Chapter 19: A New Face in Town

Little Bryan asked Alexia,

"Who is that kid?"

As they watched Alfred and his dad pull up in their car. Alfred, with his energic smile and bright blue eyes, was grinning from ear to ear as he jumped out of the vehicle.

Young Alexia's face turned bright red as she blushed, revealing her secret crush.

"His name is Alfred, and he's such a good kid,"

she said, her eyes sparkling.

"He loves adventures just like me, and he's so much fun to be with. We even played together in the rain! You're always so stiff and rigid, scared of what our parents will do."

Little Bryan protested,

"That's not true! I'm just cautious, that's all."

As Alfred and his dad walked towards them,

''Hi,am Mr Kenneth your new neighbour and Alfred's dad,we are actually new in Oakwoods,sorry for all the troubles his caused,his such a naughty boy,''

Mr Kenneth said with a smile while touching Alfred's face softly.

Mr. Martin greeted them back warmly. "Welcome to the neighborhood! I'm Mr. Martin, and this is my Daughter, Alexia and her friend Bryan."

Alfred's dad, a tall, imposing figure with a kind face, extended his hand.

" we're excited to get to know our neighbors and we can't wait to know this lovely city."

Mr Kenneth says.

As they chatted,

Alfred's eyes met Alexia's, and they exchanged a shy smile.

"Hey, Alfred! I'm so glad you're here!" Alexia exclaimed, her face lighting up.

Little Bryan rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"Yeah, Alexia's been talking about you nonstop, Alfred."

Alfred's dad laughed. "Well, I'm glad to see my son has already made some friends. We're looking to start fresh here in Oakwood.

I'm interested in investing in a local business. Do you have any advice, Mr. Martin?"

Mr. Martin's face lit up.

"Actually, I do! The grain business is thriving in Oakwood right now. TBML Enterprises is a great company to consider investing in."

Alfred's dad nodded thoughtfully. "I'll look into it. Thank you for the advice, Mr. Martin."

As they parted ways, Alfred turned to Alexia and whispered,

"Hey, want to explore the neighborhood with me later?"

Alexia's face lit up. "Definitely! I'll show you all the best spots!"

Little Bryan shook his head, chuckling. "You two are going to get into trouble, I just know it."

They had almost left when Mr.Martin called out Mr Kenneth's name,

''Mr Kenneth,''

He shouted,signalling him to stop,Mr Kenneth turned back on hearing his name and he stop.

Mr Martin walked towards him,

Mr. Martin invited Mr. Kenneth for dinner, his eyes twinkling with warmth.

"Why don't you come over to our house for dinner tonight, Kenneth? We can discuss the investment further."

Mr. Kenneth smiled, his face lighting up. "I'd love to, Martin. What time works for you?"

"How about 7 pm?" Mr. Martin suggested.

"Sounds perfect," Mr. Kenneth replied, turning to his son. "Alfred, we're having dinner at the Martins' tonight!"

Alfred grinned, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Yes! I get to see Alexia again!"

Alexia beamed, her face radiant. "I'm so glad you're coming over, Alfred!"

Little Bryan scowled, feeling left out. "Mr.Martin, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, pulling Mr. Martin aside.

"What's up, son?" Mr. Martin asked, noticing Bryan's concerned expression.

"It's just...Alfred is stealing Alexia away from me," Little Bryan said, his voice laced with jealousy.

Mr. Martin chuckled. "Ah, Bryan, you're not losing Alexia, you're just gaining a new friend. Alfred seems like a great kid, and I'm sure you'll all have a lot of fun together."

Little Bryan nodded, but his scowl remained.

Later, Mr. Martin called Mr. Theophilus to confirm the dinner plans.

"Hello, can you come over to the house for dinner? I think I just landed us an investor," Mr. Martin said over the phone.

"Wow, that's nice! Right away," Mr. Theophilus replied, his voice booming with enthusiasm. "What time is dinner?"

"7 pm," Mr. Martin replied. "See you then!"

As they hung up, Mr. Martin smiled, feeling optimistic about the future.

It was 6:30, and Mr. Kenneth and Alfred would soon be arriving at the house. For some reason,

Mr. Martin was hyper and kept shouting at the servants to make sure everything was perfect.

"Hurry up, James! Make sure the soup is hot! And, Emily, please ensure the silverware is polished!"

