Episode 18
âIs he in?â The men who had come the day before asked Luke, Ambrossâs Secretary
âNo sir, he hasnât come to work yet, he said he would be away for a week at least, he said he has some personal matters to attend toâ
âOkay!!! Where does your boss live?â The taller bigger one asked
âI am not disposed to give that information to youâ
âAre you disposed to have a broken face?â the man asks him, his voice stern
ââNo!! â
âSo where does your boss live?â
âErm.. I think I would have to call the security if you donât leave Sir !!â
The man leans back and smiles âSo let me get this straight, your boss is hiding from us and he puts you in charge and swears you to secrecy of his whereabouts? I wonder, do you think I am joking about breaking your face? Maybe I should break your fingers firstâ he grabs Lukeâs hand and bends it backward. Luke screams out in pain, people who were around turns, he presses it back more as Luke whimpers, his other man blocks them from view so no one suspects whatâs going on.
âNo no please pleaseâ Luke cries out as the man tells him to be quiet or he would do worse.
âGive me the address a—–eâ
âLet me write it down for you please , oww oww!!â he cries
âGood choice !!â The man lets go off him, Luke hurriedly write sit out with his good hand.
The agent they had called turns to them, âSo, this is the last of it, and this is the most unique, this house was listed for sale this morning, the owners relocated out of the country. it is going for NGN 20 million, everything en-suit, you donât have to bring anything aside your cloths and pictures and other personal items. Itâs a walk-in-house with everything, you pay a million of servicing fee, which takes care of your laundry, security, and other miscellaneous, this is way better than other houses we have seen in the suburbs for the past couple of hours⊠and this may be expensive but it is worth it.
âOh!! I love it Ambross, I love it!!â Belinda says clasping her hands together
Ambross was impressed, they had checked out about ten houses this morning, he had liked two, but this one was just put into the market this morning according to the agent and the company in charge of it was putting up for sale. This sort of houses would go for NGN 50 million at least, he was lucky, it was a great house, in a beautiful environment and they really donât need to buy new furnitureâs and all, it was all in here, in fact they could move in today.. this was better than the rest. âWe would take it. Where do we sign, I will call my accountant to make the transferâŠâ
âVery well sir, letâs just go by the office, let your lawyer meet us there too, and we can help you move within the hour, what things would you like to carry from your old to the new?â
âNothing, all the things in my former house are old, just my cloths and my make-up, nothing else, and you too Ambross, old things have past away, all the things become new, in fact, let them go and do the moving while we sign, right baby?â
âYes Yesââ
They enter their car and follow the agent in his, they sign, happily taking their documents they leave
As soon as the door was shut behind them, The Agent grabs his phone and calls âMr Uchenduâs office pleaseâ
A few hours later, they are outside ringing the bell, no answer, they knock on the door a couple of times, still no answer. The black van they came in is parked at the entrance, a few neighboring houses stood aside.
Someone who had been watching them across the streets from his house and comes to them ..
âGood afternoon, how may I help you?â He asks them
âGood afternoon, we are looking for Mr Ambross Chikurdi, his number isnât reachable and we have been knocking but no answerââ
âOh!! he just move out today, barely an hour agoâ
âMoved out, to where?â They exclaim
The man frowns âHe didnât leave a forwarding address, who are you?â
âBusiness associates, we are to have a meeting with him and when we went by his office they said he didnât come in today, so we came by to make sure he is okay, do you have another direct line to get in touch with him?ââ
âNo!! I am just his neighbour, I have no further contact details except for the one who bought his houseâ
âWho did?â
âI donât think that business associates would want to concern yourself with thatâ
The man smiles âThank you,â they walk away entering their car and leaving. The man watches them leave then crosses the road and goes back into his house
âBad news bossman, Mr Ambross is nowhere to be found, and we canât go back to his office, the secretary might have reported us to the police for manhandling himâ The man who had bent Lukeâs hand stated over the phone
âWell fish him out, I donât care wherever he is hiding, he is playing smart, he thinks he can run from me without paying me my money? He said he was broke but under a week his company is booming, he sold his house and that house was listed for NGN 30 million, which is enough to pay me half at least for starters but he is on the run. Find him, bring me money and get rid of him and if anyone stands in the way, get rid of them too.. in fact find out who bought the house, they would have information of where you can find Ambross â came the reply
âYes sir!!ââAs soon as he cuts the call he turns to his colleague âBoss wants us to smoke him out whatever means necessaryââ
âNo problem, letâs go to the bank, they would have the information we need, we start from there till we find the frogâ they nod as their car zooms off.
