Matilda's Gym
"Damn Mati, you know storage spaces, maybe you can start using them." Joseph grumbled as he moved a medium sized box in a section. He was helping Matilda organise her new gym equipment from her personal stuff she sometimes kept in the storage room. He was wearing white vest showing off his muscular arms and black pants.
"Do you know how often people break into those things around here? I don't want to wake up one day and see all my stuff completely stolen." Matilda defended herself as she was holding a box full of bars with one hand and gently placed it on the ground. She was wearing black track with white stripes, the jacket was unzipped revealing a white shirt and white shoes.
"I'm surprised I never heard this place ever got robbed when it first opened. I know a lot of businesses which were robbed blind but then again this is the better side of the city."
"Believe me it did but since I didn't have anywhere to stay so I slept here for a good bit. For a whole month some idiots tried to break in but I took care of it and after a while nobody bothered trying me again." She jokingly cracked her knuckles.
"Wow I think it was a mistake taking you to the Arena of Ogun to help you get this place." He joked.
"Hey I worked to the bone to earn money from that little bloody hang out spot of yours and I'll be damned if I was going to let some thieving bastards take it away from me." She winked at him.
"What's the Arena of Ogun?" A voice came from the largest and Chimwemwe popped out of it, surprising Joseph. His growing mane-like hair in a slight ponytail, wearing a dark blue shirt with purple graphite in a slime style, dark grey pants, and sandals. "Sup uncle J." He gave a two finger salute.
"Chimzey when did you get here. Wait don't tell me you have electric transportation or electromagnetic teleportation now!?" asked Joseph.
"As cool as those would be but nah aunt and I were here in town for some glossary shopping then she got a call from her so she dropped me off about an hour before you got here." explained Chimwemwe.
"He was the one who helped with most of the boxes before you got here." said Matilda.
"She's really been accepting a lot of requests from that company recently just does she really do for them?" asked Joseph.
"Oh she said it's mostly just deliveries and body-guarding jobs but if it makes you feel better I looked at the man's company and I saw it was a brunch off Anansesem company." Chimwemwe informed the adults, causing them to look in utter surprise but for different reasons.
Chimwemwe understood why they were flabbergasted he was too when he first found out after all Anansesem was one of the biggest media companies in the whole continent. Its owner published some of the best selling books which became international and Chimwemwe guessed he must have lawyered up or studied law hard as he owned the complete rights to all his works leading him to start a company where it produced movies, series, and merchandise. This led to it also opening other businesses. Though he worked hard, he might have been involved in a lot of shady dealings and corruption. But it's Nyasaland where big companies don't use a little corruption.
Matilda thought as maybe she could ask some connections to help sponsor her gym if the Sosala think doesn't work out.
"Wait, does your aunt know about this!" Joseph asked worriedly and Chimwemwe nodded again but he was stopped from asking further questions by Matilda's phone ringing and she saw it was Suiw.
"Hello Young Ms what can I do for you." Matilda asked to switch to professional voice, gaining a strange look from the uncle and nephew duo.
"Hey Coach, it's Wednesday, why isn't your gym open?" Asked Suiw.
"Oh I'm just sorting out some stuff inside so I'll be closed for today."
"Is it alright if I stayed over for a little bit?" She asked a bit of which Matilda had noticed.
"Well alright." She accepted.
"Thank you." And the two cut the call. "Alright you too I'll be back you just continue placing the boxes and please don't ruin anything most of those things where expensive." Matilda than left the room.
Chimwemwe Pov
I moved towards my next box, checked the insides to where to place it and a particular picture of four females caught my eyes.
The first one was a younger Matilda who looked to be about in her late teens or twenty, wearing a two fitted two piece outfit with a cropped top exposing her abs, armoured sections on the shoulders, elbows, knees, fingerless gloves and high-waisted pants in shades of gray and light green. Her outfit was damaged with it being a little torn and torn with her face slightly bruised. Despite this she was smirking and waved at the camera.
Second was a woman who looked to be the youngest out of all of them about sixteen to seventeen with. She was wearing a black body suit with purple accents along the arms, legs, and torso, a short black skirt with what looks like a utility belt, a purple short hood cape and knee high boots. Like Matilda her outfit was damaged but it was more torn. She was blowing a kiss at the camera.
