CHAPTER 9

EMA

We are done eating by now, but our drinks are still there so we sip slowly. Smiling, I lean forward like it's a conspiracy and try thinking about it properly before I say what I remembered. “What if I take a two months holiday? I’ve not gone on leave or had any vacation time off for quite some time, I could use that time to work there. They won’t have to know I’ll be working for only two months though…”

“And what are you going to give as your reason for the leave, vacation or whatever you’re taking permission for?” he lifts up his left brow in question

Ehhh…

Seems like my plan wasn’t well planned in my head as much as I thought. Well, what am I going to say? I can’t say family emergency without something to back it up with…..Or I could just say vacation….I need the time off after all. I voice out my worry to Mark and wait for his opinion; he might have some ideas to chip in

“Yeah you might say vacation, that you need the time to rest but you won’t be given that long. 2months is not a short period of time to be out of work. And by the way do you have someone in mind to sit for you while you go on your adventure?”

“It is not an adventure!”

“It sure is an adventure but a very risky one. It may sound interesting when you play it out in your head how everything is going to play out but don’t be surprised it won’t be the same thing happening in reality.”

“Are you trying to talk me out of this?” I think he’s actually trying to talk me out of this with all the points he’s bringing up. I won’t change my mind though I’m strong-willed like that.

“Let’s just say, am trying to make you see reason and understand the depth of how dangerous what you’re trying to do is. I know how stubborn you can be when you set your mind to something and its hard to talk you out of it and sometimes, impossible but I care about it and I watched you grow up, I don’t want you to get hurt.” he talks with such conviction, I automatically felt emotional and having second thoughts about going on with my plan.

No! I’m not changing my mind. I need to do this, it feels like if I just let everything be and go on with my life, I won’t do right by Dad and it won’t feel right.

“I know you care Mark and I appreciate your concern but I won’t change my mind”

“Thought as much” he murmurs

“Yeah. I know it's dangerous and risky, that’s why I need your help when it comes to the documents I’ll need to use. Will you help me? I promise to be careful” my head down I look him up through my eyelashes with the most pleading and sorrowful face I’ve ever made…...*mentally applaud self*

“Uh uh…..when you make a face like that, its hard to say no.” ugh he groans smiling. “Okay so how can I help?”

“Yes! I knew you would help” my smile expands so wide I think its going to tear up. Okay back to business “The documents that I’ll use to apply for the position needs to look legal and authentic reflecting my original information”

“Okay. You know in case of a background check, they are not suppose to trace back to the original info right”

“Yeah right. I’ll talk to a friend of mine. The “IT Guy” as I call him. We’ll work on that.”

“Is he trustworthy? Cause you can’t just trust anyone with this kind of sensitive information” yeah he’s right but Ferdi is a genius so I hope he’ll help me cause I really need his help.

“Yeah he’s one of my best friends. He’s trustworthy”

“Okay that’s great. You talk with him about it and then get back to me. For now, we’ll have to act like you’re in grief and not thinking about your father’s company okay?” I nod and finish up with my drink. He has a point, I can’t act suspicious now or too interested in finding out the truth.

Since we are done with our food and drinks, we relax and make small talk while resting our stomachs for a little bit before we go our separate ways. I ask him about how his family is doing since its been a while I last visited them. Gladly, they’re fine but I’ll find the time to go visit them when I get the time. I think I’ll go after the launch since its going to be crazy busy with work. We finish our conversation, and I promise to call him after I have a talk with Ferdi; he gives me a hug outside, tells me to be careful and we go our separate ways. Thank God I drove here, I can’t imagine myself walking home. I sit in the car for a while, reflecting on our conversation and what I’ll do next and how I’m going to convince Ferdi to help me. Taking a deep breath, I start the car and drive home. Its going to be a long and somewhat difficult weekend.

It's been 3days since my meeting with Mark and I haven’t been able to focus properly, even Ferdi has noticed cause I’ve been avoiding him thinking of how to tell him and ask him to help me. Time is precious in such moments but if he refuses to help me, I’m doomed cause I don’t know anyone trustworthy enough to ask for their help. I know he’ll call me out on my avoidance anytime soon.

“Hey..” annddd he just caught me…..I don’t think am ready to talk to him at the office. “I haven’t seen you around lately, where have you been hiding? Or rather what have you been hiding? Cause if I know you as well as I do, there’s two reasons why you won’t be picking my calls and avoiding me...” oh no, of course he’s going to call me out on what I’ve been doing exactly

“Uhh I'm not…” I try to explain that I'm not avoiding him even though I sure I'm doing exactly that and he knows it. He raises his hand for me to stop and wait for him to finish.

"And if I know you as much as I think I do, you are either planning something am not involved and are not planning or telling or you have something heavy on your mind you don’t want to tell me and I’ll have to force it out of you. So which one is it?”

Uh oh...

Oh well! The former is partially true, but I’m not telling him because I don’t know how to start. And what he doesn’t know is, he is so involved which is the reason am scared of telling him cause I don’t know what I’ll do if says no. As for the latter, he has a point there, its sure something heavy alright and I knew I’ll have to tell him at some point, or wait for him to make me do it like he always does. Ughhh! Its times like this I wish he didn’t know me so well.