sorry for startling you people, is all for my daughter's safety, but I don't think that will be needful with kuga around," he said, and placed one cold hand on my shoulder, as though he did spend his whole day in a deep freezer.
"oh papa, you really got me feeling squeamish," Ludy said as she stood up to hug him.
"yes Ludy, that was deliberate, I want you to know what it means to be living alone in a ghost house." "No offense kuga," he added levelly.
"but papa, why let me live here with a stranger?"
"kuga is no stranger to me, he is a man I trust to keep you safe," he replied.
The man be damn, what games is he playing now? albeit, I was getting use to this new world.
"have a seat Sir," Diana had just came back with a chair from the house. "thank you Diana, how is Mika adjusting?".
"she is coping well."
"good".
"let me go and get the guest room ready for the body guard," Rudy taunt and laugh, fixing me a reprisal look.
"let me help you Ludy," Diana offered, a perfect escape plan to give us the privacy. We needed.
"I apologize on her behalf kuga; I have spoiled that girl."
"I heard your papa," Rudy pout before entering the house with Diana.
As usual Nka brought out two regalia from his side pocket, lighted his own and mind.
"just so you know, this wasn't my idea kuga," He said meekly.
"I know, is him right?", Nka nodded to my question and draw on this cigar.
"we all make bad choices at some point, and the consequences put us back on track, but the fact is we never learn, do we?".
"I guess we never do, Nka. You are referring to her marriage to D'mick?"
"that, and a lot more… so much more kuga", he said and remove his spectacles, and I saw his mesmerizing eyes for the first time, the eyes of a lion, or a wolf, maybe a tiger, I didn't know which, but it was one of those.
the same eyes her daughter has when she is triggered by passion or grave emotions. who are these people?
As though reading my mind, he said, "I have nothing more to hide from you now, do I?" he paused and continued;
"she did chose you kuga, but considering you an outsider I forced and married her to D'mick, partially to avoid war. She resisted, and we have to make her forget things, especially memories she shared with you.
but as it turned out, it didn't work. It rather turns her into a veggie." He paused again and continued, as I smoke the rich nourishing herb, listening to him, alongside reminiscing about my time in the ship with Nebulous.
"you can walk away kuga. In your shoe I probably will do the same without looking back, but I thought I should bring this to your notice, before giving her a chance to live the free life she has always wanted to live….".
"his idea Nka." He nodded again, "I think you understand him better than any of us ever will. You are thinking about him," he deduces and I nodded in acquiescence and added, "I will like to meet with him again sometime in the future."
"I do understand; he has that effect right?" Nka chuckled, and gave me a solemn look...
"the wars are over among us kuga, at least for now, and we hope is going to stay like that for a longtime. I believe Diana had already filled you in about business."
"how did you clear the debts, and prevent Wodmax from liquidating? Is there something I should know about?".
"clean slate Kuga, fresh start. We read your memos, proposals and detail reports, and it did help solve most of the problems.
In as much as you own the company as your birth rights, you've earned it on merit."
"100% hah, what is the hitch Nka?".
"are you reopening your doors for renegotiations?"
"there is always a hitch Nka?"
"I like your reasoning kuga, but isn't that question premature? Let's ride solo kuga. Depicting the uncertainty in certain terms to me, is man's greatest misfortune."
"ah! Here comes something I could finally cling to, the morrow will wag its own tail like an excited hound right?"
"warming up to the game of wits, right kuga?", Nka laughed, rocking on his seat.
"about the fight on that ship…?"
"that was a solid win kuga, I couldn't have staged it under Nebulous roof."
"maybe he is the culprit."
"I guess we will never know kuga. Maybe you should ask him one day."
we smoked in silence. it seems like we could hear what was going through our minds...
"about the clubs?"
"yeah, I was coming to that. fact is; if we don't get involve, the others used it inappropriately, guess you know what I mean?
We can't always keep the streets clean, but we can help keep it right on our side, make it more appealing for our friends who want to have a feel for the underground.
If we don't run it, the hooligans take the reins, and alien vices sprout, too bad for business kuga.
Before I forget, I think this belongs to you," Nka said and handed me my phone.
"it's been with you all this while?" I asked as I switched it on.
It had not been tempered with, I would have known. But the world is full of crazy geeks I wouldn't lose my balance if one did decode my firewalls.
The messages and notification on traffic kept the phone busy for nearly 15min after I switched it on.
And I saw one message that grip my attention.
a million dollars wire transfer into my account.
I look up at Nka, and his smile said it all. But I asked the question anyway,
"what is the money for, Nka?".
"you time in the ship, kuga?" he replied with a mocking smile.
"you were betting on the fights?"
"let's just say, we have ways of turning everything to money, even setbacks, that is what we do kuga." I nodded in understanding.
"the state vultures gonna come after me on this one, Nka."
"don't worry about that, it's all clean. Some few eye brows will be raised, but they will have only straws to held on," he smiled shrewdly.
"how many clubs are we talking about? and one thing you should know is, I have no experience in that angle."
"you know the underground, that's the only qualification. You get the right men to run them. Then you keep an eye on the books."
"I am not interested, Nka. I don't eat from the sweat of a dead man's brow. Surely, you have lots of qualified foot soldiers to run your clubs for you."
"I understand your cynicism. I thought putting you in charge of those clubs will give you the chance to make things right as you did wish them from the very beginning when you started out with Ziggy in the creative phase of Safari."
"I don't want any part of that, I have a company to run, and a wacked intelligent woman to babysit; I will need my wits about me in concentrated doses in this two endeavors."