Third was Aunt Minerva who looked about eighteen and her hair loose and was tied in a ponytail. She was wearing a sleek form-fitting bodysuit designed for speed agility, with an orange black resembling a cheetah probably to match her quirk, black gloves, knee pads, and boots with claw feet. Like the rest her clothes also took a beating and she had a sheepish look on her face while facing the final woman who was my deceased mother.
Finally was my deceased mom who looked to be in her early twenties, maybe twenty two if I did my maths right with my birth. She wore a green turtle neck, a black skirt, a designed cocker and wearing heels. She looked down at Minerva with a confused expression on her face which said 'what the hell happened to you'.
Staring at her picture really brought mixed feelings from me, especially the longing. The more I heard about her the more I noticed that she was very similar to my mom in my past life. From there similar somewhat similar looks (though it could be my mind playing tricks on me), their personalities and they even shared the same birthday which also made me more home sick, missing my former family and friends.
I mostly coped better with this thanks to my aunt (after I got over my complicated feelings for her) and grandma though.
My head began to ach a bit and out of nowhere I found myself in a room which was both unfamiliar yet felt familiar at the same time and my mom seemingly happily smiling down at me.
"I finally have you in my arms. I don't think I've ever been filled with this much joy before and it's all because of you. You are my happiness. My Joy. My Chimwemwe." She spoke softly but her voice was still a bit feminine deep and the mental image disappeared.
'I really wish I got to know you more.' I thought as I looked at her image and my eyes got a little misty but I felt a strong hand on my head and I looked up and saw uncle J smiling down at me.
"You alright man." He asked and I nodded and he aggressively rubbed my hair. "Come on kid, your man, so chin up and stop crying."
"Come on, cut that out!" I hissed in a little embarrassed as I accidentally lit my hair in electricity.
"Damn man that actually hurt a little." He chuckled as he removed his hand from my head, confusing me.
"Wait, I thought you had electrical resistance?"
"Oh I do but your electricity is hotter than mine and your dad's so you can say the heat is what affects me more than anything else but it's really not that much of an issue." He waved it off and well that explains why I see him flinch sometimes whenever I hit him with my electricity when his quirk wasn't active. "Hey my hands are a little full so can you take those bars to the weight lifting section?"
"Sure no problem." I accepted and used my electromagnetism to lift all the 16 new bars and walked outside the storage room towards the heavy lifting section of the gym. Uncle J's phone began to ring but since his hands were full I magnetically lifted his phone in front of him and remotely opened it.
"Wow impressive, just don't make too much of a habit of all that hacking." He advised as he answered his call and I got out of the room. "I don't want you to end up like your old man." I heard him mumble.
I reached the weight lifting section and put the bars in their places then sat on one of the benches and thought on what uncle J said was still a little fresh on my mind. I know my mom was killed by a family member on her side named Nala but I don't know how my dad was killed and I highly doubt Nala murdered him as well as they died a month apart and grandma did say she came to her some days after she killed my mom.
"Hey Chicky!" I heard Suiw's voice and she hugged me from behind. "Wow, what Salon do you go to? A man there doing a great job with your hair."
I was a little surprised she was here I thought she would be overthinking on what to bring and buy for the trip to Zanzibar.
"Hello to you too Suiw and I don't go to Salons my aunt and grandma like messing with it." I greeted back without turning towards her but I felt two arms press down on my shoulders and she loomed over me.
"That's it. We haven't seen each other in four days? The least you can do is look at me when saying hi." She complained while shaking me a bit and faced upwards towards facing her directly.
"Hello Young Ms I'm so happy to see you again." I smirked a little at her with a hint of sarcasm in my voice. "That better?"
"T-That's much better thanks."She huffed and quickly got off me with a little blush as her face softened. "Is everything okay?" I fully turned towards her and so she was wearing a white beanie, white chequered sweater over a white coloured shirt, dark grey skinny jeans and white high-top sneakers. Not a style I usually see her wear but meh I'm not an expert in fashion.
"I'm fine?" I waved it off.
"Hmm okay if you say so." She didn't look conceived but dropped the subject. "Hey what are you holding there?" She pointed at the picture and I noticed still had the picture in my hands and Matilda walked over to us and spotted the picture.
