The Explorations of a Broken Man

By Kobi deGraft-Johnson

Anthony, a lost and tortured soul, ponders continually, asking the question why. As he journeys through the trials and tribulations of the modern day, he continually reflects on his past that has left him broken and stagnant. Lies, deceit, and betrayal have left him with decisions to make that will affect his outlook on life forever. To truly move on from his predicament requires acceptance and a strategy for tomorrow, but someone stuck in yesterday may be doomed to forever living in the past. Will Anthony ever be able to exorcise his demons?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris UK
• Release date: May 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9781493193424

Kobi deGraft-Johnson

Kobi deGraft-Johnson is a British author who is relatively new to the field of writing books. Explorations of a Broken Man is his first book, and he has ambitions to write more in the near future. His passion for writing has extended beyond stories to poetry and spoken word, which he has a particular interest in.

Book preview

Broken man (intro)

Broken man, broken man

So far from repaired,

Broken man, broken man,

There’s answers but you’re scared.

Broken man, broken man,

Why can’t you let it be?

Broken man, broken man,

Will the truth really set you free?

CHAPTER 1

Chance Encounter

W ANDERING AROUND AT 4 a.m on the streets of Galling City, a place that never took any prisoners, may not have been the best of ideas. He roamed freely, not worried about his surroundings, more so his direction in life and present and for the future. So many questions were asked of him; there could not possibly be any answers to satisfy all his needs. Instead he continued asking questions, which aided many of his frequent sleepless nights. The piercing pavement lights almost acted as a shepherd herding sheep in the way he followed the path of each one to the next. He delved deep into his pocket to find that he was out of cigarettes, and with an exaggerated sigh, he continued walking, now heading home.

After rummaging through several of his coat pockets, he found his door key. From his facial expression, it was easy to grasp that he was tired. On entering the door, he threw his coat on the couch and headed straight upstairs, managing to successfully guide himself through what appeared to be a tunnel of total darkness to his room. Once inside, he neglected to turn on the light or change his clothes and lay still looking at the blank ceiling. Too many questions, he pondered again. In the blink of an eye, the sunlight burst through the curtains, penetrating his vision, another sleepless night.

Clutching the blue towel on the left side of his bed, he arose and sauntered in the direction of his bathroom. In the shower, he stood while the water relentlessly splattered upon his lifeless anatomy. After what seemed an eternity, he finally raised his hand towards the shower tap and turned it off. Just as soon as he finished drying his torso, while walking back towards his room, the phone ringing caught his attention. He took no notice and let the answering machine take the message.

‘Where have you been? I have been looking all over for you. Anyway, when you get this message, can you please call me back? It’s urgent.’

‘That voice…’ he murmured. ‘Why, after all this time… ?’

After getting changed, he threw on his coat and strolled lackadaisically out the door, pocketing his cream and brown woolly scarf on the way out. This winter hadn’t been that harsh as of yet, but questions remained whether it could remain pleasant for much longer. Whilst walking unfocused, he became aware that an attractive lady was trying to catch his attention from across the semi-crowded street. She had shoulder length brunette hair and an hour-glass figure that was complimented by her fitted outfit. She smiled, intrigued by Anthony’s appearance. With a wry smile, he continued walking after acknowledging the female’s interest. He had been labelled considerably attractive by women in his past. He was tall, quite well built and had a deep tone to his voice. His hair was chestnut brown and he kept minimal facial hair. He also possessed a devilish smile that people found hard to resist. His coffee-coloured eyes were a deep vortex, filled with ambition and confusion. He was intent on not becoming self-absorbed, which was what most people in the modern day were slowly but surely edging closer towards. His local off-licence was located across the busy road, and when he set foot on the adjacent pavement, he was once again greeted by the smile of the same woman he had previously seen. He didn’t opt to open conversation and instead flashed his smile again at her before walking around her towards the shop.

‘Afraid I’ll bite?’ she jokingly claimed.

‘Hardly, more that you’ll ask for something I don’t have,’ he replied in a similar manner.

Initially she was set back but continued the conversation none-the-less.

‘Had bad experiences before have we?’ she lightly questioned.

He walked into the empty shop, neglecting to answer her question, and without hesitation, she followed him in. She couldn’t determine whether he had been hurt before by a woman or he just didn’t want to entertain the conversation she was proposing, so she decided to change the subject.

‘You know, I forgot to tell you my name, which is pretty rude of me.’

