Tossing all through the night on his bed in the new room, Adebola realized how restless he had become without the softness of Debby's body tucked into his. The room was also organized with gold theme pieces all over, from the drapes to the sheets and even wall paper. Probably less grand as his other one at the mansion but something was still out of place and he was perplexed by it. He missed the fragrance of her hair products blowing into into his nostrils when he lies down by her that entices him to massage her scalp. He missed hearing the vibration of her youthful laugher and he misses how much she loves to eat street food. Watching her chew was such a turn on for him, knowing how useful that mouth can be, having survived a pleasure from the tightness it delivered on his member right in his car.
Getting up from the bed, he ran a bath filling it with an apple scented bath wash, soaking up his nerves in the tub so his muscles could be relaxed. After doing a little bit of exercises, he worked his way around the kitchen until he made a strong cup of coffee to keep him awake as his lack of sleep was making his senses dull and his disposition gloomy. He wanted to call her, find out how she was fairing but he was not prepared to apologized or hear how she felt about him as she probably hate him right now. He didn't need such criticism coming from anyone.
She had witnessed his confession of the sexcapades initiated by his father that has traumatized him untill his adult age. He could never forget the tears that flowed from the face of the 21 year old African Nigerian maid, his mother had brought over to London to take care of his 11 year old self while she establishes her lingerie business. Suzzy was a nice caregiver and he enjoyed her company as she took proper care of him helping him with his meals and even in his school work.
His father had cornered Suzzy the maid in his room when she came to give him lunch one afternoon while his mother was at work. He launched at Suzzy unexpectedly and she tried to fight him off repeatedly until he slapped her, tossing her on his spring bed. Adebola wanted to run out of his room but his father threatened him, asking him to sit down on the floor and watch how to become a man while he committed his atrocious act. Suzzy's tears and screams still torments him regularly but his father took pleasure in such act as he repeatedly licked suzzy's face.
He never saw the maid Suzzy after that day as his mother told him that Suzzy wanted to go back to Nigeria. He couldn't tell his mother what happened as his father threatened to have his tongue caught off in his sleep.
Shaking his head off the horrifying and devasting experiences that he had been through which has shaped most of his angry moments, he got prepared for work opting to wear the colour black. He adorned a black suit with an inner black shirt and a black tie. His shoes and cufflinks were also black, as a CEO no one dared question his dress sense if they still want their job.
Uzor the security man was already at the front of the entrance door neatly dressed in his security outfit as he saw him standing at attention when he opened the door and came out. Alongside, his white Hilux of security men who goes out with him daily were stationed at the car park. Patrick who was also standing by his car which was already washed clean this early in the morning made him wonder, who put this all together because he knew he came into his house last night alone.
"Good morning sir" Uzor the security man greeted him cheerfully as he locked the door.
"Uzor what do you want?" He asked trying to hold down his temper for such invasion of his personal space by a stranger so early in the morning.
"Nothing sir, I want to help you with your case" .He stretch it out to him and with such speed Uzor grabbed the case whistling excitedly to his car. He suddenly chuckled at the playfulness of the man, finding it funny. Walking behind Uzor towards his car, all the mobile security men, entered the Hilux car, ready to go with him.
"Good morning sir" Patrick greeted as he came near.
"Patrick, who told you I was here and why did you come with my security? Did something happen that I am not aware off? that I now require protection?" Adebola asked looking concerned.
"No sir. Nothing happened sir. Madam just told us to come here and keep you protected as she was worried that night" Patrick explained.
"Which madam is that? Is it your wife Fiona? Adebola questioned.
"No sir! Not my wife. Its Madam Debby, she asked us to come here last night." Patrick hastily answered not wanting a backlash of events to fall on his steward of a wife.
"Oh! You have been here since last night?" Adebola said aloud realizing how weird it sounded.
"Yes sir.we have" Patrick replied.
"Where did you all sleep then?"
"We slept in the security house sir. It was comfortable" Patrick replied quickly.
" Thank you" Adebola said, completely shocked at such gestures of loyalty from all of them.
Stretching out the car key to Patrick who bowed and collected it, opening the back seat for him immediately. Adebola entered his car feeling very emotional this morning.
Debby cared so much about him and yet he hurt her. This woman was an enigma to him. Was it because she is a pastor's daughter and she pitied him? Or was it because he was her first and she assumed that the marriage was based on love and commitment? As his riotous mind roamed around the subject of love and pity, he didn't know when they arrived at his company that morning and quite early,
Watching with sadness at his personal assistant Felix who was already there, attending to a well packaged breakfast on his office table having resumed from his own vacation, Adebola shook his head
"Felix" he called out which startled the man.
"Why are you here so early? It's not even 7am yet!"
