Kenekan opens his arms wide as his wife walks into the house, a huge smile on his face.
She drops her bag coming to him. They hug and then they kiss.
‘Oh finally,the Queen returns. ”
She laughs “how are you husband?”
“Me? I was depressed . How do you think I am?”
“Oh, you are a big boy” she pulls away from him pulling him to the bed.
They sink in together.
“How was your trip,?” He takes off her shoes to rub her feet.
“Long. Tiring. Fulfilling”
‘”I am glad. While you were away I put some things in place for your business. I hope you don’t mind”
“You just like to over-do. I was told. You didn’t have to stock them. I was going to do all that when I come.”
“Oh well, I can still help around for my wife . I knew you haven’t rested with your dubai trip and then to Port Harcourt and now back you need not travel again.”
“Oh I see, so you did it to keep me longer at home with you?”
He smiles sheepishly..”was I that obvious?”
“Like a blinking red light in the dark”
He laughs leaning in to kiss her “is it bad to miss my wife?”
“Not at all”
“Good..i canceled my schedule for the next three days till the weekend..it’s just us two. We can fly to any where you want. Just pick a place”
“Can’t we stay home?” She bites her lips.
“No Ma’am. Pick a place”
“Okay, how about we go to the Maldives.”
“Too close”
“Come on.. the Bahamas? ”
“Eerm Antarctica I don’t mind” he laughs pulling her to him
“Maldives” she repeats
“Maldives it is. ” he agrees.
They are quiet.
“He is different .. our son is different. .good different ” she rubs his arms.
“I know..I spoke to him.i couldn’t believe he was the same kid. I was happy, suprised ..but happy. ”
“Me too”
“I was tempted to unfreeze all his accounts . I think he will be okay now. I think he is better. I don’t think I need to punish him anymore. He has learnt. He doesn’t need me to force him to do anything. I believe our son is a man now..he would do well. That was the aim of all this. I will unfreeze his accounts and let him have all that is entitled to him as my son. I never wanted to hold it before. I just wanted him to realise that he didn’t need me or my wealth to make it or be independent. He sounded so mature and he even thanked me. My son thanked me. It was a beautiful feeling. ”
“Yes. You should. But.. I don’t think he needs it. ”
“Why is that.?”
“You should see the light in his eyes when he talks about things my love. Work. Designs.”
“Yes I followed that housing design for my friend the client. He called me up and told me the designer did a good job. I was super proud. The contraction is on going . I an super proud of him”
“You know, there is a girl mixed in all this”
He is quiet.
“Adora?” He asks.
“He is in love with her”
“You know that how? My son, in love? Never think I would see the day”
“I am a mother and I am a woman and then again, his language when he spoke about her. The light in his eyes, the sweetness to his tone. He is inlove.
Our son is. And for some reason, I think she contributed to this change ”
He is quiet “It’s against the code of conduct in the company to date a colleague ”
“You can’t help who you love my love. I am sure he didn’t realise it until he spoke to me. He was as confused as a kid. Searching for answers. It was sweet, surprising and yet revealing. I almost laughed out loud and cringed when he began talking about girls and his sex life…ewww!!”
Kenekan laughs out loud “oh poor woman. You should have told him to come to me.”
“I did. But…he wanted to talk to his mother and I listened Kenekan and I saw the light shine bright…and I knew I had seen that light before… in your eyes,especially when you look at me or when I walk into a room you are in. It always blew me away and causes my knees to go weak. Like you he fell in love with a girl he would never have fallen for and he is confused and yet he is thrilled. But he didn’t believe me. You Andrews. Stubborn men you lot” she nudges him.
“Oh well, but we always come around. But then again, I can’t give my son preferential treatment just because ”
“Well, I am telling you this as a wife out of confidence. So you would do nothing. ”
“Lolo.. it is my company and my rules and regulations. ”
“He is my son. And this is matters of the heart. Let him be happy for once. Let him have this small joy. Look the other way. Unless you want him to resign or you want to fire her you can go ahead and take action. But…forget that he is your son. Just see that two people who love each other and want to be together. That is all. But you will do nothing you understand me Jonathan Kenekan Andrews?”
