"Hello."
"Hello, ma'am."
It was on hearing his voice that I checked the screen for his name. it was Arafat, the manager of the charity organization which was supposed to hold an outreach in rural areas by weekend. I was one of the sole sponsors, and I pledged to be part of the outreach in person.
"Good morning." He had a lovely voice.
"Same to you, sir," I said with a weak smile. "How are you?"
"I'm good, ma'am." He started. "Your assistant informed us that you canceled the appointment you scheduled with us yesterday, so, I decided to call you today and know if you wish to schedule another meeting with us."
"No, I've done all I should do, you know," I said this time with a broad smile. "The only thing left is to join the outreach on the D-day."
"Yes." He said with a voice that showed he was glad. "Also, we already got a medical team to go with us. It would be the best free medical outreach ever recorded."
I raised my brow. Many people responded to my call on the need to sponsor the outreach mission in the rural areas, so, there were supposed to be enough funds for it to be the best philanthropical exercise ever recorded.
"I hope we will dish out everything in the package when we get there," I said, nothing gives me joy more than the philanthropy part of me.
"Yes, we would roof and amend buildings there. A construction signed an affiliate with us in other to promote their brand, and the medical team has experts." He recounted.
"Very good, Arafat," I said, with brows raised. "We will talk later."
"Okay."
***
"Ma'am," Maria said while she knocked at my door. "I thought you would join the conference, but you slipped up and left me behind."
I laughed. I asked her to get the press because I was enraged, not just for the fact that my house was raided by soldiers in the name of their general waiting to take me out on a date but for the fact that the same general had his hands on a very heinous crime.
All I wished that night was to put a bullet in the general's head, but it was good he wasn't there in the hotel with me, and Maria was angry enough on her side of the bargain to gather the press houses around for such issue.
"Ma'am." She said when I said nothing for a couple of minutes. "You aren't talking and the door is locked from inside, ma'am."
"But I'm not dead, Maria, settle your bargain with the press houses you gathered," I replied.
"Ma'am?" she said agitated like she was last night.
"Do you have anything else to tell me?" I asked.
"The general will take this whole thing seriously if you take part in shunning his ass publicly." She cried. She wanted the general's menace to be taken care of.
"The general has so much to worry about, Maria." I crept out of bed and made it to the window. "Just let it be."
"The driver." Her voice turned sorrowful. "You didn't ask of him."
My eyes grew wide. I came home with the chauffeur I booked for my trip back home, and a lot was going on in my mind when I returned home, so, I didn't ask my driver.
I made it to the door and opened it. Maria was kneeling before the door with her eyes red with tears. Who knows what that bastard of a general had done to my driver?
"What happened to him?" I asked. "Where is he?"
She looked up at me and wiped her face with both palms.
"The general ordered his boys to take him, then, he said you should come get him in the barracks, and the more you delay, the more they drill a hole in his ass," Maria said.
I felt rage well up from my belly and travel up to my throat. My face grew hot and my eyes got wet with tears of rage. My driver isn't a bad boy. I could remember he approached me at a mall five years ago and asked me to employ him, that he had dreamt of nothing other than to work for me.
That was funny, but I employed him, and I can kill the general himself for his sake if the need be. I wanted to turn and walk into my secret chamber. I wanted to grab my widow gown and go to the barracks, but I found a way to swallow my rage.
"Summon our lawyers, we must sue that bastard of an old man," I said with rage.
My phone buzzed on the bed. I looked towards it and scurried towards it. it had a strange number on the screen, but I picked it up.
"Sita Kouassi." Said a male voice. "You know the general is fond of you. Why will you gather the press houses against him? Do you want to fight guns with words?"
"Who the heck are you?" I asked.
"I am the general's aide camp." Said the voice. "Our boys are bringing back the half man half lady you call your driver, so, hold your peace, and the general won't afford to be mocked by you or your little maid."
The caller went off. I could have said something that would break his ears, but he was good enough with going off before he would earn a bad response.
"He said they are bringing him back." I turned to Maria. "His condition would determine how we deal with the general."
Maria nodded but didn't leave. "Have you spoken to your father?"
"I'll visit them next week," I replied.
"Okay."