What's A King Without A System?

June 12, 2018

Summer has finally arrived in Springtown, Kanada. The children are freed from the daily attendace in school while the a.d.u.l.t men and women who have worked hard everyday would, at long last, arrange the time to get some rest and relaxation.

At least for a little while.

The same could be said for a young man who has lived in Springtown for all his life, a fresh high school graduate whose only goal in life right now was to study diligently in college and eventually work harder to receive a salary that can support him and his future family.

But was that really what he d.e.s.i.r.ed? Or was there even something he d.e.s.i.r.es to accomplish in the first place?

Zel Huertazuela was a boy everyone recognized the face of and perhaps even heard his name, but people can't really say he was popular. What was the reason for that?

His attitude at life was a little bleak to say the least, making him look at everything with lackadaisical pessimism.

He possessed jet-black hair that was similar to his parents, a relatively flat nose because his face, until now, had baby fat. Even though they should have been burned off when he was younger, suggesting his lifestyle was one that lacked the presence of exercise.

There was a reason for this kid who formerly had a marvellous view in life to turn into this shell of himself. To start it all off, Zel received what you might dub a 'rough' childhood.

No, he wasn't poor nor was he physically abused. He was just born to parents that experienced too much trouble in their lives. So much so that those troubles started affecting the lives of their children.

His father is a seaman, a person whose job was to ensure that the shipments that travel via the ocean are delivered on time. Simple descriptions of a job that pay well and include you travelling the world while doing it right?

But the things they don't tell you are what makes the job so difficult.

The constant worry about not coming back alive to the family you left back home, the constant worry of permitting your family get into trouble and you're not there to take care of them, even the worry that things won't be the same when you return.

These thoughts are what would haunt a man who has left for a place that your family can't reach, and they represent the thoughts that drive families apart.

Zel's mother was a homely woman who took care of the family's needs when they come up. The only fault with her was she tended to place things on hold until they are urgently needed to be attended.

'Oh the bills can be paid before or on the 15th? I'll pay on the 15th then.'

'The money is not enough to pay the bills on time. I need to secure a loan'

'The loan can be paid later, I still have to pay this thing that needs to be paid for first.'

'The loan can be paid now, but I can't pay for all of it because I also have to pay this first.'

A downhill spiral that ultimately lead the family to more debts than she can hide, and now they have breached the trust that kept them together.

A fight happens every so often, one that they don't bother to conceal from their children. Heck, they even push their children to the forefront of the fight and the children would have to solve it themselves.

Though that mostly meant Zel and his older sister, Melba.

"I'm so sick and tired of having to pay YOUR debts! How the hell can my money not be enough to last you a month? How can five people possibly spend eight thousand dollars in a month? A family of ten can last a month for half that money and you're telling me you can't even live a month from it?"

"I told you that the money you give me is certainly NOT eight thousand dollars. You think I would just spend money so badly that I can't budget that to live off a month? You think your family has honoured the 'loans' you gave them? No, those loans, that YOU made me pay for are still not paid. You think setting us back a few hundred dollars a month won't hurt us? Why would I even bother to budget when YOU spend so much money when you come back and then BLAME ME when you seem to spend ALL OF OUR SAVINGS?"

"You f.u.c.k.i.n.g BITCH! JUST CONFESS! You're f.u.c.k.i.n.g cheating on me aren't you?"

"The f.u.c.k did you just say asshole? You think I would even do that to you? To our children? The only one who doesn't think like that here is the man who even dares to call me out for carrying out the things he TOLD ME to do and now he asks where the f.u.c.k I spent his f.u.c.k.i.n.g money on! F.u.c.k you! You fat son of a bitch! I don't even recall why I keep up with your bullshit anymore!"

Fights like this that revolve around money turning into insults that come from their own issues. They fight from the day Zel's father returns from work that typically lasts for a few weeks to a couple of months until he leaves. But before he leaves, the two parents always make up.

"You know, the only people you are hurting are yourselves. I'll take care of the problem so I need you two to discuss properly. No bullshit theories that have no real evidences and saying words that are only meant to spite on another,"

"The hell did you say boy? Are you cursing your own father now? Is this how your mother raised you while I had to slave away from overseas?"

"After all I said, all you heard was 'bullshit'? And do you mind calming down? I don't have anything to do with the fact that you chose our job, I don't even get a say whether you conceive me or not so don't go saying things like me cursing you and you being offended."

