Chapter 81

Big issues usually starts small, for instancé, it is a stick of matches with just a strike that would burn down an entire city. This is the case at hand s related to a group of friends whose friendship had lasted for years. What was tearing them apart happened to also be an age long issue. Every man has an ego and no man jokes with it, any attempt to touch that in a man, gets a rapid reaction which may cause a big problem. Brains happened to find himself in this state, he believed that it would be less man of him to allow Mike take Olivia just like that without him putting up a fight. He wouldn't accept the terms that after the embarrassment he faced in Paris by mistakenly taking Mira to be Olivia, then on finding out the truth, he would just sit down and do nothing. One other thing he strongly believe was that Olivia may be expecting him to do exactly what he had planned to do, who knows she might come back to him. He woke up very early that morning and had his bath, then changed into a nice attire that looked attractive. He then went down to the lobby where he sat down waiting for Olivia. He would have called Lucy, which would have made it easier for him, at least he would know her room number and easily walk up to her these, but he felt he doesn't want to make the issue more complicated than it was already. A call to Lucy he thought would be like opening a covered wound which that would give an express invitation to flies. He had already taking a decision to take the longer route so long as it took him, it doesn't matter, all he knew was that he must get an appointment with Olivia. He sat there quietly, with a magazine in his hand, this he read but with the consciousness of what was going on at the entrance of the lift. He had barely spent one hour, when Olivia who had wanted to make  phone call but didn't want Lucy to hear what she was discussing, excused her self and walked to the lift, her plan was to sit near the pool. It was at the point she came out of the lift and walking out of the Lobby that Brains saw her. Being that she was on call, he didn't call her, rather he followed her gradually wanting to know where she was going. When he figured out where she was;  as Olivia took a seat near the pool; he walked up to the waiter and asked that he take a bottle of bottle of Hennessy Xo and a pack of cigarette to her table. While the waiter went for it, he walked closer to the pool, took a seat and with the magazine he covered his face so she wouldn't see him, he was waiting for her to get off the phone before he would approach her. Meanwhile Olivia did not bother asking the waiter how and why the drink, she asked him to go ahead and open it , while she took a stick of cigarette, lit it and smoked , still on call. Brains continued watching her until she got through with the call and dropped the phone on the table. He wanted to walk up to her but when he saw her call the waiter, he decided to wait and watch her reaction. She and the waiter spoke for a little moment, as the waiter left, she looked around but Brains was covered with the magazine. She relaxed and sipped her drink. From the way she relaxed, Brains knew she didn't mind who bought it, so he walked up to her.

Hello beautiful, he said 

He sounded same way he used to when he met her. Olivia identified the voice, even when she hadn't seen him. 

Hello, she responded.

It was quite unlike her, as the response would have been "hello handsome". All that seem to have been in the past. Brains didn't allow that bother him, he doesn't even want to go into the past yet. All he needed was a good time together, with a general conversation on business and other things of interest. 

Would you mind my sitting with you? He asked

Not at all, she replied. And thanks for the drink, she added.

Thanks too for accepting, Brains replied.

He drew out one of the seats and sat directly opposite her. Olivia called on the waiter to get another cup, she flipped open the pack of Rothmans cigarette, shook it till one of the stick stood out, she offered it to Brains. He took the stick and lit it, the waiter brought the cup and he poured some drink in it while he smoked. All the while he was doing this, Olivia was getting herself set for what he might have come to discuss. She tried guessing what it might be, though several things came to mind, but she could only stand on one. She positioned her self for the obvious questions that would arise, so she would defend her self. Brains started with wanting to know what brought her to the US, which led to a long discussion, as her response triggered his interest in that direction. Olivia who was a guru in the area of procurement and supplies, had to use the opportunity to give him detailed tutorial in that area. Brains also gained an invitation to join them the next inspection visit to the company. 

The topic shifted to the accident and how it all happened. While she talked on that, Brains followed up with his experience at Paris. Olivia could only tell to the point where she was still conscious, she ended it up with the part were she woke up in the hospital. Brains recounted his experience too and they both thanked God for their survival. They ordered more of the drink and added barbecued meat and fish to it. Brains was all these while carful not to say anything that would trigger a negative reaction from Olivia, he chose his words carefully and made sure the topics remained within safe zone. Olivia on her part was full of expectations as regards topic or questions that has to do with them and their relationship. She focused her attention on Brains watching his body language and gestures. In all, she noticed that Brains was well composed, and very relaxed. Also he seemed to have more interest in general and professional discourse, this threw her off balance, but being a smart lady, she adjusted herself and began to enjoy his company. It didn't take long, when Lucy joined them. She had stayed in the room waiting for Olivia, she wondered what might have kept her for so long, she would have come out to check on her, but for the calls the she received, especially the one that came from Sam. That took a long time, as it has to do with their business. After the call came another from James, that she didn't allow to take her time as she found a believable reason to end it. Then she looked out through the window to search for Olivia, after a while she decided to get down. That was how she came to the pool side md saw them. Olivia was happy that she joined them, though she was ignorant of what she and Brains shared. Brains wasn't okay with her presence, but he made sure he covered up so it won't be noticed. Another drink was ordered and more cigarettes sent in, to accommodate Lucy. 