He sighs “When you call my name like that you scare the bejezzus out of me. ”
“A woman should know how to handle her man. Just,I just want him to be happy. He deserves it”
“Okay. Okay”
“Thank you.”
“So should I tell them to prepare the jet?”
“Yes please ”
He smiles leaning in to kiss her. “I love you”
“I love you more Kenekan”
They lay in each other’s arms,basking in the love that envelops them.
****
For the next few days…
Brian is knee deep with Alkada Projects. Frequenting the site with the client and having talks with some others the client had introduced him to.
When he gets back to the office, he is buried with files, helping the management team on buinesss ideas.
Boma had come to him in passing, complaining about a defect they noticed in raising tender for a business deal.
He had offered to help. And they realised that he knew much more than he let on.
Boma makes it a habit to come by his office and bring more tenders to Brian to help out. Soon, there is a team of people frequenting Brain’s office for different things.
Business ideas, tech ideas, innovation matters, management skills.
Every day Brian surprises me.
The business development won a bid for a contract. Boma makes sure to let everyone know whose brains was behind it.
John was the only one who wasn’t pleased with the news. Mr Emeka didn’t flinch. Instead he queried Boma for going to the PA.
But that didn’t stop them.
Two more awarded contracts, Boma knew that Brian knew his onions, even if just a little.
Emeka had come across them and inquired to know what they were doing again with Brian. He shouted on them to go back to work and stop allowing someone who is a common PA to teach them their work.
Once he leaves, they all go back to Brain’s office.
He had so much in his hands I wonder if he gets any rest at all.
But I realised he did it happily. Looking forward to the next and to the next.
In the mornings, since he had found a habit of wanting me to sleep over, we leave together ,he kisses me goodbye in the car and disappears .
During the day, we speak a few times, chat a couple of times and then he would send me sweet pop up messages that would make my heart melt with happiness.
When he gets home, he goes straight to his studio work table and works deep into the night. He said he was done with the club when I asked why he didn’t go there.
He uses the time to work on his projects instead he said.
In the middle of the night I had come to see him asleep over the table. If he isn’t drawing or designing. He is with a computer ,coding for generation X.
“Come to bed baby” I kiss him awake.
He rubs his eyes and smiles to me.
“In a minute ” he says “go back to bed. ”
“Babe”
“Go babe. Be with you soon. I have to finish this. I have just a day left, I need to make sure it is perfect. I have just a day left and that is today. Tommorw is the showcase and airing.”
I sigh. Sitting bedside him.. “you need to rest. You don’t do a lot of that babe”
He yawns “I’ll rest when I am rich and famous” he smiles.,I smile back.
“Come to bed soon?”
“Yes baby, I will. ” he leans in and kisses me “go.”
I left him.
****
We are parked right in front of the building. He turns and stops me before I alight..
“Hey, clear your schedule for me tomorrow. Need to take you to a proper dinner Tommorw night ”
“You don’t need to”
“I want to” he rubs my lips. “You know I love you right ?”
I nod
“Good, Tommorw I would tell you how much I do. Before then, you have to see all of me in my flaws and imperfection .”
“What do you mean? ”
“Tommorw.”
“Is that why you don’t want me to stay over tonight?”
“Yes. Need you to miss me for a day.” He shines his teeth.
“Well it is working because I miss you already” I place my forehead to his closing my eyes.
“Me too. See you Tommorw babe. Remember it’s by 10am the showcase will start at peace park . You will be there ?”
“Yes I will be”
“Okay. ”
Our kiss linger before pulling away.
“Be safe” I tell him caressing his cheeks.
“you too”
I alight with a smile and head into the building.
“Ready when you are boss” Ikena says
“Sure. Let’s go”
****
Teca is leaning towards the screen..
