A man covered with a bed spread grunted inaudibly as he stretched his limbs and crawled up to a sitting position. He rubbed his eyes gently with the palm of his hand and looked at the alarm time beside him - it was 12 minutes past 7 in the morning.
He rushed out of bed as he mumbled some cuss words on his way to the bathroom. He got out moments later with a blue towel wrapped around his waist and he walked to his closet, his hands ransacked the closet and settled for a pair of grey suit.
"This would be perfect!" He mumbled as he brought it out of the closet and looked at it through the mirror.
He got dressed and walked out of the bedroom to the living room. He dropped his bag on the couch and went the the kitchen to prepare himself a little breakfast - he made omelette and a cup of brewed tea and took it to the dining where he ravished it. He left the empty dishes on the table, grabbed his bag and retreated from the house.
He got into his car, revved it into motion and drove off. After about some few minutes, he pulled to a halt in front of a small cottage and stepped out of the car. He walked in to the cottage without knocking, he met a middle aged woman who was lying on the bed, sick.
"Good morning, mom. How are you feeling today?" He asked with a forced smile.
"I feel better. Can I have a word with you, please?"
"Maybe when I'm back from work. Let me quickly prepare your meal"
"This talk can't wait, son" Her emphasis was on can't and Atticus walked to where she saw lying and sat beside her.
"What is it you want to talk about?"
"I need you to get me a maid, rather than you coming here everyday, it would ease you of the stress." Her voice said amidst coughing.
"A maid? We have talked about this several times and I told you I don't need a maid. I'm enough for you"
"You could come back late in the evening, who do you expect to take care of me during the hours you're away? Take pity on the sick woman and grant me my wish, please"
"Well, if that's what you want. I'll do it for you but you might not get to see me again"
"Why?" The question was fast and sharp
"Because you already chose a maid over your son" He took some steps away from the bed and said to her.
"I'll go prepare your meal now" He said after some seconds of irresponsiveness from his mom.
Mrs. Greta's silent tears wet her pillow as she saw that her son was slowly becoming a full replica of his father.
Atticus walked back in to the room with a tray of food in his hand and placed it on the table next to the bed.
"Here is your meal. I have to rush down to the office now. I'll get a maid sent to you before evening so take good care of yourself and stop being sick" He said in a cool voice, kissed her on the forehead and left.
He got in his red car, revved the car in motion and drove out of the cottage. He hummed along with the song playing on the radio as he drove to his office which was few miles away from his mom's place. Soon, he pulled to a halt in the parking lot, stepped out of the car with his bag and walked into the company.
Everyone passing by greeted him with respect while he wore a straight face as if he wasn't seeing anyone. He got to his office as rolled his eyes as soon as he saw a familiar figure - Manuel, his only friend.
"What are you doing here, buddy?" He asked as he took off his suit and hung it on the chair
"Can't I come here? Or do I need an appointment to see you?"
"Sure!" He said and the both laughed and sat down
"I need a maid for my mom before the end of today, do you know any agency you can refer me to?" He asked, not taking his gaze off the document he was reading.
"Sure! I'll sort that out for you"
"That's why I love you, buddy"
"C'mon! You should go find your mate and love her, not me" Manuel teased and they both laughed.
"I'll take my leave now" Manuel added and retreated from the office.
Manuel walked out of the office while Atticus peep glanced at him. He threw his head backwards on the chair as closed his eyes as he remembers what his mom would always tell him.
"You are never your father or a version of him so you shouldn't act like him. Don't let anyone trick you into believing that you are him because you're special, dear"
"Special?" He scoffed as if he was seeing his mom.
"There's nothing as such. What everyone wanted was for me to become my father and that is what I'm doing now." He said aloud with an evil grin on his face.
*
A lady dressed in a black gown with her hair packed in a high ponytail knelt beside near a coffin, weeping. A picture of a man hung over the coffin, it was her father who was murderer by some group of hunters she knows nothing about.
As a little girl, the lady, Isabel had always heard her father talk about the hunters but wouldn't say why they were hunting them. They would change their location each time they get noticed by the hunters but the last one was not successful as he was grey and getting old and Isabel wasn't around that fateful day.......
Isabel was at the library, reading one sunny afternoon when she got a call from her dad.
"Hello, dad" She said with a smile but was welcomed with the panting in his voice that made her panic.
"What's wrong, dad?"
"Come home immediately, we need to leave now"
"Is this about the hunters again?" She asked in a whisper.
"I've warned you never to say that. Just rush home immediately, I'll be waiting" He said and hanged up.
Isabel packed her books and head phone in her bag and left the school with permission from her teacher.
She got to the bus station and entered a bus going her way. She sat by the window, staring at the beautiful city and wondered where they were going to go next. The frequent changing of environment had always affected her and she wished she could live freely in a city, without the hunters.
Soon, she got to her stop and alighted from the bus. She raced home as she knew how her father had always taken the hunters' matter seriously.
"I'm home, dad" She said in a sing tone as she opened the door but was shocked to see him dead!