Forever and Always

Chapter 9

Max's POV:

I've been at this for 3 weeks now, and you'd think it would have been easier to deal with, but no. It was pure torture. The worst part is that I had another 7 weeks to go! Almost two months ! I felt like crying. In fact, I did! I remembered calling my grandfather and pleading with him to get me out of here, to which he replied that I was in here for my own good.

I sighed and sunk lower into the terribly uncomfortable chair. After sitting on the offensively painful seat for over an hour now, I could feel my rear end flattening from the pressure. "This is so not good for my glutes!" I thought, as I listened to 'dhoop chachi', drone on about the effects of alcohol and living a better lifestyle.

I just continued sighing, trying not to let the irritation I was feeling show on my face. I was admitted into the Aryan rehabilitation center for recovering addicts around 3 weeks ago. After my heart to heart with Zee at the hospital, I agreed to be admitted here, and boy, was it an eye opener. You see, this place isn't just for people with alcohol addictions like myself. There were all kinds of characters here at the center. Sex addicts, drug addicts, food addicts, shopping addicts, you name it! Heck, I think I even met a guy with an addiction to socks! From the moment I walked into this place, I knew I was in for it.

I looked around the circle of alcoholics to find they, too, were just as bored out of their mind as I was. I glanced over at Sonia, who wore a look of disgust on face at the positivity and upbeat attitude of "dhoop chachi." I held back my chuckle when Sonia rolled her eyes as dhoop chachi began singing her. "Alcohol is the devil!" song. Sonia met my eyes, and we both promptly turned away from each other to avoid breaking out into a fit of laughter.

Ever since I've been here, it has been hard. Not only did I meet some crazy people,  but I was also quite aware of the gossip that had begun to circulate at the center. The son of the biggest art and antiques tycoon in Thailand was at a rehab center. "Hmmmph, just another spoilt brat squandering his father's money!" "No regard for life!" I heard he killed a homeless guy! Yeah! Ran straight over the poor guy sleeping on the pavement! A top ass lawyer probably bailed him out, nah!" The gossip and speculations were endless. Workers and staff conjuring up false allegations and adding spice to stories as a way to entertain themselves.

I had no choice but to take it with a pinch of salt. I had to remember why I was here in the first place. For my family, I wanted them to at least know I tried to be better before I left. My suicidal tendencies had not faded. I still intended to end my life. However, I wanted to make things right first. To do that, I first had to tackle my alcohol addiction and anger issues. So here I was. Listening to a hippy woman in her mid forties, dressed like she had just stepped out of Woodstock, sing about life and positivity.

I caught Sonia's stare again and sat up straight. I covered my mouth with my hand to avoid laughing. Sonia was now mimicking "dhoop chachi's" singing and eccentric movements. Sonia had been a trusted ally since I got here. She shared my sentiments about the place and also possessed a wicked sense of humor. Sonia was beautiful and dangerous. Not only was she attractive, but she had a sharp tongue as well. She reminded me of a strong femme fatelle in those mafia movies. She and I had bonded while here and relied a lot on each other. We kept each other sane, often nicknaming the entertaining characters we came across, like "dhoop chachi," which literally meant Aunty Sunshine. "Sun shines out of her ass, that one!" Sonia once remarked, and the nickname was born.

After the group session, we were allowed some free time. Usually, Sonia and I opted for a game of chess or cards and chatted about our lives, or we would spend time outside in the garden just strolling and people watching. Sometimes, we competed and tried to guess what addiction a person had based on their appearance and behavior. Most of the time, Sonia won. She was amazing at reading people.