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"Trust me, you get what you give" - Unknown
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"You have no right to speak to him about whatsoever, least to talk about my business that do not, in anyway concern you!"
James yelped and wore a puzzled expression. The way he said it had made everyone else on the table to think about ten different things at once. There was a lot of stares on the table and all eyes switched to the two men of the house, the two Jacksons. Their arguments heightened and their voices rose above the sacred silence. A glance, touch, and one small comment, perhaps a rigid comment, had stirred a hurricane of harsh and horsed insults. Their own pandora boxes opened, and sent each word with full speed to have crumbled, shattered their own souls into a million pieces.
Samuel Jackson wanted to cry out as rage filled his belly, he felt his ears getting hot and his face camouflaged to pink, red, black, blue, and then purple. He glared at his stepmother and back at younger Jackson and then spatted out.
"I am your father James, and everything that happens in that business does concern me. My hard earned cash is in it, and I'm not going to sit while I'm alive and allow a dumbass son to sabotage it and ruin my reputation."
James sneered at him and made a squeaking sound. There was fierce tornado that burst into his veins only adding fuel to the fire. The glares at his father was with intense hatred, cold, and those stares would have exploded his heart into a rocket bomb that is about to blast, cracking every meal on the table.
"Dumbass?" He snapped and then blurted out.
"If there's any dumbass here, it is you! You are the only dumbass father that got married and divorced twice, abandoned my dead mother and I, and married to an older woman to acquire easy wealth. And what else did you do? You lavished it, while I had a difficult childhood. And yes, you may have invested some money in the business, but I alone work extremely hard for my company and own all of these. And about my business nearing crucial breakdowns? Had it not been for my mother's sake I wouldn't have done what I did. And weren't you the same person who pleaded through her that I make available to your criminal brother the transferred amount?"
Mona heart raced and jaws nearly dropped as she thought of her criminal husband, Sammy Johnson, who is the half brother of Samuel Jackson. Her face painted the look of 'what exactly are they talking about'? Absolutely, she seemed to be the only one left out of the picture and had no idea that the twenty-two million dollars that James had transferred to Sammy to invest in his business sometime ago, was what he had used the whole time to have operated his crumbling drug smuggling business back in Gabon. All she could have recorded was that, Sammy had taken a lone business trip back to Gabon sometime earlier and there was where he was arrested by the police and sent to jail for 20 years.
James drew his chair in a backward position, and the plate and spoon before him had made a weird sound, leaping to the floor into bits and pieces. As he stood, Harriet and the rest had gawked at James. He postured as if he wanted to avoid further tense arguments with his father, but their heated quarrels had only continued. It was definitely a war of words and who can hurt the other one worse. Both of them were at each other throats like savage hungry dogs fighting over dominance. Older Jackson left the dining table and wobbled at the intersection between the dining and sitting room, ignoring the question James had asked, and changed the subject in a more tumbling voice.
"I-I am your father James, and you're not going to speak to me in such a rude manner! You are no different from the dumbass I mentioned earlier. Who else in this world speak to their father like this? You have the opportunity to safe the company by marrying a decent girl. And instead, you chose to be silly? I am going to make a decision here, and it is final. Whether you like it or not, you will marry Susana!"
And. Exclamation. Mark.
That was like a mixture of gas in a water that stirred his blood, and brewed the sea of agitation in his sapphire eyes. Other than his sinewy childhood days, he had never felt so much rage as when pushed into mandatories against his will, to simply put, if there's anyone that really hated being dictated to by their very own father, then it is James Jackson. He hated the man with so much passion and disgusts. He walked closer to his dad with fire that burned through his eyes, and sternly pointed his forefinger right in the face of Older Jackson.
"Those days of you calling me cat names, leaving bruises on my skin, forcing me to do things against my will, are all dead over. Never will you compel me to do anything that I do not want to do. Not now. Not ever! And you know what? I have made up my mind a long time not to have anything to do with that woman. So why don't you go and marry her instead?"
"Enough!" Harriet interrupted and added. "I understand that you two didn't want to eat breakfast, but why you guys can't allow us to eat ours in peace, huh? Yelling and shouting here and there is not the way to settle a problem, so can you guys be calm and keep this discussion for another time?"
James slightly placed his hands down and entered the living room, thereafter his father had walked excruciatingly upstairs, and made a stern remark to his mother. "Harriet, you better talk to him, talk to your son!"
In the midst of their tense arguments, he had received a text message from Mickey three minutes ago to immediately switch on the television and watch the news, and as he did swirl through the channels, what he had witnessed all over the news left him horribly shocked.
