The Wallace dining room was a piece of art. The floor was decorated with beautiful tiles. It had a sink and a mirror behind Gerald's chair at the head of the table. A set of lantern wall lamps hanging on the wall all round it and a huge beautiful minka lavery chandelier above the white ceiling emanating a faint yellow light that gave the entire place a golden touch. A long vanished table was surrounded with a dozen vanished dining chairs of great quality with rubber stoppers under them such that they made very little noise when pulled back. It really brought that appetite also.
You could tell it was a feast with the kind of food that was being served. Two bottles of red dinner wine with a tray of glasses, a bowl of autumn royal grapes, sliced mixed fruits, sushi and roasted ribs, Chicken, plain rice, salad...all those foods were giving out a mixture of aromas that would confuse ones appetite. After everything was set to the required standards, the butler did the honors.ButAnitaDays after that magical kiss, I was still having mixed feelings about Blake. Wallowing in the mud of confusion caused by one simple kiss. An exchange of saliva. And it got me wondering how sex with him would feel like and what it was going to lead to. Blake had taken my mind hostage even without wanting to I found myself involuntarily thinking of him.One thing however was for sure. Blake was never going to be mine. He was so deep in Tessa's shackles and perhaps that kiss was just a mistake, he felt nothing for me. To him I was just a friend and he was forever going to treat me like one. Not bad, sometimes we need friends in our lives.But then again there was the audacity to dare hope for a future with him. When he woke up I was the first person he saw and he kept asking for Jordan. A son he claimed was ours. It was just a dream, and he was waking up from a coma but I took it as a consolation during that period of confusion that perhaps the impossible dream was on
In one of the few operating high end hospitals in the western side of the fort canon city suburbs. A dozen SUVs were parked. Huge men in black suits wearing wireless communication devices in their ears were standing all the way from the gate to the reception and the door of a VIP ward. It was obvious someone so rich was sick.Don Leon, the head of the Red Crescent Mafia group, the largest, dangerous and richest of all mafia groups in the entire country was lying in an adjustable patients bed breathing heavily with his eyes shut. A quick glance at their job description; causing war and havoc was on top of that list, kidnapping for ransom, murder for hire and they were good at making it look like an accident, if you wanted your competitors shop to blow up, espionage, if you wanted someone to disappear and never be seen again that was their expertise among others. It was even rumored that they were responsible for the war after election that was going on. Just a rumor that no one w
TessaIt was not until eight in the evening that the black SUV Blake was using glided in the compound. Watching from my bedroom window I kept tabs on him as he drove to the parking lot and then alighted carrying something like a notebook. He then walked to the Butlers quarters. Perfect time to confront him and remind him who was in charge. Since that promotion he had somehow lost a grip on reality."Is everything okay?" Dad asked when he spotted me walking downstairs. Perhaps my face was doing little to hide my frustrations and he could read my mood from it.He was seated on the couch with mum watching TV. They were cold, could sense some bad blood between them. "Am fine dad""You look so pissed off" pointed out the woman he married.There was still some unresolved issues between us and this time the crack was huge that I didn't even imagine us Seeing Eye to eye again. At least not genuine from either of us."Sit""I have to go dad" I insisted and wa
AnitaWhen she hung up I took a deep breath. Honestly my eyes were getting all itchy and I was a poke away from my tear gates breaking. It was hard to tell if she picked the Phone in his absence or if he gave it to her to get rid of me. Unlike the first time we kissed, the second time was off. The feeling for me was spine shattering but to him it looked as though the kiss was just normal with no impact on his emotions. The drama with the call just confirmed my biggest fear.That back there was a kiss of goodbye. There was a chance I had gotten myself hyped up on borrowed love and got myself lost under the impression that maybe he could be mine. My castle of sand built on the ocean shore of love got swept away days after being erected. I felt weak, used and stupid and since I was alone it was okay to cry. Let the tears of sadness and disappointment flow. But no, I couldn't even cry. A rough knock on the door forced me to wipe away my tears and clear my throat. The door opened
In the living room of the Red Crescent Mafia group headquarters, a lady was seated on the couch behind her two armed guards. She looked uneasy as though she wanted to run but she couldn't, it was a death wish and she was not that stupid to try and outrun hundreds of guards spread out there. Her name was Maria and she was the most important woman to Don. He walked downstairs in a silk robe with a glass of whiskey and a cigarette."It's really you" he said his gaze fixed on her."Why am I here Leo?" She asked angrily swinging back on her feet.The Don just smiled and took his time to get to where she was. Checked her out blowing the smoke in her face."You haven't aged that much" he said and signaled the guards to leave, "Anyway, sit please, you're a life saver am sorry about the last time we met things went out of control a little bit " he said and collapsed on his chair."Let's call a spade a spade Leo, why am I still alive?""Like I said you're a life s
