22

AMELIA couldn’t believe her ears for a split second, she was astounded, dumbfounded and lost for words.
Woah! So this was the reason her father was delaying to hand the company over to her and make her the CEO, huh? It was to use Jeremy as a bait.
Hmph, she scoffed and folded her arms, looking at her father who seemed to be oblivious of what went on with her at the moment.
Hold on, she needed to know his reasons, why the hell he really wanted her to get married to Jeremy, because as for the much she knew, he was the sole custodian of this plan.
But as for her, she only just wanted to have the most promising CEO to love her, so she could be the envy of all lady, nothing more attached.
She sighed deeply.
“Father, can I ask you a question?”, she asked.
He turned to her.
“Yup, get on with it”, he said.
“Why do you really want Jeremy and I to end up together? I really want to know Dad”, she asked.
He simpered, then laughed out, now she was getting some sense.
“Wow! Smart daughter I have here”, he said and pushed the book he was reading aside, then placed his elbows on the table.
She was looking at him.
“Well, I know you must have been thinking otherwise, heeding to my say that Jeremy and you would get married, because of some youthful exuberance reasons right?”, he asked and she nodded.
“Sure Dad, that is what I have been having in mind, not until you said that getting him to propose was the criteria I needed to take over the company, I had to ask”, she said.
He smiled and nodded.
“You see daughter, there is more to this than meets the eye. You needed just Jeremy, I need more”, he said.
“Exactly Dad, exactly what I’m saying. I had thought as much. So, can I know what you need?”, she asked, keeping a straight face.
He nodded, now he can see she was becoming responsible. He cleared his throat and began.
“You see Ame, if you should be a wife to Jeremy, through you I will get a hold on that company, and we will expand, we would grow. Don’t you see how backwards we are running on finances? Very backwards, despite our efforts.
“We do not need effort anymore, what we need right now, is to get hold of Petersons Kiddies World, and I can’t do that except you both are married”, he explained.
“Mmm”, Amelia mouthed and nodded her head knowingly, so this was his reason all the while?
Well, that was his problem, not hers, she shrugged.
Mr Redford smiled as she did, he already knew what was going on in her mind. But she was right though, it wasn’t her problem, but his.
“Alright Dad, I will try do something to that effect again, I hope I scale through this time around”, she said and rolled her eyes, pushing her seat backwards.
He nodded in approval.
“Do go on, I will see what I can do to help you out as well”, he said.
“You will?”, her eyes widened.
He nodded.
“Yeah, will try”, he assured.
“Oh! Thank you Daddy, you the best Dad in the whole world”, she said and chuckled loudly.
He laughed.
“Now I’m the best Dad huh”, he said.
She laughed.
“You are always the best Dad, and you know it”, she said and turned to leave.
He laughed.
“Catch you later”, she said and dashed out of the study.
Tarmah who initially was by the door eavesdropping on them had already rushed into her room, and began preparing to hang out.
She immediately rushed to her wardrobe and selected out a casual wear, baggy trousers and polo, as always. After primping up, she grabbed her phone and dashed out of the room.
Seconds later, she was at the parking lot and looking around for her chauffeur. He showed up immediately.
“Ma’am?”, he called as he got to her.
She turned to him.
“Kelvin, take me to the Bahomas”, she said and walked up to the dark green coloured Venza.
“Okay ma’am”, he replied and rushed forward to open the car door for her, he did and she entered.
He then went to the front of the car and entered as well, revved up the engine and they drove off.
Few minutes later they got to their destination and Tarmah alighted, then told her chauffeur to get going.
“You can go now Kelvin, I’m gonna find my way from here”, she said.
He nodded.
“Alright ma’am, take care”, he waved at her.
As the car was leaving, Tarmah stood by the road reluctant to leave, looking into her phone, deliberately waiting for Kelvin to drive off, so she could take a step.
As soon as the car was out of sight, she immediately took the road opposite her and walked down.
***
Jasira was going into her room when her phone rang out and she looked into it, it was Tarmah, her small new found friend, a small smile played on her lips.
After that day they had met, they had exchanged contacts and since then, Tarmah has been the one keeping in touch, always calling and texting her.
As far as she was concerned, Jasira was her big sis, she calls her that, and she sees it as that. And relatively, they have kept it going that way.
Although, she hadn’t told her about her family, nor her relationship with Amelia, her sister, but she kept her cool, she already knew.
She picked up the call as she closed the door behind her.
“Hey girlie”, she said walking up to the bed.
“Hi big sis”, Tarmah spoke into the phone.
Jasira smiled.
“Yeah, how are you doing today?”, she asked.
“Well, I’m fine. I wanna see you”, she said.
Jasira rolled her eyes. Tarmah, always wanting to see her.
“Ugh… I…”, Tarmah interrupted her.
“I’m at the gate”, she said in a rush.
“How… huh?”, she was startled and she began peeping through the window towards the gate.
“You are what? Thought I have told you several times never to try that, it’s risky”, she said in a muffled voice.
“Yeah, I know. But I want us to hang out”, she said and Jasira sighed.
“You know what? Just stay put at where you are and I will be right there in a jiffy”, she said and hung up.
Jeez! Tarmah, very troublesome as well, always daring to do what she (Jasira) says she hated.
Actually she had wanted to tell her they would meet another day, for she was actually so tired to hang out, but following this shocking revelation that she was at the gate, she had to go, against her wish.
She grabbed her car keys and took her phone then dashed out of the room, heading for the parking lot.
Briskly, she walked up to her Jeep and entered, and off she went, leaving through the gate.
As soon as she got out, she began using her eyes to look for Tarmah, as she drove slowly and she needed not move any more further, she saw her sitting on the pavement guarding the flowers planted around the high fence, and she honked.
