Chapter 6
2168 Words
Scott walked downstairs busy browsing on his phone. He was still in shorts and a T-shirt. All eyes were on him. He deserved it from the sound of his sandals they could not allow him to walk without being noticed.
"Morning prince charming" Alicia said.
"Here comes the sleep walker" Kyle said.
"I thought he only sleep walks in the kitchen" Ben added.
Kyle and Ben did a fist bomb as the rest of the table including Amber who had no idea what was being talked about laughed. Since his return Ben was a lot fun. One could have said he was getting very younger. But he named it the billionaire resurrection, he was having the fun that was ripped off from him a long time ago, like a snake he had shed his skin.
"Typical Kyle always trying to be funny even when he is not supposed to"
"Ooh Scott is offended" Alicia teased.
"Don't worry Scott you are not guilty of anything" Arya defended.
It was her word against theirs and Scott was all smiles with confidence as he took his seat. The trolls had been silenced thanks to his defender.
"Am bored can we do something like a family" Ben suggested.
"A game maybe" Paul said.
"Am out I have to meet Martha for lunch" Alicia said.
"Who else has plans?" Ben asked.
Scott wanted to say they had a date to attend to but Arya winked at him. She spoke instead.
"Am in" Arya said.
"That's all no one less bows out, Paul which game are you suggesting?" Ben asked.
"Basketball"
"Am so teaming with you Scott" Arya announced.
He was the best basketball player in the entire family. Teaming up with him would have given one a chance to win. And all Richards or anyone who stays with them long enough, are obsessed with winning.
"We are all teaming up with him" Ben announced.
"Please don't tell me you want a staff versus family, you will get your asses beaten and Embarrassed" Alicia said leaving the table.
"Exactly" Paul said.
"Wait until you see what we can do" Arya said.
"I will just wait to laugh in the evening, if you can excuse me I have a lunch to prepare for" Alicia said going upstairs.
At heart Alicia was not a happy woman. She was going to miss the family games. It was something they had not done for a long time even though she had it in mind. Were it not for her plans with Martha she would have loved to attend.
"Guys where do I fall?" Kyle asked.
"With family" Scott said it.
"Technically he works for you but we are okay, no hard feelings you can have the funny man" Paul said.
"Paul let the employees know. In an hour they should be ready, family! Change into your game skits we are going to train before they get ready" Ben said whispering the last bit out.
"That's cheating but you can’t disown your own family can you?" Arya said.
"Who's the ref?"
"Paul, he is a neutral" Ben said.
And straight from the breakfast table the family went to their rooms to change into their games kits. As usual the head of the family had his jersey printed one. He was the first one to come downstairs followed by Paul carrying the basketball and a whistle. He was also in shorts, one of the rare moments one would see Paul whiskers not in a suit.
“Let me go practice, fetch the rest of my team” Ben said taking the ball from Paul.
He went back upstairs to pick Scott, Kyle and Arya. They were missing one player. As for the staff they had a hard to beat team including James, Jake and Ian among others. To balance the equation they had to use one a girl too and Millan was out and determined to embarrass her boss Arya.
“We are going to smash you” Millan teased.
“Not when we have Scott” Arya said confidently trying on her shorts.
Paul knocked at their door. Arya quickly put on her uniform as Millan went to check. She opened the door ajar just in case it was a man.
“Who is it?” Arya asked tying her hair into a ponytail.
“It’s Paul he wants you at the pitch...she said she is coming”
“I dint hear her say that” Paul argued walking away.
She just smiled and locked the door joining Ruth and Arya.
“Do you even know how to play the game?” Ruth asked.
“No she doesn’t that’s why Ben bought them an hour” Millan interrupted.
“Don’t listen to Millan she knows nothing about me, come on girls let’s go cheer mummy”
“And me?” Millan asked, “Don’t act like you don’t know am playing”
“Okay and Aunt Millan” Arya added before they left.
Ben was running around the track when the rest of his team arrived. They joined him. Dressed in white shorts and white singlets on which the words “Richards family” were written in bold black letters and a number was branded at the back. Ben was in the lead with Scott. Arya and Kyle were lagging behind. She was unlucky to have Kyle with her. The funny man had not left the joke sin the changing room and one thing that was almost impossible to do was running and laughing at the same time.
“Look at Scott’s shorts ooh my God they look like a windsock” he said.
His jokes were slowing Arya down. She burst into laughter trying to catch up. Scott kept looking back at them.
“Focus dude she is not laughing at you” Kyle would say.
Then he would drop another Joke and Scott would then look back until he had enough and decided to switch on the third lap. They were all starting to run out of air and once in a while Ruth and Millan had to throw them a bottle of water.
“So, why did you like postpone our date” Scott asked.
“This moment might never come again but a date we can go at any time in future” Arya said concentrating on the race.
