Chapter 1
2051 Words
Sisters of Mary hospital and cancer center was one of the biggest hospitals in the region well known to be flooded by the effluent who were in a bid to maintain their health. The only poor people around its vicinity were the cleaners and maybe the doctors themselves once in a while the watchman would have surprised you with a tip. No day went past at the hospital without a certain celebrity or well-known billionaire or CEO being seen coming in or out of the hospital. And that day. The richest man in Fort Canon city, Ben Richards himself was waiting in the VIP room. The attending was Dr. Allan brown a prominent cytologist, surgeon and highly sophisticated cancer expert. He had gone to the laboratory with a biopsy to run some tests.
Had you been there you would have thought the president of the United States of America was around. His black rolls Royce was in the parking lot with the driver and a guard, outside his VIP room were four guards in black suits with ear devices constantly moving around assessing any threats and inside his room was his butler and right hand man Paul whiskers. Richard was relaxing on the bed. The room had a seventy two inch Samsung curved screen, his bed was adjustable and so was the room cooling system. He was dressed in a blue patients rob, on his bedside lay his expensive three piece suit, watch and credit cards. He had a copy of fort Canon daily paper, as usual rich people like Richards were interested in the business section.
"My friend Ronald, the owner of club leviticus has gone broke", Ben said with a nasty chuckle.
The man had kicked the word broke out of his own personal vocabulary a long time back.
"It might be paparazzi trying to hype it sir, I advise you don't rush into buying it", Paul said relaxing on a coach.
He was also in a black suit. He was always in a suit. In his early sixties Paul had worked for Richard's dad the late Eric Richards. No one really knew his exact age. He had seen Ben grow, he knew him more than anyone else even his own mother Angela Richards.
"You see that's why I like having you around you always know what am thinking", Ben said happily taking a sip of water.
"Should I call the accountant and your attorney?"
"No, I also listen to you... Sometimes so you will go check it out before I do anything", He said flipping the pages of the newspapers.
"Allan said half an hour he has taken long", Paul said checking his watch.
"Find him!" Ben ordered.
"Right away sir", Paul said walking towards the door.
When he got outside, as expected he had to stop and give the guards more instructions. The moment they saw him they moved in closer.
"Am going to find Allan no one else enters, positive?"
"Rodger that sir", Oren the head of security said.
He was familiar with the hospital, its tiled floors, white walls with efficient fluorescent lighting in the hallway, fire extinguishers after every two meters, ward rooms with translucent glass. For a man who had served two generations of the Richards he had to know where to find the doctors and nurses. This was their hospital where an hour of service was more than his monthly salary. He was so fit for a sixty year old. Paul never looked stronger.
"Can I please talk to Dr. Brown?" He inquired a nurse at the laboratory entrance.
"Wait here", she said.
"Okay"
The nurse was dressed in personal protective equipment. An overall with gloves and goggles. He was not supposed to get in without those. When she returned she had Dr. Brown by her side.
"Paul?"
"Richards is getting impatient", He said.
"You came right on time the results are out and they will be sent on my tablet any minute. Let me get rid of this", Allan said pointing at his PPE.
"Okay", Paul said walking away.
He found Richards still reading. He was now in the sports section looking at the progress of his favorite team. He was one of the sponsors of fort Canon united football club.
"I thought you were going to fetch the doctor?" He asked his eyes glued on the paper.
"Yes sir, He will be here any minute with the results", Paul said reverently.
Richards was about to answer probably complain again and threaten to fire Allan on grounds that his money was worth everything he needed when the door was knocked.
"That’s him I think", Paul said walking towards the door.
"He better be"
The protocol dictated everyone who came through the door to he confirmed by Paul himself no matter how many times one was seen coming in and out of the room. And they had to be search all over again.
"Let him in", Paul ordered opening the door ajar.
"Thank you Paul", Dr. Brown said getting in.
"Dr. Brown I hope the results are worth this wait", Richards said throwing away the paper.
"I wish I could say so sir", He said looking sad.
For a doctor like Allan, losing a patient like Richards was a risk factor for a very lean purse and also getting fired. The doctors at sisters of Mary were employed based on their performance that is more recoveries and almost zero deaths of celebrities who walked through its doors on a daily basis.
"What's wrong doctor?" Richards asked with traces of humility in his voice.
Death humbles all men even the thought of it.
"Your cancer is back and this kind is very progressive", the doctor said moving closer to his patient.
"This is the best cancer center in the world it can be treated right?" Richard asked.
"Yes we can manage it for some time"
"Are you giving me an ultimatum to live? How long do I have?" He asked raising his voice.
