Chapter 179

By the time he talked about the explosion, Joseph had his chest in his hands, he was scared as if his father was still alive.

He did not know how to concentrate anymore, because he could only imagine his father burnt to ashes while he was thinking about him.

His uncle took another sip from the glass, the story seem to have reminded him of something he wanted to forget, he closed his eyes and opened them again, he looked around the house, this time he stood up before he continued.

"When we got to my house, I watch your father for a while, he was still panting, then I waited for him to tell me what happened with our initially plan, then he said.

"I knew it would happen this way, I suspected they would search us, but I never saw killing us as part of the plan.

"So you did not take the gold? I asked him, I would have been happy somehow and maybe sad in a way, if he had not taken the gold, but heasked me to follow him, in  the night,  he was holding my hands like a baby, he brought me here, then it was not a good place to look, it was not this good, it was not even seen as a green house, he showed me what he had taken. Your father even had enough time to bury them by digging a joke in the house his father had left for him.

I was taken aback, because I never knew your father was that smart, he carried all those gold you saw there, and he was killed because of it.

"How do you mean? Joseph asked, finding the story really interesting, even Anna forgot all about eating, she wished she met him.

"I thought he died in a car accident, or was it sickness, I heard different things". He said and elder Maxwell nodded.

"That was because, they did not know what to tell you, before you finished your school, your father had died, how did you think your fees were being paid? He asked, and then it all started making sense, he was putting the pieces together now. When he did not get any response from him, he continued.

"We started building, we were already into the building business, so building this place to look like this was not a hard thing to do, just that we were slow with it.

We would sell a handful of the gold and use the money to buy materials.

We built this place with no help, even the painting was done by your father and I, but then the people we worked for somehow found out that we did not die in the fire, they started looking everywhere for us.

He paused and took another sip.

He removed his glasses to rob his eye, that seems weary. Joseph and Anna could tell that he was sad about the death aspect, he wish he would not talk about it, he had not planned to, but it was time and he would talk about it, he could not avoid it for ever.

They were government people, since I was the one they contracted, I was the one they know, they started coming after me, they wanted me dead, they were looking every where for me, I could not hide for long, when I heard your father was involved in an accident, I knew it was no accident, I guess he was discovered and his death was staged, they killed him.

After his burial, they started coming after me, I had no choice". He paused, but Joseph concluded it for him.

"So you faked your own death"

"Yes" he replied. I had to fake my death, that was the only way to escape from the world most of the time, if I had not taken that route, I may not be here telling you the tale.

I knew no one would discover that door, unless when you are inside, when I came back and learnt that you had been here, I thought you discovered the treasure room, but I saw that you didn't, I am even surprised now. I mean  how  were you able to open that door. He asked and he answered truthfully, because left to him, he may never discover the door in a million years.

"I didn't". He confessed. Anna did

"That is not a problem, she is family now, there are so many other things your father left there for you, I never wanted the gold anymore, I just wanted to keep it for you, so that you can become that person, your father wants you to become.

He suffered and died for it, that was why I left it all those years, now that you have seen it, you should know what to do, while I take care of my one enemy still let on the loose, and maybe, just maybe, I might have my life back".

"I cannot take it, I don't want any of it" he said, even Anna was scared.

"Yes we don't want any of it"

"If you are worried about those that wanted to kill us, I killed them already, o am still hiding because I am yet to destroy one person, he keeps escaping, but it Is me he wants not you, and there is no way he can find out about the gold.

The way he talked about killing, like it was something okay.

"I had been really scared, when I heard that you were in prison, I knew I could never forgive myself, if anything happens to you, so after I learnt about what you did, I followed those involved, then I discovered they wanted to kill you andake it look like it was  natural, that you died out of depression or something, I had to act fast.

I did it because I know I will not be here for so long, I need to out you right, you can start your life else where, you can make new friends and meet new faces.

You will be very rich and you can live in any part of the world.