01-Tradition's Sake

01-Tradition’s Sake

Alexis was anxious. In this week, he was going to be eighteen, an important age for boys of traditional families like him. In his country, when a boy got his eighteenth birthday, it was tradition to have two parties: one in family and another at a Gentlemen’s club.

Despite the fact the second party involved cigars, drinking and women, what Alexis was most anxious about was his studies. He could not help himself about thinking of how his parents would afford his advanced education. He had studied his whole life in Wohgran, since his five years, but the government in Asael afforded just basic and medium education. Now Alexis had to subscribe on a sponsorship program, where rich and influent people of his city, Vuoren, would analyze the medium education writing assignments of the students who wanted to go further with academic life.

Alexis read and re-read his last writing assignment “Society after the Meteors Falling”, the one he had applied on the program for Politics career, trying to reassure himself of how good he could write, but failing several times when he noticed the lack of details and style in his writing. If he did not get this sponsorship, Alexis was the first of the Kristoffs not going to a college, a profound shame to his parents and to himself.

All the male Kristoff’s had graduation in Politics, even if after it they worked in another field. It was crucial for Alexis to follow the same path in the family. His uncles and cousins lived far from them, but every time they have talked about the advanced education, his relatives would say: Politics opens the doors to all the other careers. Look at you father! How do you think he became a famous carpenter? Politics! It was almost his family motto.

Alexis’ stepfather, Mr. Kristoff, knocked on the open door. He rested his deep blue eyes on his son’s dark hair, disheveled and past his neck; so alien to his red one, but at the same time so familiar to him. “Do not worry about your sponsorship. You wrote a fine piece. I am sure you will get an extremely wealth sponsor. You should be getting ready for your birthday party.”

“I know. It’s just, I keep rethinking what I wrote and some things don’t seem to match.”

“Grammar is just one detail. The body of your writing is the most important to the sponsors. It shows them how fierce your mind is.”

“It’s not that.” Alexis paused before saying it out loud “I don’t agree with some of the decisions the government made in the past and I’m feeling guilty for this. I think the governors were acting like dictators carrying a white flag.”

Alexis’ father was a traditional man and proud of it. Listening to his son criticizing what he loved was painful.“Son, there are things you can only comprehend after advanced classes in Politics. Wait until you get there. Otherwise, you will sound just as the people who caused our first Great War”, Kristoff started, but seeing Alexis’ sad reaction he softened his tone.

“They complained about what they could not understand. They were not humble enough to listen to reason, instead they hold on emotions about the ancient earth sickening habits. They offended all the hard work our forefathers made to rebuild our humanity. Now you should be getting cleaned and dressed for your first party. Your mother will be disappointed if you do not.”

And that’s the way his father said we’re done on this subject, saying something about his mother getting upset and giving some order. This Great War was some kind of wound that would never heal on Kristoff’s pride. Every time they reached the subject, his father would get grumpy and turn the “History Professor Mode” on.

So Alexis headed for the bathroom and filled the tub with water from the ‘hot’ outlet. If you lived in the Alps like him, you would never regret paying a small fortune to have hot water in your plumbing, even in summer. Winter was no friend of baths, only necessary cleaning. He had a twenty minutes self-reflection bath and headed back to his bedroom.

Everything was in order: his desk under a wide window looking east to the melting peaks far above, his bookshelf, and the wooden wardrobe. Actually all the furniture in his house was made of excellent wood, since Kristoff was a renowned carpenter. His history books were lying on the bed. Alexis loved to read about human kind achievements before the fall.

He thought Humanity was really bad-ass in creating electronics and those kinds of devices, and he was really sorry they could no longer do it. He thought the lack of some metals and other materials in nature, after the meteors falling, were the main cause technology was still “toddling” around. Suddenly he regretted not writing this on the assignment. “Damn it, I’ll never get a decent sponsor.”

But to his surprise, in the birthday dinner, where friends from school and family were gathered, he received an unexpected visit. The most famous, and controversial, banker of Vuoren, Mr. Grascov, was on his finest dressing with a red envelope in hand. “Is that here where I can find my newest sponsored student?”

It was weird to have a powerful man like Mr. Grascov in your house. He was not the kind of man who did anything for free, but Alexis’ parents didn’t seem to mind the banker’s presence. For the sponsorship sake, Alexis thought.

So everybody celebrated and Mrs. Kristoff opened the most expensive champagne bottle of the wine cellar. When the huge cake Alexis’ mother had made was over, everybody said their farewells to Alexis who soon would live full time in Wohgran. The last ones to leave were his friends from school.

