A Sip of Infinity

“Mr Bane!” shouted Ms Jones, glaring at me with a mixture of disgust and resentment on her face, as I jerked my head up from the desk, still battling the effects of hangover from last night's drinks. “This is about the zillionth time you have slept off in my class. Principal's office now,” she ordered, pointing at the classroom door, at which I forced myself up with a substantial effort and left. “Jared Bane....I have seen you in office long enough to notice that the colour of your eyes is light green,” claimed Mr Joseph, the principal, with his fingers closed tightly and glued to his desk. “Despite the fact that my previous warnings and the innumerable detentions have had the effect of an atom's size, I am most reluctantly willing to provide you with another chance to alter your attitude towards your education and behaviour in school. You should consider yourself fortunate that you weren’t thrown out of George High when you failed thrice, but that was all the result of the tears that your mom had shed. Another incident similar to this would result in your expulsion from school.” He warned, as I nodded curtly and left. At the end of school, I met with my gang which consisted of Josh, Draco and Franco at Drake's Club, where they were having shots of tequila, as I joined them, using the money nicked from mom's purse. “My buddy, how's your day going, any luck with Emily yet?” asked Josh, with a teasing grin, pointing at Emily, the prettiest girl in our class who was dancing with her girl-friends at the other end of the bar. Emily glanced at me and turned away immediately with a frown of annoyance. She disliked my gang and me in particular, referring us as the thugs of school, which we unfortunately were. “Not yet bro,” I replied, in a disappointing tone, “but the time's not very far when she'll be in my arms.” I added with confidence and the gang cheered and with a toast, had several rounds of shots. My head ached atrociously as I reached home barely conscious. As mom had already left for the restaurant where she worked as a full-time waitress, I was left alone as usual to drown in my hangover. The absence of a father had substantially affected my life as well as my mom's who barely could make ends meet with her meagre salary. According to her, my father had abandoned us both shortly after my birth and that's all I ever knew about him, moreover, my mother didn't even possess a picture of him. Later that night, mom returned in an extreme state of anxiety and exhaustion, her face fully haggard and her eyes puffy and reddish like never before. “Mom, what on earth happened?” I inquired anxiously as she fell on the couch in our studio apartment. “Oh it’s nothing darling, just a rough day at work, and too many customers to serve” she assured me, in a quiver, very unlike her. However, I insisted on knowing the reality but she was adamant in her vague answer. At midnight, her phone rang and I picked it up hurriedly as she was deeply asleep. The deep voice of a man sounded. “Had a marvellous time today cake-face, keep me satisfied and you’ll be transformed into a queen" exclaimed the man. I threw the phone onto the floor and checked his contact on her phone. It was Ben Joe, my mother's employer and the restaurant's owner. The following morning at about six, an uncontrollable fury conquered me, the fact was unable to be digested by me that my mother was forced to stoop down to this extent to feed us. I drank an entire bottle of vodka which I had bought by stealing cash from mom's purse and concealed it from mom's eyes. Losing complete control of my senses and engulfed in a fit of drunken rage, I marched down to the restaurant which was a few blocks away from our tiny apartment. The place was vacant and the devil was seated right there on the front table in a sweat-shirt and denim. “Hey Bane boy!” he greeted me enthusiastically, totally unaware of the incoming reply from me. “How may I be of assistance to you?” he asked, gazing at me with his thick brown moustache twitching. He was a plump man with beefy arms who wore a golden watch. “Assist this,” I clamoured and bashed the empty vodka bottle against his head. He bled profusely and fell onto the ground nearly unconscious as one of the waiters witnessed the scene and made a call on the phone; he had probably called the cops. However, as I began to pace away from the scene, a few blocks away from the place, a jet black SUV stopped, and a gang of men got down, apparently empty handed but removed weapons from inside the car. Barely able to notice anything I attempted to fight them but they surrounded me like a pack of wolves and thrashed me with the chains and baseball bats that they were equipped with. They probably would have killed if they hadn't heard the police siren echoing from a distance, as they got in the car and sped off, leaving me in a pool of blood. My ribs ached terribly and head was spinning like a saucer as I made a substantial effort which nearly cost me my life and limped home. Half an hour later I reached home, a journey which normally took me about ten minutes, bleeding from head to toe I grabbed a bottle of beer and poured it all over my head and body. It seemed to heal every inch of me that no medicine or treatment could ever. Just as I gathered full control over my senses, I received another agonizing blow, mom was missing. I tore my lungs apart calling out her name but no response and rang her phone which was switched off. Moments later, my phone rang, which took the form of Ben Joe's despicably deep voice. “Hey, Baney brat, I guess it’s time to teach you an invaluable lesson you will remember for a life-time and never mess with Ben Joe ever again. Your lovely mommy is with me and if you do not do as I say her soft and silky will be gift-wrapped and sent to you by tomorrow's post.” he threatened, with immense relish in his voice. I begged him to spare my mother's life and vowed to do whatever he demanded. Drake's Bar appeared quite deserted for a Thursday midnight, however, realisation hit me that it was closed for renovation after reading the large sign board hanging from its glass wall. Two security personnel were fast asleep in the security office shaped like a square box whose door was open. Cautiously, I made a sneak inside the office and rammed the rod against their heads who passed out instantly. I possessed no equipment for climbing the glass wall of the three storey building thus, in a desperately panic condition I took the steel rod brought from home and banged it against the main entrance door. After four constant hits, the door clunked open. With lady luck smiling at me there was no human species to be seen around the area to be alerted due to the noise I made. I slipped in as briskly as my feet could lead me. As usual, the large variety of bottles of liquor was to be seen on the counter, from imported Italian wine to local beer. Without a moment of contemplation, I grabbed every bottle I could reach and placed it in the sack that I had brought with me. Joe was holding my mother in his private cruise at the Creek Docks. As I reached there, his guards fetched me and led me inside the ship. The cruise was white, with all the luxury available in Dubai City; from a massive swimming pool to spacious banquet halls. He was sitting on a chair at the top deck with his guards surrounded with AK-47s in their hands. The blood in my veins froze at this sight, with extreme fear and nervousness building up in my body. “Hey Baney boy, you did it!” he exclaimed with a creepy sense of jubilation. “I guess I underestimated your capabilities, too bad you couldn't work for me after today's fiasco.” he sighed sarcastically. His thugs snatched the sack from my hands and presented it to Joe, whose eyes glittered with victory. “I got what you wanted, now where is my mother?” I asked, trying to sound tough but nearly quivered with fear. “Yes, of course, Baney, I always keep the end of my bargain.” he claimed and pointed at a sight which caused me to feel like tearing his flesh apart. My mother was fastened to a chair and placed in a corner of the bottom deck, her hands bleeding and a s***h on her right cheek. “Go get your mom kid" he said, as I ran down to free her. Just as I was about to reach her, there was a gun shot from the top and my mom was left lifeless, as the chair which she was fastened to fell into the sea. With a roar of fury, I dashed like a bull towards Bob however, his thugs surrounded me like a pack of hounds and ready to shoot me but Bob prevented them from doing so as he wished to watch me suffer thoroughly. Thus, they attacked me as they had done before however, my mad fury broke on them and I hit them with all the force I could muster. I was able to stun a few while more pounced on me, I furiously kicked and thrashed them. I took a gun from one of them and shot few others who perished instantly. My arms and legs ached atrociously due to the heavy blows I received but my wrath knew no bounds as I moved to target my major target. As soon as I turned to point the gun towards Joe, who was still on the top deck and watching the entire fight with thorough enjoyment, another shot was fired from his rifle, as I felt a splash of water.....and the world went blank.