Game of Love Ch. 07

"Goodbye, David!"

David shook his head and left smiling. He was really happy.

As soon as he left, Eric lost the smile on his face and slowly started moving towards the staircase while looking all around. It was indeed beautiful and it made him feel so emotional. But there was something inside of him, a rage that he couldn't quench. Seeing Giada, Trevor, Sergio and Brice at his event had been too much for him. He had almost lost his cool while giving the speech.

He touched the cold staircase and he felt his heart give a sharp pound.

***

5 years ago

*

'Ms. Laurel's heart is in a critical condition.' The doctor said with a sad sigh.

Eric felt like his world had just come crushing down. He felt really guilty, sad and he couldn't hold his tears. He started sobbing there while trying to cover his mouth. He couldn't bear to see her suffering there. It was all his fault.

"She needs to be kept under observation here and she needs a surgery before she has another attack." He said, shocking her family.

Eric couldn't keep quiet anymore. He began sobbing uncontrollably while staring at his mother who was staring back at him with a smile on her face. She held his hands tightly and smiled even more.

"Why are you so sad and worried, my baby?" Laurel asked. "Don't cry anymore. You know how much I hate to see you crying. I will be fine. Nothing will happen to me. Even if death came right now, it wouldn't take me. I would tell it to go away because my mission on this earth isn't done. I still have a lot of things to do for you, my love." She smiled.

"It might be paining but I will heal because I have my strength with me right here."

'How can you say your strength is right here when I am the cause of this, mom?' He thought as he cried. 'You have had two heart attacks because of me.'

"Please, prepare the surgery doctor." A handsome man with blonde hair spoke. "Money is not a problem. I will pay any amount."

The man was Douglas, Eric's kind hearted uncle and the man they'd been staying with for a few weeks since their arrival in Australia. He was tall, muscular, really handsome and one of the best lawyers in Australia. He was a single man with only one kid because his wife had died a few years back.

"I will." The doctor said as he shook Douglas' hands. "Please, ensure that she doesn't stress otherwise, things are just gonna get worse."

"Yes!"

The doctor left quickly.

"Why do you all look sad as if I am dead already?" Laurel joked, looking at the two men. "It will take more than a heart attack to kill me. I am a strong woman and I won't give up like that."

"Stop joking, Laurel!" Douglas said, a little bit upset. "Do you think it's funny? Don't joke with.... Eric!" He shouted.

But Eric was already heading out the door with his mouth covered and his face really wet. He couldn't bear to see his mother in such a condition when he had been the one that had even caused it. She didn't deserve to suffer for what he had brought upon himself.

***

"I don't know how long I can take care of Eric!" Laurel said with a tear rolling down her face. "I feel like I have completely failed him as a mother. I couldn't protect him from the harsh world. I thought I could give him all he wanted but I have failed."

Eric was standing at the door leading into Laurel's room and it was only slightly open. He was in so much pain and he didn't know what to do. His mother looked really weak after the operation and it scared him a whole lot.

Derick, Douglas' son who was a second year law student was holding him tightly, rubbing on his shoulders. Derick was two years older than Eric and had shown him brotherly affection since they arrived in Australia. He was very handsome like his father, taller than Eric and had beautiful short dark hair with blonde highlights. He was really gorgeous.

"But believe me, Douglas, I wanted to be a better mother than I have been to Eric." She sniveled. Douglas was holding her hands sweetly. "Whenever I see my son suffering, it haunts. My past haunts me and I feel like ending it all but for my son, I can't. I know he still needs me and I have to be strong and courageous.

It's been almost two months and his life is still in a time warp. I don't get it. He's refused to tell me what had happened to him that night he came home. I know that his heart was broken by a boy that he really loved. I got that much from his best friend, Riya. He might pretend to be fine but he is not. What should I do for him? How can I help him get over this sorrow?

I can't help but feel that it will take his entire life to help him recover from this pain."

"I might not know him that well but he is a very strong boy." Douglas reassured. "These two months you guys have been here, I have been observing him. But that's why we're all here. Derick and him have developed a strong brotherly bond and I know we'll all be here to try and help him heal. I promise."

