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thevickb

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Jake Aquilo was an unusual man in many ways. One of the first things that struck me about him was that he didn’t smoke. This one thing told me a lot about Jake, for one thing he wasn’t a city person. Everyone in our city that I knew smoked, including me. It wasn’t that I liked it. In fact it was the opposite of that, I detested the stuff. The taste was foul and would always send me into a fit of coughing. The reason I smoked was the reason most others did. It helped calm down your nerves, it helped to forget things that needed to be forgotten, to lose all those dark memories from the past. Jake also never drank, nor did he gamble. This surprised me even more, because I’d always been brought up in an environment where not only was it good to drink, but it was necessary. Drink was a major problem in our city. The whole of our city was full off drunkards in alleyways, asking for just a little bit more. With people fighting in pubs when they had had too many. Ruffians lying in wait to pounce on you and take what you had when they’d got the chance. No one was safe from the drink. I knew I wasn’t. Just like smoking it was what people did to forget. Though it was much better than smoking. It didn’t just make you forget but it stopped any sorts of feelings that you had. It stopped all the pain and misery you felt inside so that you felt nothing at all. That was the pleasure of it all, even though it were only for a few hours. But after a while you’d feel worse, so you’d drink more to get back to that feeling again. It was a terrible curse. It caused havoc and chaos wherever it went, wrecking the lives of ordinary day people along the way. People were so desperate for it that they’d do anything to get their hands on it. And I mean anything. It was addictive. Like falling madly in love with someone. You love them so much that you’d do anything for them, no matter what the consequences are. It brings out the worst of you when you’re at your most vulnerable. That is what it is like. You can’t stop it. You can’t control it and you can’t ever be rid of it. Once you’ve started there’s no way of ever going back. The more you hate it, the more you want it. And the more you need it. You can’t live without it. And yet you can’t live with it either. You love it so much that it ends up sending you to an early grave. Craving for the one thing you loved and now lost.

The very first thing that I noticed about Jake was that he stood out. He seemed different and out of place to the rest of us. He didn’t seem to fit in with the crowd, and looked like he was from a different time period or world altogether. Jake was someone who you’d be able to notice anywhere, like in the middle of a buzzing crowd or a mile apart. Jake Aquilo was a very peculiar man who dressed in a peculiar way. He wore a cloak of amber orange that was fastened with emerald buttons that went down past his ankles. On his feet Jake wore something that was even more peculiar, something that I couldn’t recognise. They were noting like the ordinary shoes that we had. They were high quality, pure white platforms that had laces at the front which he’d tied into a bow. When I later asked Jake what these were he called them converse trainers. Around his neck was wrapped a yellow and purple polka dot scarf, with a belt too match which was tied around his waist. He wore long, emerald green trousers to match the buttons on his cloak. To finish this off he wore a gentleman’s top hat which was pulled tightly over his long raggedy silver hair. It was difficult to determine Jake’s age for he was neither old nor young. He was a tall and skinny man, who had the most warm and inviting smile. His eyes were of the deepest blue and twinkled just like the stars from above. And only when you looked into those eyes, when your eyes met did it make you feel like you were cast under his spell. It made you feel like you could tell him anything in the world and he wouldn’t judge you for it.

My first encounter of Jake was on a cold December day. I happened to find myself in the centre of London city. It was nearing night time, and the moon was ready to come out. Many people were now packing away their belongings that hadn’t sold at market and getting ready to go home. The owner of Maslow orphanage, Roger Maslow, held my arm tight like a vice whilst holding me up by the root of my hair so that my feet barely touched the ground. I look ahead of me to find that someone is coming toward us.

“Let go!” I say as loud as I can, but all that comes out is a mere whisper. I panic now as I realise who the person getting close to me is.

“Shut up.” He says whilst holding me tighter so that I cry out in pain. His nails digging hard into my skin.

I’d grown up in Maslow’s orphanage since around I think the age of eight. I couldn’t determine what age I actually was because I couldn’t remember anything about how I got there in the first place. Maslow’s orphanage was an orphanage for boys from the ages of five to fifteen. It was a horrid place. Survival of the fittest was necessary in such a place like this. You had to stand up for yourself in order to survive, because no one else would. This meant that a lot of young one’s went hungry or worse. They’d either die from starvation or neglect. Most children here didn’t have any skill whatsoever and I was the only boy out of them all that could read and write.

