Chapter 3

The party was over, Bankole and Osaze had left long ago and as for the mystery girl, she had gone missing, coming across like she had disappeared off the face of the earth or that she was never even here in the first place. I needed to will myself to forget about her because it was certain that I wouldn't be seeing her again, maybe even till the dawn of forever. The lights in the parking lot had floodlit the space, bleaching out the darkness which it had been environned by initially. When I had ascended my Nissan Jeep, I was filled with anticipation of what actually awaited me at home and so, without delay, I got ready to leave quickly.

The parking lot was vacated on coming in and an insignificant number of cars could be seen scantily dispersed around. Eventually, it had resulted in a coincidental mishap because once I started to reverse, I hadn't looked back initially.

It was no doubt an impulsive judgement on my part and now, a girl had appeared directly behind, completely oblivious to my incoming car. I slammed the brakes immediately and it caused a screeching sound to fill the lot. The abruptness of things finally made the girl at the rear aware of her surroundings and thereafter, she became visibly startled.

I dismounted the car with celerity, silently hoping that she was okay seeing as she had fallen in shock behind.

"Miss, I apologise. Are you okay?" I asked using that term of endearment because she had looked so young and was obviously still a child.

My words hung in the air unreceived as the girl wearing a Hijab clutched onto herself whilst trembling in fear. Had I scared her so much?

"Are you alright?" I asked once more but this time, I attempted to help her to her feet, though it still didn't go as planned. Maniacally, she pushed away from me and lurched to stand suddenly but on her own.

The girl's actions left me floored as everything about her was just baffling and I had only been allowed to view a fraction of her face because it had purposefully been covered by the Hijab. To put it mildly, I had now become totally nonplussed by the surprise encounter.

Following that, she had hurriedly cast a distraught look at our surroundings and afterwards, it was very unexpected because before I could stop her, she scurried away.

"Hey?!" I called out but the sound of my voice only caused her to quicken her steps. It was a bit worrisome because the cries of the crickets had already welcomed the dead of night and surely, it was dangerous for anyone, even me, not less a girl!

She was long gone now and subsequently, I had been left standing alone in the idleness of the underground garage. Upon turning to leave, I noticed something on the floor. Strangely, It was a locket and when I had picked it curiously, an inscription came into view, something that appeared to be in another dialect or maybe it was some sort of name—Jamilah.

...

Soon after, I arrived at my father's house, but like always, I had already been drowned in a series of thoughts. My mind reflected on the fact that I had met two strange people in the span of just a few hours, the performer and the girl from the parking lot. Each encounter must have had a significance and it made me understand something, not everything in life was everclear. It would always be a game of chance, chance meetings and choices, one could never expect what life would throw at you in the long run.

When I walked into the modern day castle, it was hard not to recall the memories that had been forged within these walls. My step brother's toys were scattered at a corner across the living room and no matter how much of a foil Darey was to me, I still loved the 6 year old as if he were blood. He was lucky to have gotten the love he needed while growing up. I had wished for all the advantages he relished now and undeniably, that neglected seven year old child within still wallowed in jealousy. I had yearned for a lot more than a robotic workaholic when my world had fallen apart but I guess all they had seen fit to deliver was servants and empty spaces.

"Dad I'm home!" I announced and the sound echoed off the walls of the house but then, It wasn't my father who answered first, it had been my step mom, Folashade.

"Jacob dear, how are you?" She asked, coming up to give me a hug and later a swift kiss on the cheek...

"What's with the fake affection, mother? Dear husband isn't here," I digged in response while she went ahead to pull off my coat and grab my keys.

Few seconds later, I felt her hand on my upper back slowly moving its way to my shoulder and afterwards, she spoke up but I had expected it.

"A little practice for a show never hurts, or does it?"

Her hands were placed firmly on my chest now, well manicured and polished nails glared at me in their glorious length. I couldn't help but remember when I had found comfort in those hands but with much pleasure, those days were beyond doubt over. I offered a faint smirk while sharply pulling off her hands but that was before I countered her question in a clever put-down.

"And does your beguility know no end?" I posed as a rejoinder but she just smiled, firmly retrieving her hands from my hold and right after, she gripped my chin in an unladylike manner, coming up into my personal space before whispering with a sneer,

"Oh Honey, a little deceit never hurt a fly either."

"Not in the hands of a she-devil, it doesn't," I jibed and the intent of the barb stung her as expected. Shade's smile fell together with the hand on my chin that had grown a little too rigid before it was removed.

