Nothing good came easy. Somehow that idea kept repeating itself in my head as though I prepared for my first day. Thankfully, Aunt Melissa had given a view of what the organization was like. I was now going to spend that moment of my life at HSS. As a security agent,we took turns while at duty. And I equally had to take my bathe before others and as quickly as possible. My bags were to be a no-go area so I got one that had a lock.
Usually, most security services permitted the agents to operate while at work and return home afterwards which would have made matters easier for me
HSS was literally the most equipped, secured and influential agency. Most cops and police officers held the organization at high esteem. That was an advantage on my own side. There would be no reason to investigate me or matters pertaining to me. One other thing I had learnt from Aunt Melissa was that another advantage was striving to increase my rank. That would let me live alone in my own privacy though under the institution's custody.
Well for the time I had to do spent as a mere recruit, I needed to ensure absolute carefulness. It would require a great measure of effort . Determination. Resilience . That was the only way to survive. That was the only way to live. HSS was a do or die affair
I couldn't afford to fail. I couldn't afford to disappoint myself or anyone else. I kept reminding of myself of that everyday. Daily. Daily.
Being candor, it was really strenuous as Aunt Melissa had explained. At 5am we were up and exercising, running alot of laps engaging in push ups or much harder activities. The first day I attempted push-up ,I felt like I was breaking down. Like I was being dismembered. And the official in charge seemed to be after my life. He kept making me repeat over and over again until I did it well. At that moment, I felt angry, sad,embittered, embarrassed and upset at the same time. I felt angry because he was raising his voice at me : something no one had done in a while. Not Sr Theresa. Not Aunt Melissa.
I was sad because this was not my plan at all. Being an agent wasn't what I had hoped for myself. I was employed because that very act of his had caught everyone's attention.
I sat quietly under a tree unable to move due to utmost tiredness. I couldn't afford to walk or move quite a distance. I sat there thinking about how to go about the rest of the day's activities. It was almost time for breakfast and no one would really care if I was absent. Breakfast was by 7: 30am . It was 6:45am. If only I could gain some strength. I would hurriedly take my bathe hopefully if others were done bathing. Following Breakfast was the training session.
" Oh God " I mumbled under my breathe. I gazed into the empty space that I had barely noticed the guy that sat at the other extreme of the bench. " Jesus " he blurted effortlessly. That was when I snapped back to reality turning in his direction.
I was about looking away when something caught my attention. Something he had in his possession. It was so precious and important to me at the moment that I couldn't get my eyes off it. I kept my eyes clung to it. I gulped. I was really thirsty and that bottle of water he had in his hands was irresistibly calling on me. He unscrewed the cover of the bottle and he was about consuming it then his eyes turned to me. He paused in his motion noticing me staring at his bottle of water. .
" I... ummm..." I stuttered.
" Do you want some?" He gestured. I dumbly nodded receiving the water from him.
" Th...thank you " Without thinking I gulped down the whole content. He was looking at me in shock. Was he expecting me to reserve a little for him? Oh God . " Sorry. I will go get you another one. " I stood up impatiently that I staggered a bit.
" No... don't worry about it. It seems you need it more than I do. Have your seat. "
" thank you. " I said a bit ashamed. He nodded affirmatively.
" I'm Hadrian. " he reached for a hand shake. " Hadrian Duncan. "
"My name is Ste... Stiles Macpherson. "That was my new identity. I reciprocated the gesture. But his hands were bigger that they nearly enclosed mine.
"Your hands..." My heart missed a beat . Had he noticed anything? "They are quite soft . That's prompting me to give you a nickname. "
"A nickname? " I breathed in relief.
"Yeah...softie. I will call you softie henceforth. " I smiled. Heartily. Like I had never done since I arrived. Well, that was how the journey of friendship began. A journey that really taught us a lot. A journey that made us almost inseparable. A journey that taught me the true definition of friendship. Of what it truly meant.