POWER, LOVE & A SOUND MIND

This type of argument had gone on until Alexander had found out that Mary and her family were moving out. It had been a Saturday, exactly eight weeks after Alexander’s birthday party. Alexander had been awakened by commotion from the Simpson’s compound. He had looked out his bedroom window and had been horrified at the sight he saw. A truck was parked in front of the Simpson’s house and men in overalls were moving property from the house into the truck. It was the same truck that had brought property to the house when the Simpson’s moved in almost a year earlier.

Alexander had quickly run towards Dennis’s house and the two boys had almost collided in front of Dennis’s front door. Dennis had also noticed what was going on and was on his was to tell his friend.

 “They’re moving out Dennis!” Alexander had cried in a hushed voice.

 “I know. I saw it too.” Dennis had replied.

 “But how can they be moving out so soon. They haven’t even been here for more than a year.” Alexander had continued. There was anguish in his voice.

 “I don’t know Alex” was all the reply Dennis had offered his friend.

 “So what do we do now?”

 “Maybe we should go over there before they leave.”

 “Nooo. We can’t go there looking like this.”

 “But we don’t have any time Alex. They could leave any minute.”

 “But it’s not fair.” Alex had said and had run back to his house with tear filled eyes. Dennis had run after him and the two boys had watched helplessly through Alexander’s bedroom window as the Simpson’s finally moved out. Dennis McCauley would never forget the expression on Alexander’s face that day.

Ironically that incident had transformed Alexander Nicholas. He had sulked for almost one week after that, refusing to eat properly and refusing to participate fully in class work. In fact by the second day their class teacher had reported to the headmaster, who had in turn invited Alexander’s parents for a Chat.

Alexander’s parents had been surprised. They had noticed that their son had become unusually quiet after the Simpson’s moved out but they had not known it had affected him that badly. They had been relieved when they had eventually found out through Dennis that Alexander was only sulking because of Mary. They had known it would pass. That kind of behavior was normal with kids his age.

Alexander had gotten over the incident all right but not the way everybody had expected. The once timid boy had metamorphosized into an aggressive womanizer. So much so that by their first year in college, Alexander Nicholas’s name had become the most popular name in the female hostel. Matters hadn’t been helped by the fact that Alexander Nicholas and Dennis McCauley had both been immediately drafted into the college football team. A preserve for physically gifted boys.