BlakeTessa left me seething with rage at the parking lot. She was surely up to something, I didn't know what it was but there was a snowball's chance in hell it was favorable to me. Clearly there was a lot of unresolved tension between us that sooner or later we were going to have to face it head on. As they say, to avoid a storm you either sail through it or around it, but never wait for its arrival. I was going to use that drive to wherever she wanted to go, to fix our problems before they got out of hand."Are you guys fighting again?" Gabriel asked coming from behind, the smoke of a cigarette preceded him. It was his unique signature, every time the stench of a cigar hit my nose I'd know he is around or he was around."That's what couples do, you wouldn't know that because I am sure you've never been in love""Not anymore" he said putting the cigarette off, he went ahead to chew his usual breath mint. So stupid, he was under the impression that the mint would so
In a small Room, roughly six by four meters in size, potholes on the floor with a leaking roof top, paint was plucking itself from the old walls and it had a single small window that let in a small flicker of light bright enough to light it up. Seated in a corner was Maria, she had her head tucked between her feet and from how she was shaking, her teeth rattling you could tell it was very cold in there.The rusty metallic door swung open and in walked Carlos, wearing a sick smile on his face and at hand he had a plate of food she had rejected earlier and a bottle of water tucked under his armpit. Maria raised her gaze and dropped it."Rise and shine I've got some food and water for you" Carlos said parading them at her feet.He then walked back to the door and locked it to Maria's surprise, there was a lot going through in her head, what was he up to? More fear set in when he started unbuckling his belt."We're going to do this the hard way as a last warning, Boss c
The meeting between Bailey and Gerald Wallace ended in a no contest. None of them was willing to calm down and listen to the other and this of course could be blamed on a lot of their unresolved issues. The two were in a deadlock situation such that they knew what they were supposed to do but they couldn't because of the blame game.Bailey had both forgotten Gerald's disrespect in giving Blake new roles without involving her in decision making. While Gerald was feeling threatened, his authority was in jeopardy if he had to consult with Bailey to do anything. For long they had lived with each of them knowing their roles, he was the decision maker and she was there to support his decisions not disagree or add anything just support.So where did things go wrong with this arrangement?Well, you remember the incident with Gabriel. The loopholes in the parenting that left them pointing fingers at each other? There are things the two of them both said in anger, things they had
BlakeIt was another beautiful morning at the Red crescent manor. In my silk robes with a cup of coffee I was standing at the balcony, watching over my family estates, employees moving from one direction to another going on with their duties, their children happily playing in the field waiting for school time. Mum and Lilian had dedicated much of their time to doing that, teaching and donating foodstuffs, rescuing colts from dangerous gangs. It was the good I could do.After messing up the first time when God showered me with blessings I wasn't going to repeat the same mistake. This time I was going to use my influence to make sure that nature wasn't going to raise another Blake. No kid was going to be a pauper and mistreated under my watch and what better way to start doing that than in my own home? Anita and her sister Beatrice helped with the teaching, her younger brother James was there too among the students. My family had become big when her sister and brother moved in. Her moth
Within two weeks, Gerald Wallace had lost the trust of his family, his friends and all his lands he acquired illegally. Beginning with the one in the outskirts of the war tone city, that used to be a children's home that he mercilessly grabbed and sent the kids to the streets. Fate was back to bite him in the ass because one of the kids he threw on the streets was Blake. He reclaimed the land using the manpower he had, a new building was being erected as the war continued. No one dared stand in his way days after he left a trail of bodies when he visited a rival mafia gang that for long had perfected the unholy act of human trafficking. As a result, all the other gangs that were doing illegal businesses were keeping their heads down and others were now even reaching out to be friends. And once again, the red crescent Mafia family was on everyone's radar and the name Blake send shivers down the spines of those who didn't not stand for what he believed. In a matter of days, he had acquir
BlakeTheir eyes almost popped out of their sockets when I got up with the gun at hand. Their guards rushed to the scene but they were just a handful of them. Forming a barrier between me and their bosses. It felt good to taunt them, but I had no intention of killing any of them I just wanted to see the family suffer and not feel safe, feel like everything they had could be taken from them anytime, feel afraid like I used to every time Bailey called out my name or when she slapped the taste out of my mouth."Let's see, you're ten and I have fourteen armed another three dozen just waiting for my call, plus myself and Carlos and Johnson we're seventeen bad asses here right now""What about me?" Anita asked feigning disappointment. She knew how to taunt people, our common goal, to make Gerald pay. She wanted him dead more than I did."You'll sit back and watch me slaughter all these bastards, then I'll bring you the head of the man who had your father killed"Now that was one way to send
