Alex made a few more pills before the end of the day. They turned out to be pretty fine, although none of them reached Heaven grade. One did come very close though.
Afterward, he logged out of the game.
"I haven't talked with my parents for a while. I should let them know about the money at least," he thought. Until now, he had been scared that they would scold him for not studying properly when they specifically sent him here just to study.
But now that he was making a lot of money from the game, he didn't fear anything they would say. In fact, he hoped to change their views.
His mother picked up the phone after only 2 rings.
"Hello? Alex? How are you doing son?" she asked.
"I'm fine, Mom. How are you? How is dad?" he asked.
"Oh, we are perfectly fine, did you eat your dinner?" she asked.
"No, I was just about to go eat it and I thought I should call you first," Alex said.
"Awww, Did you hear that? Our son has grown up so well," Alex's mon said.
"Of course I didn't hear it. You don't have the phone on loudspeaker," his dad's voice came from the back.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm putting it on. So, how is the new place, and don't lie to me. You've lived for 3 days now, you must have some ideas, right?" his mom asked.
"It's actually one of the best places to live in the city, I think. It's really high in the building and it is very fancy. Let me show you my room," he said and quickly turned on the camera.
He showed around his room and started describing everything he thought his parents would not recognize.
"Wait, go back, go back, go back," his mother said.
"Where?" he asked.
"To your bed," she said. He quickly turned his camera to show his bed, and only then realized why she had done that. 'She is really sharp,' he thought.
"What is that? Is that game thing?" she asked.
"Yes mother," he said.
"Who gave you that? Give it back immediately. It is so harmful to you," his mother said. This quite surprised Alex. He hadn't seen her go this angry ever since one of the neighbor's cows escaped the enclosure and ate a lot of the growing plants on their farm.
'Is the severity of the situation the same in her eyes?' he wondered.
"Nobody gave it to me, Mom. I bought it myself," he said.
"What? With what money?" she exclaimed. "Dear, did you send money to our son without telling me?" she asked his father.
"What? No. Don't accuse me of such a thing willy nilly. I don't even have the money to pay for the new tractor's installment this month. I will have to ask John for some. Why would I be sending him money?" he said.
"You guys are lacking money?" he asked. His parents never talked to him about the finances other than the occasional stuff he would hear about accidents. He only knew that his parents didn't have a lot of money, but still did their best.
"That is not the topic of discussion we are having right now. I asked what money you bought that harmful thing with," she asked.
"Harmful? It's not harmful, mom. It's for playing games. It just makes you see and hear different things; it makes you feel like you are in a different place. That's all. There is nothing harmful there," Alex said.
'No, I know it's harmful. I heard what it does to your body. John's sons both started to get lazy and stupid after using that thing. He bought it for them a few weeks ago and now he regrets it, saying that his children are all lethargic all the time, never there when he needs them and worst of all, they can't even work in the fields properly anymore. So, he had to make them get used to it all over again."
"He already sold back those things, and is now starting to rehabilitate his children, making them get used to the work again," his mother said.
"Anyway, give that back to who you got it from. Was it Hannah?" she asked.
"What? No. I got it myself," Alex said.
"With whose money?" she asked again.
"With mine. I earned money from the game," he said.
"What? Who do you think you are lying to? You think I will believe something as stupid as someone earning money from those childing video games?" she said.
"I did, mom. I actually earned a lot more than just a little," he said. He then switched the subject. "Do you know how much this apartment costs, mother?" he asked.
"What? Apartment? I don't know. 300 dollar? 400 dollar? I know it's expensive, but it shouldn't be more than that right?" she asked.
Alex chuckled a little. His parents were just as oblivious about the expensiveness of the city. "It costs about 10,000 dollars a month," he said.
"What?!" both his mother and father shouted at the same time. His father who had been silent for the most part started speaking. "Is that true, son? Why are you staying in such an expensive place? I doubt my sister and brother-in-law can pay for that much every month," his father said.
"That's the thing, father. They don't. Sister Hannah pays for it all herself. She too earns money from the game," he said.
"But… 10,000 dollars is a lot son. That's what we make in a year before counting the profits," his father said. Out of nowhere, his voice grew solemn, "are you really making that much son? Are you really making that much money son?" he asked.
Alex tried to nod and say yes again but instead decided to do something else. He quickly went onto the internet to access his account and took a screenshot of the money.
"I have something coming for you," he said and then sent the screenshot to his parents.