"Your father is in his study but I'm sure you would love to see Darey, isn't that right, son?"

"Yes, darling mother," I replied in equal contempt and thereafter, she disappeared up the steps.

Shade was beautiful in every sense of the word, sharp features with a body that always made the senses of men go on hiatus but vanity is no definition of beauty when you can see the ugliness on the inside. Truthfully, I had gained a lasting knowledge after the conceptualisation of who she really was and in short, her type. There was a large difference between being generally attractive and genuinely beautiful, Shade didn't fit the latter in anyway. She was four years older than me, still very young to have earned the title of 'mother' but the seductress had managed to sink her claws into my 60 year old father and continued to have her way in seizing any opportunity to leech off of people.

Minutes later, I had followed her trail up the stairs, going in search of Darey first as something told me if I didn't see him now, I wouldn't get the chance to do so afterwards. On getting to his room, I heeded that the champ was already fast asleep, and so, I had to walk stealthily so as not to rouse him but I guess I would have to eventually. He looked so peaceful in his sleep and despite the fact that my mind kicked against being a bother, it was utterly unavoidable.

"Darey? Wake up," My tone was hushed as I shook him lightly.

"It's me," I voiced again when he began to steer, sleeplily.

"Jacob?"

"Yes, Darey. It's me, wake up," I confirmed, ruffling his wavy long hair that was exactly like our father's but still, his physical qualities differed from ours in many aspects. Darey's eyes were cornflower blue and his skin colour was a paler shade of olive, whereas father's was hazel and although his roots had some traces of Africans in them, his skin tone was still uniquely a darker hue of olive in exact similarity to mine.

Beyond doubt, my brother did look like a complete foreigner even though his nationality was shared like that of ours. My eye colour was surprisingly dark brown like the natives of this region and hair, an equally deep shade of black.

"Why are you here this late?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing," I replied but obviously, I had something more relevant at the back of my mind. Though, I wasn't all that false in my statement because I had always felt that we never spent ample time together seeing as for the last 6years since he was born, I had been far off, mostly mending broken ties or would I call it evolving.

"I'm okay. No need to be worried," he mumbled while he rubbed his eyes and then, let out a heavy yawn as a result of tiredness but he had been wrong, I would always be worried.

"Mom's treating you well right?"

"Yes, Jacob, why wouldn't she be?" He countered and again, I just ruffled his lengthy hair in response while displaying a wafting smile shortly.

"Has she gotten any more of those powders?" I enquired finally and after a while of random questions and the usual 'checking up on' I prayed silently that he wouldn't nod at my last question but disappointedly, he did.

"And did you hide them like I've always asked you to?" I added and he nodded to my relief this time. I shot up at once from the bed, going straight into his bathroom.

I had told him to always hide them inside the cabinets below the sink and he did so obediently and I guess somewhat cluelessly. I was almost certain she knew I put him up to the task of always stealing each batch but sometimes, I didn't think she tried to stop him as It was like the necessary pull she needed to work through the addiction.

Angrily, I flushed them down the toilet with vigour, suddenly feeling so annoyed while pinching the bridge of my nose in an attempt to calm myself. I would handle Shade later, I thought and after I had tucked Darey back in, I proceeded to the study.

...

"You should be getting rest dad, you're not getting any younger," I lectured him immediately as I entered fully into the well designed room. He was busy, nose deep in a cluster of files that had been scattered across the table.

"If I relax then this company would fall," he answered, not fully weighing the true content of his words.

My father's statement sort of implied that he didn't believe in me or trust in me to handle his job in his place. After all these years he still looked at me like I would forever be an irresponsible drunk.

"You seem to forget that I'm part of this now."

"I still won't be at ease if I leave everything in the hands of someone else," he replied instantly, not relenting his focus on his work. Again, he didn't appear fazed by what he had uttered and had not even the slightest idea of how selfish his words were.

I had put equal effort as him into the success of this company and I didn't do all that to be placed and addressed in the midst of others, with a silent actuality that all my investments for the success of the company were insignificant.

"Father, I'm not just someone else, I'm your son, your legacy," I stated clearly and after that, his hazel eyes that had now appeared to be greenish finally met mine for the first time since I walked in. Definitely, he had noticed the hint of distress in my tone.

Everything I had tabled was candid and accurate because although I was not hoping for anything odious but if at all something ended up happening, I would become the CEO, the head of the whole organisation and eventually his prided company would be left off for me.

"Have a seat, Jacob," he began, eventually closing the papers in front of him, proceeding to give me his full attention.

