I stormed into my office and flung myself into my swivel chair in annoyance.
Who dared stand up to me? Who dared talk back at me? Who dared to have the last say except me? Who dared to rile me up like this?
"Draw up all files on that man," I said smoothly to Cassidy.
I was working so hard not to let this altercation affect my always cool demeanor.
"Ummm, ma'am. That can't be possible," she mumbled.
I snapped my gaze to her and squinted my eyes. "Why?"
"Well, we do not have a lead on him. No name, no voice recognition, no..."
I interrupted her. "Were you blind or are you so slow and dumb? Did you not see him. Can you not fucking describe him?"
"B..b..."
"No buts. I do not care who you call or what you do. I need to crush that man and you would have to find out who he is so I can do so. If I do not get any info about him in two days, kiss your job goodbye." I thundered.
Cassidy looked visibly shaken. "Y...yes ma'am."
My eyes widened in reminiscence. "Ah yes." I pointed my forefinger at her. "The next time I talk with a client, do not ever butt in. Hold your opinions and questions to yourself. Do you understand me?"
She nodded frantically.
I powered my laptop on. "Tell the Director of Construction that I would like to see him in five minutes."
She nodded and went to make the call. In a minute, the man knocked and waltzed in.
"Sit down," I gestured to the chair opposite me. "What's your name?"
He looked surprise and answered, "John Jonson."
I folded my palms on the table, "Mr. Jonson, I need us to demolish that motherless babies home right now."
His eyes bulged in surprise, "Right now? Ma'am, I would advice that we let it get to the two days we had earlier agreed on. My men would be ready by then."
I scrunched my face defiantly, "I do not care. I want it now and it has to be now. I need to get your report in twenty four hours. Complete demolition."
He nodded, "Okay ma'am."
"Good. You are dismissed," I told him brusquely and he left.
Cassidy watched me from her little cubicle.
"Is there a problem?" I questioned her.
She shook her head tautly and went back to making calls. I checked some reports on my desk and finished up around nine pm. I dismissed Cassidy and rode home, joining Grandma and Aunt Joan for dinner.
"You would not be going to work tomorrow," Grandma informed me as she sliced her chicken.
"Why?" I asked coldly, raising my fork to my mouth.
"The party. You always return home late from work, which is commendable. But you will need your strength tomorrow," Grandma spelled out.
I nodded in understanding.
"You are to rest, freshen up and go shopping for new clothes. We are expecting the high and mighty. Do not mess this up," Grandma grated.
I nodded again and finished my dinner quietly. As I climbed up the stairs, Aunt Joan stopped me.
"Are you alright?" She asked me out of concern.
I forced a smile, "Yes."
She placed her palm over mine. I looked down at it. The comfort the little gesture gave me was amazing.
"You know you can always confide in me, right?" She cooed.
I nodded.
"You can always tell me anything," she continued.
I nodded.
"I just needed to remind you. You have not told me anything personal about you since three years. I am worried about you. How can you bottle everything up and still seem so unaffected?" She rambled.
I smiled genuinely this time, touched by her affection. "I have always been fine. Grandma taught me well."
She smiled sadly. "I fear for you my dear. I hope all those emotions do not come for you one day and disarm you."
"They would not. I have learnt to fight them," I whispered.
She nodded, "Go to bed now. Take a rest. You have got a long night ahead of you."
I nodded and clambered up the stairs to my room. I laid on my bed but could not find it in me to sleep. The words of that stranger tugged my mind. And even though I tried to push the thoughts away, they would not just go.
I climbed out of bed and took my cigarette pack to the balcony. I lighted a stick and took a drag.
'Your father would be ashamed to call you his daughter. You are nothing like him.' That voice kept ringing in my head.
What was my father like? He hardly ever had time to be with me; always travelling the continent, left for work before I wake and returned when I was asleep. What did that man mean? Was Grandma not the one who trained Dad? There was no way she would train me differently from the way she trained Dad and Aunt Joan. How could I proudly call him my father when I could not even say for sure what he was like?
I frustratedly smoked on three sticks. My mind running wild with thoughts.
'Grandma can never lead me on the wrong path. I am on the right path.' I assured myself.
I dragged myself to bed and forced myself to sleep.
I woke the next morning and my maids dressed me up in a casual but expensive frock. I searched for Grandma and Aunt Joan in the mansion but did not find them.
"Where are Grandma and Aunt Joan?" I questioned my chief maid.
"I saw them leave early," she informed me.
I hummed in response and set down for breakfast. I later went shopping and returned to get some sleep for a long night ahead. I woke by six fourteen pm and called my maids to get me ready for the party.
