Ella
I took a deep breath as I stared at the revolving glass door of the office complex in front of me. The structure was a towering edifice of seven floors and a penthouse made of glass and steel which replicated the cityscape around it. Above the third floor was the company's name displayed in bold, gold letters that glittered in the sunlight. KINGSTON'S REAL PROPERTIES. Under it was written the words 'Don't trust anyone else'.
I looked at the card again in my hands and was determined to use this opportunity. Yesterday has been helluva a day for me and my saving grace was this phone call. The man over the phone denied knowing who I was and I felt betrayed. Whatever it took, here I am, hoping to make things right for my father. With this resolve, I opened the glass door and approached the receptionist.
"Good morning," I said with a courteous smile.
"Good morning, ma'am," the receptionist said, "how may I assist you today?"
"I'm here to see… uhm…" I looked at the card again, "Mr. Kingston."
"Do you have an appointment with him?" she asked.
"Not exactly," I quivered, "I didn't know whether what we had was an appointment, "I called him yesterday for an issue and he told me to come to the office whenever I am available."
"Alright, please hold," she said as she picked up the phone to go straight for a speed dial.
The receptionist gave me a curious glare, "You name please?"
"It's Ella," I said, "Ella Anderson."
After a brief exchange with someone over the phone, she hung up. "Someone will be with you shortly. Please take a seat," she said as she motioned to the larger space reserved for guests.
Soon the man I met at the intersection showed up.
"Good morning, Mr. Kingston," I said as I stood up to shake him, "My name is Ella. You remember me, right?"
He let out a throaty laugh, "Of course, I remember you," he said as he engulfed my outstretched arm with his, "But I am not Mr. Kingston. I am his driver and my name is Abel."
I was baffled because I thought he gave me his card.
"But…" I said
"It's alright," he said with a reassuring look as he walked me to the elevator, "Mr. Kingston doesn't bite. He might appear very mean but he has a soft heart".
"Hmm…" I let out a sigh.
"I've known him since he was a toddler," Abel said as he gestured to Mr. Kingston being a little child.
I didn't know this stranger too well to tell me about another stranger I was about to meet but I'm sure they've known each other long enough to know what the other can do.
We were silent as the elevator took us to the last floor. We stepped out and met a mean looking lady, probably in her mid-thirties. She was chewing gum noisily and wasn't paying any attention our way.
Abel stopped to knock at an adjoining door.
"Stella?" The voice shouted from inside.
"No," Abel hesitated, "It's me, Abel."
"Just hold on a moment," the voice said.
Abel turned to smile at me and we heard things that looked like a ruckus as if someone was trying to arrange some things in a haste.
"You can come in now," the voice said.
And so we walked into a sophisticated room with all the evidence of a real estate mogul. The glass walls portrayed the movement of the sky and I could see lush furniture that matched it. On the far corner was a screen that displayed all the corners of the company caught on camera. That was when I noticed that while I was at the reception, I was being watched.
"What do you want?" He eyed me suspiciously.
"Enzo, I…" Abel said
The man simply raised his hands, "Let her speak for herself, Abel. You are the reason she's here in the first place."
I looked at the hurt in the middle aged man's face but he quickly covered it with a smile and motioned for me to talk.
I didn't know what gave me the boldness but I walked up to one of the seats in front of his table and addressed him.
"Can I sit down, please?" I said, I took a good look at the table. There were very few files and part of it smelt like a mixture of coffee and paint.
"If you like," he replied nonchalantly, "Just tell me what you want and be on your way already."
"I need my father's car repaired as soon as possible," I said with every boldness in me.
"That's why you have the insurance company," he said as he pointed to the door, "let them investigate the claim and so you can be on your way now."
"It's not that simple, Mr. Kingston," I said, "that car might be old but that's all that's left of my father's legacy."
Mr. Kingston hesitated but then he looked at me as if I struck a chord in his heart, "Look here, young lady, all in life is not fair," he said, "I can't fix that car if you can't go through the insurance route. Have you called them yet?"
"No," I said without hesitation. It was a clear trap.
"There you have it!" I chuckled with a satisfactory grin on his face.
If I'd called the insurance company first, he'd have told me to wait for the verdict of the insurance company, which will most likely turn out negative because the bump from the back of the car couldn't have stopped the ignition from starting.
But then, the twist was that the government towed the vehicle and my father couldn't bring it out without a concrete report from an insurance company that the car was under their investigation.
"Please," I found myself pleading in the coolest of voices. My mind was racing and I knew I had to do something before I would achieve nothing here.
"I feel for you, young lady," Mr. Kingston said, "I can't fix your car for you. And even if I were to be in a position to do so, it won't be for nothing."
Abel meant to speak up but this time, I stopped him. I took a deep breath and looked Mr. Kingston in the eyes. I know he loved the attention I gave him. So he continued.
"Look at this office and the building itself," he gestured, "I didn't earn it by doing charity. I'm a businessman, not the Red Cross."
"What do you want in exchange?" I said abruptly with a serious look.
"What do you have?" He said as he sized me with his eyes and a bemused smile on his face. He didn't look more than thirty but had the face of a man who'd seen the rough phase of life.
"Your signpost," I said with a steady voice.
"What about it?" He quizzed still with a smile on his face.
"I will tell you if you agree to fix my dad's car without the insurance involved," I said, "I'm surprised no one has filed a claim against you yet."
His eyes darted back and forth as he looked at Abel. I was sure he was weighing his options.
"Call the insurance company first and get back to me," he said as he resigned back into his seat. The smile has disappeared from his face.
He picked up his phone to make a call.
"Thank you," I said as a surge of hope rose in my voice. I stood and headed for the elevator with Abel behind me.
I could see the Secretary rushing in behind us as if she was chased by a rat.
I didn't wait to know the outcome of her discussion with her boss as I picked up my phone and the second card in my purse and placed that call to the insurance company.
But then as I dialed the number, my phone rang.