"When you give up your whole life to build something and that thing is on the verge of destruction, you would see that you would begin to do anything to preserve your sweat and blood. That is exactly the situation at hand, I trust that you can handle the job I gave you as MD but you still haven't proven to me that you're worthy of it all," he explained some moments after I had relaxed into the seat and each word he had enounced left me slack jawed, what nonsense was this?

I do remember vividly, the time when we had migrated to Nigeria over a decade ago. It was uncalled for then but Lebanon had become 80% dangerous on a scale of 100 and toxic as well with constant high risk issues resulting from terrorist attacks and never ending conflicts between the Middle East and the Israelis. The astute businessman then saw it as an opportunity to further expand his chain of businesses to Africa and also, make a name for himself by doubling his incomes and recognition status. Since his lovely wife had come from here, it was no doubt that the giant of the continent would be his pick.

"What are you saying?" I asked in disbelief while getting up immediately from the seat as if I had been burned by something.

"I'm trying to tell you that you better start making the right choices if you want to be my successor."

"This is some kind of joke right?" I marveled in shock at the play out of things and this time he stood matching my anger.

I couldn't believe he was saying all these things to me now. I had felt disparaged and insulted that all my years of working for him weren't enough.

"Stop asking unnecessary questions and start running the race. You think I want some stranger and not my son to inherit my company? I don't, so get cracking and then take the plunge," he responded adamantly with his voice raised.

"What else do you want me to do? I've always been the best at my job. Should I start to show you all I've won since the beginning, because I'm ready if it gets this stupid idea out of your head!"

I was livid now as I screamed in his face because it was almost like he had brought all my hopes and thrown them like scraps at my feet.

"Forget the awards and honours, you're a Cross it comes with the name," he contradicted smugly like he hadn't just further trampled on my self confidence.

"Well then, thank you for telling me how you feel father. I would never be like you, always to be second place. And I was never enough for you too, even after mom left!" I yelled, losing my restraints and embracing the ire while my words spewed forth without filters.

"Don't bring your mother into this," dad warned and for a second, I felt a tiny tinge of remorse for my actions. "I'm talking about you and your future, not her," he went on but I had stopped listening at some point, falling back into the seat, feeling sapped.

I brought my hands to shield my face right away as I bent forward, resting my elbows on my thighs. I couldn't believe how this day turned out. Had I ever said he was the perfect father? I'm afraid I had been so wrong.

He should have given me a heads up at least. Hadn't he seen it necessary to inform me from beginning that at the end of the day, I would have to compete for a place in my own father's company.

"Who are my contenders?" I blurted the words out once the thought came to mind.

He had been saying something but unfortunately, I still wasn't listening.

"That is not important right now! Where you even listening to me?" he questioned, pitching his tone in frustration but I just shrugged nonchalantly in reply.

My father looked clearly annoyed that I hadn't heard a single word he said and it seemed to have been important.

"Moving on, Jacob and as I mentioned, this is where Rashid comes in," he began, completely evading my previous question but what he had said instantly reminded me of the initial conversation we were meant to have and the reason that landed me in this room presently.

He had caught my full attention now as he was finally about to lay on the table what I had been anticipating all evening. Would it surprise me or not?

"How?" I asked and he saw it as a sign to continue.

"The Daran's seek a union amongst our two families," he revealed but paused afterwards to gauge my reaction.

A union? But in what way? The dreadful feeling that ignited within had me hoping it wasn't what I had been thinking.

"What kind of union?" I asked cautiously once more.

"Matrimony," he declared and for a few seconds, pin drop silence reigned in the room but that was before I started laughing hysterically at the ridiculous word.

"And who's going to do that?" I mocked still finding everything amusing but my father had put on a solid expression that masked no emotions.

"This is no joke, Jacob. Rashid wants you to marry his daughter," my father confirmed the reality of things and at once, so many emotions crashed onto me at that moment—Fear? Anger? Incredulousity?

"I can't do that and no matter what you say, I won't do it!" I clarified my standing in the whole matter, adamantly disagreeing to the absurd idea.

"Very well then, I didn't want it to come to this but if you don't marry that girl, you can say goodbye to me bequeathing any part of this company to you," he finished, leaving me horror struck at how grave his words were.

My father was really doing this to me! He had literally left me no choice and once I couldn't take anymore of it, I stood up and walked away with anger boiling in my veins. Instantly and without delay, I banged the door upon my exit to the extent that I was sure it had pulled off from its hinges a little, if not all even.