SUFFER THE CHILD

Zolin Rexon knew the rains were coming. The cloud was darkened already and she also noticed she can't see beyond her windshield in front. The more she struggled to see. The more the rains that have started falling and kept pouring on the windshield, thickened. And made it impossible for her to see—

Her thought shot wide but she knew there was something strange but right now it was difficult for her to figure it out. She held her brakes but it seems to be failing. The more she pressed down the brake pedal. The more her tires just kept rolling on. Her heart pound against her chest for minutes and what she fears most seems set to happen.

Then suddenly the steering turned the jeep to the opposite direction and before Zolin's eyes could see it. She collided with an incoming Truck. Her screaming suddenly died down when her head hit the windshield in front and as her eyes sunk into her skull. She knew now that Pamela Xobed wants her dead.

Pamela Xobed has always been relentless and her magical powers knew no bounds. She could perceive it from afar and knows she had done something strange to Duke she can't understand. Duke was always now quiet and fearless. The way he looks and acts never stopped her from wondering if Pamela had stolen the key from Alex and does what they never wanted.

The more she struggled to read the mind of Duke. The more what he got in his mind evaporates before her eyes without seeing anything or knowing anything. And she knew without her around, Duke will just be a toy in the magical hands of the ageless Pamela who knew what she wants and fought for it with the last drop of her blood.

The history, there was something about the history she can't understand. But as her eyes closed, she knew she won't. She knew the history stinks and she still remembered when he told Alex, "They will always find us especially when Pamela Xobed is always trailing us she is their eye—let's go somewhere far from here and stay."

She could hear the ambulance now and the sirens. But knew nobody can help her now for she was sinking far beyond their reach.

Sensing she wouldn't make it. She lowered her bleeding head to the steering. But only hope Duke finds help in another mother.

"A good stepmother and not her grandmother Pamela Xobed," she whispered as she slipped into oblivion.

"He has no mother now and I want to use him." Pamela Xobed began staring into the nervous eyes of Doctor Paul Flowell. "It is in our blood to destroy and I don't want him out of comma yet."

Doctor Paul Flowell looked disturbed and wondered why Pamela Xobed was taking so much interest in her dying grandson, Duke Rexon.

"We can't let that boy die Madam. We have to do our best. Doctor Lexis and I will fix his damaged brain and I am sure he will be alright. He is just a child and deserves to live. For I can see he got a bright future ahead of him—"

"A bright future indeed," Pamela broke in with eyes clouded with evil. "I am Pamela Xobed and my son Alex never took my name Xobed but instead Rexon because he wanted to be different but of course he has forgotten the family history. He can't take away Duke from me and he can't hold on to Duke's key forever and our forefather will not permit that to happen—never. Alex may choose to take Duke anywhere far away from me but my supernatural grip on him will always link us. He can't do without me just as a little child can't do without breasts milk or humans without air—"

Doctor Paul Flowell stopped her by lifting both hands. He was already becoming uncomfortable but pretends not to show it. "Duke is his son and he brought him to Kliss hospital. Kliss is a reputable hospital and we take life seriously here. Alex Rexon knows this so do our other clients all over the world. Honestly, I don't know what you are talking about."

He had earlier told Alex Rexon he thought Pamela had amnesia but now he felt differently perhaps amnesia may not be it, but something different—something evil.

He stared at her again and asked. "What do you want from us?"

Pamela smiled and said. "That boy is unconscious and his father is in Spain on a business trip. He will be back tomorrow but you must do this before he comes. I know Duke drove under the influence of alcohol; he had an accident and all that. His brain, you must work on it or manipulate the brain cells and add this to it–"

"I can't Madam Pamela. We can't suffer the child!" Doctor Paul Flowell flared.

"Yes, you can, at least for the money..." Pamela wore a weird smile and look away waiting for Paul Flowell to decide...

It wasn't sunset yet and the eyes of Sandra could still see outside. See-through the heat the retiring sun has left behind.

She has been standing by the sliding window gazing steadily at one of the empty houses in the neighborhood. She could see a family packing in and after a while. She knew they got a new neighbor.

In ecstasy, she called on Bruno and Annora who were busy watching TV in the sitting room. "Dad, we got a new neighbor—come over here and see, over there."

Bruno and Annora hurried to the window side, where their eleven-year-old daughter stood pointing out for them to see. "That is the house the family of Madonna packed out from two weeks ago, remember? I am sure the family packing in now must be wealthy as the Madonnas." She added excitedly.

Bruno and Annora followed Sandra's outstretched hand and saw what she was struggling to let them see.

"Sandra you are really smart to know that. That was Madonna's former house—well, not anymore. I can see you still have the Mandonnas at heart. But they have moved on, so—" Bruno observed. "He sold it and decided to go and live in Canada with his family."

Sandra shifted her eyes from the window to her Dad. Now with an expression of surprise on her face she ventured. "Canada? Nelly never told me that and besides—"

"She didn't know about the plan I guess, so how would she have told you." Annora interrupted, didn't let her finish. "We got a new neighbor Sandra. We don't truly know who they are. They are certainly not the Madonnas, so—we better wait and see—"

Sandra's eyes still fixed on her Mum ran into deep thoughts over what she said. She stood quiet for a while and then asked. "Can't we go and see our new neighbor right now and—"

"Don't start Sandra." Bruno cut in angrily. "We don't know who they are and as you can see, they are just packing in—let's give them time to settle and then, later on, visit them if necessary—"

"Necessary? It should be necessary Dad—I miss Nelly a lot." Sandra's nervous voice cut in but Annora stopped her.

