Chapter 7
2268 Words
Martha price had selected a very good joint for them to meet and talk. However, she was getting worried Alicia was not going to show up and Alfred was having a hard time convincing her that she was only a couple of minutes late. As a CEO of a major business empire in fort canon everyone assumed that Alicia was good at keeping time, their assumption was right but that day she had just woken up so late.
“There they are told you” Alfred said.
He was standing behind Martha like a presidential guard.
“Thank God I was almost calling her” Martha said leaving her seat preparing to meet Alicia.
She was dressed in all white and gold.
“Am so sorry Martha, I woke up late today but am here now” Alicia said with Leila following behind her.
“Good afternoon too, I understand being a Sunday you were supposed to be resting” Martha said.
“I wouldn’t have rested anyway, I left Ben and everyone playing basketball, funny how he is becoming a child by the day”
The two women burst into laughter. Alfred and Leila ensured everything was okay before they took their leave. They had a table of their own not so far away. A waitress picked their orders, food was brought. Ribs, well marinated dripping of fat. Two glasses of apple juice, rice and some Chinese food. Clearly it was going to be a long talk.
“How is your family faring on, Melissa is about to be out” it was an awkward but necessary question to ask.
“Melissa is improving Dr. Ford and other best psychologists in fort canon are working on her and Lincoln is still in coma there is no hope” she said sadly.
“Don’t say that, have hope how about we pass by the hospital after lunch and pray for him. There is power in prayer” Alicia said.
Martha just smiled. For a woman as rich as she was one would have expected her to be less religious. Because in fort canon, being rich was associated with some bad stuff. It was happening since the Ben and Lincoln war came out. Many rich people were now being linked to weapons of mass distraction, chemical spills, drugs and s*x trafficking, kidnappings, human trafficking and that kind of stuff. How she remained religious with all those things was still a mystery to Martha. As for Alicia she believed in God. After God it was family. And when it got to family she couldn’t watch them suffer and wait on God. She was willingly to do anything. Boaz could testify.
“You will do that for me?” Martha asked.
“Yes, people change I think for long we haven’t been friends that’s why this enmity has grown between our families it shouldn’t take more than your daughter in jail, your husband in the ICU and my son heartbroken to know it’s time we started fixing this” Alicia said.
She just nodded. Martha was keenly listening to everything she had to say. And it kept reminding her of why she needed to be that bridge between the two families. Since Ben and Lincoln were too childish to fix their problems it was their turn, working together to fix it.
“I understand Alicia, am sorry I didn’t reach out which brings me to this. Yesterday Boaz was at my house”
“Ooh my God that disgusting pig” Alicia said making an annoyed face.
They both burst into laughter.
“I think he wanted to have s*x with me, I can’t believe am saying this”
Alicia laughed as Martha covered her mouth with embarrassment.
“I should have rather shot his d**k” Alicia said making Martha laugh even more.
“You shot him?”
“He was joking with my money, he wanted my children to starve and I can’t let that happen”
“I think he is still after you, he actually came to ask me to join some secret billionaire’s council that aims to fight Ben”
“You are serious?”
“Yes that’s why I wanted us to meet, he had some powerful men by his side or maybe he was bluffing but if I were you I wouldn’t take any chances”
“I will talk to Ben about it, come on let’s go see Lincoln” She said getting up.
Alfred had already cleared the bill although Alicia really wanted to pay. It was Martha’s idea for them to meet and thanks to her she was now aware what Boaz was planning. Lucky for her she did not have to deal with him again, Ben was back and he was the veteran when it came to such matters. But deep at heart she would have wanted another shot at him.
********
After taking a short break from the basketball competition the two teams were preparing for athletics. Ben was leading his team in training and Millan was leading the staff team warming up. The audience was patiently waiting for the games to start hoping they were going to win the second round. Everyone looked happy.
“Mum is missing a lot” Scott said.
“We are better off without her son she usually has a secret desire for us to lose you heard her in the morning” Ben complained stretching.
“Next time we do a mixed team” Paul suggested.
“Good idea Paul so what are we competing in?”
“This one is easy, just ran from this goal to the other one like a mad bull” Kyle said.
As the organizer and referee Paul was planning short races. Some people like ben and Ronald could not ran the long was. He was also introducing frog jump and swimming. It was afternoon, they still had enough time to have fun. Paul was standing in the middle of the small rectangular football pitch. It was covered with a green carpet of grass with two goal posts. He blew his whistle to get the attention of competitors. His stop watch was ready and eh had some of the guards wait at the finish line.
“We are having short races first each team should select two of their fastest runners to compete” Paul said.
“That’s for the young” Ronal said.
“Dude we are young too” Ben said making them laugh.
“No dad let Kyle, Tina and I decide this”
Arya gave him the “you forgot about me look” Scott smiled at her
“Sorry you too Arya we got this” Assured Scott.
“But they said two” Arya argued.
“We compete with each other then the best two represent us” Suggested Tina.
