Chapter Ten

Joe prepared all of his belongings over the course of one week, enough for two months. He called everyone to assemble in the sitting room before his final departure to announce some rules and regulations because he was ready to start his journey. Mark, John, Philip, Esther, Lucky and Bianca gathered once at the sitting room. All waiting for Joe presence in the sitting room. Everyone was watching for Joe to enter the living room. Joe looked around and saw that everyone had gathered. He entered the living room whistling while his face was constricted. He didn't feel angry or frustrated, but he had to act in that way to signal to everyone that he means business.

Meanwhile, everyone sat down on the chair, eager to hear from him.

"Hello everyone," Joe commenced.

"Hello JK. Nice to meet you this morning," everyone exclaimed except Esther.

Joe took notice of her absence in her voice. But he wasn't disturbed as he continued his speech.

"What I want to say is crucial. And if anyone goes against it, the person will move out of this place. And you understand what I mean." Joe summoned

"I'm sorry. Please, what do you mean by that?" Bianca asked naively.

Esther chuckled in a disgusting way.

"Oh, I mean death!" Joe exclaimed.

Immediately Bianca heard the last word uttered by Joe, she shivered down to her spine. Then several thoughts got into her mind.

"I will be leaving today," Joe paused, gazing at everyone to see their reaction.

"And Philip would be leaving alongside with me. But the rest will stay at home. Everybody should listen to the rules and regulations I am about to say, in some minute from now."

"I hope I am exempted," Esther interposed.

"I'm sorry. You are included," Joe said.

Esther chuckled.

"Alright then. But any rules that don't suit my whims and caprices will be thrown out of the window."

"Hell! Never," Joe exclaimed.

"Go on. We are all ears," Esther said.

"My rules are simple and short," Joe said. "One, I would love to assert that everyone pays respect to one another. Minor or major. Pay respect to everyone. Bigger or smaller."

Joe stopped. He took a cursory glance at everyone before he continued.

"Rule two: Don't ever assault anyone with your speech or your hand. Except if you are ready to pay the painful price. That's all I have."

"Thanks, JK. I promise to obey all your orders," Bianca said.

"Who has a suggestion? Should you kindly come up?" Joe summoned.

"All that you said is simply fit for your stupid desire and to protect one person," Esther interjected.

Lucky wanted to issue a statement against her but he remembered who Esther was, then he kept quiet.

Joe stood up to leave the sitting room.

"Philip, get the car ready." Joe said.

"Yes sir."

Philip opened the door to leave for the assignment when he heard Joe's voice.

"Stop!!" Joe ordered, "I remember now. Lucky throughout this two-month, teach Bianca how to drive a car like an expert. Lucky, I hope you heard me, clearly?"

"I do, Sir," Lucky said.

"Dog! Dog. Get the hell out of here." Esther wailed out.

Joe went straight to her with rage burning in his heart. He felt like striking her with his fist but withdrew perhaps because she was a female and he knew his law pertaining to women. He dragged her phone from her hands and smashed it on the floor.

"Nonsense!" He yelled, breathing heavily as if he was struggling to breathe.

Esther looked at him and smiled, then she stooped down low to get her sim card, which wasn't broken but the rest was shattered to pieces.

"You've gone to your limit. I am Esther and I will show you who I am." Immediately, she finished talking, and opened the door and jammed it with a banging noise that almost deafened everybody in the sitting room.

"Empty threats," Joe shouted.

Bianca went to him. "Calm down," she pleaded, "All this will take us to a dangerous zone."

He looked at Bianca roughly, probably he thought she was the devil in him, until he looked again and knew it was really Bianca. Then his anger gradually eased. Lucky, Philip and Mark knew him and his characteristics whenever he was angry― do not go near him, don't utter anything and be calm―Bianca broke his rules because of her ignorance.

Joe walked out of the sitting room, getting famished with rage.

Philip followed immediately, leaving behind Mark, Lucky and Bianca still in the sitting room. Bianca looked downward to the tiles and saw Esther's phone broken into pieces, and her countenance changed. She felt if she could mend everything together. A part of her mind felt despondent and sad, but the other side of her mind told her that she fully deserved the smashing of her phone.

"Why are you looking at the floor for so long? Do your eyes mend it?" Mark said.

"Probably," Bianca responded, sarcastically.

"Then fix it," Mark answered.

"Why are you this heartless, Mark? Why did you decide to treat me so infernally?"

Mark was shocked by the statement she made, considering where and when he treated her in a bad way.

"How? You said infernally, but how do I treat you that way?" Mark said.

"Your actions towards me say it all."

"Oh, I have been the longest person in this place. I know JK from the days of his father to now. They are quite deadly. Esther is the worst of all; don't get into her traps unless you ever regret it. I will keep all the rest to myself. God forbid that I would be the one to expose all secrets." Mark said leaving for the door.

Lucky quickly gave an eye signal indicating that she should pester him to deliver all the details about them. Unfortunately, she could not decipher his eye code and allowed Mark to leave immediately.

"Oh! Damned!" Lucky reacted. Immediately, Mark left.

"What is wrong?" Bianca asked innocently.

"This was the story I wanted to hear, since the day I became a member, and you heard a part of the story, and you didn't bother to ask him anything."

"Which story?" Bianca asked, surprisingly.

"Mark's story," Lucky answered.

"He was never saying a story," Bianca said.