*EARLIER
Olive had woken up alone and the bed was empty of Emeka, by the time she came down, Mama Tito told her Emeka left very early in the morning for work âWhat of Mama?â
âShe is in her roomâ
âThatâs unlike her,ââ she had gone in to stay with her, she was sad, Olive didnât like it at all.
Emeka had knocked on her door early that morning,
âWould you be up for lunch with me today, you can tell any of the drivers to bring you to me, they would know where , I have plans for us today, would you be up for it?â
âYes!!â she says smiling, she had slept well, too well.
âGood, see you later â he leans in and kisses her head..
Later on in the day, she was on her way to go speak to Mercy when she sees Olive going there, she sighs, âŠwasnât it time for her to live this house? Wasnât it shameful to even still be here?
Emeka had finally proposed to her with a ring, surely any girl would count her losses and leave right?â
But no, Olive is shameless, inconsiderate!!
She sighs, calm yourself Diana, well she can sleep in Emekaâs room as much as she wants to, Emeka would not be cheating on her, he wouldnât , he loves her, he loves her alot, and she can get warm with Mercy, doesnât matter, it is She who gets to be her daughter in-law, she smiles turning away, later, when she gets back she would speak to Mercy, ..
The scene of yesterday replays itself in her head, she frowns, rubbing her chest, what was wrong with her, why does she feel all of a suddenâŠlike as though..as though.
She shakes her head and continuous walking away, it was time to go see Emeka, her fiancé. She rubs her ring smiling.
* PRESENTLY**
âWe came to inquire about the house that was listed here up until yesterday, on grove streets going for about NGN 30 million, we would love to purchase itâ He was dressed in a black suit, looking the part of a business man, his colleague carried his briefcase and was dressed too.
They were seated with the manager of the bank who has agreed to seat down with them
âI am so sorry but it was bought yesterday, and all loans paid off UP-front, but we have other houses on sale, we can show you ââ he passes them a catalog of houses on sale, the man pushes it away shaking his head
âNo, we are sentimentally attached to that house and itâs that one we wantâ the man leans forward
âIt has been sold, I am sorry!!âThe manager repeats
He sighs, putting on an act âYou donât understand, when I mean it is sentimentally attached I mean to say I grew up in that house, my father loved that house, my daughter, she died in that house when she was a baby, God bless her soul, and my wife, thatâs where her memory is we moved out of it about so many years ago because we couldnât afford to live in it anymore, now, I can afford to buy it so I came for it.ââ
âI am truly sorry sir but there is nothing I can doââ
âBut there is, if you tell us who bought the house maybe I can buy it backâ
He laughs âIt was sold for a whooping NGN 70 million as against NGN 30 million, how do you suppose to pay the owner back for that?ââ
He looks at the manager, a house that was listed for NGN 30 million and sold to Mr Ambross for NGN 70 million? That person must be very desperate to get that house, why? Something was fishy,
âThe company I work for is capable to pay back, I have worked for years and strived so that I can be able to buy the house back for my wife, surely you would understand, it means a lot to me, my wife, my baby⊠it is the only thing I have worked hard for..â he sniffs
The manager stares at him, the person he was with lays a hand on his shoulders âTake it easy sir, itâs gone, soldââ
The manager sighs as the man continues to sniff, âI donât think anything would come from it but here is the company card and address of the person who bought the house, maybe you can re-negotiate. From what I hear they do not want to turn it into something else, they just want the house and for them to pay a huge amount for that property, I think it means a lot to them too, but in any case, this is the least I can doâ he pulls out a file and brings out a card⊠âhere!â
The man takes it and looks at the name âTayo Adegunbe, TECO Refineries, Managing Director, oil serving company, thank you Sirâ they get up to shake him, they leave.
