"Hahaha..."
At that hilarious scene, Lucas started laughing, making him attract the rest of his mother firepower:
"And you, sir, what are you laughing at? Don't forget that I'm waiting for you too to honor the promise you just made."
"Huh!? Cough, cough."
This made him choke. He was only comforting his mother previously but with the way things are going, he might be chained down to produce grandchildren before being thrown aside so, thinking fast while looking around as if to find some ideas, he locked onto the best strategy:
"You are absolutely right, mom. Give me just a moment to finish my talk with this brother I love so much and by the way help you convince him. How dare he not work to give you cute grandchildren and continue the family line. He is shirking his duty as the elder brother."
'Humph. Never take the spear head-on. I have been perfecting my Tai Chi moves to redirect any disadvantage since little, how could I stumble here'
With an inward proud smirk, he turned around and disappeared in strategic retreat in an amazing burst of instantaneous movement. Apparently, with enough motivation, any shackle could be broken.
What he didn't see behind however, was the little smile at the corner of his mother's mouth and the spark of joy in her misty eyes. After all, her son came back from the fire alive and lively.
He also seemed to have found a path to success and was trying to repay the care of his parents and at the same time help his elder brother be set for life, showing their brotherly bond. What more could she ask for? She could only pray for his safety wherever he was going and for his success in whatever he would be doing.
'Tomorrow I will go to the church to light a candle for him and ask for his endeavors to be blessed. I must also express my thanks for his survival.'
While making plans to do the little bit she could to give a push to her son, she started preparing what she would need to cook the next morning.
By now, Lucas and his brother were back into the room. Ignoring the stinky eyes the later was making, Lucas proceeded to finish the answer he was giving to the last question before being called to eat:
"I want to buy a house for the parents, a big one. If the ones available are not satisfactory, I will give them a medium one first to vacate here as soon as humanly possible while buying the needed portion of land and launching the construction of the best house for them. Of course you can stay with them or you can find your own place to be independent and have fun if you want, your choice."
Leaving aside the bunch of spears he just took, Patrick seriously asked:
"You are leaving soon right?"
"Yes, and I know what you are trying to say. In the case of having to build a house from scratch which will be very likely, I will just look over the preparations with you, you will have to be the one supervising things later. I am already pushing it by staying for a few days."
After looking at Lucas for a moment and not being able to determine whether the reason for the hurry was negative or not, he continued the conversation:
"Do you want to build the house in the city or in the countryside?"
"The city of course. I don't want them to be targeted after making them isolated. Don't worry about the money. I was being truthful when I told mom about the difference in currency. I just omitted to say that even in foreign currency, the amount I have is not really inconsequential. I will even leave enough for them to spend without worrying about working anymore."
Patrick face turned stern instead of showing joy:
"Lucas, where did you get all that money? And don't give me the same bullshit you tried to feed mom. Even she didn't totally believe that."
With the same leisurely smile, Lucas placated his brother:
"As I said before, don't worry. The money is clean. I didn't do anything against my conscience nor against society."
Inwardly, he muttered:
'Maybe only against the sponsors of the terrorists. I hope to meet them someday.'
While outwardly he continued:
"I was really contacted and it was for a job I did before leaving the desert. That money was the pay so, let's not go in too much detail. I'll help you start the startup you have always wanted and also make some investments you will look after, that way you guys won't lack money anymore unless you squander it."
His brother frowned:
"How much are you spending to do all you talked about?"
"Hmm, let's see... Maybe 1 billion XOF or more?"
Patrick jumped from the side of the bed:
"WHAT!!!"
While Lucas stayed nonchalant:
"Chill, bro. It's only something like 2 millions dollars. Not too small nor too big."
"What kind of job pays like that?" Patrick asked in astonishment.
"Haha... The kind that puts your life in danger. Don't think about it and take care of your computers."
Lucas indifference angered him but he still said:
"Just take care of yourself, okay?"
"I didn't lie about pushing the limits either so, while I look skinny, I am better and stronger than before."
Suppressing some discomforts inside with more effort than previously, Lucas looked at the time on a watch hanging on the wall and stood up.
"Alright I need to go. Take some days off or better yet, resign from your work. We will use the next few days to put everything in place before I leave."
"Consider it done."
"Then we will meet tomorrow at 10 at the independence plaza."
"Alright."
Going to the kitchen once again, he called out:
"Mom?"
"Yes, honey?"
"I'm leaving."
"Already?"
"Don't worry, I won't leave yet. It will take me a few days to finish preparing things for you guys so we will keep meeting."
"Alright then. Take care of yourself, okay?"
"I will, mom. But you must also promise me to take care of yourself, okay? Take some rest and stop going to the market. Your son is successful now, so you need to enjoy yourself or I will feel useless."
"Alright, quit yapping, I understand."
"Hahaha... It's funny, you are the one nagging usually."
"Shut up and go."
They were already at the portal.
"Let's stop here so as not to raise the neighbors attention. They are too good at finding gossip."
His mother's eyes soften:
"Be careful on the way back, son."
"Have a good night, and say hi to dad for me."
"I will. He will be happy to know that you are back."
Putting back his cap on the head and wearing his glasses, Lucas discreetly but normally opened the portal to avoid looking sneaky.
Without looking back, he hurried to a corner and kept walking for a few hundred meters before his discomfort became unbearable.
He found a convenience store and hurriedly bought a bottle of water.
He then walked farther and looked around for a shadowy spot where he started regurgitating what he just ate. He went at it for five painful minutes before standing back up.
Using the water he just bought to clean himself, he pushed the sand on the ground to cover the result of his discomfort and went to lean his back against a wall on the side to calm his breathing and the spasms of his abdominal muscles.
He looked further down the street and he saw the church his mother frequently went to to pray not far in the distance.
Looking at the decorations and the different representations like drawings and crosses, he went into a daze for a moment, before shaking himself awake.
He turned around and left to find a transportation, leaving only his back, desolate, yes, lonely, certainly, but determined and straight, along with a muttering in the wind:
"You are said to be the beginning and the end. Until we meet, let me live this damned life to the fullest, now that it is proving interesting."