"why not take some time to cool off, let's not rush into these things", he offered laconically.
"let's be clear on one thing though; I want no interference in my space. I don't report to anyone, I run my show. I don't want to sleep and wake up somewhere else.
I am here for the woman, for we once had something unique, memories of bliss and harmony.
I am not here because you want me to be here, I am here because I want to be here….".
"this my daughter we are talking about here; I need to know her progress on her journey back to humanity…."
"well, you forfeited all that when you marry her to D'mick against her own will. So, don't expect any miracles. As a father you are such a bad influence, Nka".
"be careful with the way you talk kuga, especially when it's about her..."
"and you keep yourself out of her life, and let her heal. How long do you intend to keep controlling her life?"
"kuga, kuga, ah, you don't want to go this way…"
"enough, threats Nka! why not pop some bullets into me, and let's be done with this…"
At this; the man put on his shades and stood abruptly as the women came into the garden with juice.
"Ludy, dear, papa got his hands full, I leave you now in the safe hands of kuga and Diana… I will come see you at the slightest opportunity."
"okay papa… I made some juice for you though" she replied and gave Nka a hug.
he took a glass and took a sip before
walking away in the angle he came from.
I couldn't help but asked Ruby, "you created a back gate?".
"yes, but only papa used it most of the time."
The sun was way passed its zenith. Diana scrutinize my face like a scientist studying a microscope under a telescope.
"what did you do?" she asked with the seriousness of a young maiden.
"I did what needed to be done."
"and what is that?"
"I told him to stay away….".
"what is wrong with you Kuga? I thought your time in the ship did teach you some lessons…."
"keep your hysterics to yourself Diana. I did nothing wrong, I never ask for any of this. What do want from me?
gratitude to a man for incarcerating me against my will for three years? Perhaps you want me to be grateful I am still alive.
Off course I am grateful to providence and not another man. I feel tired, used and manipulated by you and your bunch of goons.
Now, you get the hell out of my life….".
"everything I did in this past few years, I did, thinking about your safety and wellbeing….
And you dare not talk to me like this. Maybe I should have let you rot in that ship…."
"maybe you should have, Diana."
The slap from Diana was swift, but I was quick to block it in midair….
"what on earth is going here?" Ludy asked in shock, and pursued "do you two mind telling me what is going on?"
In shaky hands, Diana freed her hand from me in fury, fighting back tears, "why not ask him Ludy, he has all the answers you seek," she said and stormed out of the garden through the hall and out the front door into her car, and sped out of the yard.
Ludy looked at me curiously, as though observing the timer in a bomb that was about to go off.
The look gave her face a comical look somewhat, and that nearly made me laugh.
"here you go, take a sip", she handed me some juice.
"thank you, ma'am."
"call me Ruby. Let's not make the air any denser with further formalities".
"you ask my father to stay away from me? on what authority? who are you really? And why are you here?".
"the question, I think Ruby, is; why do your father want me here?"
"you don't intend to make this any easy do you?"
"no Ruby, because it's far from being easy. What we have here is a twisted tale in a Pandora's box."
"what happened three years ago? and why can't I remember?"
"I can't answer the latter, but maybe I can offer a glimpse into the former, starting with the hoaxed grave stone in this garden about a dead guy, who is not dead, but sit before you in flesh."
"what if I don't want to remember the past?". "then, I advise that you don't enquire about the past, and let's get the future rolling, starting with now."
"and how do we do that?"
"we are roommates now, and so far I am concern we are strangers.
I want us to set some ground rules; you don't come knocking on my door unannounced.
I don't cook, I heat frozen foods. By nine p.m. we are indoors….
And you follow my instructions at all times…".
"I am okay with all that, except when it's about our safety. You have to follow my instructions when it's about keeping us safe. That why I am here."
"okay, agreed. About the therapy… what sort?". "massage, aerobics, and basic stretches to ensure sufficient blood circulation and general vitality."
"okay. When are we starting, do you have any schedule?"
"that will depend on you Ruby, how do you want us to go about it?"
"oh, I thought you are the therapist."
"yeah, one that must operate within the needs of the client. Do you have times for your own regimen?"
"no, none I can think off, except dancing maybe."
That explains the music in the room this morning.
"you dance in the morning before having a shower?". "how do you know?"
"our encounter in your room this morning. There was music in the background."
"I used it to relax most of the time."
"twilight in the evenings, and early before sunrise in the morning by the creek in the garden."
"that sounds great."
"great, if you will excuse me Ruby, I will like to go into town to get myself some groceries and clothes, what I'm wearing now is already making my skin itch."
"you mean we should go together?"
"no,. I mean..,. ."
"I will be with you in a jiffy kuga,".
The lady came back in fifteen minutes, looking petite, dashing and lovely.
She wears her ponytail, same way I remembered it, her alluring scent clang to her subtle aura, enticing like never before.
Her emaciated figure, made her look more refine and regal in elegance. I might have missed the Ruby I knew of old, but this new Ruby, was surely on a different level of class all by herself, a force to be recon with.
"what is wrong Kuga, you seem lost?", her voice, that sugary commanding voice, slice through my thoughts. And when I finally landed on reality, I felt out of place.
the sharp contrast between my looks and her looks, threw me off balance. I truly played the part of the security guard so well. I couldn't help but smile.
"what is funny kuga?", she asked as I open the back door of the new model benz car for her.
"I just realized I have no cash on me."
Giggling at my confession, Ruby rested her back on the back seat and said,
"oh, here comes a chance for me to prove that I am the boss here. Get in the car and let's go shopping Kuga."