"Are you just going to sit here?" Bryan who had watched his grandma leave from the living room asked Mrs Yumaa.
"Like what are we supposed to do?" Mrs Yumaa asked questionably. It was only the two of them in the house, none in the mood for movies.
"Why don't we go out to the market? It's been a while since I visited the place." Bryan suggested. He was more bored, a whole trip to the US had just been cancelled by someone.
"I understand how you feel. I'm so sorry." Mrs Yumaa pitied him. It was the worst expectation for them.
"Is ok. Can I use your phone?" Bryan asked again as Mrs Yumaa turned to leave for the kitchen.
"Yeah, sure." She didn't deny him as she flipped it over to him. "I wonder why you won't use your phone."
"Ummm like I just want to use yours, my WhatsApp is out of date and I still haven't charged it." Bryan who caught the phone in mid-air happily reasoned an answer as he went straight to WhatsApp to make a video call.
"What's your pin?" He asked as the app lock barred him.
"Your year of birth!" Mrs Yumaa shouted from the kitchen as the kettle was vapoured with strong tea.
"My year of birth?" Bryan had to ask again. Why would she use his year of birth? He had not seen that coming, was a joke.
"Yeah. Didn't you hear me?" Mrs Yumaa yelled back ignoring Bryan's bewilderment.
The phone's WhatsApp unlocked just as he typed in his year of the birth digit.
"Hehehe."
Bryan smiled as he saw Mae's new America Tel saved in the phone. He pressed the video call and the video connected almost immediately.
"Hello, there honey!" Bryan greeted Mae who was still in bed, asleep.
"Hello." She replied drowsily.
"I just missed you." Bryan went on to talk as Mae asked.
"You still in there? You were to board the flight before 8."
"Yeah. I know." At this point, Bryan's face turned sad.
"What's up?" Mae asked as she too guessed something had gone wrong.
"Imagine my grandma waking up to tell me I can't travel on this day, or tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."
"What! Why?" Mae was shocked.
"I was expecting to tomorrow morning," Mae said with a face full of disappointment. She had just gone to bed thinking of all places she will take her love for adventure, as she showed him around the city.
"Is some serious issue about my parent's death, There is nothing I can do about it." Bryan didn't want to tell her anything more than that. Some things are better when just left alone.
"So,? We just say the next time?" Mae asked as she shifted herself on the bed.
"Seems so. How is your aunt?" Bryan asked. He had a really bad feeling, he never expected that one day he will be let down so badly.
"She is ok. Just has a lot of work on her list, she leaves early and comes back late. It's boring here without you." Mae explained.
"Don't worry honey. I promise we shall be together soon." Bryan gave her hope as he too tried to hide away his sadness. "Did you sign the papers?"
"What papers?" Mae asked trying to remember.
"The one you had to," Bryan reminded her.
"Oh. No, I didn't. Aunt Xie got an email saying that I'm not the sole proprietor of the companies." Mae said as she shook her head with a smirk.
"Oh, so bad...." Bryan went out of words. "And who should own the assets? Your father still doesn't want you to take charge?" Bryan asked confused.
"No no no! It's not about my father. Xie Yu learnt that my father was just a trustee looking after the businesses." Mae's answer just made Bryan curious. 'So who is the owner?".
"This sounds bad," Bryan said as he tried to think of some other topic.
"Didn't your grandma tell you any of that?" Mae asked as she saw the man on her screen go silent.
"No, she hides lots of stuff from me." Bryan accused his grandma with no fear.
"Uh....that's how it is... Aunt Xie Yu says she is also an employee....the Moonsun Company that deals with network and technology are not her business, nor the board."
"It seems there are lots of billionaires out there employing men behind the curtains. It won't be a wonder if I learn these employers are presidents or who knows what." Bryan said as he learnt all this stuff.
'And where does his grandma get all her money from? She is a retired FBI... Is not like the FBI's are the most paid but just how much money did she earn then.' Bryan wondered as he looked around and focused his attention on everything about his grandma.
They lived a simple life, in the highlands, away from the urban centre and folks. But they had almost everything, and if not, anything he wished for would be delivered at his command. Not a single day had grandma gone bankrupt.
