Of Tough Love

Genre: Mystery
The Tormented man

He sat on a park bench in the Town Unity Square his head resting on his hands elbows pivoted on his knees like a statue of the Tormented man.

“How could his father, his own father do this to him” he thought.

A little earlier he had been on a date, a romantic date with a potential lady friend, he always called them lady friends, it made the strings easy to sever, he never committed to anything or anyone. He had not been sparing any expenses, as he had long since learnt that flamboyant display of wealth easily made up for what he lacked in charm. Everything was going to plan till he signaled for the bill.

The waitress had brought out the swipe machine, he told her to add a generous tip to the bill provided she added her number to the bill and winked shamelessly at her, there was enough of him to go around he thought as he ignored his date glaring at him.  She had graceful fingers he noted as she swiped the card on the machine and there was a hint of a smile on lips that held promises. He could get used to eating here

“Your card has been declined Sir”

“Oh, I am sorry, that’s one of those new executive cards you do not swipe it, you just tap it to the machine” He took the card from her and tapped it like a magician does his wand to the top hat just before he produces a large rabbit from the hat, “voilà” he said

The machine made a beeping noise and flashed a hostile red Card Declined notification. Try this card he said producing another card from his wallet, the result was the same. He knew better than to try a third one. “Must be a problem with my bank, let me just make a quick phone call.” He tried to sound casual, but he was getting worried. He took out his smart phone, just looking at it unlocked its screen, it had cost him an insane amount of money.  “Bank” he said and it automatically started dialing the bank and vibrated when the call was picked up

“Hi it’s Xman I seem to be experiencing problems with my bank cards”

“Hold on I’ll put you through to your father, he requested that we do so, as soon as you called, please hold”

“Listen here son” his father begun without preamble, “I told you, you needed to learn some discipline…..”

The rest of the tirade his dad delivered was lost on him, he just zoned out phone in hand and then pressed the disconnect button. The waitress had discreetly vanished and his date was perceptive enough to realise that if she did not want to be stuck with bill, making an exit now would be a very good plan, she excused herself to go to the bathroom, but they both knew that they would most likely never meet again. The waitress came back with the manager in tow who greeted him with a pained expression “Good day to you Sir, but the rules are the rules if you are unable to pay you will have to work shifts in the kitchen till you pay off your bill.”

Just then a man materialized as if by magic from one the tables behind to stand right beside X. “Begging your pardon gentleman” he said with the smile of natural born opportunist  “I will take care of your bill, in return for your phone”

“My phone is worth more than the bill it’s the latest version, its voice activated, the screen recognizes me__”

“You seem to forget my friend you are up a proverbial creek and I am in position to provision you with paddles if you should so accept my services.”

helping hands

He barely managed a half nod and quick as you please the bill and his phone vanished from the table. The strange man slipped a business card into his hands when they shook goodbye, and practically just vanished into the day.

“You are free to go” the manager had said to him and his tone really meant “leave, now or be thrown out

He left.

He sat on the bench in the town unity square wondering what to do with himself.

His father had used words like family image, being responsible; it’s for your own good but basically. It just meant that he was being cut off from the family’s purse.

He could report his phone as stolen it had GPS tracking, and then when he got it back he could properly sell it, he knew a guy, why had he not thought about that sooner. It felt like he had not been thinking at all.

That’s when he remembered the mysterious man from the restaurant had given him a business card, maybe he could hunt him down and make some sort of better deal to get his phone back.

He had stuffed the card into his pocket without so much as a glance at it.

It was a glossy black card with the words The Doctor embossed in silver at the front and neatly printed at the back in white font was the following:

Lucky charms
Love potions
Lottery numbers
We bring back lost lovers
Remove unwanted persons
Miracle Money
The Doctor solves all your problems

“Desperate times” he thought to himself “call for shenanigans” He would pay The Doctor a visit whats the worst that could happen. He would go there now……

To Be Continued


My entry for the #BlogBattle theme shenanigan

I would have kept going but 1000 words ^_^

ps  its a continuation of sorts.




    1. hahahaha X needs to eat some humble pie …..but a business card like that though maybe X deserves all the shenanigans the gadabout (hahahahahaha nice one Rachael) gets himself into

      Liked by 1 person

  1. Interested to see who this Doctor is. What’s his angle? Why did he pay Xman’s bill? Will Xman ever think of getting a job to earn some money? Hmmm….

    Liked by 1 person

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