One of them, Vinicius, whispered “In fifteen minutes we’ll be back to give you your real birthday party”. Alexis hided a laugh and when he went back inside, Mr. Grascov had just hired Mr. Kristoff to redecorate his summer house in Lacuri. Alexis did not like it at all. To be sponsored for Grascov meant Alexis would have to pay him back somehow. Before leaving, Mr. Grascov called Alexis to a corner for a quick private talk.

“Lad, I hope you know what it is like to have a sponsor. You want Politics and I will pay for your studies. You will study every inch of laws and gaps. Do you understand me? Every gap in the law you find you will tell me in the proper time. I am a rich man and my partners have plenty of success by my side. Keep this talk in private and I will award you. See you soon.”

Alexis did not have time to answer. The man was already gone and Alexis’ mind was worse than before. His parents were jubilant talking in the dinner room. Alexis hadn’t seen them like this since… ever! His mother went to the kitchen to set things right and his father stayed in the living room with him.

“I knew you would earn it. You have a brilliant thinking, even if you cannot always put it on paper.”

“Thanks, dad, but coming from you it’s not fair. You’re my dad!” Alexis tried to sound happy, but he was worried about Grascov proposition. Even if in the darkest corner of his soul he wanted to work as a cook, what would kill his stepparents of heart attack, he was decided to please the Kristoffs, who had always given him the best they could. Even if this meant he had to get involved with Grascov’s plans.

“Here is some coin for you spend with the boys”, Kristoff handed Alexis a heavy velvet pouch.“Tonight you have to taste 2 o’tree, as tradition demands. Drinking, smoking and fucking. You will have lots of fun tonight, boy.”

Alexis rolled his eyes. He had never had a father-to-son talk about this kind of thing. He was painfully grateful there was a knock on the door. When Kristoff opened, Alexis’ school friends and twenty other young men were waiting. His father suppressed a smile.

“Go! Before your mother realizes where you are going.” Alexis gathered all the strength he had and went with the boys to the first, but not the last, Gentlemen Club he would go.

The Gentlemen Club was a luxurious underground complex of rooms and saloons. Everywhere Alexis turned he could see polished wood furniture, heavy curtains covering the walls and lots of almost-naked women serving the tables. It was a real paradise to his senses: the smell of food, sweet perfumes, wine and agitated music. The laughter was high and there was a stage at the end of the first saloon full of more women dancing and playing instruments while men threw coins and sang along, a choir of lyrics written by too much wine and too little shame.

If you were sixteen in Asael, you could get in a club like this one, but Alexis never felt the urge to. He and his friends always talked about the most unspeakable things boys do when they are among themselves, but none of them had ever get a woman before the eighteen’s. They said it was bad luck, but Alexis knew it was for tradition’s sake. If you played a lot of sports or trained a lot, as they did with weapons at gym, it was achievable enough.

But now Alexis was the last of the group to be eighteen, all the boys had been here before and he felt the pressure. Before he could think about leaving, a red-haired young woman, with curly hair, only in purple silk-and-lace underwear, noticed him and approached with a perfect white smile. She had a predator look that made him uneasy.

“Dear lad. How can I help you?”

Vinicius, Alexis’ classmate, came closer and explained it was Alexis’ eighteen’s party, what caused a general commotion among the other women. The red-haired young woman calmed the other girls down and leaded the boys downstairs, only ten of them, since the others stayed in the main room.

“Vinicius, there’s something I want to talk to you.” Alexis whispered to his friend. He talked in a low voice what Grascov had requested of him.

“I only have one advice. Enjoy today, worry tomorrow. He’s not here now, so enjoy your party!”

They were settled in a huge circular private party room. The walls were covered with red velvet curtains, opening only in the spaces where four fireplaces heated the room. Comfy couches were spread everywhere and in the middle of the room there was a long table full of food, cigars in copper boxes, crystal cups, gilded jars of hot wine and silver jars of fresh water. Candelabras spread here and there with long candles of bright flame gave the final touch to an expensive-looking room.

The red-haired woman started, “Young Alexis Kristoff was being expected. This room was rented by his sponsor as a sign of good faith to their future bonding. Eat, drink and smoke freely. I am going to get the girls chosen for your group tonight.”

The boys were excited about having girls for free and sat around the table talking and laughing, but Alexis had an uneasy feeling about this gift. As if reading his mind, the red-haired whispered to Alexis, “You have a really good sponsor lad. Beware of the price of things that come too easy. You’re too cute to die so young.”

Alexis blinked surprised. Does she know Grascov?