A couple of days after Anita's controversial visit peace and cohesion had not been a regular visitor at the Wallace manor. It all started with Gideon and Tessa, that same day over dinner Gideon seemed to be in a foul mood, he avoided conversations and when Tessa became too inquisitive he blew up in anger. Asked for some air, got in his car and drove out of the compound. That was new, but there was something he wasn't telling them and they were yet to find out, too late though and the one carrying that news was a not so welcoming person.Anyway, Gideon left Tessa under a cloud of sadness that no one seemed to have a solution to and perhaps that was because each of them had problems of their own. Bailey had to divide her attention and look out for her family or watch them perish. Gerald had lost his smile and control of the home. He spent most of his time drinking in his office and conversing with the butler, Tessa was in her room doing whatever it was she was doing and Gabriel. He was
Anita was seated in the most hostile of environments she had ever been. All the Wallace's including the new one who was glued to Gabriel like a monkey on a tree were glaring through her and ironically it was only Gerald who seemed to want her there, he was the calm and relaxed, patient as Anita took her time to taunt them with her silence and tension. The problem is she didn't care much about Gerald's show of concern and mercy. I was all fake, had she known why he was too nice to offer her a job in the first place she wouldn't have taken it. He was a murderer and thank God he had no idea what was coming.Those couple of minutes she sat there, dozens of ways she could have strangled him to death had crossed her mind. It was surely taking every ounce of self-control for her not to jump on him and try it."Are you going to keep us waiting forever. Unlike you we have some things to do" Tessa was not a fan of waiting."Okay, I'll go straight to the point. Blake sends his rega
At eight in the evening, everyone in the Red crescent manor was gathered at the ceremonial grounds. Circular in shape with seats made of mortar almost like an ancient Roman arena, there was a podium decorate with high end seats where the elders and the family priest sat. No one from the family had arrived yet and there was confusion everywhere with rumors circulating among the employees."I think we're being sent packing, I don't even know where to start from my whole life is in this beautiful place" one said sounding disturbed."Who said we're being send packing?" Asked another."It's just a rumor. We don't have proof" argued someone from behind, they were all whispering as though it was a crime to talk. But generally, it was all quiet and the whole place was lit up with traditional lamps."Something else we don't have is a leader and we're going to be scattered all over"The banter would have continued were it not for the sight of the r
One Week laterIt's said that, you never know when your time will come, we all hope he'll delay. So, what are you doing with the little time you have left on this vast ticking time bomb called earth? Have you Imagined how you want your Eulogy to look like? Most of us haven't. The brutal angel of death paid the Red crescent Mafia family a visit again. It was Saturday afternoon, a gloomy day for real even the weather could attest, the sun was too afraid to come out, hidden behind the dark clouds and the rain was now ruling, beating the ground into a wet submission, all the family members were dressed in black with the servants holding umbrellas for them leaning on each other's shoulders their eyes bloodshot from prolonged crying. After an all-inclusive funeral service with the few invited guests and the world at large it was the turn of close family Members to say goodbye to one of their own, one last walk to the grave for a fabric that had woven them together, a pillar that had
The whole family swarmed in on Blake as they carefully forced him out of the venue without causing much alarm, the crowd was already alarmed but those who knew Wallace and his family so we were both surprised. What was a Wallace party without some drama?"I just want to talk to Tessa then we can see if this joke of a party goes on""You don't get to insult me" Growled Gideon, he even wanted to punch him lights out but Gabriel held his hand. No one was really in the mood for violence that day for Christ sake they were dressed to party and have fun, dance, drink and those who could even have sex!"Calm down Gideon" Bailey said rather politely, "what do you want?""To talk to Tessa nothing else""Okay go ahead, but not here and we're not leaving her sight for as much as I care you might have goons out there planning to take her" that was the condition and it was good for him to have an audience so that they could all hear him convince her to be his again.Funny
BlakeAfter a sleepless night of tossing on my bed, wishing morning would come and the doctor would do the checkup, allow me to go home and see the love of my life...it finally came and the energy in the air was stupendous, the birds singing and the whistling of the wind, my own heartbeat and some beeping of machines all connected to make a perfect rhythm. I lay in my bed my arms tucked, staring blankly in the white ceiling, a smile cracked on my face, mother nature had been kind to me and the supreme being had given us another chance to suffer, love, regret and make our stay on this borrowed planet worthwhile.That morning like all days I closed my eyes."Father lord, thank for another day in my life. A few days back I was in a comma beaten to a pulp but you turned my enemies into my friends and now the protect me. Father, today I don't want to stress you with much, please see me through the day and give me back the love of my life, you know her more than I do and you h