Chapter 8
2274 Words
It was another fine morning at the Richards castle. Being a Monday everyone was up except Amber Richards and her personal nanny Ruth. Alicia, Arya and Millan were in the gym room; Paul and Scott led by Ben were doing morning laps around the soccer pitch. Back at his Job Jake was organizing breakfast. James was doing a routine checkup of the cars together with Ian, the grounds men were cleaning the compound, and the guards were alert as usual. The sun was still covered by the clouds, its golden rays spread out such that it looked like a big yellowish spot on the grey-brown sky. The air was cold and refreshing to the lungs of everyone who was lucky to inhale it and the birds, crickets and other tiny living things in the cracks, under the grass, stones and debris formed a band with their indistinctive tune.
“Dad, are you going to the office today?’ Scott asked.
“Yeah I think am ready son though it will take some time to get back in the game” Ben said.
He reduced the pace and the two men were running alongside each other. Dressed in black pull necks with white caps, black trousers and white shoes. They looked more of athletic team training for the Olympics than a family.
“It’s a good thing Scott and I are still here” Paul joined in the conversation.
”You boys will help me I will just show up”
“We should get going then we will be late”
They were doing everything like they had a timetable. Everyone was in their room hitting the shower then one by one they started coming downstairs for breakfast. With Scott being the first one to arrive. Ben and Alicia were still in their room dressing each other up. It was fun to watch as they selected clothes for each other. They always started with Alicia, Ben picked a navy blue dress and black shoes. While she picked a pink shirt, blue suit with a blue tie.
“So how did you date with Martha go?” Ben asked as she tied his cufflinks.
“We talked a lot she told me about Boaz planning to you know...bring you down”
“It’s just some petty jealousy let it not worry you” Ben said as she adjusted his tie.
“Don’t ignore it, Boaz is a real pain in the ass last time I had to shoot him in the leg, if you can’t handle it just call your girl”
“You fired a gun?” Ben asked sounding sad and angry.
She had that worried look on her face. The same thing happened with Paul when she shot him, he was not happy. She was starting to feel guilt.
“Am sorry I...”
Ben burst into a thunderous laughter. Making her more confused.
“I don’t understand what’s funny?”
“I love you more baby if he becomes a problem I will knock at your door...”
Concurrently the door was knocked. As usual it was their son. The big man they send when they wanted them downstairs quick. Corky Ben kissed her anyway. That feeling of appreciation she would have wanted to hear when she shot Boaz consumed her all over again.
“Morning mum what’s old Ben doing to you?” Joked Scott standing by the door.
“Just appreciating me, they send you to fetch us again?”
“Yeah, we are running late”
“You heard your son Ben, let’s go” she said walking to her closet.
Ben led the way followed by Scott, holding his dear mother closely. She stopped to adjust his tie and pluck something out of his black lustrous hair. Alicia was keen, every mother is especially for a son who did not have a wife. .
“Good to go!”
“Thanks mum”
“Good morning Richards! Am feeling happy today!” Ben announced taking his rightful seat at the table.
“You are always happy Ben, you’re the personification of happy...morning Baba Amber” Arya said.
Alicia looked at Scott. He had no idea they were referring to him.
“Ooh morning, Mama Amber how are you?”
“Fine, the clinic security wanted a meeting with you maybe you can pop by during the day?” She asked.
“No business on the breakfast table!” Alicia interrupted checking on Amber.
Scott and Arya both looked at Ben. He shrugged looking at Alicia. They both laughed. He couldn’t help them either. It was her rules and he obeyed them too. She wished they could have a relationship like that with Scott. One in which love was not seasonal, in which they would understand each other, forgive and protect each other. For a minute she forgot she was frozen.
“Arya!” Alicia called.
“Yes...sorry” She said looking embarrassed.
“Are you okay?” Scott asked.
“Yeah am fine, unless I don’t look like it”
“You froze like that Lizard character in what is it called, Rango? Something like that” Ben said.
“You’ve been watching I see” Scott said serving the entire family bread and sausage.
He had decided to relieve the maids.
“What do you think your mum and I have been doing travelling all over the world?”
“Benny bear”
They all laughed. It was a romantic but funny name. Funny because his friend Ronald had once told them bear was his nick name back when they were growing up. Alicia joined the laughter too as Ben pretended not to be there at all.
“Don’t tell the kids what we did, they will want to go on vacation” She said feeding Amber.
“Next time we should all go” Arya said.
The others happily shouted a chorus “Yes” that abruptly stopped when the head of the family raised his head.
“I will have to get us an island” Ben said.
They cheered him as they ate breakfast. Even though a date was not settled on yet they were already talking about what they were going to do, what they were going to carry to the island. After breakfast Scott and his father took the Rolls Royce to work with Oren as their driver. Paul followed them in his mustang. Alicia and Arya took Ian, with Millan. They were headed to the Richards foundation clinic.
******
In the back seat of the Royce, Ben was reading a copy of fort canon daily newspaper, Scott was scrolling on his phone. Country music could heard from the speakers.
