The Anticipated Meeting

We are done with breakfast, and it was about time to get to business. My driver came over to the house to pick me up so we could get moving, but it was not as I had planned. I had planned with my driver to pick me up from the back of the house and not from the front doors of the house. I had my reasons for wanting him not to show up in front of the main gate but as it stands, I got no choice. He had claimed that he couldn't find his way and decided to play it safe by showing up in front of the house. I had been waiting for my sister to come so we got going, since I will be dropping her off to school before heading for my meetings. Everyone in the house started to rain praises on me as they saw the car. My sister made it worse by requesting we get a mansion that would suit the car, and we all laughed at it. My brother had wanted to ride with me to the shop but my father, as struck as he is, requested they walk to the shop while they allowed us focus on what we have for the day. My mother blessed me with some kisses and prayers, while we drove off to drop my sister at her school.

I had not seen Deon since my return to town and I was hoping to see him at least before I returned to my mine. We had just passed by the station where I normally meet with Deon when we were to go to the shore. He had seen a shinny car driving by his side with my sister comfortably seated in it.

Deon had dropped out of school due to some financial restraints he had faced and yet did not mention it to me. Deon has always been the persistent and determined one who refuses to make his weakness known, not even to his best friend until he is able to find a way out of it. I got to learn about his situation from my sister while we drove together to school. She had also informed me of the fact that he had lost his aunty who was looking after him and that was when things started to take a different turn in his life.

I could not wait but had to direct my driver to stop the car, as I dived into his arms for a big hug. He was surprised to see me doing all good and having a car I call mine. We had a brief moment of a chitchat as he also invited me to come see how he has been doing for himself. Despite the harsh challenges he had been going through, he managed to establish for himself a small yet striving restaurant located by the shores. I was proud to hear him say all that and also promised to come by after my meetings for the day.

Deon has been meaning to letting the cat out of the basket about his relationship with my sister, but in our society, it's really weird for one to have a relationship with the sister of his friend. The reason for that is to be able to hold whoever breaks my sister's heart accountable for his action, and it would be a bit weird and difficult if the person happens to be a close friend. My sister had signaled to him not to say a word about their relationship to me, as we drove off to her school.

My sister had been acting suspicious right from home. It seems to me that there is something she's hiding, or she's been meaning to tell me. Her phone rang again, and I asked if it was the friend she had spoken to about that was calling, and she reluctantly said yes to it. I insisted she answered her call probably there's something important the person is meaning to say to her. She declined what I said and chose not to answer the call of which I did not oppose any further. She starts to ask if I have been able to get over Nia, and if she is aware that I am in town. I calmly told her never to raise such a topic with me ever again, neither do I want her to either see or speak to her. It was because of me that they got to know each other, and I should be the same person to put an end to it. She then told me Nia had called her the night before asking if it was in town, of which she said no. She claims Nia had insisted on seeing me at the shores but still told her I was not in town. I later reemphasized to her that I do not want my issues discussed with Nia, nor do I want her to know about my presence here. My sister can be funny sometime and so I requested her promises if not telling her a thing about me. She promised not to say anything to Nia as she requested to be dropped at the next stop in front of her school. We said our goodbyes and we drove away.

Nia had promised to pick up my sister so she could take her to her personal hair stylist to get her hair done. I had thought my sister was really going for class but to the least of my knowledge, she had requested we drop her so she could meet up with Nia just as they had planned. Nia kept her promise by picking her up from the same spot we had left her, and they went straight to her stylist.

Ermias and Leo had gone to the racetrack for their usual car race. They had a blast together and Leo seemed to have regained his joy again. Ermias's personal assistant had also reminded him of the meeting we are to have later in the day, and Ermias told him not to bother him and let the preppy engineer wait. Ermias is fond of calling me a preppy engineer for a reason I do not know, but this preppy engineer is about to show him how businesses are conducted.

I had gone on my business for the day so I could get enough time to prepare for the final meeting with Ermias. I had visited a couple of companies who have grown great interest in our company ever since the incident happened, and as the front man, it is obliged of me to handle everything with utmost perfection. It was almost time for the meeting, and I had instructed my driver to go straight to the club, the place I am to meet with the most arrogant of all.

At the salon, my sister had noticed someone I know and would probably inform me of seeing her with Nia, together. She excused herself to use the washroom as Nia called on the cashier to come for her payment. The cashier is the daughter of our neighbor, and also really close to me. This would have been sort of a messy situation for her if she had noticed her and informed me. I called my sister to find out if her classes were done so I could drop her home before heading for my final meeting of the day. There was no response on several attempts when finally, she answered. I tried to communicate with her but there was no response from the other side of the telephone. It was Nia who had answered the phone while my sister was using the ladies. She stayed quiet on the line while I kept speaking to myself thinking I was speaking to someone. She burst into tears as she heard me redirecting the driver to take a turn at a place she knows. It was really a heartbreaking moment but most definitely not for me. My sister later took the phone from her and told me she would be coming home by herself, since she would be hanging around with some friends. I respected her decision and simply went by with my business.

Nia is upset with my sister for not informing me that I was in town. My sister took it upon herself to give explanations as to why she could not tell her about it. She denied all allegations by Nia and proceeded with her apologies. Nia pretended to have understood her and went her separate way.

I had been waiting for almost an hour for Ermias while he was yet to appear. I waited patiently until he arrived at the club. I stood up out of respect to shake hands with him as he rubbished my greetings and started to threaten the waiters because they could not provide him with the wine he had specifically requested. He had also informed the management of the restaurant of never returning back to that place if they fail to provide him with the wine he requested. I was surprised to be faced with such a humiliating scene, as my hand continued to hang up in the air. He immediately took his seat and ordered me to explain to him about the mine, shortly, he added. I was infuriated by the situation but thought to myself on how to regain my respect

"I would want you to explain to be about your mine. I really want to know but make it snappy", her said.

"It is not possible to talk about a countryside in a short moment. You should really know there and before that happens, you should be willing to sacrifice a meaningful time for it. You can not know it while you look at it from a distance. But if I should talk about it shortly, it is a place where modest people live and work. It gives you a hard time and detaches all lessons you need to know about life. The most important thing about the countryside and the mine is time. There is time for everything, and you should abide by the time no matter what. But in all aspects, I can't see anything about you that is suitable for the place. I have allocated my time for this meeting, and you have used that time in making me wait for you, and for this, you have exhausted your opportunity of getting to know the place. I would take my leave now", I said to him as I left him humiliated in the presence of the worker at the club.

He was short of words and could not move a nerve as I majestically disappeared from his sight. With the memories that keep flashing back to me upon arriving at the club and leaving, I was ready to battle with him, with every last drop of whatever that remains in me.