"Oh I remember that it was my first year of college and we just finished our final exam which was a rescue test." She explained. "That there is me as you can tell, Minerva, our old friend Loreen Grace and Chimwewe's mom Alinafe."
"Wow Chicky that's your mom she's pretty and now that I think about it she looks a little familiar. Wait, you were really in the hero course in college, Coach!?" Matilda nodded. "Then how come you're not a pro. I'm pretty sure you could have a great hero." She asked with her eyes lighting up.
"I actually never finished college. When I got into my third year I was kicked out because I couldn't pay the tuition due to my father's death at a random villain attack." She explained with some sadness in her voice.
"W-Wait that's not fair why didn't they let you take a loan. I heard that was a thing in colleges.
"College systems are terrible Young Ms especially when you don't have the money but let's not talk about."
"So why are your customs so messed up and why was my mom there?" I questioned changing the subject.
"Well there were complications with our exam which led to a troublesome villain fight and your mom was just there to give us a ride back to school as we were stationed a little close to where she worked and our transport was blown up."
"That sounds so cool. So what was your hero team!?" asked Suiw.
"All the single ladies." Uncle J came out of the storage room while putting on a red jacket.
"You know damn well I'm not single." Matilda playfully elbowed his stomach.
"Relax, I was just kidding." He rubbed his stomach. "Hello Suiw."
"Hello Mr. J." Suiw waved.
"Are you going somewhere?" I asked.
"Yeah some stuff comes up at work so I'll see you soon." He waved goodbye and left the gym.
"So young Ms, do you mind telling me why you come here alone in fact. I thought you were preparing for your trip to Zanzibar." asked Matilda.
"W-Well I-I just wanted to get out of the house a little bit and just wanted a place to get away from stuff happening at home." She explained.
"Why didn't you go to Praise or Jenny's houses?" I asked.
"Jenny is at her grandparent's place and Praise went on holiday and the family went on holiday to Mangochi." She explained. "So can you please stay here? I really don't want to go back home right now." She gave Matilda puppy dog eyes.
"Hm adorable." I commented.
"I don't mind you hanging out here Young Ms but won't your mother and father get worried."
"My mom hasn't been home for two days now due to some business stuff and my dad won't notice especially when he brought all his business partners for a party or gathering or whatever." She shook her head and began to look uncomfortable. "I really didn't want to stay. Some of them were giving me bad vibes and wanted to get too close."
"To close?" Matilda questioned and the two of us shared a look. "Alright you can stay but when it reaches 4:30pm or one of your parents calls I'm taking you home. There are a lot of crazy people out there and there's some serial killer out there targeting females."
"Thanks Coach." Suiw smiled in relief and turned to me with curiosity. "So Chicky I've been meaning to ask why do you have dark circles around your eyes. Are you not getting enough sleep or is it mascara?"
"Seriously, I look like the type to put make up to you."
"Yep." She quickly answered with a nod and smile. "With a pretty hair and soft face you really look more girly than most guys I know." She giggled as she tugged my hair a little bit and Matilda chuckled a little.
'I should have went to go play basketball with Arthur'
End of Pov
With Joseph
After entering his car Joseph had set his keys in the ignition but he sighed a little annoyed and turned to the back seat and saw a man casually sitting there with a box of donuts in his hands and casually waved at him.
He was 6 '0 feet in height, dark eyes, short hair with a fade, wore sunglasses, a black suit, his jacket opened revealing a tucked red shirt, red black two dollar shoes.
"What are you doing in my car Emmanuel." asked Joseph in a deadpan tone.
"Come on man we both know this is basically a company car sponsored by Takhar your broke ass could never actually afford one." He joked that Joseph flipped him. "As for why I'm here, the boss man told me to come get you for the meeting." Daniel explained as he moved to the passenger seat.
"Patrick already called me about it. I really don't see why he sent you?" Joseph raised his eyebrow.
"Because you have a nasty habit of skipping some meetings which are not going today as it's about operations in Zanzibar in a few days." Daniel explained as he waved the donut bag to Joseph who took out one donut and began munching down on it. "When was the last time you ate man?"
"Twelve hours ago. I've been busy." He answered as he finished the donut.
"With that beautiful gym lady I see?" chuckled Emmanuel.
"Come on man plus she's got a man already."
"Oh so she's available, good to know."
"Didn't you hear what I just said." Chuckled Joseph as he started the car and drove away.