We have been taught for centuries that a human being has five senses. However, it is also believed we have others like the gut feeling that told Leo that nothing good was going to come out of this lawyer's mouth. Call it intuition. His train of thought was cut short by the lawyer's voice.
"What I am about to read is the final Will and Testament of the late Mr. Elijah Mungo Adams. 'I, Mr. Elijah Mungo Adams, being of sound mind and good health, divide my properties and businesses as follows: I leave my brother, Mr. Timothy Adams as
the CEO and President of all my companies. My 51 percent shares in the company, I leave to my nephew Noah Adams. My four houses I leave to my niece Ms. Emma Adams. The Adams' Sheep Ranch in City E, Ieave it to my sister in law Mrs. Julia Adams, Timothy's wife. I also ask Timothy to give my children an allowance of five thousand every month till they come of age and start their own businesses. My six vehicles are to be divided equally between my secretary and my personal assistant and they are to retain their jobs in the company. Signed'," the lawyer finished and started to collect his documents as a sign that there was nothing more to be read or said. He was also showing them that he wouldn't entertain any questions or clarifications. It was done. That was it.
Tyler could not believe it. What did the lawyer mean? That their father left everything to their uncle's family and nothing to them? Five thousand? What was five thousand supposed to do? Where would they go? What of his ailing mom? Tears started streaming down his face involuntarily. Not tears of pain but those of helplessness. He had so many questions about what had just happened but of all the emotions he had then, he couldn't believe that their father would leave them with nothing.
He looked at his uncle and asked, "what about mom's medical bills? Kay is still in school, what about his school fees? What about my joining the University?"
"That's none of my concern boy. You have to do what you have to do for your survival," He answered as he started walking out. He also had an attitude that showed he wouldn't entertain any questions or complaints.
"And talking of survival," Emma behan in her shrill voice that leo hated so much and always found annoying, for the first time since they came in, "you have twenty minutes to leave my house," she smiled and Leo felt like strangling her. Her house? This was their house! He wanted to scream and beat her to death but what was the need?
Leo ignored her and turned to Timothy, "uncle (he felt like vomiting as he forced himself to call him that) what about my father. Where did you bury him? We would like to pay our last respects to him."
"You lost that chance the moment your mother there," he said as he pointed at her with a look that could kill, "decided to kill him. She is lucky that I'm not pressing charges against her. And that's because I don't want her to die easily. I want her to suffer for as long as she lives," he finished and strode out like he owned the world.
"Guards!" Emma called drawing Leo's attention back to her as two burly men came in in a hurry. "Throw this trash out. And make sure they don't take anything of value from my house," she ordered and made herself comfortable on the couch, their couch, Leo thought.
"Allow us to take our documents then before we leave," Leo said as he held himself back with so much effort so as not to shout at or hit her. If he was alone he would have. She was lucky that he had a younger brother andva sick mother to take care of.
"You have ten minutes," she said as she played with her phone. "No more no less. You take more than ten and these men here won't hesitate to throw you out," she added looking at Leo like he was trash. Leo hurried upstairs into his room, his brother's room and finally into the master bedroom as he took any important papers he could find especially their academic papers. But he noticed that all their rooms had been rummaged and he guessed that any important paper that was there had been taken by then.
He then went downstairs and led his mother and brother out. He had no idea where they would go from there. They didn't even any relatives in these areas as their mother was an orphan and see what the Adams did?
They were all quiet as they wondered what the future held for them.
As Leo wheeled his mother out of those gates he had learnt to associate with home, he almost broke down but looking at these two whom he had come. to be their guardian, he felt energised and swore to scale mountains if that was what it would. take to get back on their feel again.
He looked back at their house and promised that he would be back. Not to beg but to take back what was theirs.