“I don’t have to qualify am the fastest man in this Arena right now” Big mouth Kyle was in his head again.
“Rules are rules. Team Ben let’s take this side for the primaries” Paul said pointing to his right, “Team Millan the other one good luck everyone”
From Team family the primaries were a tough race between Scott and Kyle. The two bulls were already counting Tina out. The same thing they did to each other. Scott was counting Kyle out because of his weight. He was heavier, Scott had that athletic physique but he had not hit the gym for long. As Kyle always said he should have been a model instead of studying too much business at college. Ben and Ronald were overseeing the primaries. Arya was busy feeding Amber to give Ruth a chance to represent the staff’s.
“You ready?” Ben asked, “I will clap my hands once then you go”
Scott and Kyle were by the side. Tina was in the middle.
“You good to go?” Ronald asked.
“Yes can you now start the race” Tina said warming up.
“Okay, own your marks...”
“Wait is it on your marks or own your marks?” Kyle asked.
Arya could be heard laughing in the background. They all shifted to look at her. They were laughing too. Working with Kyle was much harder when he was in a mood to c***k jokes. One couldn’t be sure not to laugh even when they didn’t want to.
“Kyle should be disqualified for causing disturbance or get him a mouth guard that may limit his talking” Arya said.
“This is not boxing Arya dear” Argued Ronald.
“To some extent she is right” Ben added amid chuckles, “Own your marks or on your marks whatever…get set...”
Scott was already running. Kyle and Tina were still behind the line drawn laughing their hearts out. He only realized he was competing alone when he heard them laugh and also, there was no one by his side trying to go past him. He knew he was not that fast.
“Guys we need to be serious” Ben said laughing.
“I heard you clap” Scott argued jogging back.
“Dude were you like on your own planet he said get set and you ran like a bull” Kyle said groaning with laughter on the grass.
“Son get set means you raise your right knee...”
“And go means I run I know” Scott said going behind the line again.
Kyle and Tina joined him.
“Okay, last trial...On your marks...Get set....Go!” Ben said and clapped thunderously.
The race went the other way round. It was Tina leading the two men. She was automatically going to win while Scott had to deal with Kyle laughing by his side as Kyle ran like a duck. Scott was actually dragging himself to take the second position amid laughter. He couldn’t do both, Run and laugh. At last he managed to concentrate and take the second position after Tina. He even ran back to pick Kyle who was now breathing heavily a meter to the finish line, leaning forward with his hands on his knees. Arya laughed out the loudest at the cheering stand. She was also the only person who brought him a bottle of cold water.
“You didn’t” Scott stopped to laugh, “You didn’t say you can’t run dude what’s this?” He asked amid laughter.
“Am not in that zone men, am like Bolt you lucky homie” he said drinking the water.
“Turns out am faster than Kyle, this generation” Ben said giving Ronald a fist bomb.
“Kyle son you need a gym” Ronald said.
“I can train you for free Kyle” Tina said.
“Me too” Arya added.
“Just zip it all of you...” They burst into laughter. He also found himself laughing.
That was whack. He was lucky none of his family members was around to see him embarrass or so he thought. Arya had the clip on her iPhone. And that’s how Kyle became Arya’s slave.
“You mess up am sharing this on social media” Arya threatened showing him the video.
“Don’t you dare” Hissed Kyle.
“Buddy, she doesn’t have many followers I doubt even if she is on social media” Scott tried to give Kyle some hope.
“True but I have Ambers i********: account, approved with what” She stopped to check, “The Wi-Fi is so weak here”
“Three million plus followers” Tina said
“He is screwed, Kyle you cut a deal with Arya. Scott and Tina go make us proud” Ben cut short the conversation.
From the staff team it was Millan and Oren who made the cut. The highly anticipated final was upon them. Both teams were hoping for a win since it was their champions. Their best. Kyle however was still at it. Funny business.
“You guys realize that in a competition of the best there must be a loser right?” he asked.
This time it was the referee who was caught in Kyle’s web of laughter. Paul blew the whistle and concentrated on laughing. When he got up Scott had already won, followed by Millan and Tina. Oren was the last one.
“I knew my boy will win” Kyle said proudly.
Scott had gone easy on them. The rest of the afternoon was on relay which despite Scott’s efforts his team lost when Millan got handed the stick on time. When it came to swimming Ronald won for team family. Cycling Oren won for team staff and Javelin Arya won. It was funny though. Probably because she was the only one who could throw the spear straight to where it was supposed to be. Discuss, the staff won when Ian threw the heavy dish like weight halfway across the stadium however Ben won the family an archery trophy while Ruth won tennis for the staff. At the end of the day there was no winner or loser. It was a day well spent. The day was wrapped up at a half past six. Ronald and Tina left, Ian drove Kyle home. It was the most fun any of them ever had and they promised to make it bigger and better next time, little did they know they would have never gotten another chance to hang out like they did. Not in their near futures
- Writer
