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Nathan and Landlady

Chapter 2

Nathan’s eyes flew open as the iron post gate banged loudly,

“Who’s that?” He called out sleepily.

He looked around him sleepily, the rays of sunlight were pouring through his old stained curtains, he felt something light on his chest, he dragged himself up a little making the light object on his chest fall to the ground, it was the book he had been reading last night, till he fell asleep.

The iron post gate banged loudly again, bringing Nathan’s attention back to it.

“Who is there?!” He said, a little louder this time.

“Come and get this piece of trash off my lawn!” A voice croaked from outside the door.

It was the landlady.

Nathan quickly dragged himself to his feet, as he shuffled towards the door, Mrs Einstein his landlady had warned him severally not to leave his bike on her lawn.

He opened the door to her mean face frowning up at him.

“I have warned you not to leave that piece of trash on my lawn!” She screamed at him, she was seething with rage.

“You are lucky that the tow company didn’t pick up my call!” She continued, eyeing him in disgust as she spoke.

“I would have called them to take that garbage off my lawn.” She continued.

“Or maybe I should have called the garbage man to take that garbage away.”

Nathan forced himself to smile, even though it was a very weary smile.

“I’m really sorry ma’am, I forgot again.” He rubbed his hand on his head as he hurried over to the lawn to move his bike.

Tall, lanky, with piercing green eyes and a mop of dark hair, his name was Nathan Cooper. He was the kind of young man who seemed lost in a world of his own making, an enigma to those who crossed his path. Nathan was a loner, known to most as the quiet guy who was always on his own.

But beneath the surface of his reserved exterior lay a life marked by turmoil and resilience. Nathan had been on his own since childhood, a decision that shaped the course of his life. He had fled his home at the tender age of ten, escaping a family shattered by a devastating secret.

At that tender age, he had stumbled upon a truth that would haunt him for years – his mother, entwined with his father's business rival in a clandestine affair. The revelation had torn his family apart, leading to a bitter divorce. Nathan's father, broken by the betrayal, had succumbed to severe depression and ultimately taken his own life.

In the ensuing legal battle, Nathan's mother had emerged victorious, claiming almost all of his father's properties and the family business. She had sought to bring Nathan into her new life with the man who had been her secret lover, her father's business rival. But Nathan had other plans.

Traumatized by the events that had torn his family apart and the burning hate he had for his mother, Nathan made a dreary choice that day– to run away from home and never look back. He had found solace in the anonymity of the streets, where he learned to fend for himself and navigate a world vastly different from the one he had known.

Love had ruined his father’s life, Nathan had vowed never to have anything to do with love.

For years, he had suffered in silence, the emotional scars of his past a heavy burden on his young shoulders. He had become a self-reliant survivor, untrusting of the world around him.

Amid the struggles of life, Nathan found himself sharing a cramped apartment with a landlady who seemed straight out of a Dickens novel. Mrs. Einstein , as she was known, was an imposing figure with a collection of cats that outnumbered her tenants. She had a penchant for meddling in her tenants' affairs, prying into their lives and imposing arbitrary rules on her decrepit building.

Nathan had grown weary of Mrs. Einstein 's wickedness, the constant friction between them serving as a painful reminder of the trauma he had endured. Her unreasonable demands and intrusive behavior had worn down his patience, leaving him longing for an escape from this stifling environment.

And now, the acceptance letter to an Ivy League college had arrived, offering Nathan a glimmer of hope and a chance for a fresh start. He couldn't help but feel a sense of relief and anticipation. College was his ticket out of this stifling existence, a chance to leave behind the shadows of his past and the oppressive presence of his landlady.

As he looked at the acceptance letter, Nathan felt a rush of excitement. The prospect of stepping onto the college campus was not just about pursuing his dreams; it was a lifeline, a way to distance himself from the painful memories and the wickedness of his current surroundings.

The countdown to his departure had begun.

Nathan quickly sent a text message to his boss to inform him of his scholarship, he wouldn’t need to work anymore, he wanted to focus more on school.

His grandmother, his father’s mother had always sent him money ever since he ran away from home, he was the only family she had left and he knew that he reminded her of her son, his dad.

She had been sending him money for a long while and he had saved everything up for a rainy day.

The memory of his dad’s lifeless body hanging from the ceiling was something that was always replaying in Nathan’s head, no matter the amount of books he read to wash away that image, it was always in his head.

Nathan wanted revenge for his dad.

He didn’t believe in karma anymore, when he was a kid, he still believed in karma very much, but after watching his mother and the man she cheated on his father with get richer and their company became even more prominent, Nathan gave up on karma.

He had to be their karma.

He looked at his Ivy League acceptance letter and smiled to himself again, as he laid back on his stiff worn out mattress.

Nathan spent restless nights imagining the life that awaited him beyond the confines of his cramped apartment. He pictured himself walking through the sprawling campus, surrounded by the grandeur of academia. The thought of attending lectures, engaging in intellectual discourse, and exploring new horizons filled him with an unparalleled sense of liberation.

Nathan knew that college represented more than just education; it was his escape, his sanctuary, and his chance to heal from the scars of his past. The journey ahead was filled with uncertainty, but he faced it with determination, eager to leave behind the torment of his current life and embrace the promise of a brighter future.

As the days passed, Nathan began to make preparations for his departure. He sorted through his meager belongings, packing the essentials for his new life. Mrs. Einstein watched with a mix of curiosity and disapproval, as if she couldn't fathom why anyone would want to leave her oppressive domain.

The tension between Nathan and his landlady escalated, with Mrs. Einstein making snide remarks about his impending departure. She seemed determined to make his remaining days in her building as unpleasant as possible. But Nathan refused to be deterred. He had endured far worse in his young life, and he wasn't about to let his landlady's cruelty dim his anticipation of the future.

Finally, the day of departure arrived. Nathan stood outside the apartment building, a single suitcase in hand, ready to embark on the next chapter of his life. He couldn't help but feel a sense of triumph as he locked the door to his old life behind him. The weight of his past was lifting, and the promise of a brighter future beckoned.

Nathan Cooper, the loner who had once fled from a shattered home, was now taking his first steps toward a new beginning.

The road ahead would undoubtedly be challenging, but Nathan faced it with unwavering resolve, eager to leave behind the torment of his past and embrace the boundless possibilities of tomorrow.

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