"Thank you!" Laurel cried. "Thank you very much."

***

"But where will you go, Eric?" Derick asked with tears in his eyes.

Eric sighed, rubbing his tears while putting clothes in his bag.

"I'll go where mom won't be able to see my sorrow or even feel it." He sniveled. He couldn't understand why his entire pain couldn't just go away. He'd been heartbroken before, right? "Derick, seeing me like this will only make her weaker. She will never recover as long as I am with her. And I can't bear to see her like that, worse, I don't wanna lose her and blame myself for it later."

"What are you saying, Eric?" Derick asked, holding his hands. "Do you think if you go away from her, she'll heal faster?"

Eric remained quiet at the question and just dropped his eyes to the floor.

"No!" He shook his head. "I have to overcome my pain and then come back to her smiling. And when she sees me smiling, I believe she'll feel better."

"Eric, this is wrong and you know it." Derick muttered. "Besides, how will you be able to handle everything alone? We're all here for you, please, don't leave. Where will you go?"

Eric continued packing while trying his best to fight his tears. "I have already applied for a course in Industrial Design at a University in the capital. They've already accepted me and since I already did 90% of first year back home, I just have to write the final year exams with them and proceed to second year. After two more years, I will be able to get an internship and after that, a job.

I will be able to make a fresh start for myself and it will be better for all of us. I will miss you because I have found a brother that I have been wishing in such a short time. But you can come visit me."

Derick couldn't hold his tears. He gripped Eric into a really tight hug, sobbing. Eric too couldn't contain himself. It was gonna be hard but he was gonna try for the sake of his mother.

***

Present day

*

Eric opened the door to his bedroom and he began scanning the entire room. It was really beautiful, just the way he loved it. It had a huge queen sized bed, really beautiful paintings of nature and fashion on the wall and the wall was really beautiful. The room was big and luxurious but he wasn't really interested in that.

Tears had welled up in his eyes and he was in so much pain. He couldn't believe he would feel that way after five long years of being away from everything.

He slowly walked to the beautiful window, moved the beautiful curtains and opened the window widely. He went to the balcony and was welcomed by a really cool wind but it didn't bother him. He sat slowly on the chair there just as a he noticed the beautiful and a shooting star. It brought nothing but pain again. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

***

5 years ago

*

"Mommy," Eric chuckled happily. "I am really fine, mommy. I just came from checking my results and I passed all my courses. I can proceed to the second year without any problems."

'That's fine, my baby.' Laurel said on the other end. 'I had no doubt that you'd make it. I have always been proud of you. But I really miss you a lot, my love.'

"I miss you too, mommy." Eric sighed. "But you have to promise that you'll take care of yourself. I don't want to be worried here."

'I promise!' Laurel chuckled on the other end. 'Please, come back home soon. I'll make your favorite meal.'

"Alright, mommy. I'll see and then I'll tell you if I won't be too busy. Sorry, I gotta go now."

'Okay!'

Eric cut the call and then started walking towards the beautiful lake which was located near his new school. He'd found that place after arriving in school while exploring. It was really beautiful and quiet so he always came there whenever he wanted to be alone and just concentrate on his sketches. His sorrows hadn't melted away and he also noticed that he'd made a lot of sketches during his bad times and they all looked really beautiful.

Eric put his bag on the ground near a tree and then sat down and took out his sketch pad. He was about to start sketching when suddenly, his eye caught something, something that scared him big time. He quickly stood, rubbed his eyes but he still could see it.

"Oh my God!" He gasped. "Hey! Sir!" He screamed.

But there was nothing working. There was a man who was going deep in the lake faster. Water had already reached his shoulders and he just kept on going. Fuck! Eric got really scared and confused. He didn't know what was going on but he was sure the man wanted to commit suicide.

He quickly threw his pad and phone on the ground and started running towards the beautiful lake. By the time his feet touched the water, the water had already covered the man. He couldn't see him. He'd never felt as scared as he was and the man was a really bit further away from him.