The boys distracted him with wine and plans about the coming future. Alexis found out he was the only one staying in Vuoren, the others were traveling through the continent to many different cities, including the capital, Carli.

Vinicius (after the third wine bottle) decided to make a speech to his friend. “I am verrry honorrred to be herrre tonight. When a boy completes his eighteenth birrrthday, he is no longerrr a boy. He is a man. And as a man he must enjoy of the pleasurrres of the flesh and enjoy his youngerrr yearrrs. And I hope tonight we all enjoy it togetherrrr. Because therrre is no betterrr thing than frrriendship and comprrromise and frrriendship. Thank you all!Long life to Alexis!”

The boys all laughed and Vinicius hugged Alexis. “Vinicius, you’re so drunk!”

“I know Lex, I know… You will be too!”

When the red-haired was back, she had the most voluptuous group of young ladies with her. Alexis felt the wine hot in his veins and his view blurred a little. He started laughing with the boys when the girls started a parade of long strong legs, soft skin, curved bodies, high chests, laces and feathers as a small covering. He felt light and agitated with the display of options to make him company for the rest of the night.

His thoughts were running with adrenalin, but the red-haired kept staring at him, that predatory look. He thought if he could pick her instead of the other girls and he smiled involuntarily. The girls were warm and talkative, but he was caught with the suspicion of the generous gift again. They drank, they laughed, they smoked, but Alexis could only drink and think.

Night was late and Alexis had tasted only wine from the three things he was supposed to taste. The boys were already in separate couches, each with a girl, candles getting blown. Alexis stared at the cigar in his hands. Stupid tradition, he thought. He was in no mood to smoke or lay down with a woman.

Are you crazy?, his mind asked him at the thought of free hot-girls and that lame attitude of thinking about life. You are crazy! Come on! Suck this fear up and go get some chicks. You’ll never ever get that chance again. Not at least for free! What if Grascov is a problem? What if I put my family in danger? Drop it! If he has secrets, you just don’t get involved with them and you’ll be fine. You own this sponsorship to your stepparents. That stupid girl listened to you and Vinicius talking, that’s why she scared you about Grascov. You should get her to a private room and make her regret eavesdropping on you. Just an idea.”

“Are you alright?” The red-haired entered back in the room, curly hair falling on her shoulders. “You’re all alone in here almost in darkness. Didn’t you like the girls?” She sounded rather amused.

Alexis looked around and nobody was there to be seen. Maybe they had sneaked out to bedrooms while he was thinking about going home. He kept staring at the cigar and answered, “It’s just I have too much to think about and can concentrrate in nothing else. I hate cigarrs, you know? But I don’t feel like doing anything else too.” His voice was lower than usual and he thought it was funny.

“I can’t allow you to come out of this club without a smoked cigar. Our sponsor would kill me if I let you. Come on! I light one for you. Let’s get this finished so you can go home and I can sleep. You can decide if you like boys or girls another day!”

“Hey”, Alexis felt the wine pounding his head to a strong headache. “I like girrls, I just don’t feel in the mood. I’m no good underr prressure.”

“And I think you drank too much”, she handed him a thick cigar. He pressed it with his dry lips and pulled the air through it. His lungs burnt with hot mint and tobacco. “What is… yourr name?”, he choked the last words.

She pondered answering and said, “The girls call me Wisp. I am concerned you don’t know how this place works. You have to get a girl or go home now. I can’t waste the rest of the night watching you.”

“Like the will o’ the wisp? But they arrre blue... You arrre red! You don’t seem verrry deceiving to me.”, Alexis kept talking, ignoring her.

“You’re so drunk you can’t even talk straight! Girls like me need money to live. No service taken, no money received. Are you trying to make me lose my job? Mr. Grascov will be furious I didn’t dispatch you with a girl. Come at least to a bedroom and sleep until you get better to go home alone.”

As an obedient child, he finished the cigar and rose from the chair, only to lose balance and fall on the floor. “I may need help herrre.” he said groggily to her. She hushed him upstairs through the dark corridors into the bedrooms wing. He passed out in the moment he sat on the bed.

“All I don’t need right now is you dying! Wake up!”

She kept shaking him for some minutes, but there was no answer.

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Guys, this is my first English project for a book. I want to publish it to some of my college friends and some of my students. I speak Portuguese as native language, so you may find some mistakes on the text. Please help me with your feedback and suggestions too. I have a whole new world, maps, cities and characters in this story, so you'll see a lot more later. This is just the tip of the iceberg. ^^ Can I write in English or do I suck?