"February 14, 2005. And in our major headlines, well-known telco company Jackson's Paradise, had lost a total of twenty-two million United States Dollars. Our sources had reliably informed us that the company is at the verge of bankruptcy, and that millions of dollars had varnished due to the carelessness of famous businessman, James Jackson.-"
James gulped and widened his eyes from the nightmare, but this is not a quagmire or whatever of sort, it is goddamn reality. He furiously smashed the TV remote on the the painted walls not caring whether it spoils or not. His shins tumbled like water with deep currents in it, fist tightened, and knuckles blackened like strong and black made expressos. Mona pants shook, and everyone else came closer and watched the news in an awe when the lady in the TV had continued.
"-We learned that James Jackson exchanged this amount with his uncle, Sammy Johnson, a drug lord who was shortly arrested in Gabon and sent to prison for 20 years. But the real question here is, could James Jackson have been the one who funded the malicious cartel in order to accumulate more wealth? This is not the first time -"
The news had become really unbearable for everyone else watching it. "What the heck?!" Mona roared, judging herself as to whether or not, she should go and comfort James who sweated profusely. He slumped into the couch, and bent his head in alarming frustration and unpacked the strands of his hair. Naomi too, his aunt, out of vexation had unplugged the television with immense force, not wanting to have listened to any of that rubbish. Harriet sat in the chair adjacent James comforting him in her secure arms. "Losing cash in a business is absolutely normal, but losing a hard earned reputation is something that I can't bear." James thought to himself.
Wait.
But who could have leaked the information in the media? Could it be Susana's father? Mickey? Joel? One of his office staffs? Or someone else close by?
His cerebrum was full of surging perplexity. Thousands of thoughts flowed inside his head like a river and he couldn't comprehend them all. Whatever reasons James had, he was afraid of his good business reputation being hijacked. He had kept this information highly confidential, and from the public. Not even the media or other top hierarchical members in his company had the slightest idea about it, except for his stepmother and Joel, and Harriet may have shared it with her husband. So how did the information leaked through the media? "Of course, it can't be Mickey or Joel, but after all, my father had talked to Mr. Welshman right? Could it be him? Or was it some one else? But it can't be Mr. Welshman, I have known him for some time and I'm sure he's not that type. But after all he gives me a condition right? Or maybe my father just framed it all up?"
All of his thoughts were confusing.
James galvanized himself after a few minutes and left his mother's comfort. In the meantime, he had woken up from the couch and everyone brows and eyes raised on him. "James, where are you going?" Harriet mumbled in a more dulcet tone, her voice soft and murmurers as wings. "James, you are really worked up. If it is work, I don't think you should go today." Naomi lowly muttered and gestured. His face brightened a little and he added in a lighter tone than his won crimson were about 15 minutes ago. "Mom - aunt, I am o-okay. I will have to settle some things at the office. So I will be leaving in a while." She smirked.
James entered his room to freshen up a little. He had washed his face in the bathroom and combed through the strands of his curled hair. He tossed off the sweated French suit from his body and opened his luxury to gripe onto another classic suit to wear. Shortly after, Joel, James's Assistant Manager, had budged into James's room, and they chit-chatted about some office work. He was handsome from the depth of his eyes to the gentle expressions of his voice. He was handsome from his generous opinions to his humble spirit, and intelligence. Always the family guy, and really cares about his family. He was there from scratch, and helped James to have built the luxuries he owns. His voice quickened when he sparkled with a new idea, and he was so fond of protecting their family and their reputation.
"James-." Joel whispered-shout. James elbowed his head and pouted at his below average height cousin. He wore an all black suit, black tie, and white long sleeves shirt, and his black shoes beamed as if it was a lustrous light. "What do we do now? Do I schedule you for a press conference?" James flipped through his closet searching for the best fit. "Not yet. I'll need to find out the person that leaked the information to the media. Joel, whosoever it was, the person meant to destroy us."
Joel gulped and bite his lower lip. "But who?"
"That's what I will need to know." He replied.
"I have confirmed your meeting for 4:00 PM this evening with Mr. Coffey and I'll WhatsApp you the location right away." He pressed his phone and sent the location to James's and continued. "James, he seems to be interested in investing in the company. But he is a very difficult man to deal with, so you'll have wear your best habits."
"Thank you. I will-" James shook his head and light smirks curved his lips, and between those moments, they heard a roaring voice as if a mountain had a volcanic eruption.
"Mona!"