Eric dived in the water and started swimming like a fish in the water. He'd never swam as fast as he did that time. He swam and swam but couldn't see the man. He came to the surface for air but couldn't see the man. Then he decided to go deeper into the water and saw the man's body floating deeper under. Eric swam even deeper and reached the man. He wrapped his arms around him and swam with him to the surface.

He held him tighter, trying to see if the man was still alive but he couldn't tell. He decided to take him out of the water. It was really difficult swimming with him and he almost gave up but he finally managed to reach the shore and thanked God he did. He was super tired.

"Sir!" He called, holding the man's hand but he was cold. "Sir, please, wake up."

He started applying pressure on the man's chest and water started coming out through his mouth but there was still no response.

"Sir!" He patted his cheek but he couldn't even move.

He continued applying pressure on the chest until no more water came out. But the man was still lying lifeless there. He placed his head on the man's chest and felt a weak heartbeat. He decided to give him mouth to mouth resuscitation and the first time he did it, the man gasped, taking in a deep breath and then he started coughing uncontrollably, moving on the ground.

Eric felt relieved when he saw that. The man's eyes were blood red and his skin was pale. He was quite handsome and a bit muscular. He stayed on the ground for a couple of minutes just coughing and Eric just watched him.

"Why... why did you save me?" The man said in between coughs. "Why didn't you let me die? You shouldn't have saved me."

To say Eric was shocked would be an understatement.

"What? Are you saying that I should have..."

"I have nothing to live for." The man said as he tried his best to breathe properly. "You shouldn't have brought me back to this cruel world. I am tired of living."

"Really, sir?" Eric said with tears in his eyes. "You think taking your life is gonna make things right or give you peace? You think suicide is..."

"Yes! And how's that supposed to be your business?" The man said harshly. "I have nothing to do with you nor this life. So leave me alone and let me die in peace."

He tried to get up but Eric pushed him back on the ground.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" The man snapped. "Leave me the fuck alone because you don't know what I have been through." Tears were rolling down his cheeks. "You don't know how it's like to have a perfect family, people that you love, a wife and two kids. And then one day, you just wake up and realize that they're all gone, never coming back." He cried like a baby, sobbing uncontrollably.

"You don't know what's it's like to be a very successful man and then one day, along with your family, you start losing it all one by one. You are having debts that no matter what you do, you have no way of paying them and in the end lose your companies. Your friends, family and your business partners all abandon you and leave you to die.

You have no fucking idea how it feels like to be dead while you're still alive so don't you fucking get in my way." He said harshly. "Don't fucking tell me what to do."

Eric felt streams of tears going down his cheek. "So what, sir? You're just gonna give them the pleasure of your death? That's it?" He furiously rubbed his tears. "I may not know how all that you've told me feels like but I have my own share of grief." He cried.

"You may not have a perfect family right now but at least, you know how it feels to have a great family." He sniveled. "I didn't have the pleasure of having a perfect family. Ever since I was born, it's been from one suffering to another. Do you know how it feels like to have a father around but yet he's still far away, sir?

To be hated since the day you were born and to be born from a woman everyone disrespects? I have never tasted success even though my father is very rich. All I have known is pain and suffering since I was born. You had a family, probably a wife that loved you until her last breath but the man I loved, the man that I gave everything destroyed me.

He made a mockery of my love in front of the whole world and for the first time, I wished for death. My world is filled with evil and venomous people that want me dead. But I am still standing here and I am still fighting with hope that one day, those people are gonna regret ever hurting me. They're not gonna step on me ever again."

The man just cried without even saying anything.

"I know that what you might have gone through, sir, is very bad and it might be worse than what I have gone through but..." He paused and rested his hand on his shoulders. "...that's not a reason to end your life. There is a reason why you're still alive. It might be because there's a lot of things that you still need to do, a lot of people that need your help. If you can't live for yourself, perhaps you can live for the few people that still needs you.