"Less than a year"
He broke down. Paul had to intervene to calm him. For a rich man death was not a good thing to hear even for a poor man, life might be hard but they both enjoyed it.
"But there must be something you can do”, Paul suggested.
"All hope is not lost but I can't promise anything right now"
"Thank you doctor you can leave us", Richard said sounding sad.
"I will send the medication", Dr. Brown said and left.
There was an awkward silence. Paul did not know where to start from.
"So, the same disease that killed my father is on my neck", Richard said.
"Is there anything I can do for you sir?" Paul asked.
"Tell everybody we are taking dinner at the castle I have to tell them", He said.
"Okay sir, this might also be the time to make a bucket list"
"I want a grandchild, am not dying without seeing my grandchildren", he said putting on his clothes.
Paul walked out of the room to notify the guards they were ready to leave. Richards walked out of the hospital with his head held high.
*******
Right out of the main offices of the daily life magazine journalists were following Melissa price like a swarm of bees the wife to Scott Richards Jr, the son of Ben Richards. She was the daughter of Lincoln price the media guru. That day she was accompanied by her assistant Ruth with two heavily built guards protecting her from what she called the filthy sweat and hands of the poor and her fans. She only said it behind closed doors.
"Melissa there are rumors that you fell out with the daily life magazine are they true?" A journalist asked.
"They infringe the rights of women I can't work with that" She answered.
"Are you pregnant?" Another journalist asked.
"Hell no! I don't have any plans of becoming pregnant. Am like what, twenty five and at the prime of my career" She answered.
"Can you confirm Richard Jr's cheating allegations", that was the loudest and the most uncomfortable of the questions she was asked that day.
"Sorry guys but Mrs. Price cannot speak anymore", Ruth joined in asking the guards to take her away, "for now you guys allow us to get going I will give an update for the next press release thank you remember without you there is no us" She said walking away.
She had to ignore the remaining journalists who kept calling her name. Dressed in a black blazer white top and matching black velvet dress. Her hair natural well done cascading down her back like the mighty fourteen falls waterfall of Kenya, black heels making her look taller than she was and flashing smiles to the cameras her eyes hidden in a pair of spectacles. Soft smooth chocolate skin. One could have said she was more beautiful than her boss. But they would have been wrong.
"You just stood there as they asked me those obnoxious questions what do I pay you for!" Melissa burst out angrily when Ruth got in the car.
"Am sorry mum but I intervened", Ruth said joining her in the back seat.
The two guards were in the front seat. One was her own personal driver, the other was just a guard.
"You intervened late!" she screamed as they drove away.
Hungry Journalists and paparazzi were still taking pictures of the car, following it on their legs. It was a Mercedes. Shock proof, bullet proof and sleek one of the best and most expensive in the market back then.
"Am sorry for being lazy mum it is won't happen again", she said.
"I know it won't unless you don't want to keep your job", She said busy on her phone.
That was her job, Ruth's job on a daily basis. The salary was not that bad but the work itself had some requirements. A chicken hearted girl would never have survived Melissa price. She was a handful, born in wealth swimming in it and surely married to it. Money was not a problem to her and it guaranteed her everything nice money could offer. That included people. She expected to do what she wanted exactly what she wanted even if she didn't say it loud. One had to read her mind and decipher what she was thinking.
Yet you and I both know Ruth did her job. She intervened and prevented the paparazzi from asking more questions. She also saved Melissa from public shame. She had a beautiful face but not a sweet tongue. It was the truth. The question they asked was all true that's why it was a bitter pill to swallow. During one of his numerous business travels. The COO of Richardson Empire was spotted with a lady in one fancy hotel. The rumors, the truth not rumors was covered by one press statement from Ben Richards himself and his words if I got them precise were as follows.
"My son is a married man, it's time you start treating him like a family man and not like a billionaire where you get paid to report fake news about him"
And now the same Ben Richards wanted a grandson or at least a daughter before he died.
"Where to mom?" The driver asked when they got to ring road.
One road was leading to the Richardson castle and another was leading to the FCNN as popularly known. The fort Canon News network where she also worked as a TV anchor for a popular talk show.
“Take me home Big Ben wants everyone to be there for dinner", Melissa said busy on her phone.
Ruth would have asked to be dropped right there in town so that she could go to her apartment. It was already nearing the end of her working hours. It couldn't have ended well for her so she kept quiet as they were driven to the castle that was almost forty two kilometers away. She had served Melissa and the family for long to know Big Ben as they loved to call him did not call for dinner meetings unless something was so wrong or so right. She hoped for the latter, many people were on his payroll.
- Writer