I looked up at the man in front of me. I knew who he was. Mr Murdstone. I detested everything about him. He made my skin crawl and the hairs on the back of my neck stand out whenever he was near my presence. He wasn’t the most likeable of men. Mr Murdstone was a very strict man, who expected respect but gave none in return. He was an important wealthy man who owned the cigarette factory in the city. He was short, tubby and reminded me a lot of a snake. His eyes were almost like little slits and his nose was as flat as a pancake. When he spoke it sounded like he were hissing than speaking and a roll of saliva would roll down his chin. He held me tighter as Mr Murdstone stared at me with no emotion in his face. My heart beat a little faster as he came closer toward my body and touched my face with his cold, hard hands. A whole shiver went through my body and I suddenly felt very weak. I stared back at him, into his dull, grey eyes keeping his gaze. I wasn’t going to show any of them that I was afraid. I knew what was going to happen. What they were going to do to me. Though I hadn’t known it till this point. I should have known that they would do something like this. They always said they would, but I didn’t ever believe them. Up till now. They were going to sell my freedom.

“Now. Come on. Five shillings is more than enough for this miserable little bastard. I thought you’d be more than willing to get him off your hands.” I looked around to find that a crowd was forming. Watching what was about to happen. I struggled trying to get free from his grip. I needed to get away. They couldn’t do this to me. I knew that struggling wasn’t going to do any good. He was to strong for me. So I used the only thing I had left, my mouth. Looking at him with all hatred and disgust I formed a bubble and spat at his feet. The whole crowd went mad, jeering and booing. I knew I wouldn’t have dared to do anything like this usually. It isn’t something I would find pleasure in doing. It was a horrid and disgusting thing to do. But Mr Murdstone was a horrid and disgusting person, and I thought he deserved it. .

“See what I mean? This boy’s a thief, a nasty little liar, ladies and gentlemen.”

He pronounced getting the crowd involved. “And this man wants more than five shillings too get him of his back. When he’s nothing but dirt from your shoe.” The crowd went wild at this. I felt myself being pushed and shoved by many onto the floor. Pain ached through from kick after kick as I looked for the only person I could for help.

“Don’t go looking at me. You brought this on yourself.”

I knew that. I was all the things he said I was, a thief, a liar and many more. But I didn’t deserve this did I?

“Get up off the floor”

Panic and nerves ran through me as I tried to get up on my feet. I didn’t like this. My heart beat faster and faster and I felt my palms clam up. Being the centre of attention was one of the things that frightened me, and here I was in the middle of it all. Being kicked booed and spat at by people I didn’t even know. I couldn’t make sense of any of it. All I wanted was to get away, run away from them if I could. But I felt so weak that I could barely stand. I couldn’t make sense of what was going on around me. All I could hear was the sound of the rain which was coming down faster than ever, and the shouts from crowds which I knew were being directed at me.

“Hang him.” And “Give him what he deserves.” rang through my ears again and again.

I didn’t understand. Why did they hate me so much? I didn’t know any of then, but they treating me as if I were a criminal going to gallows. I hadn’t done anything wrong. None of this was my fault, not really. But they didn’t seem to care about that.

“Come on. He aint worth nothing. You’re wasting your time with him. Let me take him of your hands.”

“Don’t play dumb with me. You and I both know that he’s the only young un round here that can read and write.”

“I couldn’t care less about his writing abilities. That aint why I want him.” Yeah, I know why he wanted me. He hated the fact that his factory was shut down and out of business, and I was the only one he could blame for it.

“I know why you want him. And you can do whatever you want with him. Ten shillings. Final offer. Take it or leave it.”

“Alright, alright” They both shook hands as if to strike the deal. “Let’s just hope Adrian will pay me back for this.” He said while letting out a laugh. My whole body turned to ice as I heard the name.

Adrian.

I knew that name from somewhere. Somewhere in the past, I just couldn’t remember where.

“Yes, Adrian. He can’t wait to see you. You do remember him, don’t you water boy?” Water boy. I knew that name too. I searched my mind, trying to remember, but my mind was blank. I couldn’t remember much about my past, and I knew most of it I didn’t want to remember either. The memories of my past had already been pushed too far back in my mind, never to be revealed again. I pondered for a while. Who was Adrian? The very sound of the name chilled me to the bone; it frightened me, though I didn’t know why.

Mr Murdstone reached for his money. I knew this was it. This was the end of my freedom. I screamed, yelled, kicked. Tried everything I could to get away from them. My freedom meant everything to me. It was the reason I got up in the morning. It was the only thing I had left, and they were going to take it all away from me. I couldn’t let them. The heavens opened up, sending gallons of heavy rain, the thunder shattered and shook, shaking the earth and everyone one upon it. The lighting flashed before my very eyes but still everything stayed the same. They still carried on. It felt as if my whole world was being pulled apart. My very life ruined. My heart torn and my lungs ripped out of my body. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t even think. Everything was a blur, like some sort of dream. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening. Not to me.