And besides, your family wouldn't want to see you like this. They would want to see you alive and strong." He chuckled. "There's a saying, 'what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, sir. Derive strength from everything that you've gone through and build yourself again, rise from these ashes. But if you still want to end your life, I won't stop you, sir!"

He got up and started leaving but...

"And oh, please, don't let anyone define you, sir. Always focus on who you are and what you can do."

With those words, he walked away, leaving the man crying there like a baby.

***

2 days later.

*

Eric was seated on his usual spot at the lake, busy sketching a really beautiful shoe design that had just come to his mind that morning. He was happy with it and he had done hundreds of sketches. His first pad was full and the one he was using was almost halfway done.

Suddenly, he heard someone clear their voice and he quickly raised his face to get a really great surprise. A smile popped up his face as he stared at the man standing in front of him with a smile on his face.

"You!"

The man was dressed smartly in a black t-shirt that was tucked in a blue jean with pretty blue shoes. He was looking really handsome.

"Hi!" The man said as he took a seat beside Eric. "Sorry, my name is David Smith and I own... or used to own the biggest shoe company in Australia before everything came crushing down. I never got your name, my good man."

Eric chuckled. "It's Eric, sir!"

That was also when Eric took a good look at the man. He looked really familiar, like he'd seen him somewhere before but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"I came to thank you for saving my life the other day and giving me that advice." He smiled. "Thank you so much. You gave me some wonderful advice and now I look at life in a different way."

"Well, we thank God for that." Eric sighed. "I am just happy I arrived at the time I did."

"It was indeed him because I thought no one comes here."

"Well, I just moved here from Zelda and..."

"Zelda?" David gasped. "That's my country of origin. I used to be a governor in Zelda city almost two decades ago."

"Oh! That's where I saw you." Eric gasped, a smile popping up his face. "You're the legendary governor David. It's really an honor, sir!" He slightly bowed. "I am happy to be in the presence of a legend."

"Oh come on," The man threw his hand. "Don't flatter me. That was really long ago, back then when I used to be really rich and hard a family." He gave a gloomy sigh. He was sad again.

Eric looked at the man and felt so sorry for him. "What happened? I mean, if you don't mind talking about it."

"Why wouldn't I? You're my savior." The man laughed. "Anyway, four years ago, I used to be really rich and I had a perfect family, a loving wife and two lovely kids. We were going on a vacation to the Philippines when the plane crushed. I survived by a miracle but my family died on the spot."

Eric covered his mouth in shock. "Oh my God, I am truly sorry for that. I had no idea."

"It's fine!" David chuckled. "Though I survived, I was in a coma for almost a year. When I eventually got out of it, I realized the sad truth about my family and also came face to face with the changed world around me. My business partner whom I trusted, had somehow managed to fake the documents and stole the biggest company I had. I couldn't recover it because I failed to prove that the signature was fake. My other remaining companies were gotten from me by banks I owed loans."

He was becoming emotional again. He took out his handkerchief and rubbed his tears.

"I remained with a minor company that I have been trying to revive for almost two years now but nothing is happening. My life has gotten from bad to worse and I am at the verge of losing that company as well. I couldn't handle the pressure my life's been in so I decided to end my life."

"I am truly sorry for that, Mr. David!" Eric apologized. "No one deserves to go through that."

"Yeah but you too, Eric!" David asked. "How old are you?"

"I am 17." He said with a shy smile. "I will be turning 18 in a few months."

"Wow!" David was surprised. "And you have been going through what you told me the other day? I really admire your courage and strength. I am really impressed. You, young man will grow up to become a big fish one day."

Eric smiled brightly. "Thanks..."

***

"What the hell is this?" A man yelled, furiously getting up from the chair. "Is this what you want me to use? Do you think the money I paid you is a joke?"

"Sir, please..." David got up from the chair, putting his hands together. "...just go through and you may find something..."

"That's trash, all trash!" The man threw the papers containing sketches to the floor. "Rubbish! I have given you so many chances and now, I am fed up."

They were in a restaurant and everyone was now watching them. The man was David's client whom he had a contract with.

"Just give me..."