Chapter 3

• RICHARD
• I left the hospital, hardly knowing whether I was on my head or heels. The astonished doctor, after telling me that he had run the test three times to be sure of the result, had kept on asking me what I had done, to make the cancer simply disappear, and how I had known to come for a confirmatory test. I simply told him that I had just had a hunch.
• An elderly woman walking into the hospital looked at me oddly and gave me a wide berth as she hobbled into the building. I then realized that I was grinning from ear to ear. I didn't care though. I could not recall ever being this happy. The sky seemed clearer, the colors brighter. I was so elated that I felt like singing.
• Chuckling, I went down the stairs. My smile faded a little as I thought of the money in my account. I decided to carry out the system's task to see if it was all true. Buying a house from Royal Homes, the real estate company that sold the best and most exclusive condos, was a surefire way to spend a million dollars. To the office of Royal Homes, I directed my steps. The cab took me there in under twenty minutes. The offices of Royal Homes were tall, imposing, its structure passing across the silent message that only the moneyed class were welcome there. I walked into the enormous lobby. Behind the desk was a young man, immaculately dressed in a navy blue suit who was busily writing on some papers. At the sound of my approach, he raised his head, took me in at one glance and continued writing.
• "Hi there," I said cheerily, coming to a stop in front of the desk.
• "Yes?"
• I waited for him to finish what he was doing, and then attend to me. When it became obvious that wasn't going to happen, I rapped sharply on the desk.
• "Hello? You're the salesman here, aren't you?"
• "That I am." With a long, drawn out sigh, he laid his pen down, slowly and deliberately placed the paper into a folder before deigning to glance at me again. He looked bored out of his mind. "And you are?"
• "I'm Richard. My name's Richard."
• I put out a hand to shake him. He shrank back a little, stared at my outstretched hand as though it was a hairy spider. I frowned and thrust my hand deep into my pocket. A little of the excitement I felt at being here drained away at this cold reception.
• "I'm here to buy a house," I grumbled.
• "Buy a house!" The salesman sat up straighter, suddenly looking very alert.
• I frowned. "Yes. You deal with houses and condos here at Royal homes, don't you?"
• "We do, but we certainly don't have anything for the likes of you."
• "Be nice, Jake," said a blonde, fussily dressed man who came striding into the lobby from somewhere in the building. "Maybe he actually meant to ask for directions to the closest homeless shelter."
• Jake, the salesman grinned at me. "You have a point. Maybe I misheard him."
• "You did not," I said, flushing with anger, glaring at Jake, the salesman and the blonde guy. "What sort of people does this place employ? I told you that I want to buy a house. Aren't you supposed to attend to me and tell me what houses are available for you to sell, instead of disrespecting me?"
• Jake exchanged a look with his colleague. His face went red as he struggled not to laugh.
• "Well, well would you look at that," the grinning blonde man drawled. "We have here a bum with an attitude." Suddenly, his face tightened into a scowl. He leaned forward and jerked his thumb in the direction of the door. "We don't accommodate homeless people here, so beat it, buster. Good luck on finding the closest homeless shelter."
• Jake snorted laughter from behind his hand.
• Unfazed, I gripped the desk and leaned close too, staring the blonde guy down. "I'm here to buy your most expensive condo, you unprofessional jerk. Now will you sell it to me or do I have to ask to see the manager of this place?"
• Jake and his colleague recoiled as though they had been slapped. Jake sprang to his feet and looked like he was about to release a trail of invectives when from behind me, a familiar voice said, "Good day, gentlemen."
• I turned to see James walking into the lobby, a proud look on his face. The salesman who refused to attend to me immediately sat upright and offered him a smile.
• "Welcome to Royal Homes, sir," said Jake.
• Jake gave the blonde a warning look, a silent request for him to clear out, but the man sensed a big sale,so he remained, grinning at their would-be customer.
• "Hello," James said, coming to a stop in front of the desk. "I want to purchase a-'' He paused, glanced over at me and did a double take. His eyes grew as round as saucers. "Richard! What the hell are you doing here? Did you lose your way?"
• I made a sweeping gesture. "What does it look like I'm doing? I’m here to buy a house.”
• He stared and burst into laughter. "Shouldn't you be out groveling for a job somewhere instead of wasting your time in a place like this where your kind don't come. I mean, you are someone who cannot even afford three square meals a day. You're no better than a tramp. You would have starved to death long ago if Amelia's family had not been feeding and... clothing you..." His lips curled in distaste as his eyes traveled down my clothes, lingering on my dusty shoes which admittedly had seen better days. "...if you can call what you're wearing clothes."
• Jake and his colleagues laughed sycophantically. I felt anger rising in me but I slowly calmed myself down.
• I raised a brow. "Well, James, I’m here to buy their most expensive condo and your opinion of me doesn’t matter.”
• For a long moment, James stared at me in shock.