1- Memory Loss
****
It had been six months since Erison’s horrid accident. He had been told that he was suffering from a memory loss that could take him a year or two to recover if he didn’t comply with taking his medicines.
Everything changed—his life changed from that moment. Many attempts to remember his past was purely futile.
Erison looked into the expanse where he lived, a pang in his chest stung. Once again, he couldn’t succeed even if he tried.
“Dammit!”he groaned angrily, thumping his fist against the wall.
“Darius? Darius, are you okay?”
A young man around his late to twenties called from behind, lending him a hand.
Darius was the name that Erison was called in the new environment. Since he couldn’t recall who exactly he was, he accepted the name without contempt.
“You are simply hurting yourself man, just don’t pressure yourself. Remember what the doctor said, no pressure!”Khalil reminded.
Erison took a hold of himself as they marched into their apartment—a cozy home.
Khalil had been the savior of his life, he was the one who found him in the outback, although how he got there still baffled him.
Erison was forced to accept his new identity in a foreign country—a place he never imagined.
However, a thousand and one questions bombarded his mind but not a single one had a finite answer.
The men paired a couch watching a movie as Khalil spoke up.
“I’m gonna heat up the pizza, want some?”
“Sure!”
Khalil headed away humming to a song, after some seconds later, Khalil’s phone began to ring.
Erison forfeited the urge to take a look but it wasn’t for too long. Erison grabbed the cell phone taking a quick glance at it.
Sexy Liz
“What in the world?! Who’s she anyway? Khalil has got no girlfriend the last time I figured?!” Erison analyzed.
When he heard Khalil’s footsteps approaching, he put the cell phone away.
“Uhm, someone’s calling! Sexy…Liz!” Erison said.
“Oh! In a bit!”
Khalil handed the plate of pizza over to Erison and took his cell phone. He strutted into the kitchen shutting the door behind him. Erison seemed baffled over his roommate’s behavior but never gave so much thought as to why.
After some minutes, Khalil returned with a wide grin, clasping his hands excitedly like he had won a lottery.
He dropped into the couch beside Erison and began.
“D, I got some good news to share!”
“Can’t wait!” Erison smiled back.
Khalil cleared his throat and spoke up again. “So, I uh… got a big offer at my agency. It comes with a higher revenue, what do you think?”
“What I think? That’s awesome bro, I told you that you’re gonna go big! Look at you!” Erison patted his friend lightly to show his support but it didn’t mean that he wasn’t curious to know the kind of job Khalil was talking about.
“Yes bro, major hit. I’m talking about up to 3000$ a day. It depends on the situation. You know?!” Khalil added.
Erison looked lost but plastered a forceful smile trying to decipher the words of Khalil.
“I’m happy for you. Sincerely.” Erison said.
“Why do I get this… weird feeling that you—”
“Fuck, man, I’m happy for you.” Erison calmly interrupted and then looked away, “I’m just… thinking a whole lot.”
Khalil heaved a deep sigh leaning on the couch.
“Like what? You can always share with me.” Khalil assured.
Erison smiled wrly,“Right! I am curious to know your kinda job, like, I’m in need of one—”
“Awesome!”Khalil barked excitedly.“I was waiting to hear that.”
“Oh, yeah? That means, I’ve been a goddamn burden, and you never cared to say shit to me?” Erison flared up.
“Fucking calm down, okay? That’s not what I meant. Geez!”Khalil said,“ I wanted to hear that because I thought that you’d need a fat ass distraction. Nothing more. How could you even think so less of me?”Khalil attempted to leave as Erison’s free hand withdrew him instantly.
“I’m sorry, Khalil, I’m a shitload of work but I’m sorry.”Erison said with remorse.
Khalil raked his silky ruffled brown hair backward and sat back down.
Khalil’s brows corked, “So what are your plans?” he asked.
“I wanna get a new job. Something to feed on. Of course, I can’t apply to a company or so since I’ve got no certificate and my fucking brain won’t remember shit so… yeah, I need a fucking job. Any type.”Erison’s eyes depicted frustration and a need for hope at that point and Khalil could think of nothing but how to assist.
“Join me!” Khalil began as Erison turned to him fully.“Yes, join me.”
“I’d love to but to what I know, you’re just an employee working some pretty light hours to get by. What’s the job about? You never mentioned.”Erison snapped teasingly.
Khalil smiled, “That’s right. You have to promise me not to get mad or something.” he added seriously.
“Am I gonna get mad?”
“Most certainly! I mean any one would. So, yeah.”
“Okay! Cross my heart, and not hope to die!” Erison teased as they cracked up.
Khalil walked over to the wine cellar to aid him some liquor alongside that of Erison’s.
He returned with two glasses handing one over to Erison.
Even if it was against the doctor’s order, Erison didn’t consider a glass of alcohol to be horrible or detrimental.
They necked the gin down squeezing their faces in response to the sharp but temporary burn in their chests.
“Haven’t answered my question, dude!” Edison reminded.
Khalil huffed. “I’m an escort.
“I kinda suspected but I’m actually—”
“I also have sex with my clients.” Khalil snapped.
“Wait, what? Man prostitute? That’s illegal!” Erison barked at Khalil with a tonge of disgust.“I knew that you could be so many things but not that.”he added.
“D, come on!” Khalil’s face dropped.
“Don’t fucking tell me that! For now long and why? What’s the sex part all about?” Erison cautioned walking off.
Khalil followed from behind, lacking the words to explain the situation to his friend.
Erison sat by the kitchen’s counter, raking his scruffy ebony curls back and forth. Khalil leaned next to him.
“Darius, I was gonna tell you—”
“But you didn’t.” Erison snarled at him.
“Yeah. This reaction right here is what I tried to avoid…” Khalil added defensively.
“Did it help?” Erison turned to Khalil, gawking at each other like potential predators. “No seriously?! You could have done something better than sleeping with women for money.” he snapped.
“Oh, fuck me, I should have known. Are you being serious right now?” Khalil almost yelled, “Judge me all you want, but this same illegal JOB got me a roof over our heads, a car that we share, paid our bills, and all that shit involved. It’s the fastest job ever.” he said.
“I never went to a standard college like you because some of us had to survive and provide for our families, and so you wouldn’t understand.”
With that being said, Khalil stormed out of the house without looking back.
“Khalil? Kha—”
Erison’s voice dilapidated in defeat. He figured that he shouldn’t have judged the man who saved his life six months ago, the same man who risked living with an absolute stranger.
Khalil had been a friend, he had catered for his hospital bills all through the weeks that he’s been admitted in the hospital. Khalil paid his medical bills and memory loss medicines, and so the least he could do to the man was judge him over his job.
It mightn’t have been the best job, but he didn’t deserve to be judged, Erison thought.
Carefully, Erison thought of his actions.
Whether or not he liked the idea, he needed a way to support his friend, and to also cater for his medications.