“I know that face” he says.
The artist who had sketched the picture of the Victor Nedum as described by Teca is looking at him.
“You do.?”
“I swear I have seen that face before it keeps leaving my minds eye”
“Well, this is what I can come up with nothing clearer. Have your tech person run a face recognition scan side by side this . Maybe.. a match might come in 40-89 percent.. The one I got from the neighbours are slightly identical. this is also one of the policeman” he points them to Teca. ” He has a tattoo across his arm, a cross and rosary ”
“Yes. That is the only other option. Thanks. I would do the scan now myself. Everything is already set up”
As the artist leaves..Teca kept staring at the sketch for a long time.
“I swear it that face is farmilla. “He says to himself looking at Victor Nedum’s sketch.
While he is waiting, he should find out who that police officer was.
He gets up walking out of his office and going to another, knocking on the door.
“Yes, come in”
“Good afternoon Sir. ”
“I don’t see what is good in the afternoon, have you gotten the suspect. .?”
“Soon Sir. I want to ask something sir..”
“Go ahead.”
” Can i have clearance to the personal records of newly recruited men.”
“Why?”
“I have gone through the old ones Sir, I haven’t gotten nothing. I need clearance for the newer ones.”
“Is this about the mole?”
“Yes.”
“There is no mole Teca.”
“There is Sir ”
“Fine. Find the mole. Get me the suspect. Get me Vampire and find out what happened to those boys. If you cannot do any of these you shouldn’t call yourself a police man.”
“I will try Sir ”
“You better do more than try. You are cleared. Pass code is 42Alpha”
“Thank you Sir ”
Back to his desk he continuous to run pictures against the sketch for another hour.
Suddenly it stops.
“Bingo. ” he prints out the picture of the officer that fits the sketch . He prints out his documents as well and begins to go through it.
There, how come they missed this?.
He leaves his office again,going back to the open cubicle area.
He sees the officer from after off.. talking to some other officers, he walks to him.
“Gillard is it?” He says looking at his file and then back at him.
“Yes it is Sir” Gillard turns around to face him.
“Quick question , do you know any Victor Nedum by any chance ?”
He frowns “who is that?”
“Victor Nedum!! That’s who ”
“No!” He betrayed nothing.
“Okay. Another thing. Know any Chinedu from Chinelo cleaning services ?”
His frown depends “Yes, he is the cleaner here na”
“Okay . You you know he is dead?”
‘”Er…what? How come. He is dead?” He rubs his jaw.
“That is what I need to know. Yes he is. Sure you don’t know any Victor Nedum.?”
“No not at all!”
“Okay. Roll up your left arm shirt or better still, take if off”
Now everyone is curiously staring.
“Why?”
“Just want to see something. ”
“No I am not doing that”
“Scared of something officer?”
“No Sir ”
“Take it off, that is an order”
Teca sees his eyes darts to the door.
“Have some place you rather be officer, looking at the exit door hungrily officer?”
“No”
“Take off your shirt. ”
He hesitates. “Is there a problem Sir?”
“Actually there is.. three days ago a police man walks into the house of the cleaner and came back out. Three days later the cleaner is found dead. Been dead for three days. Which meant he was murdered by police man and the man who entered into his house because no other person was seen after then”
“Seen?”
“Yes. A neighbour did see. We even have a sketch drawn of him. ”
Gillard swallows. His eyes darts to the door again.
Fxxk!!
They know. They know.
“You want to see the sketch we have here?” Teca asks him.
“What’s going on here?” The boss walks out of his office, seeing the small crowd Teca had formed about him.
“Well, I just want to see Gillard without his shirt .” Teca smiles “need to count his packs”
“What nonsense is that. Go back to work everyone !!! ‘
“I think you should take a look at it Sir.” Teca hands him the sketch, and his printed out picture and all.
After a few minutes the Boss looks up sharply.
“Gillard, take off your shirt ” Teca repeats.
