YahuwahSaves

Chapter 3: Shadows of Power, Sparks of Destiny

        Morning broke with a faint light filtering through the shades of Yehoshua Adeyemi's bedroom window. As he opened the door, his aunt and uncle's harsh voices greeted him like an alarm he'd rather ignore.

    "Yehoshua! You idiot! Why didn't you make breakfast earlier?" she bellowed, her pale face twisted in irritation. She and her husband, William, stood in the kitchen, glaring at him like hawks. They were both well-dressed, reflecting their status as wealthy lawyers, though the sight of them always made Yehoshua feel like a servant in their house.

      Despite their angry words, Yehoshua didn't flinch. They knew they couldn't touch him. Not since the incident. Yehoshua's mind wandered briefly to that memory—he was eight, just a boy. He had accidentally dropped a stack of their expensive china. His uncle, William, was furious. The belt was already in his hands, ready to make contact. Yehoshua's heartbeat quickened with terror, but when the belt swung toward him, something inexplicable happened.

    A field of electric energy erupted around Yehoshua, shimmering and cracking like a bolt of lightning. The belt never reached him. Instead, it rebounded, causing his uncle to stumble backward in shock and pain. His aunt, furious and emboldened, had tried to slap him across the face, but again, the electric shield protected him, throwing her back onto the cold floor. They never tried to lay a hand on him again.  But just as the belt was about to strike, something miraculous had happened. A surge of electric energy enveloped Yehoshua, protecting him. The belt bounced off, and William's hand jerked back painfully. Theresa had tried to slap him too, but the same invisible force shielded Yehoshua from her blows. They had both been terrified after that and while they continued to berate him verbally, they never dared to lay hands on him again.

     To this day, Yehoshua couldn't understand what had happened. He was no superhero, but somehow, something inside him had shielded him. Was it luck? Was it divine intervention? He didn't know. What he did know was that his aunt and uncle, despite their harshness, feared him in some way."What goes on in that big head of yours?" Theresa snapped, snapping him back to reality. "You better make pancakes, eggs, and bacon. And don't burn anything!"

    "If you burn something, you won't have meals for two days!" William added with a sneer. His method of punishment was always cruel: starving Yehoshua, making him go without food for even the smallest of mistakes. It was his way of asserting control.

     But what came next was even more jarring. William, with a malicious smirk, muttered, "Maybe if you weren't hanging out with them niggas on the weekends, you'd be more successful. Maybe I should tell Reggie to stop seeing you that way."WILLIAM, NO!" Theresa's outburst was sudden, her face white with panic. Yehoshua blinked, confused. Why was his aunt suddenly so shaken? His uncle's cold eyes shifted between his wife and Yehoshua.

     "You're lucky," William grumbled, giving him a look that suggested he knew something Yehoshua didn't.

      Yehoshua knew there was more to their fear. Were they scared of him flipping out, or was it the threat of Reggie—Reggie Bell, the mayor of New York City—who could report them for mistreating Yehoshua? Reggie had been a lifeline for him. He had earned the title of Mayor of New York City with integrity and vision. His father had built up Black communities in Corona and Lefrak City, creating housing initiatives, education reform, and local businesses that thrived under his leadership. Reggie carried on his father's legacy, working tirelessly to ensure that Harlem, Queens, and the Bronx were uplifted. On the weekends, Yehoshua would escape to Reggie's home, and spend time with his family. It was a sanctuary for him—a place where he was treated like a person, not a servant. But this weekend was different. Reggie and his family were away in Harlem for something important, which struck Yehoshua as odd. Reggie always made time for people, even as a mayor, so what could be so crucial to take him away?