I catwalked to the garden where the party was to be hosted. The lights around bounced off my black glittering dress. The cool breeze hit my bareback and my right thigh was exposed through the thigh-high slit of my dress. My golden heels clicked on the stone tiles and my hair was done in an exotic style on my head.
I found Grandma and Aunt Joan in the crowd and made my way to them. Cassidy was soon by me, looking good in a lilac jumpsuit and flats. Her brunette hair was done in a French plait. Grandma took me around to introduce me and make acquaintance while Cassidy typed in her tab, making a list of my newly made acquaintances.
My lips hurt from forcing smiles, my knees hurt from the heels, my back hurt from being too straight and my shoulders hurt from being too high. I was getting ready to call it a night when Grandma dragged me to another man in a gray suit. His black shoe was polished so clean I could see my reflection in them.
"Ivory, this is Monsieur Florent Dubois. He owns and runs Finesse Restaurant," Grandma introduced.
He smiled graciously and raised my knuckles to his lips, "Miss Ivory Stone, a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is also mine, Monsieur Florent Dubois," I smirked.
"Your company is magnifique. I am so impressed and cannot wait to venture into business with you," he praised.
I nodded, noticing then that Grandma had disappeared.
"Could I interest you in a game of chess?" He asked out of the blue.
A game of chess? That was strange.
He smiled indulging, "Mrs. Stone said you loved to play."
Grandma had been talking about me with this man?
"Sure," I replied curtly and led him away to the game room.
We sat at the chess table and began to play. He moved a piece first.
"How old are you?" He asked.
I gave him a short glance before moving a piece. "Twenty one."
"I am thirty," he said and moved another piece.
Why should I care?
After we had moved two pieces each, he asked again. "I am divorced. What is your status?"
I cocked a brow at him. Did Grandma not tell him that too? "Single." I replied curtly.
He moved another one. "Did you enjoy the food?"
I have not had the time to taste anything since I arrived the party but I replied. "Yes."
He smiled proudly, "I am glad you like our services."
I nodded and moved my last piece. I had won. I smiled triumphantly at him and he bobbed his head in approval.
"You are the very first to be the victor with me in a round," he said. "Maybe a drink to celebrate?"
I nodded and relaxed in the chair. He clapped his head and I heard footsteps approaching.
"I enjoyed the game. We should play again next time," he entreated.
"Maybe," I mumbled.
The waiter was pouring a drink into the glasses he had kept on the table. I raised my head to look at him and recognized him immediately. He was the black man who had the weird accent. He avoided eye contact with me, smoothly doing his job like we had never met before. I looked at his name tag; it spelt Jide.
Waking up groggily from my odd sleeping angle with a pounding headache, I took in the state of my room and eyed my laptop on my bed. I remembered using it last night to look up the name 'Jide' on the internet. Found out the dude was strange because he was African. Those ugly barbaric set of people, Grandma had made me believe. Nothing happened last night between us. He gave me a curt glance and sauntered away. Like he was not afraid of me. Like he had risen from the ashes. It unrattled me. I was ready for a challenge of words, like we had at our first meeting but none came. I climbed out of bed and wondered where this banging headache came from. I searched in my bedside drawers for a bottle of Aspirin and swallowed three. I was not sure I could make it to work today. I did not feel too well. Looked like the party had a huge effect on me. I hated those functions. I had to be on my toes all the time, even when I was a kid. I picked my phone and laid back in bed. Sending a quick
'I was not going to do this. I was not pushing through with this.' I kept chanting in my head the next morning as I rode to work. There was no way in hell I was going to work under someone and definitely not in a farm. Why must I take the brunt for the company? And why did those stupid Africans insist on having me do this? Why could I not just order a staff to do it? This was frustrating. I ignored everyone's greetings as I stormed into the building. I could see from my periphery how scared my employees were of my mood. Getting to my office, I banged the door shut. Cassidy was already waiting with some files but I ordered her out. I sat in my chair and balanced my head in my arms as they rested on my desk. Would these stupid people have told Grandma to do this if she was the CEO? Why would Grandma even agree to this shit? I could not do it, even for business. I grabbed the telephone receiver on my desk. "Send Miss Jones into my office right away." I ordered my receptionist
"Why are you back so early?" Grandma asked me sternly as I marched into the house. I had closed up work for the day because I was restless as curiosity was eating me raw. "We have got a problem," I said coldly, my fingers clenching on the file in my hand. She inclined her head in askance and sat up from her chair. I sat on the sofa opposite her in the study and leaned on my thighs. "Mr. Spencer is withdrawing his shares," I announced, my senses attuned to her every move. She remained unwavering. "What does he want?" "A reinvestigation on father's death," I replied. She flinched and rearranged her skirt. "Why does he want reopen old wounds? That case was closed three years ago." I sat up straight and gave her a scathing glare. "You see that is the problem. You say the case is closed but the police report says it went cold." I saw her shiver. It was a second reaction but it was there and I had noticed it. Her pupils dilated and she gulped. "That is nonsense," she evaded.