"Honey, it seems you are sleepy. I will call you later." Bryan said as he noticed Mae struggling to keep her eyes open. They had been talking for over thirty minutes and she had slept late, she must be really tired.
"Yeah, babe. I will make a call once I wake up. Just understand for tonight." Mae begged as Bryan showed her it was not an issue.
They hung up the call after some more talks about their affection.
"Wow!" Mrs Yumaa congratulated Bryan from the door.
"For how long have you been listening," Bryan asked.
"From where you began talking about signing some documents." Mrs Yumaa said as she smiled. "You do know how to send a flying kiss over the phone." She walked up to pick up her phone back as she smiled.
"Hehe, it was nothing more," Bryan said flattered.
"Yea... But you making that girl crazy... Don't be surprised if she runs away from you." Mrs Yumaa said as she sat next to Bryan. "Here, I prepared strong tea." She handed him the mug she did been holding, still hot.
"Thanks." Bryan was all but happy to have been praised.
"When do you think I can leave for the US?" He had learnt that Mrs Yumaa who had always been with him since preparatory had been a guardian, not a maid.
"I have no idea, better you ask missus." Mrs Yumaa watched as he sipped the thin tea with a slurp.
"But she does tell you most of her secretive things, she must have told you something about going to the US." Bryan turned to look at his protective maid.
"Well she does, I won't deny. But this time she told me nothing about this trip being cancelled. Am sorry." She was being honest.
"Why are you so silent now? Let's go out for a walk." Mrs Yumaa encouraged him. They had the whole day to spend, they were not going to waste it indoors, not after losing a trip to the US.
"Shall we go to the market?" Bryan asked.
"Wherever you want, as long as it is not far." Mrs Yumaa suggested instead.
"Then let's go over the other hill behind the market." Bryan happily swapped his moods and changed into sporty wear as Mrs Yumaa changed into a tracksuit.
"What are you looking at?" Mrs Yumaa notices Bryan was shamelessly lost in her appearance.
"Nothing, let's go."
"Fine, you lead the way." Mrs Yumaa was avoiding this boy's gaze. If she walked in front she would just be selling her behind for him to study. And she was not the type to seduce or show off.
"Fine." Bryan who had gotten over the feelings he had earlier led the way out of the mansion and into the road. They took a shortcut down the hill and soon got to the market.
The market was noisy this Monday. It had been ages since he came down to the market for shopping. They walked across the stalls and shops and they stopped at some points to admire bracelets and jewellery.
"Wow. Can I buy that!" Bryan fell in love with a portrait of a cave behind a waterfall. There was a drawing of two lovers entangled, sitting in the water with their lips pressed together, just in front of the cave.
"Sure you can buy it." Mrs Yumaa was not interested in the drawing.
"Can you lend me some money please.?" Bryan who just realized he had not his wallet or any funds on his phone turned back to Mrs Yumaa.
Just at the same moment, the seller stepped out of his stall.
"Which one do you like?" The seller, a beautiful young lady who almost froze on the spot as she welcomed her customers enticed them.
"Abi? You the seller?" Mrs Yumaa who noticed Abi was now acting strange as Bryan too dumb to say hi just watched.
"Yeah. I drew this myself." Abi said pointing to the portrait Bryan soo much admired
"It's beautiful!" Bryan who got out of shock praised her.
"I'm selling it for just 10,000 keys. No bargaining." Abi was a serious bout that. Even after recognizing each other no had pulled out a hug or handshake. They still acted like strangers.
"Bryan, aren't you going to greet Abi?" Mrs Yumaa had to ask.
"Ah. No....not an issue..." Abi chipped in, too shy to admit she still had feelings for him.
Mrs Yumaa was not going to let Bryan use sex toys with Abi so near their home. She had to help this dummy boy solve his urges by re-uniting them. She didn't care about Mae knowing of this affair as long as Bryan was safe, more importantly, sexually safe.
Masturbating can cause prostate cancer, and using sex toys always makes a man lose interest in women. She was not going to let any of this happen to Bryan.
"I will pay for the drawing..." Mrs Yumaa said fetching her phone from her pocket to do the transaction.
"How is Old Miss Gindi?" Abi asked as Mrs Yumaa went on to forward the money to Abi's account.
"Why don't you come over, after work? She has been asking all over for you. She misses you."