"I thought you hated this place."
It was the next day and the sun was already on its way to its zenith on this dry day of January. Even if the climate was abnormally milder than it should have been for this period, you could still see the greenery lacking in the color that used to express its vitality.
Patrick had come to the agreed meeting place where you could rarely see people relaxing, most hurrying on their way toward whatever task or activity that would generate the money they needed to keep living decently, donning a vest, pull or any garment that could help with the cold.
He himself wore a simple blue long sleeves shirt over a gray pants. He stopped beside his low-key dressed brother and looked at the monument in the center of the plaza.
Lucas threw a glance at his brother and answered:
"I don't hate it. I just don't like it."
That had always confused Patrick. His brother was mostly indifferent to anything that didn't concern or bother him. That made him curious about why he habitually projected abhorrence and disdain for the innocent monument. Hence today he voiced his confusion:
"Why?"
Lucas thew another dismissive glance his brother's way before starting to leave the place.
"It is supposed to represent our independence and how it was fought for. Every year, a fire is lit there to remember and cultivate pride and national spirit. But, ironically, you can see the traces of those ousted foreigners everywhere, from economy to education, even politics. The only reason they stopped being "obvious" is that it is not "correct" to enslave and exploit your fellow human even if you treat them like a sub-specie. They were pressured by the bigger dogs having the moral high ground in a way. So, yeah, I don't like this place but this world is a dog eat dog world. You either hope to be a big dog or you pray that you are left alone in your little bubble."
Arriving at the parking beside an administrative office near the plaza, he waited for Patrick to point out the car he rented as he had asked him to.
Seeing the gray colored sleek SUV, Lucas commented:
"At least your taste has stopped being nerdy, it seems."
That only got him a scoff as an answer before Patrick asked while getting into the car:
"Are those what I think they are?"
He was pointing at the bags Lucas was putting on the back seat.
"Unless you are thinking about something irrelevant, you have guessed right."
"It is smaller than I thought it would be. Will there be no trouble?"
"You thought one billion XOF would make the car full? What's more, to make the money cleaner and ditch any possible trouble or trap, I put it to work along the way back. I exchanged part of it for bearer bonds and I made some deals. None of it is part of the original pay. All the banknotes in there now have a plethora of different sources. I even got my ex that is working in an insurance company to fake some accounts to make it seem like some compensation for my death I prepared. So you can be at ease."
After working through his astonishment, Patrick closed his gaping mouth at those measures he considered excessive and started the car. He continued asking with a teasing tone at the end:
"Weren't you all about being low-key? Are you trying to rekindle some old flame?"
Lucas looked out of the window:
"It wouldn't have worked out between us before. I didn't know what I wanted to pursue and the way life had never been stable made me uncomfortable in a stable relationship. I couldn't see myself giving her love, a home and children with a stable life and nothing lacking even if not extravagant."
Life had hardly been easy for them and their parents, but mostly for them. After all, they didn't ask to be born nor did they choose their parents. The circumstances forged the different characters they had. Patrick took the rebellious path, mostly against their father's arrangements and tried to fight for a brighter future while Lucas became more laid-back and indifferent. He had the intelligence but didn't get to nurture it whether by himself or with the guidance of a mentor and, while they didn't hold it against their parents for not being able to provide that which was necessary or for holding them back from fighting for some chances due to pride, there was still that little bit a repressed resentment within.
So, when his brother having one of those rare moment where he confided in someone, Patrick threw away his teasing mood that wanted to lighten the atmosphere and seriously asked softly:
"And now?"
Lucas looked at him and replied in a flat tone:
"Now, I don't know if I used to love her or if I still do but I, I have found my path or at least an interesting path I will take till I get bored, I find better or I die. And this path is not for her so the best that will happen is that we will have some sort of friendship but even then we won't have many opportunities to meet again in the near future, if at all."
Returning to look at the window, he said after suppressing a cough:
"Enough of that, let's go. You must have seen the address of the lawyer I sent you?"
The said lawyer was in one of the farther and more desolate suburbs of the city where land was cheap and security bad. But at the same time, it offered calm, quiet and discretion.
"Yes. Will we use him just for the short term or will he-"
"Short term. He is just a greedy pig I identified. He will get things done fast and discreetly. It will just be for getting the house and the land. Afterwards, cut all contact with him. I will send you the contact information of the ones you can use in the long run. You will make them go through the work of this one and stomp any possible trouble in the nascent stage."
"Alright. I get that it is because you are in a hurry as you said yesterday. How will your arrangements be done exactly?"
"I already told you what I am going for: a house and your start-up. Add to that some funds to spend a worry free life and a bit to invest and ensure some incomes. The budget is give or take 2.5 millions US dollars. As I am almost sure that we won't get a satisfactory house, we will back a small or medium one first the on the new land, we will build a big house with a big backyard that will serve as a farm or a garden for fruits and vegetables to keep mother occupied in case she becomes bored from the inactivity after all those years of constant toiling. It will also allow her to reminisce about her farming days with her family in her childhood in the village."
Pausing to breathe, he concluded:
"I have 3 million US dollars in different amounts of different currencies in cash. I will be taking $ 500 000 then, in a bit of all the currencies except for the monkey currency of our side of the world. So let's say $ 100 000 for your start-up, $ 200 000 for expenditure, $ 600 000 for investment, $ 100 000 as a secret stash for emergencies, and $ 1.5 million to build a good enough place for our parents to spend the rest of their life."
"I am grateful for what you are doing and while it is not my place to comment on your use of the money you earned through blood and sweat, I must say that your allocation is reasonable."
"Yes. That way you will all be set and I will be at ease when I leave."
After a moment of silence, Patrick laughed suddenly:
"I bet you had all your arrangements running through your head many times as the perfectionist you are."
"Scram."