"Good morning sir. I am placing your breakfast on the table sir, it's not too early sir" Felix replied forcing a smile as though he was reciting a script.
"Just drop my schedule on the table and shut the door behind you. I just want to be alone." Adebola said sadly.
"Yes sir. Right away sir" Putting some stack of papers on his table beside the breakfast, Felix walked away out of the office leaving him in such silence that sooths his mood.
By noon, Felix called his intercom to request that he brings his lunch inside. He obliged the request as all he had done since his arrival that morning was to eat and sleep on a soft couch in his office. He enquired about Debby as soon as Felix entered with the tray of delicacies. He wanted to ascertain if she came to work and was told she did. This lessened the tension he has had since morning because he wanted to see her but he couldn't bring himself to apologizing for the horrible things he said last night. He decided to continue working not wanting to be distracted by women and their shenanigans.
His mother called several times but he declined each calls because he did not want to answer her questions or hear her opinion because without a doubt, the event would have been relayed to her by her worthless husband. A text message popped up on his phone and he refused to open it either. They were trying so hard to get to him but not once did he hear from Debby.
The day dragged on as slow as possible until it was dinner time, which he ate his dinner alone in his office before heading out to his new guest house. Everyone had left the premises except for the security stationed at the entrances.
Entering the car, Patrick drove him home in silence, just the way he liked it.
Back home at the guest house, he was lonely and sad. He wondered what was happening at the mansion at the moment but he couldn't bring him to going back. His heart felt crushed by his father for bringing out the beast inside of him. He missed Debby so much but this was what he hated. Debby's presence had actually possessed him that he feels useless without it.
He called a few engineers that instant and a fitness technician to install a gym in his house that night. By 2am, he had a brand new thread mill, a stationary bicycle, rowing machine, and an elliptical trainer machine. He could afford anything he wanted and he wanted a gym.
He worked out till 4am, stretching out his muscles, sweating a ton and slept off feeling exhausted dreaming only of a young pretty face who was giving him all the pleasures he needed. The next few days that followed was workout filled and he slowly regained himself burning every calories within and staying energetic. Gradually, his mind started to open up to see colours beyond the grey.
A week later, on a Monday morning, he went to work more fitted than he was the previous weak and he also felt light weighted. He had decided to go home later that evening because nothing could keep him from his house. Asking for a board room meeting that morning, he was disappointed to meet Debby's absence. He had hoped to see her pretty face and talk to her but asking her head of department, he was told she had not been coming to work. What do you mean by she had not been coming to work? He almost blurted out to the man in front of him. But, after a moment of thinking, he didn't want anybody to know about his family's problem so, he pretended to have forgotten that she was resting at home.
As soon as everyone vacated his office, he calls her phone but it was turned off and that worried him alot. He immediately summoned Felix into his office whilst he paced around.
"I thought you said my wife came to work last week?" He attacked Felix the moment the man stepped in.
"Yes sir she came just once sir and didn't come again." Felix replied
"What? And you didn't think to tell me that?" He questioned again but this time, Felix did not reply..
"Is Patrick aware?"
" I don't know sir"
"What about Steven the other driver, is he at work?"
"No sir."
"Call my house, ask of Fiona, she is Patrick's wife and ask of my wife right now and also tell Patrick to come upstairs now." He barked the orders at Felix.
"Yes sir. Right away sir" Felix replied scurrying out of his office.
In a few minutes, Patrick stood facing his scowling boss and he shivered.
"Where is my wife?"
"I don't know sir" Patrick replied.
"What do you mean by you don't know, does she not live in the house with your wife?"
"Yes she does sir. She lives in the house sir."
"Who has been bringing her to work?" He asked calmly before he struggles Patrick as his twitching arms was threatening to reach out to the man's throat.
"Sir, she came to work once and she entered public transportation to work. She also fell sick that day so she has not been coming to work." Patrick replied.
"What do you mean by she fell sick?, Patrick none of you could call me that my wife was ill?"
"Am sorry sir but she said no one should tell you!"
"Patrick sorry for yourself. I thought you were loyal to me and not my wife. So If something terrible had happened to her, that's how I will be kept in dark right?"
He asked clearing his personal belongings from his office desk into his briefcase hastily in a bid to go home.
"Patrick go and reverse the car, we are going home immediately to meet her." He instructed Patrick as he locks his briefcase.
"Sir she is not at home" Patrick interrupted him after taking the case from his hand.
"What? Where is she? I thought you said she was ill?" Adebola asked
"She went to a remembrance today sir. So my wife told me" Patrick added looking in another direction.
"Which bloody remembrance on a Monday?" He asked again.
"Yes sir.Her friend miss Shade came to take her very early in the morning". Adebola rolled his eyes suddenly connecting the dot mentally.
It's definitely Marcus's remembrance! it's been one year since he passed on.