Chereads / Julie: THE BLACK PEARL / Chapter 16 - Chapter 16

Chapter 16 - Chapter 16

Smiling at how the dark blue jeans was sparkling, Brandon couldn't help but wonder how he had missed to pick that trouser while they were shopping his clothes. He couldn't help but admire how exquisite it looked and he decided that he was going to go get his mom to come buy the trouser for him. Hopefully his mom was done with trying dresses since the wait had made him bored. Jason had also been on his phone so he decided to wander back to the kids section to check out some more interesting things. He hadn't been afraid about getting lost since he knew the store belonged to Grace and majority of the employees knew him since they came their oftenly. So he felt secure enough to wander around.

"You surely like that particular one, I can tell." A manly deep voice interrupted Brandon's thoughts of going to his mom so they can come get the trouser. He didn't expect anyone to be there with him, so he got startled. And as he turned to look at whoever was speaking, he couldn't help but gape at the tall muscular man who was now sweetly smiling down at him as if he knew who he was. He was probably gonna ran or shy away but the way he was smiling at him so knowingly  somehow made him feel nice and be at ease enough to smile back at him.

"Yes, I like it. I was wondering why I didn't see it earlier when we were here."  Brandon answered smiling at him already telling him his thoughts.  It felt like they were already sharing some unknown bond with the strange man yet he knew so well, that he had never met him before.

"I see. It would definitely look good on you." The man told him as he picked the trouser and checked it out before putting it back and then went back to smiling at the young boy before adding, "Who are you here with?" He couldn't help but be curious, who was with the extremely cute boy.

"I am here with my mom and her friends." Brandon answered intelligently as he looked up at him. He was young but he was intelligent enough to know who was who. And even though he called Grace Mommy Gee and Jason, Uncle, he still knew they were his mom's best friends and not truly relatives but they were also people who meant a lot to them. More of a family instead of just friends. He knew all that even at the young age.

"Ooh. Sounds nice." The man answered the squatted so he was now at his level. He had noticed that the boy was struggling to look up at him. " My name is Chris. What about you?" He then added smiling sweetly as he gave him his fist so the boy could great back with his fist.

" You have a nice name, Chris. My name is Brandon." Brandon answered while fisting him back not being able to stop himself from complimenting him. Even the man himself couldn't help but awe at how such a young boy could compliment someone but after hearing his name he kinda looked at him in shock as if he realized something then immediately changed his countenance to the smiling one before even Brandon could realize there was a change.

"Thanks kiddo. You too have a nice name. So can I call you Randy?" The Chris guy asked him rubbing Brandon's cheeks sweetly.

"Yes. Even though almost everyone calls me Brand. Only my mom calls me Randy but you can too." Brandon answered sweetly and the Chris guy couldn't help but smile widely too after he learnt that he had nicknamed the cute boy a name that only his mom called him. He felt so nice at that moment.

" That's awesome Randy. You look so cute by the way. I love your smile." The man complimented as he admired the young boy making him giggle in happiness.

"You are handsome too and your hair is so soft." Brandon said as he giggled while touching his hair softly. He didn't even know where he got the courage to touch the strangers hair, but just something made him feel so comfortable around him. It was as if they had a connection that was from way back. So he even left his hair then went to touching his suit. " And you suit looks so splendid and expensive. You look like a billionaire in them." Brandon added still giggling at him and the man couldn't help but laugh in amazement. Randy's comments were making him amazed.

"Haha, you are such an interesting boy Randy. Well, I look like a billionaire because am technically a billionaire." The man told him while laughing happily.

"For real? No joking?" Brandon asked looking into his eyes as if he knew someone could read the truth from someone's eyes.

"For real. No joking." The man answered staring back at his eyes and indeed he was telling him the truth.

"Wow. My mom is also a billionaire too. You should meet her." Brandon was immediately excited by the news and he couldn't stop himself from telling him about his mom who was also a billionaire.

"Wow. I wouldn't mind meeting her. So how did you know your mom was a billionaire?" The man asked wondering how a young kid like him was able to tell that their mom was a billionaire. He must have really been brilliant.

"I heard her talking about it with Grandma. And she has some well doing companies. So I know she is. Just that she tells no one about it." Brandon explained hoping that the stranger guy wouldn't come and sell him out since he had heard how Julie had told his grandma that she didn't want anyone to know it her since she wanted a peaceful, humble life. People knowing that she was probably a billionaire was going to make paparazzi be flocking all around her all the time and yet she was already getting tired of the attention she normal got.

"That's awesome. She must be a hardworker right?" The man commented sounding amazed.

"Yes. And when I grow up, I would like to be a billionaire too like you guys." Brandon said not hiding his excitement. The normal Brandon would have never talked to a stranger that much. Not even to talk about his mom and his dreams to a stranger. He wouldn't, but how he had told the Chris guy all that in just a few minutes, was a surprise.

"Mmh, am impressed. How old are you again?" The man couldn't help the curiosity.

"I am six. I turned six a few months ago." Brandon answered him happily.

"I love that Randy boy and since you said you want to be a billionaire, like mommy and I, then am gonna give you this." The man told him as brought out a glowing digital kids watch out of his coat. Whatever was glowing inside the watch looked like some symbol that Brandon couldn't fathom but he was already falling in love with it.

" Wow. It's beautiful. Where did you get that?" Brandon asked in amazement, gaping at how the watch looked absolutely epic than any watch he and ever seen before.

" I was given my father. Originally it was from my grandpa, who gave it to my dad, who later on gave it to me when I was also six years just like you are now."  The man explained to him studied how his face was now turning into confusion as he studied the watch.

