with that additional investment which allowed them to buy a new and bigger plant plus some modern equipment. Such a contribution immediately turned Elmer into a partner and a holder of fifty per cent share of the business. As soon as he turned into a partner Elmer began to direct Alex in business and sometimes even pressurise him.
Overall they got along quite well. At least that’s what I thought. Alex got this new energy and creativity as well as some new ideas. He was flying to work. We moved apartments and I have memories when Alex would sit on the edge of the table passionately waving his hands around and telling me about his day.
But something changed with time - either Elmer was putting too much pressure on Alex or it was Alex who had lost his creativity (which I doubted). But Alex was coming back home in a bad mood more often now. He stopped answering my questions; he ate in silence and then he was off to the pub. One after another my attempts to fix our relationship were failing. I was certain that it wasn’t me causing these problems but nevertheless somewhere deep inside the guilt was eating me up.
Then Alex disappeared.
Elmer told me that he’d received the kidnappers request but since he didn’t believe it was genuine he had refused to pay anything. I came down on him like a ton of bricks, swore as badly as an experienced sailor but Elmer didn’t even bat an eye. He just said that it was Alex’s own fault. I was raging trying to get more information out of him but it was to no avail. Based on Elmer’s words, Alex was going to go to Lemania hoping to sign a new contract and paid no attention to Elmer’s warnings that a trip like that could cost him dearly. Therefore Elmer was relieved of any responsibility.
I was ready to rip his greasy hair off and break his hawk nose in three places but somehow I restrained myself. Instead I just asked Elmer if he was certain that he is not willing to pay the ransom and as soon as he confirmed that I left the office.
The kidnappers asked for half a million dollars in cash. The deadline was terrifyingly small - only three days. As of that minute rest and food didn’t exist for me anymore. Everything mixed up into a ball of tensed nerves, premonitions and continues crying. The Police didn’t exist - there was only the Commission - a regulating body for all the cities which nobody would voluntarily get involved with. I had no place to ask for help. I checked all my bank accounts but I was only able to scrape fifty thousand dollars. I never had access to Alex’s accounts.
I knew I would put my shop on the brink of bankruptcy and that my chances of going bust or being thrown out on the streets were roughly at eighty per cent, however that didn’t stop me. I was prepared to give everything away to get Alex home safely, at nights I was dreaming of the fierce revenge on Elmer for his prudence and cowardice; and after my rage calmed down I’d start to cry again.
Well... I’ve done everything I could. It’s possible I haven’t done enough though, perhaps I should have put more pressure on Elmer to try and get more information about what was going on between him and Alex lately, but my exhausted mind couldn’t think straight.
And now here I am in an unknown city with a strange name Tally. I have to find this Laroche, pass him the damn parcel and get out of this place.
I shook my head pushing the memories away and as I heard the click of a kettle I poured some hot water into a cup. I found a teabag smelling of jasmine sank it in the water and sat on the edge of the table again. The book called “The Rules and Regulations of Tally” came within my sight and I thought that it’s probably the right time to start reading it. I have to understand how the local system works and come up with a plan if I want to get back home one day.
In next two hours I had my head buried in the book reading about the system of Tally. Mostly
Overall they got along quite well. At least that’s what I thought. Alex got this new energy and creativity as well as some new ideas. He was flying to work. We moved apartments and I have memories when Alex would sit on the edge of the table passionately waving his hands around and telling me about his day.
But something changed with time - either Elmer was putting too much pressure on Alex or it was Alex who had lost his creativity (which I doubted). But Alex was coming back home in a bad mood more often now. He stopped answering my questions; he ate in silence and then he was off to the pub. One after another my attempts to fix our relationship were failing. I was certain that it wasn’t me causing these problems but nevertheless somewhere deep inside the guilt was eating me up.
Then Alex disappeared.
Elmer told me that he’d received the kidnappers request but since he didn’t believe it was genuine he had refused to pay anything. I came down on him like a ton of bricks, swore as badly as an experienced sailor but Elmer didn’t even bat an eye. He just said that it was Alex’s own fault. I was raging trying to get more information out of him but it was to no avail. Based on Elmer’s words, Alex was going to go to Lemania hoping to sign a new contract and paid no attention to Elmer’s warnings that a trip like that could cost him dearly. Therefore Elmer was relieved of any responsibility.
I was ready to rip his greasy hair off and break his hawk nose in three places but somehow I restrained myself. Instead I just asked Elmer if he was certain that he is not willing to pay the ransom and as soon as he confirmed that I left the office.
The kidnappers asked for half a million dollars in cash. The deadline was terrifyingly small - only three days. As of that minute rest and food didn’t exist for me anymore. Everything mixed up into a ball of tensed nerves, premonitions and continues crying. The Police didn’t exist - there was only the Commission - a regulating body for all the cities which nobody would voluntarily get involved with. I had no place to ask for help. I checked all my bank accounts but I was only able to scrape fifty thousand dollars. I never had access to Alex’s accounts.
I knew I would put my shop on the brink of bankruptcy and that my chances of going bust or being thrown out on the streets were roughly at eighty per cent, however that didn’t stop me. I was prepared to give everything away to get Alex home safely, at nights I was dreaming of the fierce revenge on Elmer for his prudence and cowardice; and after my rage calmed down I’d start to cry again.
Well... I’ve done everything I could. It’s possible I haven’t done enough though, perhaps I should have put more pressure on Elmer to try and get more information about what was going on between him and Alex lately, but my exhausted mind couldn’t think straight.
And now here I am in an unknown city with a strange name Tally. I have to find this Laroche, pass him the damn parcel and get out of this place.
I shook my head pushing the memories away and as I heard the click of a kettle I poured some hot water into a cup. I found a teabag smelling of jasmine sank it in the water and sat on the edge of the table again. The book called “The Rules and Regulations of Tally” came within my sight and I thought that it’s probably the right time to start reading it. I have to understand how the local system works and come up with a plan if I want to get back home one day.
In next two hours I had my head buried in the book reading about the system of Tally. Mostly
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