. All he cared about was something that could overturn his brain and mind.

“The cops. I will call the cops” the guy pointed to a land phone on the counter.

Todd smiled at him. It was a wicked smile and he was forcing it out. He was not pleased.

“Is that what you think I am, a cop? No, I’m not a cop” Todd relaxed and leaned resting on his elbow on the counter.

“If you want anything harder. That would be drugs and you can’t get that here” the guy had calmed down. Todd knew he was lying about the drugs. As Todd didn’t want drugs, he wouldn’t drag it further.

“If this is your hardest. I will need to take a lot of it. I mean a lot” Todd took another glass. The guy looked at him closely. He sensed something was wrong with him.

“You are not a regular. This is the first I am even seeing you” the guy behind the counter spoke his mind.

“Are you still afraid I am a cop that wanted to take you in for selling petty drugs?” Todd laughed like maniac. He was becoming intoxicated.

“That was not funny” the guy warned with a stern face. “You just don’t look like a drunkard to me”

“I am not good at jokes maybe that’s why my wife left me. And what does a drunkard look like because I really need to look like one” Todd was speaking alcohol. He was drunk. His eyes were blinking abnormally.

“Your wife can’t just leave you. You had done something to pissed her off” the guy surely wanted Todd to spill. Todd looked at him like he was just seeing him.

“You are Stephanie’s brother, aren’t you?” Todd stretched his hand to the guy for a handshake. The guy refused to shake him.

“Hello, Steph. I found your brother but unfortunately, you are already gone. You said I am not alive but I am alive. You are the one not alive. Go, be gone, don’t ever come back” he spoke to an imaginary phone he had placed at his ear earlier.

“No,I’m her father” the guy hissed.

“Now, that was funny but it won’t be funny when I destroyed the whole of Newland” Todd raised up a hand and brought it down to slam the counter.

“ After your drinks would have destroyed you, right? The guy mocked him.

Someone whistled, the bar guy and Todd turned in the direction. It was the man that was toasting earlier.

“On me” the man screamed pointing at Todd. He must have been watching him before.

“You did not even ask if he’s a Democrat or Republican” the guy behind the counter screamed back.

“Is there going to be an election?” Todd was serious. He was serious enough to get the alcohol down.

“Your wife is right, you are not alive” the guy replied him and pointed to the television. 

Todd watched for some moment. They were showing some polls results. Mayor Mount was leading his opponent with a huge gap.

“That was quite a margin. Sixty four to thirty six” Todd said with surprise.

“Mayor Mount will definitely win this election. No one want that retired gangster” the guy explained.

“Not even you, upcoming gangsters” Todd teased the guy. He stared at the television again.

“I made a decision this morning to oppose everything everyone support and support everything everyone oppose” Todd said without taking his eyes off the television.

“So, to your defeat and loss in the coming election” the guy poured himself a glass and raised for a toast.

“To the great loss of Newland” Todd clanked his glass with his.