Chapter 25: DOWN THE DRAIN

Here is your delivery, Eric announce entering Mina's office with two boxes of pizza and drinks 

Eric what are you doing here, are you not busy at the hospital, Mina ask surprise 

I will be going back now, I know you are busy but you shouldn't skip your meals, he said, setting the box on the table in front of Mina, handling the second box to Evelyn 

Thanks Eric, this is so nice of you 

You are welcome Evelyn

I thought you said you are going back now, Mina ask 

Yes I will when you eat your lunch 

We are about to order something when you came in, so don't worry I will eat 

Are you sure,  I don't want you to keep losing weight

Yes I promise 

Ok, I will leave then, I heard all the first batch are off sales 

Yes they are sold out already, about seventy five percent has been ordered for since yesterday so it fast 

Congratulations 

Thank you Eric 

Bye then 

Bye 

Immediately Eric left, I stand up, 

Where are you going to, Evelyn ask 

Am going to the rest room 

 okay, when you are back, we will talk about the pizza delivery 

I took my sit back, no point in going, I was going to try and escape her questions but she caught me already 

You are not going again, she ask 

Am okay, am not too press 

Hmmm I see, I don't know why you like stressing yourself, you should have known by now that I know you more than you know yourself

Yes I agree, I reply 

So tell me 

Evelyn there's nothing to tell 

Okay I won't pressurize you,  am happy you are starting to shield off your shell 

What do you mean, Mina ask 

You are starting to get bold

How, Mina ask again, looking confuse, am sure she's imagining things again in that blonde head of hers

 Didn't you  message Eric to bring lunch for us 

What! no I don't

Yes you did, how else did he know to bring lunch for us 

You are right, I said giving up, it almost closing hour, what else do we need to do, I ask checking the time 

Nothing, every other thing is left to the marketing unit, 

Okay good, I think I will leave early, I said taking a bite from the pizza, hmmm I close my eyes tiredly savoring the taste, it delicious 

Yes it is Evelyn agree 

Girlfriend, it weekend, should we go somewhere to release all the stress, the project is already a success, we need to celebrate it, what do you think 

And why do you even bother asking, I reply taking another pieces of pizza, you know my answer 

That the reason why you don't have any experience at all, Okay darling, just this once, hun, Evelyn pleaded

And where do you want to go 

Let's go clubing this night 

This night?, No not after today stress 

Haaaa, Mina when will you ever understand, we are going to get rid of the stress 

I will get rid of it at home on my bed after a hot shower, thank you 

This is just closing hour, you can do that before eight pm, then we can hit the street 

I will think about it 

Alright, after we finish eating the pizza, we both sign out for the day, I was so stress that I forfeit the hot shower before hitting the bed like a log of wood 

Oh god, who is calling me, I haven't even close my eyes for thirty minutes, 

Yes who is this 

Excuse you girlfriend, is time to hit the street, 

Evelyn you said eight, I reply looking at the cloth, really it past eight have slept for hours already and it felt so short 

 Am sorry Evelyn am not going 

I know, I heard Evelyn's voice way too closer, I look to the door, only for it to be open by Evelyn 

What are you doing here, I ask , surprisingly she was standing at my door looking dejected with a basket in her hand 

She sat on the bed with the basket, here for you, she gave ma a flower with a congratulatory card 

Awwwn thanks Evelyn, I said hugging her tight 

If we can't go out then we can party at home, she said taking out a bottle of wine from the basket with lots of snacks 

We dance, drink, eat, joke, talk about work, remember our school days and the memorable things that happened like Evelyn been lock up in seminar room when she slept off due to hangover 

I didn't drink more than one cup of wine, while Evelyn drank a whole bottle, she's now sleep on the floor with the bottle in her mouth 

Alice and I were able to move  her over to the bed and clean the room before I turn in for the night, it past twelve, thank God no work tomorrow, am going to sleep in I said jumping on the bed happily, maybe now I could use some vacation, and some shopping too, should I change my car, the project is going to be a huge success looking at the market rate, this is the biggest deal ever that have made.

It was five am in the morning when Anderson, the director of the building team called me, why is he calling by this time 

Good morning Mr Anderson 

Madam, we have a problem 

What happen I sit straight in bed immediately 

Two of the robot sold out yesterday malfunction 

It malfunctioed, okay that's expected right, since it the first batch, and is only two, let them bring it in 

Madam this is not an ordinary malfunction, the two kids are at the hospital presently and we don't know their status 

What?, I get out of bed immediately, Evelyn shifted in sleep due to my shout 

Can you explain, how can a robotic malfunction lead to such damage that they are hospitalize 

I also don't understand madam, 

Okay , let's calm down, maybe it something else, which hospital are they 

The city central hospital 

I will be there 

Okay ma'am.

