CHAPTER SIX
AT CROSSROADS
"Hello, Julian. I hope by now you know the reason for my call. Is my money ready?" Anthony asked with a firm tone. He was tired of excuses.
"Sir…" Julian was about to explain her current predicament when he suddenly cut her off it.
"Look, enough of all of this. You of all people should know that I have tried. You keep telling me one detail today and another tomorrow. The house is not entirely mine but my brother's. I only see to it that it is well maintained and funds are paid. I am just lenient with you because I know your situation. At the moment, my wife even suspects my fidelity as she keeps wondering why I have yet to take decisive action. It's been a lot from my end here and I know it. My brother told me to ask you to leave the property. The notice would be sent officially via my mail immediately after this call."
The call ended abruptly. At the time, Julian was in a wind of thoughts. It wasn't a situation she had anticipated. It was almost like her world was crashing. There was just nobody she could call. She was already in a lot of debt at the moment which she did feel was enough to earn her some jail time if she was arrested for not paying up. Her job was her only hope and yet the job was nowhere.
Julian sat there, stunned and numb. She clutched her phone tightly, feeling the weight of her mounting problems pressing down on her. Her eyes were fixed on the hospital room's ceiling, but she saw nothing. She was confused and felt hopeless. Every day came with its unique challenge and Julian wanted to believe it was just a bad dream. Losing her job was bad enough, but now, with the impending eviction, her world was crumbling around her.
The hospital room felt cold and unwelcoming but it was a preferable option to the chaos of her life outside its walls. She needed this place, not just for her injured ankle but also as a refuge from the mounting financial and emotional turmoil. The dislocated ankle paled in comparison to the disarray in her life.
As she brooded in her despair, a nurse entered the room. Her voice was a soothing balm amid Julian's turmoil. "How are you feeling today, Miss Julian?"
Julian didn't want to burden the nurse with her problems, so she forced a smile and replied, "I'm doing okay, thank you."
The nurse went about her duties, checking Julian's vitals and ensuring she was comfortable. She chatted about the weather and the hospital's routines, trying to create a comforting atmosphere.
Julian appreciated the nurse's attempt to lighten the mood, even if just for a moment. It was a brief distraction from the storm of problems that raged outside. She wished she could stay in this haven a little longer, away from the harsh realities of life.
However, the peace didn't last long. The hospital's administrator, Mrs. Williams, stepped into the room. Her stern expression was enough to put Julian on edge. She glanced at Julian's medical chart, then back at Julian.
"Miss Julian," Mrs. Williams began, "I understand you've been here for a while, and we've done our best to accommodate your situation. But as you know, medical expenses can accumulate."
Julian's heart sank even further. She knew where this was going.
"Unfortunately, we can't continue to provide care without some form of payment," Mrs. Williams continued. "I'm afraid we'll have to ask you to settle your bill, or at least make a payment toward it. Your…Was it your boyfriend or what…?"Mrs. Williams said with her hands in the air trying to define the relationship between the two.
Julian cut in immediately. The scum bag could never be her boyfriend. He was after all the cause of her present misfortune. Even though he did not cause everything, he was responsible for some of it. "He is not my boyfriend and for the umpteenth time, he hit me," Julian said with a flash of hate in her eyes. The mention of the dude was enough mood spoiler for her.
"Oh, I am sorry." The reality dawned on Mrs. William. It was no wonder he never bothered to check on her afterwards. "Okay, so did you keep his contact because, after the part payment on that initial day, he has done nothing to cater for the remaining bill." Mrs Williams asked with a ray of hope as she expected something positive.
Julian's eyes welled up with tears. She felt trapped, cornered by circumstances beyond her control. She had no job, no place to live, and now, the hospital was pressing her for money she didn't have.
"No, I did not. By the way, he didn't drop any. I understand, Mrs. Williams," Julian said, her voice shaky. "I'll try to arrange something as soon as possible."
"That was a careless thing to do. Right now, there is nothing I can do. Please arrange for someone to take you off here". The hospital administrator left the room, leaving Julian in tears. She was overwhelmed by her mounting debts and the feeling of being utterly alone.
She knew she had to figure something out, but it felt like the world was conspiring against her. As it stands, her ankle was still in bad shape but she needed to leave as instructed. Distraught, she took her phone to call Linda.
Linda picked up on the second ring.
"Hello, Linda. Please I need your help. I am in trouble." Julian stated frantically.
"Jules, what happened? Did anything bad happen to you?" The line suddenly became silent as Julian found it difficult to express her thoughts to her. "Common Julian, your silence is making me uncomfortable."
"I would rather you come Linda because I am losing my mind," Julian said with a hint of hopelessness.
"Okay Julian, please take it easy with yourself. I would be coming down right away. Linda said as she ended the call. She wondered what could be so disturbing for Julian to sound way. Hence, she took the keys and left the house.
*****
Alex arrived at the client company's office, his mind still trying to remember the events of the previous day and how he got himself into this mess. He knew he had no better option but to fix the mess he'd created, no matter what it took. As he walked through the modern glass doors of the building, he couldn't help but be impressed by the opulence. It was a stark contrast to the chaos of the Lagos streets he had experienced recently.
Toria had arranged a meeting with the client's senior executives. Alex knew he needed to tread carefully, rebuild their trust, and secure the partnership that hung in the balance.
The executives greeted him with a mixture of skepticism and impatience. The atmosphere in the room was tense, and it didn't help that they were all impeccably dressed, while Alex felt out of place with his bruised face and disheveled appearance.
The client company's CEO, Mrs. Johnson, a formidable woman in her late fifties, broke the silence. "Mr. Blackwood, we are not pleased with the way this project has been handled so far. The disruptions, the delays, and now, the public disturbances. Our board is contemplating ending this partnership."
Alex swallowed hard, his voice strained. "I understand your concerns, Mrs. Johnson. But I assure you, I am committed to making things right. I have a plan to get the project back on track, and I am willing to take any necessary steps."
The Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Anderson, leaned forward, his expression stern. "We will consider continuing this partnership under certain conditions. First, you'll need to provide a detailed project timeline with clear milestones, deadlines, and contingencies for any future disruptions. Second, we want weekly progress reports. Third, you will need to be present in Lagos for the duration of the project, overseeing every aspect."
It was like Alex was about to lose his mind. He never expected things to go this way. It was meant to be an apology and some little persuasion but the board was taking things too far. Somehow he began to feel this was Toria's idea initially. Probably it was just a ploy to see to it that he remained in Nigeria to oversee the project. At the same time, he also remembered it wasn't her who knocked someone off or who got himself beaten by some unknown group of individuals. His heart began to skip when he envisaged the chaos his life would be in these couple of months. It was bad enough that in less than a month, he had gotten into too many problems already. His having to stay back would only end him up with even more issues. Despite his disarray of thoughts, he managed to speak. "Can you give me time to think about this?"