“I can’t ”
“That’s an order ” The boss thunders.
Teca takes a step forward “I won’t ask you again officer” he has a hand behind him? Ready to pull out a gun.
“You were the one with that man entering into Chinedu’s house weren’t you. You are the one with the tattoo with a cross and a rosary drawn across. You are the mole. You Gillard you. So we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Put your hands behind you and then step forward”
Gillard realising there was no escaping it suddenly pulls out his gun..
“One more step and I will shoot”!” He says pointing the gun at him and at everyone else.
Everyone suddenly pulls away from him, reaching for their guns and pointing it at him too.
“Relax Gillard. Relax. We just want to talk that’s all” Teca has his hands stretched out towards him.
“Fxxk off Teca. Everyone move or I will shoot”
“You know you won’t get out of this alife if you decide to take this road. This is a police station you moron. You can’t get pass that door without being shot dead”
Gillard laughs “yes, a police station and a walked in assassin to take out an inmate. You lot are fxxking jokes . Move the fxxk back Teca, I will shoot”
“You one of Vampire’s men right?”
“Breed since the beginning of time.” He spat
“You are smart I give you that. Not smart enough. Put down your gun and I can help you cut a deal with the DA.”
“You fxxking liar ”
“I swear it. I just want to talk. Why do you have to take the fall for a guy who is probably going to enjoy his life and never miss you. ”
“Vampire cares for his own”
“Really? And yet he had his own killed. You think he wouldn’t do the same thing to you huh?”
“I won’t be caught !”
“Tell us where Vampire is or how to get him and I promise you get a good cell and a few years instead of the death sentence ”
“Fxxk you. You are not going to do anything”
Teca takes a step forward and other officers plus the boss moves away.
“One more step Teca, one more and I swear I would shot your balls. ”
Teca pauses.
“We just need to find the bad guy here Gillard. Who is Victor Nedum. Give us something to work with.”
“Fxxk off! I am not telling you shit. My loyalty lies with Vampire ” he says
Teca steps closer.
“You want to die for a man who kills his own?’
‘”A man who is a legend you mean? that the police and all its tech cannot catch. . Five years running , he has been living under your nose and you couldn’t see. The police? What a laugh. The dude he sent strolled in like a boss, got to Koko, took care of the car in the garage. I would pick him again over and over against you lots of fools.”
Teca takes another step closer to him as Gillard laughs. His gun pointed to Teca, while a few dozen guns point back at him.
Teca wants him alife.
“I agree, we are fools. The lot of us. Vampire is a genius. But you forgot one tiny little detail”
“What’s that?”
“Never let your guard down when talking to a police man” Teca whistles nodding his head backwards
Gillard follows his eyes quickly , looking behind.. seeing nothing he turns back quickly and cocks the gun suspecting foul play.
Teca closes the distance and strikes him with a punch to his face.
Gillard lands on the floor, hitting his head to the table he groans dropping the gun.
Teca kicks it away, another policeman picks it up. He goes to Gillard and handcuffs him.. “for next time,if you want to pull the trigger. Do so”.
He pulls him up and nudges him to the interrogation room.
*
Three hours later …Gillard refuses to break…..
“You have to talk!!” Teca is angry. He has been drilling the fool for hours and he wouldn’t break and give any information on vampire.
“I won’t say shit” his eyes is swollen.
Teca sighs.. he leaves his cell.
“Give him electric shocks till he begs to talk” he tells an officer standing outside his cell.
“Yes Sir”
*****
John shows up at the company late. He had to go get licence to carry a gun. Took a few hours. He got it. He stuffs it into his trousers and then covers it with his shirt.
He gets to the company sometime in the afternoon . He heads straight to the room Brian and the team is working , he meets Mr Layefa at the door.
“Still here?” Dickson Layefa asks him
“Yes Sir. .making sure everything is okay”
“Right. ” Dickson pushes the door open walking to the middle of the room.
A cloth is covering something in the center of the room.
“How are we doing?”
