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I sped into the night towards safari day and night club where I live my other life especially on days like this.
I have to meet with him, my brother from another mother, Zigma aka prince of the street, the owner of safari, a man who commanded power and respect from among the elite and scum of society, the legal and the illegal systems, the world below and the one above, the civilize and the uncivilized alike…
The 15000 cubic five storey structure stood erect and majestic in this area where nothing rise above twenty feet.
Actually most of the inhabitants here don't know what is going on in the flashy edifice and they don't wish to find out. power is contagious to the rabble. And safari is the power and the law in this territory.
these people know Zigma so well, if Zigma found himself in politics and stood for president, there will be a land slide in this part of the city.
He is their deliverer, their conqueror and mouth piece.
On seeing me the gate man open the gates without any ceremony.
The parking lot was stacked full with different brands of the latest car models, from Benz to Lexus, v8 you name it, the big boys and girls love their toy machines and want to spin it around anytime they got the chance.
I saw ladies helped out of cars. the smell of rich colognes mingled with the scent of barbeques, and smoke hangs in the air.
walk ways on the lung grass in the yard leads to round tables, where couples are having a blast.
I sped on towards the VIP parking lot beneath the structure and follow the route, a gentle slope a hundred feet down to the gates of an underground tunnel. I covered another two miles, before coming out of the tunnel.
I parked at my spot. it means Ziggy is probably expecting me.
I walked to the customized close door and open with my own key, then walked into a well-lighted narrow hall and walked a few yards to my next stop.
The huge bald head man with gruffy beard by the door saw me and crack a snigger.
"the jaw breaker!" he called me admist cuban smoke . "Yo, Blazer. whatcha doing by the gate. don't answer that...".
"been watching out for you, a while now spooky., some damn office crap been keeping you busy?"
"yeah Blazer! nice to see you too.." I said as I passed the big man. he is the kind of man you will not see during the day.
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The sound, the vibe, the energy, the smell of rich swade leather blend with rich marijuana smoke and Cubans hit me hard as I walked in; the light was dimmed to the point of darkness.
Then I heard a voice I missed so much… "look who we have here, spooky the jaw breaker" she said and I turned around "oh Lyza, how I missed you".
"you've been hiding from me right?" she said as we hugged…. "Ziggy been worried about you. what's going on spooky?".
"nothing Lyza, if you couldn't squeezed it out of Ziggy under the sheets you think you can get it out of me?" we both laughed, at the comment.
"some gangster sound you got rolling in the background"
Lyza smiled and replied "wanna drop some barz". "naah, not to night Lyza. Here to see Ziggy."
"you look terrible even in the dark man, what's up with you, some gal screws you up?" Lyza queried and chackled.
"and how will you know Lyza". "I am a woman, trust me we always know when one of us nailed you tuff bunch on the cross" she laughed again and added;
"go ahead, you know where to find your man, he is there with some of them big boys I think."
I walked passed the bar to the back and walked right into the group
"we've been expecting you brother" slash said. "good to see you too slash, crash me some buds" I replied.
Ziggy sat silently puffing his Cuban, and nodded to the three unfamiliar guys, "you leave now, I think I'm through with you" he waves them off and they walked out of blue lighted space except Slash who was now rolling a spliff for me.
if Zigma paid me any attention, he didn't show it.
"demm you Ziggy, I heard you've been worried about me, so stop acting like you're not glad to see me".
"aha! here comes the brother I am dying to see," he laughed and stood up and we grab each other firmly by the shoulder locking arms.
"good to see you man, been expecting you for a while know." He said.
"yeah, Ziggy a whole lot cooking underground man".
"no, we run the underground and you big brainers sit by them computers messing up the figures, pretending to be working."
We both laugh at this comment as Slash handed to me the lighted spliff
I draw the rich spicy smoke into my lungs.
"some good stuff you got here, Slash" I said and Slash handed me a park and I slide it way in my jacket pocket.
"Yo slash…" Ziggy didn't finish, before Slash started to move out giving us the privicy we needed.
"heard the bustards wanted to give you a seat on the round table and you ditched out, and why on earth did you do that spooky?"
"men, it's not as easy as it looks, there is a bomb under the seat Ziggy… they played Diana to call me in, but made her feel like is her own decision."