"Really?" Lucky said. "Do you not know that he was telling you a story about Joe during his father's days and also about Esther?"

"So, it was a story, why me, why didn't I disturb him," Bianca said to herself.

"That was why I was giving you an eye signal, but you could not interpret it," Lucky said.

"I am sorry for that, I could not interpret it," Bianca pleaded.

"No cause for pleading, just do your best to find the main story of Joe and Esther, it would do you a favour by tackling Esther."

"I was not thinking the same, I mean about tackling Esther."

"Don't worry about that, just accept to be frustrated by her by the time Joe leaves," he said, opening the door.

"Wait," Bianca shouted.

Lucky didn't give an answer to her as he left, closing the door behind her. Bianca started thinking of how she finds herself in a precarious situation, that she doesn't know how she got into it.

Evening dawn came as bright as the mid-afternoon that Joe couldn't take notice of it until he checked his phone and knew it was almost half past six. He was a bit surprise and at the same time also happy because this was the best period of travelling. Being on the road as at that time would look like his bedroom with cool air that came from nature. Apart from that, his ticket came for his favour, but his flight for today was set on 7:30pm. Which was somehow an ill luck to him because even though he was a well-known man. He made up his mind to always keep to rules, if he also wants his servant to keep to his rule―this was his mantra.

"Philip, where are you?" Joe called.

Philip was known to be the best suitable driver for Joe, because his technique was always, "out of the world," according to Joe's words.

Joe stood up from the bed very frustrated and angry about the event that had happened in the morning. He walked out of his room and as he opened the door he saw Philip standing on the corridor, obsessed in pressing his phone fully prepared, when it comes to his dressing for the commencement of the journey.

"Sir," Philip said, immediately getting on his feet as a way of showing respect.

Joe smiled, this was actually the first time his mood changed to a happy one for a minute. Then he changed back to his angry mood.

"Call Bianca, I really want to speak to her," Joe said, ordering Philip.

Philip went away.

He thought about the final speech he would deliver before his two-month absence. He was aware of what would happen to Bianca when he left and how to manage the circumstance. He had doubts about Bianca's life being saved. because he was aware of Esther's love for him. And Esther feels duped by his defence of Bianca. He had sworn never to betray his spouse. However, this wasn't dishonest. He said to himself as he assessed his morality.

"Sir, she is here," Philip said, taking his seat.

"Good evening JK," Bianca greeted him.

"Evening," Joe responded.

"I will be leaving now. I know you have been a nice girl from the onset. And I want you to behave that way. Frustration might come on the way, but please bear it. In life, nothing is rosy. There is always obstruction…"

"Please, don't leave me behind," Bianca interrupted with her eyes getting misty.

"I wish you could follow me, but nature demands that you stay behind."

"How? JK…. Why? ... p... le...please tell me," Bianca said, bursting out in tears.

"I am booked on a ticket," Joe said, moving close to her.

"JK, I can't bear your absence for two months. It is too long… a very long time…please shorten it."

"How I wish I was the judge of the case but I am not," he said, taking his handkerchief to clean her tears and then embraced her warmly.

"I would seriously miss you. But I have to take heart." Bianca huskily said.

"That is the best idea. I will miss you more than you will miss me."

Joe noticed that time was already against him when he glanced at his wristwatch. He released Bianca and motioned for Philip to get up and head to the parking lot.

When Esther's voice could be heard, he stopped short of opening the door. He paused, turned around, and noticed that she had a reddish eye that was protruding. She had undoubtedly been sobbing for a considerable amount of time. She approached him and gave him a bear hug. For Joe, it felt like a play being performed on stage. He was unable to understand what was actually happening. Esther was a very independent human being who rarely shed tears or felt anything deeply.

"I will miss you. I know you don't value me, but I value you. You will always be in my mind no matter what you do to me. I will forever love you more. I really wish you success. Good luck!!"

This was strange, her words pierced his heart and he felt unmanning himself. He controlled his emotion and embraced her more and patted her shoulder with his left hand while his right hand was on her back.

"My love. I am not against you, neither do I despise you. It was always my desire to see you looking cherished like gold bought for over millions. I really love you but what you say gets me angry. That is for another day. I am leaving. What can I do for you?"

"Nothing. All I need is victory in court. I miss you," Esther reacted. Drawing herself out of the embrace, so he could move. "Bye!"

Joe gave her a quick glance before turning to look at Bianca, who was also sobbing. He thought about staying behind out of a small sense of sympathy, but he was unable to.

He took Esther's hand and followed Bianca to the parking lot while following them from behind.

The car was driven out of the garage by Philip. Joe hugged Esther, then sat down in the backseat next to the driver's seat after opening the back door.

The car reversed back down to the gate after Philip changed the gear. As the car rolled down to the gate, Esther and Bianca waved their hands and followed the moving vehicle. It halted. Esther walked up to the car and knelt down to wish them a safe trip. Joe's expression significantly changed; he desperately wanted to go back but was unable to. He might have altered the day if he had been God. As the car rolled out of the gate, he simply waved at them. While everyone waited at the gate for the car to drive away, he kept waving to them.

Esther cleared her tears and went straight to Bianca, whispering something into her ears.

"He has finally left. There is no more protection for you. I am going to teach you a lesson because you accepted to stay in this house. Prepare for war," she whispered.

END OF CHAPTER TEN