Upon hearing him call me boss, I rolled my eyes at him and wondered at such blasphemy. Things were getting ironical here. I should be calling him boss not the other way round. I only took it for a bluff because what would make any sane man call me boss in my present condition
My jaw sagged as I nagged under my breath, “Why are you calling me boss? By the way who are you? You can’t just stop by to poke nose into an affair that doesn’t concern you. Please go your way and let me end this in peace,” I quarreled and struggled to come off his hold and do my wish.
My eyes narrowed at him as anger curled up my lips; this man wasn’t letting go.
The man who still had his head bowed with my right leg still in his firm hold interrupted me, “No, boss there may not be need for you to commit suicide anymore. If you know who you are, you would probably be taking a step from this rail right now.” He raised his gaze at me and said yet further “I am Steve Marks an oil and gas mogul in Rio Hondo. You don’t know who you are but I know who you are. I can’t make empty statements to impress you. Please take me seriously, boss.”
I shot a menacing stare at him wondering and daring to see wisdom in all he had been saying. I had lost interest in the suicide ever since he hailed me boss but right now he just mentioned the latter - I shifted from the rail like he said and paid rapt attention to Steve Marks.
“Wht… what,” he stuttered hugely under his trembling lips, sucked in breath and said yet further, “What did you say your name is again, boss?” he asked me in the most reverence manner I had never seen in my miserable life.
If this were to be coming from a poor ragged boy like me I wouldn’t be winking an eye. But this was coming from an oil and gas mogul in Rio Hondo. For one to be a registered oil and gas mogul in Rio Hondo that fellow must have a net worth of at least thirty billion dollars.
In other words this billionaire courting me such bizarre respect was in the league of Morgan Harris and just a bit lower than Fanny Luis of this world.
I was flushed with uncertainty at the time as I waited for the unfolding of this situation.
What could be happening? And what was he up to? This billionaire was embarrassing me and I could not take it anymore.
My voice beamed, “For the second time my name is Brian Patrick, a ragged poor delivery boy, an ex convict and an embodiment of failure who lost his parents in three days and got divorced by his wife because he is poor. What more do you want to know about me?”
Steve marks bowed his head yet again, after shaking his head in disapproval, “You are not Brian Patrick. All you just mentioned are not to be compared with who you are, boss.”
I flinched, dragged a disturbing frown across my face and laughed mockingly, “Are you a clown or something? I just told you who I am and you telling me otherwise. Can you just listen to yourself?”
Steve marks bowed but this time one of his knees was on the ground, “Apologies boss. I stand to be punished and penalized if I blaspheme. Do to me whatever you wish if all I have been saying is not correct, boss.”
I swallowed hard, stroked my long thong-like hair confusedly and breathed uneasily, “What is all this? Why the boss , boss… boss… boss? What the hell is wrong with you?”
He intoned, “Apologies, boss. But you are not Brian Patrick. Your true personality has a net worth of thirty trillion dollars…”
I interrupted him with a sigh and couldn’t stop pulling away from this strange billionaire calling figures that would never be seen in my generation till the end of time. “Here you go again. Thirty trillion dollars or thirty dollars? Do not force me to capitulate a personality that will choke my breath. For the records I am Brian Patrick a poor ragged boy picked up from the harsh streets of Rio Hondo and adopted by Mr. Patrick . Do not impose on me the personality of a Croesus..”
He bowed in obeisance, “If you know who you are, boss you would know you are the supreme god of wealth .”
Quickly he scuttled to his Ferrari, opened the door and gestured at me to come forth, “If you don’t mind , boss it will be my honor to give you a ride . You would sit at the back while I drive you, boss.”
I stared at this man with counter scorn but in his eyes I could see the flame of dedication and seriousness burning in its exactitude. He had the countenance of one that won a jackpot. It was as if he was on a mission to retire a missing jewel and until he proved his innocence, he would have no peace.
I stared at myself from my torn worn out shirt to my dusty scaly dirty feet and then at the luxurious Ferrari, I cast a beaming gaze. My head ached with debility to think that I was being offered a ride in a car I never thought I was going to ride in my entire life.
Steve Marks was still waiting for me with his head bowed and all smiles. I wondered what could be the reason for all this drama. What could be happening to my fate? Why was my ill luck having a u-turn? As I stepped forward to the Ferrari, I pinched myself to wake from this dream.
But it wasn’t a dream. “Thank you, boss,” Steve Marks said and shut the door…
Who was I? And what was he up to?