" Ooh. And why does it look like the one you are wearing? " Brandon asked noticing that the watch the man had on his hand looked exactly the same as the one he was now handing him and the only difference was that, the one he was wearing was big enough for an adult to wear.

" Because, it was made by the same person, who is actually my grandpa. He made this two watches at the same time and the symbol you see in the middle is my family's symbol." The Chris guy answered pointing at the symbol in the watch, while smiling at the curiosity of the young boy.

"Ooh. And why did your grandpa make the two watches?" Brandon was getting so curious and he couldn't help it.

"You see, he made them so it could be a family inheritance. These watches are given to the first born of every generation in my family, so it can sympolize that they are the head and the governers of the family at large. It also symbolizes that whoever is given this is going to be running and maybe even inherit the family business. Do you understand me Randy? " The man asked hoping that the young boy was brilliant enough to grasp what he was speaking about.

" Yes I think I understand. It means you are the first born to your dad and your dad was the first to your grandpa right?" Brandon asked trying to understand what he was being told.

"Brilliant, my boy. You really understood. So, this small watch is always handed down to a firstborn of every generation when he or she is six years and this other one is handed the them again when they are 26 years and then they are instructed to keep the small watch, safely until they hand it over to their firstborn. Which is why I have both watches now coz I am the third  and I want to hand this small one to you coz I want you to be the fourth. "  The man patiently told him as he read the reaction of the young boy.

On normal days he wouldn't just pick anyone to give the watch but, just a look at the boy, he knew he was definitely the one he should hand down the watch to.

" But I am not your firstborn son. So you shouldn't give it to me. " Brandon answered shaking his head understanding that he was supposed to be the one being given the watch.

" I know, but we can become buddies and buddies sometimes become family." The man tried to convince him while rubbing the boy's chin sofly and lovingly.

"You want us to become buddies?" Brandon asked knowing that the man was asking him to be friends.

"Yes I want us to be great buddies. Do you want that?" The man asked hoping the young boy would say yes to him. Something told him deep inside that he had to make the boy say yes since he felt like the boy deserved to have the family treasure, which was the watch.  So for some seconds, Brandon seem to be in a deep thought as he closely studied the man's face and then went to looking into his eyes again, and just as if there was some kind of force that pulled them to each other, Brandon sighed heavily then nodded at him, surrendering. Whatever made him give in is what he himself didn't understand. He just knew that, something tend to have been pulling him towards the man and it felt as if they shared some connection and the man had felt the same too. And as he nodded, the man couldn't help but smile genuinely at him.

"So, buddy, what do you say about me making you my family and then make you the fourth by handing this watch down to you?" The man asked yet again as he smiled at him knowingly.

"I will say yes, buddy." Brandon answered while smile back at him sweetly.

"Great. Give me your hand and let me help you wear the watch." The Chris guy, said and Brandon immediately gave him his left hand which he immediately went on with helping him wear the watch.

On the other side of the store, minutes had gone and Jason hadn't found Brandon and frustration was starting to creep in. He however decided to go back to the the waiting room to see if probably the boy came back after they left but instead he met with Julie and Grace also coming to the room and were now panicking.

"You guys haven't found him yet?" Jason asked the girls who just shook her head. Julie's face was already showing anger and she couldn't even talk anymore.

"The receptionist says she hasn't seen him walk out, so he's probably in here. Just that we don't know where." Jason explained hoping that the information would give them some relief.

"What if someone took him? Do you know how many people come to this boutique just in 10 mins? How could you even let him out of your sight for goodness sake?" Julie couldn't help but get angry with him. She couldn't hide her frustration anymore.

"Come on girl, relax. I own this store and I know it's very secure and besides, the receptionist know Brandon very well, even the security guys do know him. So they would all  have noticed if someone took him. And they won't even let anyone take him unless they confirm with me first. So stop panicking he's just around. " Grace tried to calm Julie too, seeing that she was almost loosing it.

" I wish I could really believe you Grace, but we've checked every damn place in here and he isn't there. So where could he be?" Julie asked with exasperation.

" Let's check the CCTV. We'll probably spot him somewhere in here." Grace suggested and they all immediately agreed to that. So hastily they took a lift to fourth floor which had all the security systems of the store and since Grace was the owner of the store, the security people just did what she asked for, the moment they arrived there, and they were immediately helping them check out the CCTV cameras.

"Hey boss, isn't he the one here, standing with some dude?" I can't really see the young boy's face but I think I saw you guys coming in and he was dressed exactly like this"  One of the security men said as he called Grace to check out and Jason and Julie rushed to see it too.

"You really got sharp eyes Markus. He's the one and he's in the kids section. I wonder how we didn't think of searching for him there." Grace said shaking her head while chuckling at their forgetfulness.

"What the fuck? How the hell is that fucking dude talking to Brandon?" Jason said angrily as he watched the man who was talking to Brandon. Even by far he would never forget his face. And the fact that he was the one facing the camera while Brandon was facing the other side, made his face even more clear. So furiously Jason turned hurriedly and walked to the elevator behaving as if he was going to kill the man.

"Oh shit."  Grace and Julie said at the same time then looked at each other in realization, knowing who the man who was with Brandon was. And immediately they also both sprinted from the security room catching up with Jason who was now getting inside the elavator. And by the look of things, he wasn't happy with what he had seen. He was technically shaking in anger, he looked like he was going to kill the man with his own bare hands. Grave and Julie just looked at him worriedly as they glanced at each other fearing what Jason was going to do. They all knew who the man was, and they also knew the reason why Jason had reacted like that. They couldn't blame him at all. Maybe even the blame was all Julie's.