"Your father is just that kind of man, someone who doesn't care about the truth and merely says what's on his mind like he comprehends everything. You heard him say I cheated on him? You know your mother is slaving around to keep this family together and this is the thanks I get?"

"But that doesn't mean that the things you did were all right does it? You're not the victim here mother, you know you did things wrong too. Did you ever ask father for help? You didn't even disclose to me your problems and now you're crying here and telling me that we didn't help you?"

Zel's parents were good people, but they are only just people. They have flaws that they never intended to have in the first place, fate just made things this way. He did blame them for most of his life, but that won't change a thing.

'The only person who can change things are themselves'

That was what he believed for a long time, from the first time he was involved in their fight when he was in elementary, even today when he was at his last year in high school, that was what he thought.

'I can't just change the situation when I don't have to. I'm their kid, not their marriage councilor.'

A rather unusual thing when you consider that Zel didn't really like watching tv ever since his father once scolded him for being in front of the tv all day when he was in high school.

'But now that I left home, I can do whatever I want'

Being free from his parents liberated him, not having to stand his mother's petty whispers like 'I do everything in this house' to 'No other mother has to work this hard, you better be grateful' that makes no sense because the only person making her life harder than it had to be was her.

'No wonder my older sister has seemed more lively, leaving that house was a good choice'

Ever since his older sister left the house when she graduated from college, the one who was at the forefront of their parent's clashes was always him. So much so that he had to force himself to socialize with others, because he would rather not deal with other people and their drama.

Lying on his brand-new couch in his brand-new apartment made Zel feel a sense of completeness that he never had living in that house. Though he felt bad having to leave his two little sisters behind to handle those two, they never really helped him out when he did so he didn't really care about them all that much.

"You know Scotty, you just need a few sound investments and you can earn big. Then when you earn big, invest that money again until you make your money work for you."

The movie he was watching turned out to be a great watch, with action scenes and tense dialog that made him sit up from his lying down position a few times per the duration of the film. The main character who eventually reached the top of the financial world was imparted this advice and he employed those words as his stepping-stones.

"I wonder if they have that 'Stock Market' here in the Philipvines too..."

"So they offer it with this bank huh? I don't have an account on that one so I have to get one... Forget it, too much of a hassle."

Zel thought about the numerous things he had to prepare just to try out the Stock Market and suddenly lost motivation. The comfy couch seemed to lure him in as he played around with his phone for a while.

'Still, I could use a hobby that doesn't compromise of video games and manga.'

'But the requirements are too much of a pain to complete'

Thoughts stirred in Zel's mind while the couch hugged his body to sleep. Though Zel has habitually been a deep sleeper, he never had a sleep that lasted a whole day.

By the time he woke up, it was already late in the afternoon the next day.

'What the hell?'

Zel jolted awake and sprung up to look at his surroundings. His worn-out and exhausted body was no more. The wrinkled hands have turned back to their old self and he felt more alive than he ever did.

'Where am I? Where's Em-'

"Nurse!"

"!!!"

Even his voice changed, but it felt rather familiar. He tried to look around and identified something that triggered his mind.

'When did I get this couch again?'

A feeling of déjà vu overwhelmed him when he saw he was on his couch that seemed to be forever ago.

'All that? Was a dream?'

He checked the date on his phone that he forgot to charge last night as the battery showed that it barely had a few percent charge on its battery but the most critical part was the date: June 12, 2018.

"Hahaha, even if it was a dream, I know what to do now!"

He hastily looked towards the website of the bank he saw looking at yesterday and signed up for an account. He even opened his other bank accounts and transferred all the money he possessed to that account.

----Metropolitan Bank Debit Account------

($10,000 has been successfully deposited)

($5,000 has been successfully deposited)

($3,900 has been successfully deposited)

($1,080 has been successfully deposited)

(Total Balance: $19,980)

----------------------------------------------------

'So low... If I scarcely possess this much money, then I could only gain a million after a few months maybe? Six months at the worst'

Zel had completely changed from himself just last night. The kid displays a renewed sense of sharpness in his eyes that once looked as if he would give up on life at any moment. He harboured hope in his eyes...

'I'll start by investing in BiteCoin and move on from there.'

"I'll do it right this time. I swear to... Umm, Who was it?"

A harsh realization made Zel's eyes pop wide open. He tried to calm himself down and try again, but he can't remember.

"Shit"

He forgot what he saw in the dreams, they were dreams after all.

Note:

For those who wish to see the highlights of the dream he had, it's been written as a side story on Volume 3. Check it out if you want to know what happened to him, it's called (1st Run).