There were thirty seven missed calls on his cell phone. Charles knew he must call Xation about the bar fight last night, but first he took a nice clean, hot, invigorating shower. When he emerged he felt warm and ready to take on the challenge of this day. He groomed himself smiling at his reflection in the mirror for the first time in about a decade, then he went and sat on the edge of his bed and called Xation.
"Where have you been?" Xation asked keeping his temper under control.
"With a woman." he said in a very charming, friendly voice, in a way Xation had not heard him speak in quite sometime.
"Well, congratulations. It is about time." Xation teased him then turned the conversation to his anger. "Now, please explain why you attacked my dear friend Bengiman."
Charles relayed the story of what happened, and when he told Xation what Mr.Pruce had said Xation was disgusted by the foul comment and he agreed that Bengiman Pruce was wrong; but he chided Charles for causing a scene that could have, possibly, had them both been arrested. Charles apologized and said that it would never happen again. Then Xation instructed him to pick up his wife at the spa and have her to the house for dinner at six. Charles said goodbye to Xation and hung up the phone. Then Charles made two more phone calls, one to the Salvation Army, to whom he would be donating all his clothes and shoes, save for the Armani suit and Cole-Hahn shoes he was wearing. The next call was to a man he had been in contact with at the Dallas Appraisal Society, who had been eager to purchase his collection of art, and antique furniture for quite sometime. He was thrilled to get the call he had been long awaiting. Within the hour he was at the house with a truck, and two men to carry everything out of the garage, that and a cashier's check for $750,000.00.
Charles watched as everything was carefully loaded up and he was happy to see the truck and it's contents drive off down the lane. He stood there for a moment on the porch in the cool shade as he looked around the property thinking how nice everything was all still and gentle and calm. Charles felt as though a veil had been lifted from his eyes and the once cold, gray world he lived in for so long had vanished into the shadows like a long dead spirit unable to live in the light. Now all was clear and bright, a new sensation, like when the hood is removed from a falcon and the darkness is banished by the sun. He felt like a newly born creature, for now he had a purpose that, by the end of the day, would be achieved. So, at the appointed hour, the happy, well dressed, handsome man went to the garage and drove off in a little silver Mercedes convertible, with the top down and the radio on.
"Where have you been?" Xation asked keeping his temper under control.
"With a woman." he said in a very charming, friendly voice, in a way Xation had not heard him speak in quite sometime.
"Well, congratulations. It is about time." Xation teased him then turned the conversation to his anger. "Now, please explain why you attacked my dear friend Bengiman."
Charles relayed the story of what happened, and when he told Xation what Mr.Pruce had said Xation was disgusted by the foul comment and he agreed that Bengiman Pruce was wrong; but he chided Charles for causing a scene that could have, possibly, had them both been arrested. Charles apologized and said that it would never happen again. Then Xation instructed him to pick up his wife at the spa and have her to the house for dinner at six. Charles said goodbye to Xation and hung up the phone. Then Charles made two more phone calls, one to the Salvation Army, to whom he would be donating all his clothes and shoes, save for the Armani suit and Cole-Hahn shoes he was wearing. The next call was to a man he had been in contact with at the Dallas Appraisal Society, who had been eager to purchase his collection of art, and antique furniture for quite sometime. He was thrilled to get the call he had been long awaiting. Within the hour he was at the house with a truck, and two men to carry everything out of the garage, that and a cashier's check for $750,000.00.
Charles watched as everything was carefully loaded up and he was happy to see the truck and it's contents drive off down the lane. He stood there for a moment on the porch in the cool shade as he looked around the property thinking how nice everything was all still and gentle and calm. Charles felt as though a veil had been lifted from his eyes and the once cold, gray world he lived in for so long had vanished into the shadows like a long dead spirit unable to live in the light. Now all was clear and bright, a new sensation, like when the hood is removed from a falcon and the darkness is banished by the sun. He felt like a newly born creature, for now he had a purpose that, by the end of the day, would be achieved. So, at the appointed hour, the happy, well dressed, handsome man went to the garage and drove off in a little silver Mercedes convertible, with the top down and the radio on.