“Well..” Tekena, one of the team members exclaim ” we are doing okay”
“Brian ?”
“Yes sir. We are fine.”
“Can I see what you all came up with in such small notice?”
Brian shakes his head. “Tommorw..you all would see it then”
“Ashamed to show us what useless thing you have come up with now Brian?” John says walking further into the room.
“As long as you are in my company. I would appreciate that you detest from using such degrading tone talking to other people.. much less people who work for me.” Layefa warns John sternly.
John scoffs walking away to a corner. “Whatever ” he mutters under his breath.
“So do you need anything else?” Layefa turns to Brian.
“No sir. We are good. We just need to put in the finishing touches to it and we are good”
“Okay” he walks away leaving them alone.
Brian and his team continue to work for another couple of hours.
John, bored keeps drifting in and out of sleep.
*
John opens his eyes to see that he was alone in the room. Everyone had gone.
Cleaning his eyes and cursing he gets up walking to the middle of the room,pulling down the cloth to reveal a robot.
He chuckles “really? A robot? This is what they were making ?”
It was as tall as he was, arms stretched out. Head bend to the side.
He brings out his phone and then sends a message … “You are on” . He covers the robot and then leaves.
He meets Brian entering into the car and see Ikena driving away.
“See you soon Brian,can’t wait to see your face tomorrow ”
He walks away exiting the company.
*****
Tony Emelu takes the lift upstairs and alights from the first floor.
“Yes please?” The receptionist stops him.
“I have clearance to get to the first floor”
‘On whose order?”
“Mr Layefa, I am supoosed to help the generation X team for their preparation.”
‘They have gone. ”
“I know. I need to make sure every thing is okay”
“ID, need to make sure Mr Layefa is aware of this”
“He is. You want to stop me from doing my job? You would be held responsible if anything from the generation X goes wrong.”
She stares at him for a minute. Sighing he opens the door for him to go in.
“Thank you.”
Tony takes the stair case and round the corner entering into the room. Brian and his team used.
He pulls the cloth away from the Robot.
“Damn!!” He exclaims “this is one hell of creativity” he whistles .
Sighing sadly “too bad it gats to go.”
He grabs a hammer and then began to smash it from the head to the legs. Opening the enclosed back he pulls out wires and disconnects it from the body.
Satisfied he has done a lot of damage, he drapes the white cloth over it and then dusts his hands.
He puts off the light and walks away.
While he is entering the elevator , he sends John a text ” Done. Send me my cheddas”
*
John is smiling from ear to ear “Great. In a second ” he replies making a transfer to Tony.
He goes back to laying on his bed.
Tommorw would be fun. It would be.
He can’t wait to see Brian’s face. He hopes Mr Emeka doesn’t miss it for the world.
“I just ruined his project for generation X. ” he sent to Emeka.
*
Emeka grabs his phone as it buzzes. He reads the message. A smile appears on his face.
“Good Job John. Good job” he replies.
Emeka lays on the bad, a happy smile spreads across his face.
He can’t wait for tommorow .
Visit www.pobsonline.com for more amazing stories
*****
I am laying on my bed, reading a book when my phone rings., I smile when I take it to my ears.
“Hey you” his voice causes butterflies in my tummy.
“Hey you. How are you? Your day?”
“It was great just tiring .. but at least we are done with the generation X project. How was yours?”
“Boring, without you”
“I know. I am sorry”
“I wish I was there with you. Or you here ”
“Be careful what you wish for, you might actually get it”
I laugh. “I don’t mind that wish not one bit.”
“You don’t? ”
“Nope”
“Look out your palour window then ”
“Why?”
“Just do so”
I jump from the bed and rush to the palour, looking through the window I see him.
Without another’s thought I unlock the door,fling it open and run into his waiting arms.
He laughs hugging me to him. “Someone sure missed me today”
I nod a few times.. “I did alot. ”
He lifts me up on the bonnet of the car,standing between my legs he leans in close.