''Soup?we didn't arrange for soup sir,''

James repiled surprised on what Mr. Martin said,

''whatever,''

He repiles with a smile on his face.

Mr. Theophilus was already there with his wife, and Bryan was happy at least he wouldn't feel left out. "Hey, Bryan! Come give mummy a hug!" Mrs. Theophilus exclaimed, opening her arms wide.

A few minutes later, Alfred and his dad arrived, and they were given a warm reception.

"Welcome, Mr. Kenneth! I'm Mr. Theophilus, Mr. Martin's business partner and friend. Nice to meet you," he said, stretching out his hand to greet him.

"Thank you, Mr. Theophilus. Please, call me Kenneth," Mr. Kenneth replied with a smile.

As they tried to catch up, Mr. Martin said,

"Food is ready, let's come over to the dining table! Tonight, we have roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and steamed vegetables."

They were invited to the table, and everyone was served food.

As they ate, the adults discussed business deals and investments, while the children barely touched their food.

Bryan, Alexia, and Alfred couldn't wait to escape the grown-up talk and play in Alexia's room.

"Can we be excused, please?" Alexia asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Of course, dear," Mr. Martin replied, smiling. "Go have fun, but don't make too much noise."

The children quickly got up from their seats, eager to start their adventure.

Bryan tagged along, determined to keep Alfred from

"stealing"

Alexia away.

As they left the dining table, Mr. Martin smiled, happy to see the children getting along.

Little did he know, this dinner was just the beginning of a new chapter in their lives, one that would bring unexpected friendships, adventures, loveand even hatred.

"Alfred, how was your day?"

Alexia.asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"It was great, Alexia! I went to the park with my dad and played soccer,"

Alfred replied, his face lighting up.

The atmosphere was lively, with the sound of laughter and conversation filling the room. Mr. Martin beamed with pride, happy to have everything perfect for his guests.

Dinner was over, and Mr. Martin and Mr. Theophilus shook Mr. Kenneth's hand goodbye.

"I will come over to the company to sign the documents. Cheers to a new beginning!"

Mr. Kenneth said with excitement, his eyes shining with enthusiasm.

"Absolutely, Kenneth! We're looking forward to it. Let's make this partnership a success!" Mr. Martin replied, smiling broadly.

"Indeed, let's do it! I have a good feeling about this,"

Mr. Theophilus added, nodding in agreement.

As they bid each other farewell, the children reluctantly said their goodbyes, already planning their next playdate.

"Bye, Alfred! See you soon!"

Alexia called out, waving enthusiastically.

"Bye, Alexia! Bye, Bryan! See you guys soon!"

Alfred replied, grinning from ear to ear.

As the guests departed, Mr. Martin turned to his family and exclaimed,

"Well, that was a wonderful dinner! I think this partnership is going to be a great thing for all of us."

Theophilus smiled, nodding in agreement.

"Yes, dear. And the children seem to be getting along famously. That's a blessing in itself.is late,I think we would start going.''

When Alfred got home, he was bathed and put straight to bed, exhausted from the excitement of the day. Alfred's home was indeed a happy one,

filled with love and warmth. His mom hadn't attended the dinner as she needed to take care of some things,

but she was eager to hear all about it from her husband and son.

As Mr. Kenneth settled into his favorite armchair, he discussed the future business plans with their neighbor, Mr. Martin.

"I've decided to invest in their company, it looks like a promising venture,"

Mr. Kenneth said, his eyes shining with enthusiasm.

His wife, Mrs. Kenneth, nodded in agreement.

"Yes, dear, I think it's a great idea. We should diversify our investments and this seems like a good opportunity."

Mr. Kenneth smiled, pleased that his friend was on board.

"I'm glad you see the potential. I truly believe this partnership will bring great success to both our companies."

As they chatted, Alfred's mom listened intently, happy to see her husband excited about his future endeavors.

She knew that this investment would bring new opportunities and challenges, but she was confident in her family's ability to overcome them together.

In the midst of their conversation, Alfred appeared in his pajamas, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"Dad, can I have a goodnight kiss?"

he asked, his voice soft and gentle.

Mr. Kenneth smiled, scooping up his son in a warm embrace.

"Of course, my dear boy. Sweet dreams, Alfred. May all your dreams come true."