They were running side by side. Ben and Kyle had finished their lap and were stretching in the middle of the court. Scott and his baby mama were so engaged in running that they forgot they had actually finished their laps. They were now jogging slowly telling stories, keeping quiet when they got to the shed where Ruth, Millan and their bouncing baby girl were seated. They would pick up the banter a few meters from there.
“It’s enough guys, who is out fifth team member?” Ben asked as Scott and Arya unwillingly joined them in the middle of the court.
The staff team was also warming up. They had a yellow kit and their leader was James. Who with Millan were doing the same thing Arya was doing with Scott. In their team was also Ian, Jake and Oren. It was a strong team.
“Amber?” Kyle asked.
“She has two decades in front of her to join the team” Scott said.
“Paul we are short one person” Ben complained.
He pointed at the gate. Ronald was waving at Ben.
“My man!” Ben said happily, “We have beaten you guys already” He added.
“Don’t be so sure” Paul said.
Since his return Ronald had tried his best to stay close. He was accompanied by his daughter Tina, Leila was working. She had gone with Alicia. When they arrived Paul gave both of them a kit each and they went inside to change.
“Gather around everybody, this game is about to start” Paul announced blowing the whistle, “Arya, you want to bail?” He asked.
“No she doesn’t Paul stop all this psychological warfare thing” Scott said.
Tina and Ronald joined them. Ronald was starting.
“Glad you could join us, it’s not going to be a strict match but here are some ground rules” Paul said staring at the two teams, “No carrying the ball with both hands and running with it”
They all burst into laughter. That was so Ben the last time they played.
“Please bounce the ball while walking or running, you can also pass to your teammate there is a variety of shots, the layup, the jump shot and even a dunk, another rule. A violation actually don’t lift or drag your pivot foot unless you are dribbling the ball let’s go people”
Like he said it was not a strict game. It was a fun one. Ben’s team started even without arranging themselves into positions according to their heights. Except for Scott, the tallest of the group was at the center. Ben was the small forward despite being the least agile one on the team. Kyle unknowingly took the power forward, usually a spot for the strongest player in the team. Was Kyle strong? No. Ronald and Arya were the ball handlers, Ronald was the shooting guard and Arya the point guard.
“How is it going?’ Scott asked Arya.
“Well am not a rookie in this game you know” She said.
“I know from how you handle it, come on love lets win” He said going away.
She lagged behind. Did he mean love like love romantic love or it was just a compliment he used on various girls? She did not know. James was dribbling past her when Arya miraculously got out of her fantasy world and stole the ball away from him. She jump-shot the ball to Scott amid cheers from Ruth and Tina. Scott dribbled past Jake and Ian laughing at them. Ben, behind the three point line was already shouting at the top of his lungs. As the family number one he wanted to get the first three points for his team. Scott seeing how desperate his old man was gave him the pass. He almost scored, the staff team collected a rebound.
“Don’t worry dad we going to do better next time” Scott assured.
“Big Ben score next time” Kyle shouted.
It was the staffs turn to play. Millan had the ball, the maids and grounds men and guards cheered on happily as she showed her skill set. With James and Ian the trio made the family team look like kids. They were not scoring, not even a field goal they were embarrassing them. It reached a point where Kyle’s sense of humor was their only savior. He cracked a joke.
“Guys are we still in training?” Kyle asked.
They all burst into laughter including the ref. Jake dropped the ball by mistake and lucky Ben was just behind the three point’s line. He grabbed it and miraculously shot it through the hoop. It was a score!
“Told you” bragged Ben.
“That was cheating” Argued Paul still laughing.
“You officiated it” Arya said.
The game continued. After the family scoring the staff became serious. Substitutions were made, Arya went to the bench and Tina joined the game. It became so interesting that Ruth substituted Millan. At the end Ben won. He scored more than king James himself ever scored in a single match.
******
“Is Ben oaky with this” Leila asked.
“He has no problem with Martha he assured me besides am I not Alicia Richards?”
“You are girl, one tough woman”
“So how is Ronald and Tina?” Alicia asked.
Leila loved it when she acted motherly towards her. Leila was like almost her daughters age and since her mum was not around Alicia coupled as a boss and a mother.
“They are fine” Leila said.
“You have made his life great since Tina’s mum left, Ben and I were actually starting to get worried he was not going to put himself out there again, am proud of you” she said.
“Thank you mum, and how about you?”
She smiled. There was no point in asking. Alicia was glowing, growing with joy. Happiness was part of her life she could confidently say she was living her best life.
“Ben is amazing, Scott is doing great with Arya. No one is trying to kill us am happy!”
“Am happy too mum, we are here” Leila said.
No one was trying to kill them? No. there were a lot of people trying or wanting them dead, only time could tell. A Richard was never free from enemies. An atheist would have said even God was jealous of the Richards.
- Writer
