It was about 8:50 am on a Monday morning when Leonard stirred.

Lifting up his head slightly, he squinted and looked around him.

The same old grin lit up his face.

Yep, he could never get tired of the beauty of this room. Its luxurious feel remained evergreen and fresh. The view of the busy Poki streets stayed as beautiful as the first time he entered the room.

A year had already passed since Leonard landed in Poki, yet he was as excited about life as ever. Nothing about this life had become dull; each day came with a new wave of excitement.

As he lifted himself from his bed, the wave for the day washed over him. He was ready to get cracking for the day.

He reached over and gently spanked the butt of the one lying next to him. “Pryann! Pryann, wake up!” he chirped cheerfully.

The naked young lady lying next to him stirred and opened her eyes. “Yes, Big Papi?” she murmured.

Leonard grinned proudly. Ever since that day at Club Obsidian where she followed him, she was now one of his major sugar babies. As he lavished her with cash and delightful trips to the most luxurious places in Poki, she gave him the satisfaction he needed.

Of course, she wasn’t the only one who received such treatment and gave him bedroom fun; there were many other girls who had become his escorts and concubines over the past year. But she was his major one.

The fact that she called him Big Papi was another reason he was so fond of her. That was one ego-boosting nickname for him.

“It’s a new day, girl,” he announced proudly. “New day. New week. New avenues for enjoyment and fun. What’s on the agenda for the day?”

She slowly lifted herself up and reached for her phone on the bedside table and checked it. A moment later, she turned to him. “After breakfast, a little shopping spree at MARTAVO, and a night out at The Elysium.”

He nodded in satisfaction. That was how he spent his Mondays and Fridays. Tuesdays to Thursdays were reserved for all-day gaming tournaments at Millenium Arts Studio, visits to the tourist sites Poki could boast of and just lazing about in the hotel room and getting busy with whichever escort was available for the night. The weekend was set aside for one thing only.

Partying hard.

If it wasn’t Club Obsidian you could find Leonard at, then all you had to do was find your way to Skanky Express, the famous strip club, where he would be seen throwing kinan notes at the virtually naked girls on the poles. It was thanks to his numerous visits there that he found Abida, Japhia, Bixie, and a few others as additional escorts. The owners weren’t exactly pleased at this, but a thick wad of cash was enough to get them to fall in line, and Leonard was all too ready to hand it over to them.

“Perfect. So we’ll be getting ready for that. In the meantime, what you want for breakfast?” he asked.

“Oh, you know. The usual. Scrambled eggs, frankfurters, bacon, pancakes and syrup and waffles and croissants, with apple juice,” she slurred, the sleep slowly departing from her eyes.

“Same here, girl. Same here. Lemme just call Isaac, and he’ll have it here in no time.”

Living like a king and a Big Papi for real.

***

“Hey, guys.”

“Heyyyyy, Leo,” the trio greeted as he met them at the reception of the hotel, with Pryann duly by his side, dressed in the steamiest crop top and mini-skirt one would see around that part of Poki.

Standard dress code for Leonard’s girls. It was virtually impossible to see him with one of his escorts in clothing that covered up everything. You were bound to some cleavage or stomach, at the very least.

As they exchanged pleasantries, Leonard casually asked, “So y’all ready for today’s MARTAVO vibes?”

They laughed. “Absolutely, man!” Sirus confirmed. “They’ve got some white chocolate I’ve been craving for days! Man, I can’t wait to sink my teeth into it!”

“Hah! You really love sweet things, don’t you?” Samuel teased him.

“Of course, bro! Why else do I live such a sweet life?”

They all laughed out loud.

“Alright, then, let’s get going,” Leonard ordered. A year in, and he was already the leader of the pack. No surprises, though. He had all the money, so he was bound to get such a privilege.

***

About two hours and an exhaustive shopping spree later, the squad sat at one of the benches in the mall, happily feasting on all the edibles they had purchased from the various shops.

With Sirus greedily wolfing down the chocolate he had been desiring, Samuel and Allan enjoying some juices and pastries, and Pryann happily licking her ice-cream whie taking selfies, Leonard sat back and smiled like a father watching his children play.

It sure did feel good splurging on these ones. It felt totally worth it.

Before then, he had had to send some monies to two of his other escorts, Bixie and Japhia, for their clothing allowance and make-up allowance respectively.

Yep, Leonard was so happy spending money, he was ready to splash it out on the most inexplicable of things. But of course, there was nobody to warn him and nobody to advise him. He did what was right in his own eyes, and those around him were loving his overly generous nature.

As he nodded in satisfaction, his phone rang.

He checked the call. It was Vexa. Another one of his escorts.

He answered, a smirk on his face. “Hey you.”

“Hey, Leo. What’s up? I miss you.”

“I know, honey, I know. And don’t you worry, Wednesday’s gonna come soon, alright?”

The female voice on the other side giggled for a bit. “I’ve missed playing with you, you know. All those sweet, naughty games we like to play…”

Leonard’s grin grew bigger as he rose to his feet briefly to move away from the others. “I know, I know. And you most definitely will on Wednesday. We’ll go there, alright?”

“Yes, Papi love. I hear you. Can’t wait.”

He nodded, briefly turning to see his trio staring at him, the most mischievous of grins on their faces. They knew what he was talking about; his attempt to stay subtle was not escaping their radar.

He shook his head at them.

“By the way, I found some really spicy lingerie at this new store this week, and I…”

“Just tell me how much you need.”

“Oh, just some 700 kinans.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll send it right over.”

“Thank you, Leo. You’re the greatest.”

“Oh, I know, girl, I know. We’ll talk later, ayt.”

“Alright, Papi. And get ready for Wednesday. I’m gonna give you some sweet, sweet chills.”

“Awesome! Can’t wait for that. Okay, bye. Vexa.”

“Bye, my generous sugar daddy.”

Leonard hung up and nodded. The boys pumped their fists at him, and he grinned and shook his head.

Yep, life couldn’t be better than it is.

***

In the vast, spacious living room of Hollyland Manor, Johannes stood at the window, a morose look on his face.

He sighed as he looked out at the compound which served as the parking space. He sadly shook his head and folded his arms.

It had been over a year since the taxi that Leonard called had driven away with him in the back seat, eagerly awaiting a ‘life of freedom’. He had no idea where his boy was, and he could not contact him; the fact that his number was unreachable made it obvious he had gotten rid of his number and obtained a new one.

Tears began to form in his eyes.

It was still so painful to process. Leonard’s decision to leave had been so out of the blue. Sure, he didn’t have the best attitude, and he could be very frustrating to deal with a number of times. But that didn’t change the fact that that was his son, and he loved him.

And as he stood there, staring longingly outside the window, he kept hoping and praying that the young man would return home.

“Please come home, Leonard,” he whispered, “please. Come home.”

Hmmm. The love of a father is something else. Even after that disrespectful exit, he still wants his son back…