"Shut up Sandra."

Annora felt Sandra was now becoming unbearable with her utterances. "I can understand you are missing Nelly, your childhood friend. But you can't have another Nelly in that house. Nelly is now in Canada with her parent and you better start living with the fact that Nelly can't live in that house over there anymore." Annora pointed at the window as she spoke and this time. She was more emotional as she stared into the lovely blue eyes of Sandra. "There can't be another Nelly in that house and—"

"I love the Madonnas. They bought me toys when I was five." Sandra broke in sobbing, "And when I had my ten-year-old birthday. They gave me more gifts—that is disappointing Mum, that they left. I love them because they are rich and I hope our new neighbor will be rich also—"

Sandra was becoming irritating now and that got Bruno's attention. "I understand how you feel Sandra. Nelly was a good friend. You will again have a good friend someday like Nelly."

Annora now had a lot in her mind. She knew Sandra has tasted the lavish gifts from the Madonnas and this most times makes her feel Sandra was already a spoilt child. She has completely adapted to the wealth of the Madonnas and now she wishes there could be another Mandonnas packing in.

Now disturbed by these thoughts she withdrew from the window side and watched Bruno do the same. But noticed Sandra had refused to leave the window side but instead kept her eyes glued to the new neighbors packing into the former house of the Madonnas in the neighborhood.

Annora watched Sandra from afar. She could see Sandra pulling the curtain to her right and straining her eyes to see.

Moments later, she turned in Bruno's direction struggling to read his mind but when she couldn't figure out anything her thought dropped.

She knew they were not as rich as the Mandonnas but they had enough to keep their not too large family going. Sandra was her second child and Collins, her first. And she knew she was not ready for another child. Collins who turned fifteen a fortnight ago seems more cool-headed and homely. She felt now that her greatest mistake was to have allowed Sandra lived with the Mandonnas when she turned eight. Not that the Mandonnas were bad but they have ingested Sandra somehow into their wealthy lifestyle too difficult for Sandra now to do without.

How to wipe out that rich mentality is what she now finds extremely difficult to do.

Sandra was already dressed. She looked at Bruno and Annora and then at her brother Collins. She steadies her lovely eyes for a few minutes on Collins who never liked the idea of seeing their new neighbor and eventually she looked away.

As Annora spoke about their new neighbor once more, Sandra's eyes sparkled as the excitement to see her new neighbor grew stronger within her. And she now became the one hurrying them to get ready quickly. "Dad, let's start going, we are almost running late—"

"Late?" Collins glanced at her. "What do you mean late—we are only going to see our neighbor and we don't need time for that. And you better stop talking as though someone is going to ring a bell at us." He fixed his annoying face at her.

Annora knew Collins have a way of stopping Sandra's madness. She seems too fashionable just like the Mandonnas she thought as she sat down wearing her high heel shoes and then started applying her Longoria perfume.

And a few minutes later, she watched Bruno use the perfume too. "Alright, it is time. Let's go." Bruno said. As he looked around making sure everybody was well dressed.

The streets in Lisbon almost looked similar except that they weren't. The street that connects the Brunos and their new neighbors looked different in many ways and was the quietest.

It was difficult to say why but Bruno knew he will never get an answer to that even if he tries thinking about that for months. It seems natural but perhaps the people that live in it are the reason. Perhaps they just love a quiet life. He struggled to guess but dropped his thoughts as they approached their new neighbor's house.

A few minutes later, they arrived. Sandra walked ahead and pressed the doorbell. The house wasn't strange to her at all. She once lived here and it was like a second home to her until the Mandonnas packed. Even now she doesn't feel that way at all. She always felt it like her second home.

Now, who is now the new inhabitant?

She knew in a few minutes she will find out.

Nervousness crept into her for seconds as she pressed the doorbell the second time. Listening to get a response, she withdrew when she heard moving footsteps behind the closed door and then a voice followed.

"Who is it? I am coming."

The front door opened wide and a huge man walked out. "Hello—how may I help you?"

Bruno quickly stretched out his right hand for a handshake. "I am Bruno—Bruno Strullid." He began. "This is my family. We are neighbors here. We saw you moved in yesterday so we thought it nice to come and visit you—"

"Oh, I see." He didn't let him finish. "That was thoughtful of you—I am Alex Rexon and behind me. Is my son Duke Rexon—hmm, what is your number in Lisbon?"

"Number 9," Sandra quickly replied.

Alex's eyes fell on her and then he smiled. "I see you have a brilliant girl here. Well, your number is not too far from mine I guess. This is house 15 for the big guys you know."

Bruno knew what he meant. He looked around for a while and knew they could be as wealthy as the Madonnas after all.

He could smell the power of wealth from what he saw around and the way he talks but didn't allow that bothered him. And if anything was bothering him now, was the boy behind Alex. He looked different and there was something he doesn't like about him. Bruno's thoughts dropped when Annora spoke.

"Is this all your family?" Annora asked.

She wanted to know if Sandra could have a female friend like Nelly.

Alex stared at her, wondering why she asked.

"This is my family and Duke here is my only son and child."

Annora nodded and shut her eyes in disappointment. So was Sandra who knew why her Mum asked.