“So princess, did I wake you?”
“No..was just reading that’s all. What are you doing here this late instead of home?”
He reaches out to curl a strand of my hair with his fingers. ” It feels like home when I am with you” he smiles into my eyes.
“You say so many nice things to me these days, I don’t know how to respond to it” I tell him truthfully.
He smiles “What I feel is enough for both of us. You don’t need to respond to it.. until you want to.”
“Don’t you feel bad, that I haven’t said it back to you?”
“No. Well… I don’t. Honestly I don’t. May have thought about it but…just because I arrived at a junction way ahead of you doesn’t mean you may or may not do the same. ”
“What if I don’t ?”
His eyes bores into mine “then it’s okay. In my life time I got to find the one and fell in love with . That is enough for me. You like me. You care for me. You want and desire me. My feelings is enough for both of us. And I am in no hurry. . Well.. I am sort of in a hurry to not let go of you though”
I laugh touching his chest “how so?”
“You’ll see”
I breathe in his cologne. ” your perfume lingers even hours after you have left me.”
“Something to remember me by when I am away”
“Hmmm.”
“Can I ask you a question though?” He is staring into my eyes.
“Yes”
“If I were to ask a question , that bothers from the heart, would you accept? ”
“What kind of question?”
He bites his lips . “Never mind.”
“Come on baby”
He laughs “Tomorrow, be patient daryln”
“Okay. ”
We stay outside for a bit, talking. Just talking.
“You should get some rest.” I tell him as I watch his eyes close . I have my arms over his shoulders ..
“Yes I should. It’s been a long week”
“Come , let’s go to bed.”
I pull him into the house, I turn around for Ikena.
“Where is Ikena?”
“That man acts like a ghost sometimes. He is probably lurking around or like a cat crawled into a hole to sleep” he smiles ruefully. “He is fine. Don’t worry”
“I wanted him to come sleep in the palour”
“He would go home. ”
“Okay”
Once inside I help him undress and climb into the bed with him.
This time, I lay on my back and have him lie halfway on my body. His head on my chest, his arm and leg halfway sprawled over me. I could caress his back, and his head.
I watch him drift to sleep. My heart swelling with warmth for this man who has occupied my thoughts.
Is this love, what I feel for Brian?
Is this love?
Even I don’t understand it.
I listen to his heart slowing down into a peaceful sleep. Slowly, I reach out and brush a kiss on his forehead.
“Sleep well baby, may the Angels go before and after you. May God bless you Brian, may he protect you and keep you save. Amen” I say a silent prayer for him.
Then I go to sleep.
*
Saturday morning, Generation X day..
Emeka walks into pleasure park, finding a spot in the laid out chairs to sit. John comes in soon after ,rushing to him. More people troupe in. Soon the place is crowded. The panelist and judges occupy their table and the host picks up the Mike to welcome everyone.
“Sir, good morning ” John says it loud enough to he heard about the rowdyness.
“Morning. Is everything set?”
“Yes. ”
“What time are they to start and when does Alkalda comes up?”
“By 10am. He is in forth line ,in an hour. ”
“Good! Now we wait. ”
*
“Where is it?” Mr Layefa enquires. He is on his way to the venue.
“We are about taking it to the car now. Guys, come on” Brian beckons to them.
” okay. See you there. You come up by 11. Make me proud ”
“Would try Sir. Would try ”
The line dies.
Ikena turns to face the entrance as He drives away. He waits for Brian and the others to come out.
*
“Aaaaaaahhhhhhh!!” Someone screams .
Brian and the others rush to her, Ikena who had heard the scream runs inside almost withdrawing his weapon..
“What happened ?” They ask her.
She points to the Robot. “Someone ruined it. ”
They all followed her eyes..
With two steps Brian reaches for the cloth and then pulls it down.
He staggers in shock…
“Oh God!!!”
“The Fxxk!!” Ikena exclaims.
“Oh God!!” He repeats.
*
To be Continue