‘Not entirely, maybe now would be a perfect time for you to introduce yourself,’ replied Anthony casually.

‘Okay, my name is—’

Just as she spoke, he interrupted, which she thought was unbelievable.

‘Maybe another time.’

With a quick glance at the cigarettes packet and newspaper he purchased, he left the store, leaving the woman to query what indeed had just happened.

‘The manners of some people are incredible,’ she profoundly hissed at the shopkeeper, who in return laughed and prepared a bag for her goods. It was clear to see that her interest in him was lit, and she was intrigued by his presence.

‘He’s a nice guy, a regular, I see him all the time,’ the shopkeeper issued.

‘Well, how am I supposed to believe that?’ snapped Floretta.

The shopkeeper just laughed and continued packing while she stood there in confusion about the incident she was just in.

Whilst smoking, he felt sedated, although soon he knew he had to quit if he was to preserve his life. Walking inside the spacious park, he walked over to the bench he had become familiar with over a long period of time and began to read the newspaper he had purchased. He mumbled to himself repeatedly, questioning several of the articles’ integrity but continued reading avidly. Ten minutes passed when a familiar voice entered the fray.

‘You know, they say that reading the paper is a good way to find out what’s going on in the world, but most of the articles don’t seem to have relevance or any substantial input, now do they?’

Without removing the paper from its original position, he spoke.

‘Following me becoming an exciting hobby for you?’ he asked.

It was the woman from the shop, who had by chance managed to pass through the park and see him.

‘Is this route yours? I just thought it was a public route whereby people could pass through as a shortcut to the other side of the town,’ she whimsically added.

‘You could be right, but who is to say you are?’ he replied.

With a slight laugh and shake of her head, she then countered with, ‘Unbelievable, you really aren’t a people person, are you? I’m intrigued, it’s the first time I’ve met someone like you.’

‘Is that so?’ he questioned while shuffling through what remained of the paper.

‘Yes it is,’ she quickly replied.

After folding his paper in half and placing it on the floor, he placed his legs on the bench and extended them so he was practically lying down. After moments of silence in which the woman was beginning to wonder what was going on, he then proposed a question.

‘So have you got a name then?’ he said in a laid-back manner.

‘Yes,’ she responded with slight hesitation. ‘I am Floretta, and you are… ?’

‘Floretta… nice.’ Then with a slight delay, he responded, ‘My name is Anthony.’

CHAPTER 2

Comfortable Silence

T HE PARK HAD a lovely atmosphere. Green land was visible almost everywhere, and a small kids’ playground was situated to the north-east of where the circle of benches surrounding the iconic fountain was positioned. The large park was often occupied by kids screaming with enjoyment while their parents watched on, admiring the significant steps and memories these would become for future reference. The trees in summer arched in an almost inviting manner, but the leaves, scarce among the branches in winter, depicted another story. The park was a picturesque sight and was a place where a person could come to collect their thoughts or just enjoy the scenery.

Floretta was dressed impeccably. Her red overcoat exemplified a fashionable, strong presence, which was also noticeable in her tone. Her brown hair was slick and shimmered in reflection of the semi-hidden sun. She wore sunglasses, which partially hid her identity, but those who were lucky to get close enough to her could get a good image of her face. Her attire gave Anthony an indication that she must have been part of some city corporate office organisation, but he wasn’t willing to ask at this moment in time. Her shoes were stylish but professional, which he also thought was a representation of the type of person she probably was.

‘So, Anthony, any chance you could follow me for a walk across town? I have something that I have to deliver to a friend of mine.’

‘Probably not, I might just lie here and think some things over.’

‘You know a problem shared is a problem halved, tell me what’s up?’ she requested in a helpful tone. Floretta then edged herself onto the bench, forcing Anthony to bend his legs.

Anthony sighed then added, ‘If I come with you across town, will that be enough to satisfy you?’

‘More than,’ replied Floretta with a smile planted across her face.

They both rose to their feet simultaneously and headed for the opposite end of the park to the one they both entered through. It was weird how comfortable Floretta felt in Anthony’s presence; he wasn’t like other men she had met previously

‘So what do you do?’ she insightfully asked.

‘Whatever needs to be done, how about you?’ was Anthony’s reply.

‘Well, aren’t you an open book? Actually I am a technical manager in the field of technological advancement. I got a promotion not too long ago, been working at the company for about six years now. I work for a company called FutureTech.’