Lucy's presence seemed to affect the discussion that was going on smoothly, the only reason it was not noticed was that Olivia was mostly on phone chatting. Brains made sure there was no eye contact between him and Lucy, he wouldn't want Olivia to suspect anything about them. That would be a huge spoiler to his already gain he.had made. He wasn't ready to tell a long story and give explanation for something like that, and he was very sure Olivia wouldn't want to listen to him nor would she believe him. When Olivia paused her chat, she felt the need to do a formal introduction for Lucy and Brains to get to know each other. 

Lucy, meet Brains. She said, then she turned to him and added Brains, Lucy. 

This she did by pointing at Lucy. As luck would have it on Brains side, Lucy feigned ignorance and welcomed him, so he towed the same line as they shook hands. Olivia was happy, and wished there would be interest from either ways so she would be free from Brains. This was also part of the reason for the invitation, what she never knew was that Lucy also was happy that Brains was with her, the only problem she had was that the discussions they were having since she came in was not in my way geared towards them. She wished that they would get long very well so that Olivia's interest would shift to Brains, thereby giving her the space she needed to hold Mike firmly. They continued with their drinks and enjoyment, discussing more on the level of development they witnessed in the country vis a vis what they had where they were coming from. 

Brains phone rang, when he checked, it wasn't number he could identify with, so he picked the call. On the other side was Philip's voice. He told him that he was on the hospital with Mike and would love to meet him wherever he was. Brains knew what that meant, and he wasn't ready for a long talk on the issue, but for friendship sake also for the fact that he was already on ground, it would be very wicked of him not to give him audience. He would only hear him out and accept in the periphery, while he does what he has in mind. With that, he gave him the hotel name and address. 

Pat wondered why Olivia hadn't reached her since she left the hospital in anger, she decided to give her a little time to get through, but from what she was seeing, it seemed she would take ages to come around. She decided it was time she reached her. She was having a wonderful discussions with her outside the ward before that incident, and she felt they would meet to finish up the talk. She picked her phone and called Olivia's number, the first time it rang, she didn't pick up, then she waited a little before trying again, this time she picked the call. Pat asked her why she had kept herself off from her, reminding her that she came all the way to the country to see her, even though she was also to see Mike. She told her how unpleasant her attitude was and the need for her to retrace her steps. Olivia was cold, she had always known Pat to be that way, she doesn't hide her feelings and wild tell it the way it is. She found herself in a fix, and the only thing she could say was 'sorry'. She then proceeded to tell Pat how to locate her Hotel. Pat wondered why she wouldn't come to the hospital to see Mike, but she didn't ask her. She wouldn't want to delve into such matters, she had already made so much mistakes, and she wouldn't want to continue in that track. When they dropped the call, she looked at Mike, and pitied him. She was the cause of whatever the young man had gone through, if she was what a wife should be to him, he wouldn't have landed in such a state. He had loved her with all he got, even when they had no child, ignorantly he continued to love her, not knowing he was potent enough to father children, out of her foolishness, and selfishness, she made him pass through series of fake tests while she continued to flirt with her female lovers. While she thought and went through these in her mind, she didn't know when tears ran down her cheeks and Mike saw it, before she could wipe it off. 

Mike was deeply touched, he couldn't place exactly what must have made Pat cry, but he knew it must have a link with him and what he was passing through. He could still recall the kind of heart Pat had when the going and the love was real. She would always cry when he felt the least pain. He saw that same Pat that moment and a lot of feelings and emotions sprang up in him. Not being able to speak, he picked up a paper and pen,and wrote some nice words to her, encouraging her to be strong as he believed everything would be fine again. When this was happening, Philip was already on his way to the Hotel, he told Mike he would check on him the next day, and appreciated Pat for being there. The driver told him he knew the hotel, so it was more of a relaxed trip from the hospital to the hotel. Philip was literally on phone all through the journey, as he chatted, answered calls or made calls. This made the driver wonder the kind of person he was. When they arrived, he driver had to ask him whether he do have time to rest. That made Philip laugh, though he knew that the question was a good one. He paid the driver, and asked him to keep the change, then he took his luggage and walked to the reception desk. He had just dropped his luggage to speak to the receptionist when Brains walked up to him and from behind, held him. He turned and saw it was him, they embraced themselves.  Brains them took over the responsibility of booking a room for him which didn't take time, he collected the receipt and they followed the waiter who carried the luggage to show them the room. When  they got to the floor and to the room, which was a little bit distant from Brains room, it was good, nice and comfortable. The waiter left after showing them the things they were meant to know. Philip was looking so tired and from the way he talked, Brains could notice that. He sensed that Philip don't want him to leave immediately, so he suggested that he take his bath first as he was waiting. Philip bought the idea and immediately pulled off his cloth, took a towel and rushed into the bathroom. Brains was not much in a hurry, he had already got the midnifbthe two ladies and from the way the accepted his excuse, they were going to wait for him to get back, no matter how long it took him. So his major concern was how to convince Philip to allow their discussion for the next day. This he needed to figure out before he stepped out of the bathroom, cos from the way he had seen him, Philip was ready to start talking on that issue and knowing his kind of person, once he started, the probability that he Brains would sleep in that room is certain.