Tarmah who was bent over looking into her phone looked up with a start and saw Jasira waving at her from the car and a big smile splitted her face as she sprang up to her feet and ran to the car.
Jasira smiled as she saw her did all this and opened the front door. She wondered what this Tarmah girl sees in her that makes her love her a lot, even more than her own sister, she made a face and sat back into the car seat.
Tarmah got to the car and pulled back the already opened door and jumped into the car.
“Hey sis, good evening”, she greeted and jammed the door close.
Jasira was still smiling.
“Stubborn girl”, she called, “you deserve some spanks on this little ass of yours”, she said and Tarmah bursted into laughter, then blew her a kiss.
“Seriously your semester holidays needs to be over so you can go back”, she said and Tarmah increased the laughter.
“Ahh, it should never”, she said.
“Don’t you know that coming here is risky? I have told you several times Tarmah”, she said and revved up the car.
Tarmah rolled her eyes.
“Coming to see you I know I am safe”, she said using the seatbelt.
Jasira snorted and began driving, using her left hand to control the steering, she glanced at her.
“Tarmah?”, she called.
“Yes Tarmah”, she turned to her, smiling.
“Why do you love me?”, came the question.
Tarmah looked away and laughed. Love her? She doesn’t seem to know.
“Well, I can’t really say why, but I know your boldness got me, your bossy nature, the charisma and authority you carry, the aura that normally goes with you when you move, jeez! It’s mesmerizing”, she said smiling broadly.
Jasira was gobsmacked, but didn’t show it, she just smiled, keeping her head straight on the road, concentrating.
“This girl, you are really something”, she said and Tarmah pouted.
“So, where are we heading to?”, she asked, and Tarmah rolled her eyes, thinking.
“The Tantalizer”, she said licking her lips, “it’s been long I last visited there, in the good old days”, she said and sighed, relaxing into the car seat.
Jasira nodded knowingly.
“When you and your sister were just okay right?”, she asked and Tarmah’s eyes widened in shock, and she sat up with a start, staring curiously at her.
Huh? How did she come to know about her sister? Not to talk of knowing they are now at loggerheads huh? She knew she hadn’t told her anything yet. Jeez! She was shocked.
“Hold on, did… did you just mention my sister? How did you know?”, she asked, her eyelids flickering.
Jasira gave out a short laugh.
“Have you suddenly forgotten who I am?”, she asked.
“Ahhhhhh!”, Tarmah exclaimed and sank back into the seat, Jasira was indeed a genius.
“So, why didn’t you tell me about her?”, Jasira asked, still focusing on the road.
Tarmah sighed, and used her palm to wage her head, resting her elbow on the car window.
“She is a bad news”, she said and made a face.
“Oh come on, you don’t say that. She is your sister”, she said.
“Well, yeah, but she is still a bad news. Imagine, forcing herself on a man, then what she did to you the… okay, I thank God, you both have actually met. You saw the way she behaved right?”, she rhetorically asked and Jasira smiled.
“She is your elder sister no matter what happens Tarmah, accord her that respect”, she said as she was negotiating a bend.
Tarmah rolled her eyes, saying nothing, Jasira glanced at her.
“Okay, let’s go have fun”, she said and Tarmah brightened up.
***
The couple who always seem to be at loggerheads barged into the room shouting at the top of their voices, arguing at each other.
“You really must be out of your senses Belinda, to think I would let this thing slide”, Zach shouted at the top of his voice, “you are going back there, and there is nothing you can do about it”, he said and Belinda spat out.
“Never, ever would I, Belinda try that anymore. You heard me Zach, I said never”, she said walking up to the bed.
Zach fumed.
“You are joking, I know you are”, and he bursted into a sarcastic laughter, startling Belinda.
She scoffed, this greedy husband of hers really thought she was joking right? She hissed and sank into the bed.
“Prepare okay? Just get yourself prepared for you would be going back there soon”, he said and walked over to the dressing table, picked up the car key lying on the table and dashed out of the room.
Belinda watched him in disgust as he left, then hissed loudly. Wretched man, she curse the day she ever called him into her life as a call guy.
Outside the mansion, Zach entered into the car and revved up the car. If his wife wouldn’t do his bidding, then he would just be forced to do it his own way. He smirked and drove off.
***
Jeremy came out of the bathroom after a refreshing bath, dripping wet.
With a white towel tied around his waist, he walked up to the dressing table and began ransacking the table, scattering the items on it and looking for a particular thing.
Then he found it and took it up, it was a small bottle of men’s lotion. He applied it and dropped the bottle, then began looking for another.
He was still doing that when his phone on the bed rang out and he looked towards it.
Sighing, he left the table side and walked up to the bed, and picked up the phone. He looked into it, it was a private number.
His brows furrowed, who could this be? A private number? He answered the call and slowly placed it on his ear.
“Hello?”, he was the first to speak.
There was no reply, but just a muffling noise at the other end, and he took the phone away from his ear and looked into the phone again, the call was still on.
He cussed and placed it back on his ear, and that was when a response came.
“Is that Jeremy Petersons?”, a deep growling voice asked.
“And who is asking?”, he asked, in an emotionless baritone.
“Listen and listen good, this is just one of the many threat calls you normally get”, the voice spoke and he raised his brows.
“Meet up at Soweto 5, midday, tomorrow. Do not try anything funny, come alone”.
Jeremy scoffed.
“I repeat, do not try anything funny, come alone. Just for a peace talk, see you there”, and the caller hung up.
“Huh!”, was all Jeremy could say as he stared into the phone. He snorted, and then he laughed.
Really? Just like that. Well, as the guy had said, it was just one of the many threat calls he do get. He was just gonna go there and know what this one wants.
Whistling like it was nothing to worry about, he dropped the phone and walked back to the dressing table.