‘You look relatively young to be a manager, which either means you knew someone inside the organisation beforehand, or you just are an expert in your field of knowledge,’ sceptically said Anthony.

‘Actually it’s quite a bit of both. I’ve got some connections but I’ve also earned the right to be where I am, no-one can question that.’

‘Fair dos,’ replied Anthony.

The town’s centre was uncharacteristically crowded with people eager to fulfil their shopping wishes before the stores were closed. Lights hung effortlessly from lamp posts and shop windows advertising Christmas and several New Year’s events. Parents and children, both with looks of excitement and anticipation on their face, roamed freely throughout the difficult conditions while the sky began to darken. Renditions of old classics were being played by a busker who had collected a fair amount in his brown guitar case, which was visible from where Anthony and Floretta, at this present time, were passing by. Negativity seemed to be as far away as the heavens, but still Anthony felt he had nothing to smile about. She had noticed this and felt that it was worthy enough to become the next topic of conversation.

‘Smiling isn’t a crime you know?’ she stated playfully.

‘I’ve been lied to then, somebody alert the presses,’ replied Anthony.

Floretta tried to hide her smile and laughter but couldn’t. Every time he spoke, his words to her felt magnetic, and she could do nothing but listen and acknowledge what had been said.

After trying to conceal her laughter, she began to cough deeply, alerting Anthony to her condition. Anthony initially hesitated but then clutched the scarf he had brought out of his house and placed it around her neck. She smiled at him, and before she had the chance to thank him and put in a comment, he diverted her attention to another question.

‘So who’s this friend anyway?’

Floretta, noticing this quick change of subject, then replied, ‘Just someone I met a few years ago and became friends with. They just asked me to drop this off for them, but it has been a while, so I might stay for a tiny bit if that’s all right with you.

‘Why wouldn’t it be? I don’t have to come in. I may just walk around for a bit or maybe get something to eat.’

‘Don’t be silly, you should come in, it’s cold outside, and you can meet her as well,’ insisted Floretta.

Just as he pulled the packet of cigarettes from his pocket, Floretta immediately intervened. ‘Please do not smoke near me, I’ve just got over an illness not too long ago, plus it’s bad for your health.’

‘What are you, my physician?’ commented Anthony. ‘Fine.’

He returned the cigarettes to his pocket slowly whilst shaking his head and then continued walking. They had arrived at her friend’s house when an argument broke out on the pavement opposite them. Both parties were shouting excessively, and Anthony grasped that the husband had found out that the wife had cheated on him. ‘Tough break,’ he said to himself and, after taking one glance at the couple, looked forward to the sight of Floretta knocking on the door.

The woman who opened the door immediately spotted Anthony behind Floretta before registering she was there.

‘It’s been too long!’’ she ecstatically screamed.

‘I know, I know, you look good!’ replied Floretta in a similar manner.

‘You too, come in, come in and sit down,’ insisted the woman. ‘Oh, where are my manners? Who is your friend?’

‘I’m Anthony,’ he confidently spoke.

‘Hello, I’m Liz, or Elizabeth, whichever one you find most comfortable,’ she giggled.

The flat was modern, and the varnished walls and floors instantly made an impression on Anthony. It had a very warm, family-like atmosphere, which made people easily attracted to the idea of coming in and spending time there. There were several artistic paintings flaunted throughout her corridor, which exemplified the person he believed she was. Although he spotted these things, he didn’t opt to say anything and rather smiled in admiration.

‘Do you both want drinks?’ Liz yelled from within her kitchen.

‘Er, I’ll have one, Liz,’ hesitantly replied Floretta.

‘What about you, Anthony?’ she questioned.

‘I’m going to be a gentlemen and head outside and let you two lovely ladies catch up on all the latest gossip you have to inform each other of,’ he replied in a tone that would have been impossible to resist.

‘Okay,’ said both ladies, surprised and regretful.

Just as Anthony was closing the door, Liz quietly spoke to Floretta. ‘Cute, isn’t he?’

‘I know,’ she replied with a childish smile.

Anthony, unaware of the conversation between Floretta and Liz, headed outside and, across the road, spotted the disgruntled man who had previously been arguing with his wife. With a quick glance, he then reached into his pocket to retrieve his trusty lighter and cigarettes packet. While he was in the process of lighting his cigarette, the man ventured across the quiet road. Anthony didn’t pay attention until he