Minutes turned to hours and hours turned to days. It was soon time to leave for the farm. I had to cancel my trip to Spain because Grandma said she would handle all the company business till I got back. I had not gotten any encouraging news from Detective Zane and Michelle yet; the case posed to be a harder nut to crack than I thought it was. The police had closed the case this time because Grandma had requested them to do so, saying it was a false call on my side. And even when I persisted, I was informed they would not reopen the case until there was a solid evidence on ground. "Your ride is ready, ma'am." My chief maid informed me while I enjoyed a cigar on the balcony. I wore a red polkadotted suit with emerald jewelries and and a gold studded eyebrow piercing. My feet were visible in my transparent heeled shoes. I nodded without sparing her a glance, watching as the guards struggled with five of my suitcases. I had never spent time out the house alone; it was either with my p
IVORYAfter I had met Mr. Kevin Ernest, the farm manager, and was told the list of things I was to expect here, Zala led me to the hostel. My guards and Cassidy followed me with my suitcases as we went out the 'OFFICE' building and into the brick building on the right. Mr. Kevin insisted that I discard my guards and Cassidy once I was done using their services. Zala led me up a flight of stairs and knocked on a door. A short ebony girl, who was dangerously curvy, opened the door. Her brown eyes smiled at Zala and looked at me in askance. "Hey Zala. What's good?" She asked, her accent strange. Again. Why could I not identify these accents? It was getting on my nerves. Was this what I would go through all the time? Listening to different accents hit me from every direction?"Everything," Zala replied. "You have a new roommate. Mr. Kevin's orders. He says to be nice to her."The girl leaned in the doorway and accessed me, then took notice of the people behind me. Her eyebrows shot up
JIDEHer laughter rang in my ears. I was quite surprised but it felt so melodious coming from the stoic cold girl I had met and heard a lot about. Everyone watched her and it was like the time had stopped to capture this moment. She looked around when her laughter died down and her blue eyes caught mine. She gave me a brief glance and returned her gaze to Kofi. I had to admit Kofi had won my admiration. He was just working her softly and penetrating quite easily. I was not sure I had such patience. I heard Makena snort beside me. "She has got the nerves to laugh." The white light bulbs above reflecting off her bald ebony head. "Kofi does know his skills. Once he softens her, we will deal with her," Kadin, a Moroccan teenage boy hissed. I shook my head in dissent, "Kevin said to be nice.""Does not mean we should be," Wangui interjected, spooning into her mouth. "We can't just let her go after what she has done to our home," Tumpale, a Malawian girl, gruntled. "We were not able t
I frustratedly kept scrubbing my hair, trying to wash off the mud from it. I needed to get to a saloon to get this done exceptionally but when I asked one of those beasts in the farm, a bucket of mud bathed me from behind. I could not get their mocking laughs out my head as I hurried out of the farm to the hostel. The incessant ringtone of my iPhone made me wash the foam off my hair. It was not as clean as a professional would have done it, but it was preferable at the moment. "What is it?" I growled into the phone, without looking at the caller ID. "What do you think you are doing getting cozy with those barbarians?" Grandma's icy voice cut through the speaker. I winced a bit like I was actually cut but replied calmly, "I do not understand what you mean." "You are all over the internet, Ivory," she growled in a calm voice. I rolled my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. "What are you saying Grandma? I am always all over the net. Why are you making it sound like news?" S
"That was a dangerous prank, man," I heard Jide's voice filter through my subconsciousness."It was a grass snake. It is harmless," I recognized the voice of the boy with the snake. "She would not know that, Adel," I heard Jide say again. "That is what made the prank all the more cool," Adel chuckled lightly. "Not cool, Adel. Not cool. Do you know what might happen if Kevin heard a word of this?" Jide asked lowly. "Why should we worry about her? If she does not survive this, then she will realize that this place is not for her," I heard Makena snap. "Makena," Jide called. I heard her bed squeak and she almost yelled, "Acha. You sound like a man whose wife is sick. You should not worry about this brat.""She is human and she may terribly break down from all these," Jide cajoled. "Well, we will see that for ourselves," Wangui dismissed. My eyelids fluttered open and my vision cleared as the ceiling came into view. I turned my head slightly to see a number of people clustered in