Solitude – Episode 29
SOLITUDE
_29_
(Unedited)
Chanda
I allow my phone to ring, I didn’t expect Mr. Nakamba to call me this late but I can’t let the phone go unanswered.
August walks out but I have a feeling he is standing close enough to hear the whole conversation.
‘Let me call you back.’ I say
He walks back in.
‘He was telling me how sorry he is about the firm.’
‘We are all concerned and worried.’ He responds
I don’t know what to make out of his response, whether it is genuine or he is just trying to play mind games with me but I don’t say anything.
I look at the time, it’s 11PM and I know Chibesa is somewhere in the hospital and I need to talk to him before morning.
‘Don’t you want to rest?’
‘Uhm?’
‘You should go home, I will be okay here.’ I say trying not to look in his eyes because he might notice that something is fishy
‘I promised to stay the night with you.’
‘And I appreciate that but you too need to rest, look at me. I am comfortable here.’
He sighs, rubbing his hands on his eyes.
‘Are you sure?’
‘August you worry too much.’ I say
‘If you say so, and please don’t hesitate to call me if you feel bad. I will leave my number with the nurse too.’ He says kissing my forehead
‘Get some sleep Mr. Cochrane.’
‘You too Ms. Chanda.’
I wait five minutes before calling Chibesa and he comes almost immediately.
‘I thought he wouldn’t leave.’
‘I had it under control.’
He looks at me with pride.
‘What?’
‘You really did it?’
‘A few broken bones won’t kill me.’
‘And the firm?’
‘She couldn’t have it, not in my wildest dreams.’ I say sitting up right.
‘What now?’
‘Mr. Nakamba will prepare all the paper work then tomorrow we can review them. Nella doesn’t know how much money the firm had, even if she does we will have to find a way of convincing her that the workers need to be paid off.’
‘That’s where I come in?’
‘Yes, accounts is your field Chibesa. Do the numbers and make it look real, I will later tell her about the offer that Mr. Nakamba is offering and obviously we will have to take it. It’s the only way to get it back up.’
‘You had this figured out didn’t you?’
‘Chibesa Nella can’t appear from the middle of nowhere and take everything that I have worked for.’
‘I know baby, I know.’
I look at him and smile
‘I need you to be back in your feet again, I miss you.’ He says trailing his hand on my skin. I feel the hairs on my back stand, I don’t know if I will ever accept him behind closed doors but for now I am willing to keep this going.
The following morning I request that I get discharged, the doctor doesn’t protest because there wasn’t much damage that was caused to my body.
We have a meeting with the Nakambas and they have invited us to their home so from the hospital we drive straight there.
‘Already on your feet?’
‘Yes ma’am.’ I respond as Mrs. Nakamba received us
‘Call me Gertrude.’
‘Chanda.’
‘Good morning Chibesa.’
‘Good morning.’
She leads us into the house, I can’t see any sign of children and I don’t blame her.
She is a very beautiful woman and I think children would just ruin her figure.
‘Please make yourselves at home, let me get Mathias.’
A minute later a lady who looks like a house help comes through and hands us some refreshments.
‘This is a beautiful house.’ I compliment immediately Gertrude comes back
‘Thank you.’ She says
I am trying to read her mind, she seems too composed for my liking. There is something conniving about her behavior.
‘Mathias darling.’ She says standing up to meet her husband half way
He kisses her gently on the lips
‘Good morning.’
‘Good morning baby.’ She responds blushing
I try to look away, for someone who always looks serious Mr. Nakamba looks like a bowl of mush mellows right now.
‘Good morning.’ Chibesa and I say in unison
‘Good morning.’ He says back to his serious nature
He takes a seat opposite us
‘I will get right into business.’ He says removing some papers which his wife hands us
‘What you have in your hands are land titles, as you both know the firm is no longer in existence and the only thing that is there is land.’
I nod perusing through it
‘I am willing to buy the land, rebuild the firm to whatever model you like and you can run it as CEO but it will be in my name.’
‘Also, my wife will work hand in hand with you.’
I put the papers down, that wasn’t in the first agreement that we made.
‘I know it is new, but Gertrude hasn’t done anything in a while and I thought I get her busy. So why not on this particular project?’
‘Is this a way of monitoring us?’
‘You are an intelligent lady.’ He says
‘Well I can’t entirely trust you.’
‘Why not? When I am trusting you with this?’
‘You are not trusting me Chanda, this is called business and you are gaining a huge profit out of it.’
‘We will take it.’ Chibesa responds
‘Well and good.’
Gertrude stands up and brings some more papers
‘This is the lease agreement that you need to sign.’
I take it and scan it through before putting my signature, yes my mother would be so disappointed in me but then she is dead and she stabbed me in the back by handing over the company to someone else.
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‘You didn’t read it.’
‘I know what is in there.’
‘Well I guess we can start building.’ He says with a smile