“Am sorry” Ben said going through the pages.
“For what dad?”
“Not telling you I was alive and the pain my death caused you”
“Dad? Dad you don’t have to apologize for anything, you are back and that’s all that matters you don’t know how happy I am. We should start hanging out more often actually”
“Like around a grave” Ben teased laughing lightly.
“Yeah around Grandma’s grave”
“It’s a date” Ben said.
Scott went back to his phone. He did not see it but Ben took a sigh of relief. He still felt bad about not telling Scott and Alicia that he was alive. While Alicia was easy to forgive he didn’t know much about Scott. He was his son and that reminded him of his greatest failures as a father. On the bright side he was proud Scott wanted to hang out more, exactly what he wanted to ask of him but he was afraid. It was not fair to just feign death and jump back into his life like nothing happened. If Scott was going to forgive him it was going to take a lot of time.
“We are here sir” Oren announced.
He got out of the car and opened the door for Ben. Scott got his own door. Right in front of the giant building a banner with “Welcome back Ben “the immortal” Richards was floating in the air. At the entrance was a cake. A big one and all the employees were camping outside. When they saw him everyone got up.
“This is all you” Ben said staring at his son.
He hugged him tightly. He would have cried.
“For you dad, come on lets gate this party going we have money to make” Scott said dragging him along.
Oren followed them closely looking around. Like Ian he was a professional guard. He had to be careful because his boss was behind them. Paul also arrived in his mustang. Navy blue suit red tie. With glasses.
“Thank you so much guys, lunch is on me today” Ben said.
They clapped. Last time he bought them lunch most of them could not work in the afternoon. He hired an entire catering services company. It was that day again.
“Speech!” Scott started the chants.
They all chanted together with him their fists in the air.
“Okay, majority wins...like I always say we are all family here. Inside this walls. Outside am your boss. I want to say thank you for giving my wife, a billionaires widow and son, a grown ass orphan” they chuckled, “You gave them an ample time and the organization blossomed in the face of adversity. For that I will forever be grateful”
They clapped and gave him another round of applause. It was a standing ovation of its own kind.
“Later in the day your COO, my son Scott and his friend Paul” he pointed at Paul disguising himself in a pair of glasses, he was at the back of the crowd, “They will give you some good news, something to do with a 5% something you know...I don’t want to spoil the surprise”
They cheered again. He was not good at keeping surprises though. Those used to him, could already tell what he was talking about.
“Thank you now time for cake and back to work am starving” He said taking the knife.
All the employees lined up with the seniors at the front led by Scott one by one Ben fed them the cake as they entered the offices. On their way they picked a glass of wine. The morning couldn’t get any better. At last he only remained with Paul and Oren.
“Come on you two!” He said to them.
Paul pushed Oren.
“You too Paul” Ben insisted.
He gave them their cake and took the last bit for himself. They stood outside for some time until Paul decided to leave.
“Sir there is an errand I would love run in town” Paul said wiping his mouth with a serviette.
“We are in town” Ben said, “Aren’t we in town?” he asked Oren.
“Yes we are sir” Oren nodded avoiding eye contact with Paul.
He was between a rock and a wall.
“Can I go sir? I mean with your permission” Paul asked.
“Of course Paul I have Oren you do what you got to do if I need you...”
“You will call me” Paul interrupted.
“Exactly bye!”
As Paul went back to his car Oren escorted Ben inside the building. He stopped at the reception area and inhaled slowly spreading his arms.
“God it feels good to be back” He said and resumed the walk.
******
“Next!” Arya said seated in a long comfy C-suite black leather chair, behind a huge mahogany desk.
She was in a blue dressed with a black stripe running from the neck and disappearing somewhere on her right thigh. On top of it a white dust coat with her name on it. Dr. Arya Jacobs MBchb. A laptop was on her table, a pen in her hands. Behind her was a large window; on her left was a shelf full of medical books. On her left was a hot and cold water dispenser, an anatomical chart showing a complete human skeleton system. In front of her was a patient’s seat. Alicia came in. Arya was surprised to see her, she even got up.
“Sorry doctor there are no more patients” She said looking at a sheet of paper. When she raised her guess Arya was standing, “Why are you standing?”
“Because it’s you Mum not a patient” She said looking embarrassed.
“Come on Arya, you run this place am just here for your signature now take your damn chair before I make you” she warned taking the patients seat.
“I dare you” Arya said smiling.
“Sign here first” Alicia said handing over the paper, “It’s an agreement some of the patients I get out there will be transferred here for proper care”
“Did I really have to sign?” Arya said signing anyway.
She took out a rubber stamp, adjusted the date and stamped on her signature.
“Yes, we follow protocol mum” Alicia said stressing on “mum”.
She took the paper and walked to the door.
“It feels good to be your boss” Arya said amid laughter.
“Don’t get corky see you at lunch” Alicia said shutting the door behind
- Writer
