MEETING

"I didn't call for any meeting!" Jessie yells over the phone again for the third time. "Why are you all disturbing me telling me the same rubbish?"

"But someone called all major shareholders for an emergency meeting." The man whispers over the phone.

"I still find it very difficult to understand." She exhales deeply. "Anyways, let's all gather there, I am sure who ever called for this meeting will surely show his or herself." She says and hangs up.

"Is everything okay?" asks Cecelia as she drops her cutlery.

"Someone called all the major shareholders for an emergency meeting, I wonder who that could be."

"Major shareholders? Isn't it a hospital we are talking about?" Cecelia asks a bit confused.

"Of course yes." Linda finally speaks up and drops her cutlery too. "Your madam here." She says pointing to her mom. "Successfully turned the hospital into a business enterprise. But how come you didn't know?"

"Let's make it snappy, we have to be at the meeting too." Jessie whispers ignoring her daughter's words.

"Yes ma'am."

Jessie's phone rings again and she almost curses out thinking it was one of the shareholders but holds her peace when she sees an unknown number. She answers the call and whispers. "Hello."

"Hi ma'am, this is Andrew."

Jessie holds tightly to her phone in happiness and amusement, she looks at her daughters consecutively and whispers to her phone. "Hold on." Then she gently stands and walks to her room still Holding the cell phone close to her ear, she didn't utter a word until she arrived at her room. "Andrew?"

"Yes ma'am." He inhales sharply. "How have you been?"

"I should be asking you that.." she whispers and moves to the dressing mirror, looking at herself again. "Where have you been? How did you live all through these years?"

"I got caught up in a mission I was working on, so I was jailed for a while and couldn't really move well after I was set free." He lies confidently.

"Where are you?" She asks again.

"I just arrived in the country today ma'am." He pauses and swallows the sudden heavy spit he felt in his throat. "With my family."

"I think Ella is alive." Jessie whispers ignoring the little confession Andrew made.

"That child survived all through the years?" His pretense is top-notch.

"Yes, I think so too. Why don't you Come over to my house this evening? Let's talk."

"Alright ma'am, I will see you soon." Andrew says and hangs up.

Jessie gently drops her phones and sighs of relief. "Thank you for being alive for me."

*********

She didn't go back to the sitting room to finish her breakfast, instead, she had her bath and dress up. She walks into the sitting room and noticed Linda bending over something rectangular, it is wrapped up. "What is that?" She asks and moves closer.

"Someone delivered it here, I think it's a painting or something." Linda replies.

"Who is the sender?" She asks again.

"The person preferred to stay anonymous."

"Open it up." She whispers and moves back a bit.

"Shall I call on one of the maids?" Cecelia asks.

Jessie turns her face and looks at her first daughter almost disgusted. "Call on the maid to open the present I got from someone anonymous?! Why can't you open it yourself?!" She asks yelling.

"I am sorry ma'am." She apologizes with her head down.

Linda scoffs and begins to unwrap the present. "I am a hundred and one percent sure there is more to the relationship between you both, it's more than that of a manager and boss." She stops unwrapping and looks at them consecutively. "More like a mother to daughter relationship."

"Stop talking nonsense and just focus on what you are unwrapping." Jessie says in a more solemn tone. "The whole world knows I have just one daughter." She locks eyes with Cecelia as she makes the statement.

In her eyes, she bravely holds back the tears in her eyes. She stamps her feet gently on the floor to make her balance properly. "What kind of mother bluntly denies her own daughter?" She asks in her mind.

Linda leaves the frame in a rush as soon as she sees the drawing. "What is this?" She asks no one in particular but in extreme shock and disbelief.

Jessie and Cecilia quickly direct their gaze to the frame too. As if she didn't see it clearly, Jessie moves closer to the frame and takes a very close look. A drawing of the Smith family wining and dining in a very beautiful garden and behind them, stood Jessie holding a knife and a faceless lady. The question now is, who is the faceless lady?

"Ella Smith is alive." Jessie whispers more confidently. "The flowers from were from her too."

"But.." Linda whispers and looks at her mom. "Who is this faceless lady?"

"How do you expect me to know that?"

"How sure are you that it is Ella's doing?" Cecelia asks.

"She is a true child of her father. Peter Smith is also known for painting and expressing his feelings through the brush." Jessie replies with a sneer.

"So you mean to tell me Ella was expressing her self with this drawing?" Cecelia asks again.

"Obviously."

"Then why did she paint you holding a knife?" Cecelia asks once more and it sounds like a proper accusation.

"What is that supposed to mean? Are you interrogating my mom?!" Linda asks raising her voice trying to protect her mom.

"Let's go, we have a meeting to attend." Jessie whispers calmly.

"Could it be that there is something you are hiding from me?" Linda asks her mom stopping her from taking the turn. "I mean, I feel

Like you are just too close to this woman."

Jessie smiles bitterly at her daughter and whispers. "Call the maids if you need anything and please do not cause any trouble."

In the car, they never said anything to each other. They sit side by side and ignore each other like strangers.

Cecelia Is regretting ever choosing to look for her mom, she should have just lived a normal life outside the country Peacefully. Now, she is stuck, she can't go back because of her suspicions, and her doubts won't even make her go further.

Jessie is thinking of how to get hold of Ella and end her life for good without getting the attention of anyone. "Her death is certain already, but how do I go about it?" She asks in his mind.