"you need security spooky, I mean one of our boys, going up against Dr is fool hardy of you spooky."
"I know, but I see no right time than now, to take back from them what is rightfully mine."
"you did better get a solid plan spooky, you know I am no dreamer" Zigma said.
I lights up the spliff again and draw….
" I know Ziggy. My plan will be very solid with your help".
At this Ziggy looked at me seriously trying to smell anything fishy.
The man is an iron-clad pragmatist and very shrewd in areas where money is involved. Perhaps what he hate most is to lose a penny on a deal. with Ziggy, money comes first before brotherhood.
he will say "money isn't treacherous, brothers are.'"
"go on, I am listening, spooky?". "I want to buy them out, Ziggy. I can't sit down and watch those two run the company to the ground."
"buy them out? Look, put the weed down, it's messing up your head bro" Zigma ordered seriously.
"it's not the herb Ziggy, I am serious".
Ziggy started to shake his head dubiously as realization dawn on him;
"look, I don't think it's what thinking, no spooky, we agreed we are never touching that one, its hour retirement man, it's our escape from the shit hole".
"if this goes well, your investment will triple trust me, Ziggy."
"what if I agree to help, do you think the rest will agree?". "we will have to convince them. But I think they wouldn't refuse once I veto. With your backing off course."
"I am thinking of bringing Diana to our side without letting her know I am involved in any way. She had most of the pipe line to keep the projects raining in."
"so you want to absorbed Wodmax with DedRox? And you need my twenty percent vote to add to your forty percent to fight the board to agree to the takeover" Zigma said shaking his head unbelievably.
Lyza walked in smiling, "sorry for interrupting your meeting boys" Lyza said lively lowering herself to kiss Zigma on the lips and whisper something to him. He nodded and gave her a thumbs up… "there you go baby".
"Freeda is here spooky, she has been asking of you." Lyza turned around and informed.
"I have been sitting here all night wondering when you gonna ask about her man. One of them office girls nailed you?" Ziggy queried and laugh a big fat laugh.
Lyza laughed with him and added "oh spooky you are hooked, and it's so obvious.
mind to share with us how it happened?." She grins on her way out.
"tell Freeda, I am here and stop messing with me Lyza" I said, hoping to throw them off the scent;
for I can still here Ruby's words on auto replay in my mind, damn the mommies spoiled little brat.
She has turned the tables on me, and trying to stop thinking about her only made matters worse.
"back to our discussion spooky" Ziggy said when Lyza was gone.
"yeah Ziggy, I need your help with the board at DedRox for the acquisition. without that, the banks will take over Wodmax. I want to convince Tarik and the board members to accept the offer of DedRox as an escape before the upcoming audit."
"I am wiry of you brother, trust me I am.
not that I don't trust you, the fact is nobody knows what you are up to. I am a business man spooky.
I don't know the paper work like you school fellas, I like to see the cash stacked in the bag on the table.
But you have been able to convince me into doing legit business and it never failed, it always worked, and the money keeps pouring in.
How come I don't feel good about this one spooky?" Ziggy asked with concern.
"a big leap such as this one is always scary Ziggy, but if everything goes well, you will gain more". I pressured and Ziggy scoff…
"and why can't I help but feel that, you help created the problem at Wodmax, to force them to succumb to whatever solution you have up your nostrils" Ziggy smiled shrewdly.
I didnt answer; we just sat there smiling at each other till I broke the silence.
" their actions gave me that leverage, Ziggy."
"you are a crook with only a pen in your arsenal spooky. And you are unpredictable, damn, I used to admire that in you until we both grew up.
now that trait breed distrust in my line of work. Anything else you did want to tell me before this go down?"
"you mean you want to see the wild card before its played? If I did figure I will share Ziggy. let's say for now its shimmering in the horizon like a mirage trying to take form, one can never be certain how it will look like when it finally takes shape."
"you want my help, yet, you don't want me in the loop, come on now spooky. Give me something solid to cling to, at least for the time being."
"how about clinging to the trust we both had for each other, brother".
"my problem is; you don't care about losing because to you; this is some kind of personal vendetta, whilst I am going in for the money.
That is a big difference, but hey, I got your back bro… but don't let me down for both our sakes", Ziggy said and sighed…
"so doing mind telling me about the girl who stole your heart?" Ziggy asked with a mocking stare.
