I entered the restaurant called "Bonbon". It is one of the most expensive restaurants in Los Angeles where the big men and the elites spend some of their havings having a meal or two. It is one of the city's best Italian food and has a room that is worthy of it. The Bonbon is the only restaurant with soul because the chef-owner truly loves his work.
No chef enters the kitchen with greater joy and a few chefs send such consistently satisfying out of it. This is light food with a sense of humor. Shrimps might come wrapped in strands of potato and deep-fried. Scallops float in a bit of stock with a banner of pink pasta floating across the top. Whitefish lounges on a bed of mashed potatoes wearing a sauce of chicken and shallots.
Although the place was not crowded, he still couldn't make out his sister. He had left home when she was sixteen. Again, he have seen pictures of her in newspapers but still couldn't make her out among the other women of her age. Dave walked passed the table she was sitting at but a hand pulled him from behind by the collar of his coat.
" Excuse me?" He said after being made to turn around suddenly.
" Stalker!" Lisa exclaimed and hugged his prodigal brother tightly.
" Lisa! My little sister" Dave said looking amazed trying to lift her.
" Put me down please, I'm a big woman now," she said struggling. She wore a babydoll dress over leggings. It looked like she had no intention of going to the office today. Lisa kept on bombarding him with topic after topic not allowing him to ask about their mother. They sat down and after having some red wine, ordered their meal. They then sat back and waited for the fireworks.
" So you decided to call home. Why?" Lisa asked her brother causing him to feel guilty.
" Oh Lisa, you know I stayed away from you two because Dad would have done something worse to her if I didn't." He said helplessly.
" I Know but it still couldn't heal the pain you caused us by leaving," she said angrily.
" I'm so sorry but I've good news for you," he said knowing it wouldn't do much for her but just wanted to change the topic.
" Page is six months pregnant" he announced happily.
"Waw, that's great. When are you gonna let the mother know?" She asked but my face dropped.
" I sent Miles to her but he returned to me without delivering my message stating that Dad and his men were at the mansion," he said sadly to his sister.
" Don't worry, I know she would be happy to hear this " she said reaching her hands to her brother's, taking them into hers and comforting him.
" Are you sure? She couldn't witness the wedding. You know Dad threatened her never to search for me " Dave said and signed.
" But hey, cheer up. She was very happy when she saw the pictures you sent to her" she added smiling. Dave pulled his hands and Lisa smiled. His brother doesn't like showing too much affection.
" Will you've pulled your hands away, if it was Page?" She asked golfing her arms across her chest
" Oh please," he pleaded.
" You've not changed a bit after all these years" she complained.
" C'mon," he said and pulled her hands squeezing her hands afterward. His finger hit something hard on her finger and he bent his head to look at it.
" You're getting engaged?" He asked sounding surprised.
" Oh my bad, yes please," she said giggling and showing off her ring to his brother
" No, you're too young. How old are you?" He asked seriously.
" Excuse me, it is rude to ask a lady for her age. It is like going through a lady's handbag or purse." She educated him.
" Oh spare me that. Time flies and besides, you're my little sister" he said proudly.
" His name is Bill, and his father owes one of the biggest companies in town if you should know." She said knowing her stalker of a brother would love to know everything about him.
" Bill...I should know him" he said I'm deep thought causing Lisa to chuckle.
" That boy who was in fifth grade from your elementary school," he said smiling.
" Yes " she replied chuckling
" Oh this one pulled a fast one on me," he said laughing and causing her to laugh as well.
" Well, dad doesn't know about this. You know he's only interested in his company and not me" she said earning comfort from Dave.
" How about mom? " He asked curiously.
" Oh, she found out two days ago". She said
" Talking about our mother, I want.." Dave got interrupted by Lisa.
" Please don't do anything, you know Dad won't allow it," she said cautioning him
" I know but.." he said trying to make her reason with him but she didn't. She took the wine and poured herself some and looked at Dave until he questioned: " why".
" No smoking?" She said looking surprised.
"Oh that, I don't smoke anymore. It has been decades my dear sister." He said proudly.
"Wow, no wonder you're looking good," she said urging him to pour himself some wine too.
" Thanks be to God and my wife," he said
" Cheers," and he took a sip.
Lisa, talking about my wife, there's something I need to ask you" he said looking serious.
" Okay, what's it?" She asked sounding ready to answer him.
" I know you're very close to dad " he started
" Yeah.." she said knowing he would want her to share some of his father's secrets.
" Although I went to purchase Page and her other with him, I still don't know where they were smuggled from," he said bitterly.
"Africa, you know right? " She asked and he nodded positively to her
" There's this history book, Page recently stole from a school's library," he said lowering his eyes.
" She did what?" Lisa couldn't help laughing and she did covering her mouth with her hand in the process.
"Well, she can be stubborn you know?" He remembered her.
"Of course, the only tigress who could tame Isa" she burst out laughing.
" The book she stole spoke about some slaves being smuggled from west Africa." He said to Lisa who was listening attentively to him.
" And guess what?" He said waiting for a reply from her.
" No, unless you tell me," She said.
" The slaves pictured in that book when discovered by the state officials were having the same necklace as Page mom's " he revealed what he learned
" Yeah.. right about that," she said
" About what," he asked
" Page and her mother are from West Africa but" she paused looking at Dave.
" But.." he said curiously.
" Frankly speaking, Dad doesn't know which particular part of west Africa they were smuggled from," Lisa said looking disappointed. Their father, before he also started smuggling slaves, traded with Mr. Smith, Page's slave master, and brought in slaves year after year to the mansion and come to work for him.
" C'mon, not even him?" He asked surprisingly.
" But," she said raising her finger.
" But what," Dave asked.
" Mom does," she said smiling broadly at Dave.
Dave who was staring at the wine in the glass started to smile and slowly lifted his head.
" Yes mom does," she said again.
"Are you sure?" Dave questioned and his sister nodded.
" Why didn't you tell me long ago?" He asked unbelievably.
" Hey don't blame me. You never bothered about where she came from. I guess you like her too much and that got me jealous as a little girl back then." She said hissing afterward. Her phone rang and she smiled after seeing the caller.
" Yes dear," she said after excusing herself
" What? Your father's company? " She asked. Dave could hear little from the caller's side but he could hear him talking about their father trying to take over his.
" Where are you?" the caller inquired.
" At the Bonbon" she replied and assured him of seeing him soon.
" Business?" Dave asked her smiling and drinking his wine.
" Is personal and I've to make a serious choice" she said.
" I heard him talking about dad taking over his company..." Dave said wondering what was too personal.
" That was my finance and it is his father's company dad is trying to take over," she said placing her head in her palms.
" Waw," Dave said
" He complained about it to me yesterday but I didn't know it was dad..." She said sounding wondered.
" What are you gonna do now?" He asked her but she kept quiet for a while.
" I don't know, but I'm gonna see dad right from here." She said seriously.
" I think this time around, his little girl is going to go against his wishes," she said meaning every word. She bid her brother farewell and left the restaurant and he watched her as she left the restaurant.
" He's using her," he said.