âNice act!!â his colleague laughs flinging the briefcase into the back seat
âYes, studied Theatre Arts in the University â he smiles slipping into the car âletâs make a quick stop shall we and pay this Tayo person a visitâ.
âWe would like to see Mr Tayo Adegunbeâ They stand speaking to the receptionist
âI am sorry, that is a mistake, Mr Tayo Adegunbe isnât the MD of this companyâ The receptionist says looking at the card they gave her and frowning
âI do not understand, this is his card is this not, we have an appointment !!!â the man leans in confused
âI am sorry sir, there must be a mistakeâ she hands it back
âThen who is the MD, does it mean he gave a fake card?â
âĂ do not know how to answer that question Sirâ
âThen who runs this place? I want to speak with the owner, Mr Tayo has defrauded me of my money and I wonât leave until I get it backâ he begins to shout making a scene
âSir please calm down, you are making a scene, this is a working environmentâ
âI do not care if its a nursery or a zoo, I want to see the manager, the Md anyone , I will not leave here unless I get my money, fraud, that is what this place does. Fraudulent activities!!!â he flares
She receives a call, âYes sir, I have no idea sir but he is insisting on speaking to you, okay sirâ
She turns to him dropping the call âCalm down sir, and please follow meâ.
âSir, please calm down, sit down, how may we help you?ââ
âMy name is Kenneth Adobile, I had dealings with a Tayo Adegunbe, and the card he gave, he says he works here that he is managing this company, I sold my house to him but the money bounced and hasnât reflected in my account since yesterday, now I canât seem to reach him and now I get here they tell me he doesnât work here, I donât get it, i need my money, if you wonât point me to him, at least point me to someone who helped him acquire my house, or I will assume you all are in itâ
âLet me see the cardâ
He gives the manager the card,
He nods recognising the name âI think there must have been a mistake, it would be resolved immediatelyââ. He leans away and places a call, after a few minutes he turns to him
âI am so sorry sir, for the mixup, Mr Tayo Adegunbe isnât the one you should be talking to, Mr Odinaka Uchendu is the owner of this company and the MD, I am acting manager and Mr Tayo was a temporary step in for him yesterday.â
âI do not understand,â
âI was just told by the accountant that Mr Odinaka ordered that Mr Tayo Adegunbe be given a profile here for just a day to carry out a transaction, he is a business man and as such very busy, he must have sent him to carry out the transaction but I find it hard to believe that the check bounced, if he paid for it, it must have gone through. I advise you to check with your bank again, Mr Odinaka isnât a scrupulous man Sir, there must be a mistake somewhereâ
âSo who is this Odinika Uchendu?â
âI told you already, he is a business man, he is the MDââ
âAnd he owns this place, he sent him?â
âYes, that is what I confirmed, if he sent another to make to purchase according to you its maybe because he does not want to be associated to it directly, or maybe⊠I donât know, but there is a mix up somewhere and it isnât from us, please check across with your accountant, I think the fault might be from your bank.ââ
âOkay, I will, let me make a call againâ
He gets up, moving away and making a call âSir, I think I found the person, his name is Odinaka Uchendu, and guess what, Ambross was paid NGN 70 million nairaâ
âGood, get to this Uchendu, drill him for Ambross, take the NGN 70 million, and get rid of him, at least a interest of NGN 20M isnât so badâ the voice laughs
âOkay sirâ
He cuts the call and comes back to him âI am so sorry, my accountant just confirmed the payment, must have been an issue with the bank, so sorry for the scene, thank you so muchâ he stretches out his hands to the managerâŠwho frowns taking it
âNo worries Sirâ
âPlease let this be kept between us, itâs very embarrassing, I can even pay you for your troubles, and the girl I screamed her head outâ the man says smiling apologetically
He laughs, âNo, its fineâ the manager tells him, they shake and the business leaves.
