The Prince and the Pauper

“Its not my fault I have this!” Phillip screamed at his raging mother “Even so you should love me!”

“Yes it is you whore, you’re only fifteen and you’re out fucking boys! That’s why you have the gay virus, because you’re a faggot!” His mother slapped Phillip once, hard, and then stormed out of the one bedroom apartment.

Phillip would never see his mother again, and would never find support for the aching heart she had left inside of him…

“Phillip…” The Orphanage Mother said, giving him a hug “You know you only have a few more months until you are set free and we can no longer hold you here…”

“I know Lindsey…” Phillip had grown fond of this woman. She was elderly, but very graceful, and even more loving (the closest thing Phillip had to a real mother)

“When you turn eighteen we have to set you out on the streets… or we can keep you till you find a place to stay…”

“No… I will be gone before my eighteenth birthday” Phillip said, looking at the floor, becoming consumed with an overwhelming depression.

“No darling, you won’t” Lindsey said, not knowing what Phillip was referencing too.

Phillip kissed the woman’s cheek, he did love her, and didn’t want to hurt her when he was gone…

Jason Meyers finely manicured hands ruffled through reams of paper work. The current business deal that he had signed for his fathers company had just gone through. With that signing came more money, more prestige, and over all; more headaches.

The day just seemed perfect, but Jason was never truly happy… and he didn’t even know why.

“Mister Meyers, “ Sharon, his front desk manager, said peaking through the door to his office “A… mister Matthews is here to see you”

“See him in Sharon, and bring us two coffees please, thanks”

Jason smoothed out his suit jacket. He was all about appearance, had been raised on it, and he believed first appearances were everything.

Mr. Matthews, a portly old fellow, came in through the door. He was smiling a very complacent smile; showing off his finely brushed, white teeth.

“Mister Matthews” Jason said, shaking hands with the man “Sit please”

“Thank your mister Meyers, I’m very grateful to have you seeing me today”

“Oh no, its my pleasure, “ Sharon came in carrying two steaming cups of coffee “Thank you Sharon”

Sharon set down the tray on Jason’s desk, and motioned to the cream and sugar and then backed out of the room.

“She’s very pretty, that receptionist of yours”

“Yes she is, I have had her on my staff since I began some ten years ago, shes very loyal and I trust her fully”

Mr. Matthews nodded knowingly; he respected a man who looked respectfully on his staff.

“So let us get down to business eh? Since I am not one of jest, and I am sure we both have other things to be doing.”

Jason admired Mr. Matthews’s forwardness, and his nicely pressed Italian suit.

“Of course sir, over the phone you said you had a proposition for me…”

“Yes…” Mr. Matthews opened his briefcase he had come in with “These are the property charts for my orphanage on Old Sires Lane… now I am sure you have heard of the financial standings of the company… in that it is not doing well.”

Jason nodded, “I see, and you want me too?”

“I would like you to buy the company and the land… if you choose to keep it running once it is bought that is your choice… if I may be frank with you sir?” Mr. Matthews asked.

“Of course” Jason replied, smiling warmly

“I do not have the funds for the orphanage anymore, and I do have a fondness for the children that we house… I have creditors crawling in my, for lack of better wording, ass”

Jason laughed. It wasn’t a vile laugh, or a rude laugh, it was just a nice, warm laugh. “Sorry for laughing, you are just a very interesting man mister Matthews, and I respect that about you. I will buy the orphanage from you, no need to propose to me anymore”

“Are you sure? I mean… you haven’t even looked over the sheets…”

Jason reached forward and skimmed over the legal jargon and, with a flick of his pen, signed away six digits of his fortune (which didn’t put a dent in his money at all)

Mr. Matthews smiled warmly, a crystal clear tear at the inner curve of his eye “Thank you sir, so very much, I was afraid that you would be like the other mongrels I have seen and laughed in my face.” They shook hands, and Jason showed the man to the door.

“I try to be a unique person, and I will stop by the orphanage on my lunch time to see what its like eh? Just let the people there know so I don’t surprise them to bad”

Mr. Matthews thanked Jason again and then walked out, mumbling something about an ungodly nice man that was assured a place in heaven.

“Oh my god!” Lindsey, the Orphan Mother, said into the receiver she held at her ear “He’s… really… I… oh…”

“What?” Phillip asked, coughing lightly into his sweater sleeve.

Lindsey motioned for him to hold on, and he sat down watching her brows knit together in concentration. When she hung up the phone she looked at Phillip and smiled bright.

“That was mister Matthews… the owner of the Orphanage… he said that he sold the business to a very nice patron, and that the aforementioned patron would be visiting us to say hello and meet the staff…”

“Wow… I’m so happy for you Lindsey… now you won’t have to lose your job!”

Lindsey smiled at Phillip, she loved him as only a mother could love a child, and swooned over his teenage naivety.

“No darling, I am just happy for you and the other orphans, because this… mister Jason Meyers isn’t going to close us down but refurnish the whole building!” Lindsey jumped up and down in Phillip’s arms, crying tears of joy.

“Well let’s clean?” Phillip asked, putting two firm hands on her shoulders.

“Yes, yes…” Lindsey looked around then looked at Phillip, shocked “We need to clean fast… shit…”

Phillip laughed while he followed Lindsey around, helping her when she needed it.