Then I screamed. The loudest, piercing scream there ever was. Time stood still. Everyone was stunned with silence.

This is when it happened. When Jake Aquilo came to me. He appeared from nowhere, his long orange cloak flapping in the wind. Heads turned to look at him as he strolled nearer. I saw him from a distance, the rain hitting hard against my face so that his image was just a blur. My first thought of him was that he was a foreigner, lost in our wretched city. He had to be. He seemed too decent to be near such a place like this. No one knew where he came from. Or why he appeared when he did. And I still don’t know to this day why he came to me. He strolled faster toward me. Everything was dead. No one spoke. Not even the wind could be heard. It was as if time had stopped. All eyes now upon him as he came toward me. I didn’t know what to think at first. Maybe he was just going to ask directions to the quickest way out of the city? I know that’s what I would do. But he didn’t. He smiled at me and then turned toward Roger Maslow.

“Jake Aquilo” He said whilst taking out his hands almost as if they were old friends. The sound of his name made my heart skip a beat. The heavens brightened up a little, as if changing to fit my mood.

“I’ve just moved into the little bookshop down yonder. What’s going on here?” He asked with a frown upon his face.

“None of your concern. Move away! Can’t you see we’re doing business here? Away I tell you!” Intruded Mr Murdstone whilst shaking his hand rudely.

“So this is business? I’m sorry old fellow, but it looked to me like you were all harassing this young lad. But if its business then it’s alright isn’t it? His stood, looking into the face of Mr Murdstone. His face now serious.

“Harassing? This is nothing. You don’t know half the stor…….” Jake Aquilo stopped him.

“I know enough to say that it isn’t right.”

“Is not right? You know nothing. This is none of your business”

“Not my business? But it sure is. I can’t sit back and watch this happen, it aint right. It’s in my duty to protect the people of this city, and if you carry on treating people like this then I suppose I’ll have to stop you.” He said whilst looking hard at Roger Maslow.

“Stop me? You can’t stop me. I can do what I like, and I will do. Ten shillings Murdstone. Hand it over.” He held me tighter like a vice whilst he reached for his money again. I was sure this was it this time. Nothing could stop them.

“Stop. Stop I tell you. I’ll give you twenty.” I looked up at the man in surprise. He caught my eye, gave a wink and smiled at me. I warmed to him immediately and a strange feeling erupted inside me like a volcano about to burst. Why would he want me? I was nothing too him.

“What?”

“I said I’ll give you twenty shillings for him.”

“No. You can’t do that. He’s mine.”

“He isn’t anyone’s. You can’t own a person. Sir, I will give you twenty shillings for you to let him go.” He said turning once more to Mr Maslow.

“Alright. You can have him.” He said, whilst going to shake his hand again.

“Thirty!” Mr Murdstone yelled.

“Forty”
“Fifty”

“Sixty” It went on like this for some time. Mr Maslow’s eyes lighting up brighter as the price got higher. I felt like I was some fancy toy in an auction they wanted to buy.

“Twenty pounds.” And his eyes lit up so much at this that I was sure they’d be bright enough to be able to read in the dark of night. He couldn’t have that amount of money on him. Could he?

“Twenty pounds? You can’t possibly have that much money on you. Maslow don’t waste your time with this fool”

“I’m sorry Murdstone, but twenty pounds is a lot more than your offering. You’ve got a deal sir.” They both shook hands, and they deal was done. I felt my arm loosen and the pain ease.

“You can’t do this. He’s nothing too you. He’s a lazy, ignorant little bastard. No manners.”

“He‘s not the only one round here.” He said almost in a whisper. Mr Mudstone’s face was a picture. He was red in the face and looked as if he was going to explode at any minute.

“I beg your pardon? What did you say?”
“Oh. Did I say something? Sorry, I think you must be hearing things.”

“You’ll regret this! I swear you will.” Then he walked away from us, not saying another word.

Jake Aquilo turned, making to head down the road of our city. I stood where I was. Unable to move. Still hardly believing what had just happened. I was uncertain on whether I should follow him or not. He turned back suddenly, looking at me,

“Well, are you coming or not?” His eyes met mine and before I knew what I was doing, before even thinking about it, I’d already nodded and followed him down the wretched road which was our city.