I drop the call only for Eric's call to come in 

Eric there's is an issue with the sold batch 

I know, calm down that's why am calling, I need you to relax and come to the hospital as soon as it morning 

It morning already 

I know, but I will take care of things here, am at the hospital already, and it my friend that's attending to them, they will be fine so you can come in the morning 

Okay 

I keep pacing back and forth, what could have gone wrong, what happened, how come, no I can't sit here when my project has cause this much damage 

I quickly change my clothes, Lawrence would have gone with the car key, I couldn't disturb him and ask him to come now, I look back to the bed, good Evelyn drove here, I check her bag for her car key 

Where did she put the key, I kept searching but it fruitless, I went up the stairs to Dad's study, he usually keep his keys there

I open the door to his study, and I immediately fell back to the floor, what's that, Mina, I heard my father calling me, sorry I didn't see you coming, he said helping me up 

What are you doing here 

I need to go to the hospital, something went wrong w..... by now all my energy is gone and am already shaking, it okay Mina calm down, my Dad hug me, it will be fine, that where am heading to but I told Anderson not to inform you yet 

Let me follow you, he look at me for some time before nodding his head, we rush down the stairs to the garage 

In Ten minutes we are at the hospital, some reporters are already there, how the hell did these people hear things to have be here by this time 

My Dad and I rush into the hospital neglecting the reporters with their various questions and all. Eric explain the situation to us and said we need to wait for Josh to finish his treatment 

Mr Anderson, what happened, I ask 

I just met with the parents of the  kids, and unfortunately the two of them are brothers, the robot was purchase for the elder brother 

The mother said they already operate the robot together with their father and it work perfectly well, later the parents went to their room before they heard the kids noise,  by the time they got to the kids, they found the elder brother unconcious bleeding from the head and they saw the robot strangling the younger brother 

The father said the robot was ready to attack them, they had to lock it in when they rush the kid down here 

I ask two of the building team to go and retrieve it earlier and they testify to it that it was destructive and they had to remove the battery, have ask them to take it in for Inspection 

I listened carefully still feeling like it a dream, Mr Anderson 

Yes ma'am 

Inform the marketing unit to send a message to all the dispatchers, all the batch should be taken back before eight am and every one should be refunded accordingly and for now I officially put the project on hold until further notice 

Yes ma'am 

I almost fell to the floor from shaking but my Dad was there to help me up, he walk me to the waiting area to take a sit 

Where is that woman, where is she, am going to sue her,I will make sure she pays dearly, a man came shouting while Eric was trying to calm him down, I guess he's the father of the kids 

I wipe away tears I didn't know we're falling, where did I go wrong, where did we go wrong, I kept asking my self, but we tested them all, all my effort to make this a success and keep my position has just gone down the drain

Calm down sir, I  hear my Dad and Eric calming the man, but it felt so far away, oh god am I going to faint, no I can't, this is a bad timing, I stood up and walk into the rest room, I splash some water on her face, I look into the mirror to calm myself 

There are some odd changes in my face bearly noticeable, I must be imagining it, this is not the time to be weak, I said to myself before leaving the rest room 

I walk back to the waiting area, 

Are you okay, Eric ask me 

Yes, am okay 

You can tell me you are not fine Mina, you don't have shoulder all the burden alone, we are in this together, remember am the one who signed the proposal, I am responsible as much as you think you are, so let share the burden 

My shoulder began to shake, I don't know when I started but am already crying, Eric held me in his arms patting my back, when the doctor came out 

Josh how are they, Eric ask the young black haired man 

We all gather around including the kids parents

They are both fine for now, 

What do you mean about for now, we all ask except Eric 

The elder brother hit his head hard, so we have to perform an emergency surgery which went well but we will have to check him for some time, so he is in the ICU, the younger boy only have a little swollen neck and we have given him the necessary treatment, and he will be fine 

Thank you doctor, am a little bit relief now, all I need to do is pray for their recovery 

I sat back down to call Anderson if the retrieval is going smoothly, we can't take any chance right now, I look around for my Dad but I didn't see him 

Where is my Dad, I ask Eric raising my head from his shoulder, rest Mina, he must be calling the legal unit, 

Legal unit, I know it necessary but I hope it won't escalated to that, I understand the parents if they want to sue me, but all I need to be sane right now is the kids recovery 

Several footstep rush into the hospital, I look up to find about four police officers coming to where we are sitting with the boys father, and the reporters  here is the woman arrest her he said with lots of flashes on my face

Miss you are under arrest for the production and selling of an unapproved product which led to the near death experience of the victim.

Author's note 

Hey guys, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy it, please don't forget to rate and comment 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