"there is no such girl Ziggy". "suit yourself man, you've head of that adage… 'if it goes around, it surely will come around'?" Ziggy leaned back on his big chair behind the desk and laughed a big laugh that got his pot belly shaking.
"it never did Ziggy, and if it did come around its never the same". "oh boy, you go about philosophizing with every theory".
" for nothing is certain in the real world Ziggy".
"I am I interrupting something?" Freeda said in her singsong voice on entering. The lady knows how to make every word rhyme.
"no Ree, hop in here" Ziggy replied…
"hey Ree, been a while" I said. "yah spooky… umm will we be performing to night?"
"no Ree, I'm kinda not in the mood." "hey Ziggy did you hear that? first time spooky turned down the mike." Freeda retorts as she takes a seat closely beside me, her heavy soft curves pressing against my hips.
"yeah, I think your boy here got his head smacked by Newton's apple as it fell from the tree, but he wouldn't admit it, so don't even bother to ask him", Ziggy remarked, smiling with a smirk.
"oh my poor boy, come to momma". Freeda croons sensually, turning to draw me onto her cozy perfumed bosom, cuddling my head like a baby, and I oblige, resting my head on her soft chest, keeping mute and secretly thanking God for creating a lovely creature called woman.
"who is the lucky gal, who succeed where a thousand women have failed?" she asked with a grin, still parting and running her hands through my hair…
"no gal Freeda. It's just one of those rare days where a man come face to face with his own folly, and wish the earth will crack open and take him deep into its bowels".
"okay, momma is her to make your pain go away, light up that half smoked spliff, let's get the night rolling… hey Ziggy, pure me some Hennessey".
"why don't you hit the bar?" Ziggy said.
"oh Ziggy don't be such a nutty boy; I want to drain your frugal little refrigerator hidden under your desk". Freeda replied sarcastically and we all laughed.
"okay momma here you go, its Jonny walker though." Ziggy advice as he poured the drink into the glass.
"ah, big boy Jonny is one of my favorites" she said and stretch out her hand to take the drink.
My phone vibrates, and I nearly removes it from my pocket to check the message, but decided against it, not here.
"hey, spooky are you passing me the spliff or what?" Freeda asked and I passed her the burning weed and stood up.
"sorry momma, Ziggy… I got to go". "where spooky? the night is young" she said.
"yeah got some paper work to do, I did better start now".
"how about a dance with me before you leave". Freeda offered and I couldn't refuse her.
With Freeda there is no dull moment, and she has the energy to pushed the extra mile.
she simply flows with the wind, a free spirit but definitely not the kind of woman to be messed with.
"I will keep in touch bro". Ziggy stood and we hugged parting each other's back. "you better do" he replied.
Then I hit the dance floor with the tall handsome independent woman with true African goodies.
In her high heels she almost reaches my six foot five height. Her soft sea blue garb rested on her massive curves enticingly. Couples on the dance floor couldn't help but stare our way.
"you're definitely a head turner momma".
"I know Spooky, yet I was never able to win you over.
although I broke your virginity and taught you the secrets art of a woman's body". She said and we cling together and glide on the dance floor as I caught a whiff of her perfume, momma always smell good.
"oh, you are now turning it on me, while I never had the chance. You were way out of my league and still are, Ree." she giggled and said, "I am flattered spooky. You've been my best student yet", She added coyly.
The other men in the hall were eyeing me enviously, as Freeda turn her back to me granting me full access to her rear assets as we whine with the flow of the solo.
"i truly missed you, but you seem to be such a bore to night spooky, there is a gal, I can sense the symptoms." Freeda smiled facing me again, "I only hope she is worth it" she added.
Then tilted her head and look into my eyes ardently "watch your back spooky, I can sense danger looming by the corner". She said and we close in on each other again, and She rested her head on my shoulder and whispered.
"the roof is gone Spooky; you did better start parking before it starts to rain.… just know you are standing alone in the roofless chamber, have a goodnight spooky."
Freeda pushed me gently, smiling at me like a mother smiling at her lost child who has just been found.
My mind was raising now, as series of thoughts intermingled with influx of confuse emotions took over my being, and I shivered in the cold night as I ride on the lone streets back home.