In another part of the bank that Hanita Hill worked in, Talik Blake was busy sorting out some papers his father had given him to work on. The driver had called Talik minutes ago saying that he was on his way to get him from work, and Talik needed to work on those papers at home. They required his signature, but he'd not gotten around to signing them since he'd received them from his dad.
Talik who was a thirty-year-old African American that towered at 6ft 6 inches was a candy to the eyes. He was calm, intelligent, and collected. His eyes were so light brown that people usually asked if he was wearing contact lenses. Talik didn't talk much as he'd had to be asked directly before he'd give his opinion on an issue. The ladies in the office didn't allow him time to himself as it seemed like they took turns to check on him. One would knock on his office door to ask if he'd like to have lunch and another would ask for his assistance in matters that were frivolous.
So, Talik arranged the papers neatly into his brown leather bag and slung it across his shoulders. His mind wandered to the tip that he'd be going on with a team that had been put together. He had casual, friendly relationships with the other five but for one lady -- Hanita Hill. For the life of Talik, he'd never gotten to understand why she ignored him. They would pass by each other in the bank halls and in meetings and it was as if she never saw or noticed him. Talik had decided to have a word with her before or during the trip. At least, this would be a chance for him to clear his curiosity about the petite and smart lady.
He went out and headed straight for the car park, hoping that his driver would already be waiting for him. However, he sighted his father's car from where he was standing and his brows furrowed. He stood there and watched as the car pulled out of the car park and drove to where he was standing in front of the bank. Talik was shocked as his father had never come to his place of work before. He only knew the name of the bank that Talik worked in theory and Talik could not help but wonder what the matter was.
Just when he was about to get into the car, from the corner of his eye, he saw the silhouette of Hanita Hill. Talik turned his head to look at her squarely and nodded a greeting, but her sight was somewhere else as she shaded her face from the sunlight.
"Hey, Hanita," Talik said.
It took some seconds before she realized that she was being talked to. She looked at Talik and waved the hand that was already up a little, in response to his greeting. Then, she crossed the road before he could say what he wanted to say. Talik just looked at her as she hurriedly went to a car that was waiting for her, with her luscious hair dancing in the wind.
He quickly caught himself after his father's driver blew a horn, bringing him out of his reverie. Talik opened the door and got into the car.
"Good afternoon, Father," Talik said, setting his bag on his thigh.
But Therman did not respond to his greeting. His eyes and face weren't even on Talik. His head was turned all the way to the side and he stretched and focused on the girl that Talik had just spoken to. There was something about the girl that Therman could not place his finger in. She had some resemblance to someone that Therman must have known. The lady looked so familiar and Therman knew -- he very well knew that he'd not met her before in his life. So who was she? he wondered deeply.
"Father?" Talik called again.
"Who was that?" Therman asked with a raspy voice. He was 59 years of age now but still looked good for his age even though they were silver hairs on his head and beard now. His brows were creased as he was deep in his thoughts.
"Huh?"
"The girl..." Therman Blake said, almost pointing in Hanita's direction. "The girl that you'd been talking to..." he continued, now fixated on the car that she'd entered. They were driving out of the car park now and Therman could bet that he'd seen -- he knew that must have been Deveron that he'd seen behind the steering wheel. Deveron had a distinctive patch of white hair on the right side of his head -- something they'd referred to as Poliosis and had been there since childhood.
"A colleague," Talik responded to his father. Talik could not understand what was going on with his father at that moment. He had not even looked in his direction for once and was still fixated on the car that Hanita was in.
As the car drove past theirs, Therman's heart began to race in his chest. He could very well recognize the person behind the wheel and the person that he thought he'd never see again in his life. Therman could not be mistaken -- that was Daliana -- and she was with his former best friend, Deveron.
His gaze went to his knees as he took off the glasses that he'd been wearing. It was as if he was the only one in the car -- in the world at that moment. Therman was somewhat mortified and a wave of fresh anger began to well up within him. What were they doing together? He hadn't heard from Deveron since he left the country for good. Therman had completely cut off from the people he knew as he wanted to build up a new life for himself. At that time, he thought carrying anyone along would be unnecessary baggage and that was exactly what he saw Daliana as -- even Deveron. He advocated for Daliana so much that talking or hanging out with him became stressful for Therman.
"Father?" Talik called. "We are parked in front of the bank..." he said. "Why did you come all the way?" he asked, impatient to get a head start about what the visit was all about -- and about his strange reaction towards his colleague.
"Y-Yes..." Therman said, struggling to gather his thoughts. "What's your colleague's name? Her full name?"