Emeka meets her at the door of the five restaurant, he nods to his driver as he leaves taking the car back.
âSo princess, where do you want to go first? I got a list of things for you todayâ Emeka is smiling into her eyes
âLike what?â Diana touches his hands, he pats it
âYou will see! But do you have anywhere in mind to go to first?â
She shakes her head to his question.
âOkay then, allow me make you smile the whole day then⊠I will treat you like the princeSs you areâ he says taking her hand and places a kiss to it.
They go sightseeing going on his boat for a few hours, back to land they go shopping, new cloths, bags and shoes, the whole shebang.
âYou want to check out jewels, a car, anything?â he asks her a few hours later as they are back in the car.
She turns to him, the car was already filled up with purchased items, she stares at it and back at him, he had gotten her so many things and wanting to do more..
âI donât deserve all this Emekaââ she says indicating the back seat
âWhy would you say that Dee?ââ
âI do notâ she states
âYes you do, you deserve the world. Why whatâs wrong, itâs not enough, you want more?â
A day ago maybe she would have nodded a thousand yesâS but now, she doesnât know. She feels, she feels unusually different, since the encounter with his mother, the scene at the dinning, she feels different, and the shame and guilt is weighing her down. She didnât deserve this love and attention he gave her, she really didnât.
But she didnât want to leave him either, yes she wants his money and life of luxury, that was the reason she came back into his life having run into him, now⊠all she feels is guilt, and she didnât understand why.
His motherâs words cut through her deeply and he standing up to defend her, saying all that he said he feels for her, she felt shame, because she never loved him, she felt guilt, because she was even lying to him now, she didnât love him, she loved his money⊠not the man.
Now this guilt was eating into her⊠pinching her.
âI donât deserve you Emekaâ
âThen who does?ââ
âOlive, maybeâ
He laughs shaking his head, he takes her hand caressing the ring âSee this ring, itâs on your finger, yours and not on hers. See all thisâ he indicates his back seat âitâs all yours and I didnât get for her, you are the one I want and will marry, I deserve you, you deserve me, I love you, you love me, right, or donât you love me?â
No Emeka. I didnât then, I donât now..
âI⊠Iâ she stutters
âYou want to quit? You donât want to marry me again?â he feigns sadness
She shakes her head, âI do want to marry you Emekaâ she says looking at him, I am only marrying you for the wrong reasons Emeka, that is why v feel guilty, shame.
Oh I wasnât.. I wasnât going to care, I wasnât even bothered until your mother told me all those things, until I realised just how much I hurt you, until I understood her pain and anger towards me, until shame washed over me, until guilt..now⊠I do not know what to do and yet I know I donât want to let go..
âWhat is it Diana, why are you staring at me like that, what are you thinking of?â
âNothing Emeka, you are showing me all the love and attention, I am overwhelmed, I just wish I can be the wife you wantââ
âYou are already the one I want, I am happy with you back in my life, never doubt that!!â
She nods.
They go home after they go shopping for a car for her, during the signing he doesnât let her sign but does so himself, she was curious
âWhy not in my name baby?â
âOh, I usually buy things like cars and houses in the companyâs name so it is insured in case of theft and accidents, itâs your car Dee, just bought in the companyâs nameâ
âDonât I need to sign still though?â
âNo, I already signed Deeâ he told her..
âBut..â she didnât get why she couldnât sign the documents
âItâs your car Dee donât fret, funny womanââ he laughs as he hands her the keys..
âHave it delivered to my residence tomorrow for my fiancĂ©â he tells the manager, who nods giving instructions to his staffs with the master key.
While they are heading home, the car keys to her new Ferrari in her hands, the diamond ring around her fingers, the cloths, shoes and bags in the booth, and so much more in the back seat, her throat closes..
âYou will not eat your cake and have it Diana, you will choke, when you do bad to someone and yet come to eat where you donât sow, you will choke, you will purge and I pray to God it makes you so uncomfortable that you will begin to squirm , and when you canât bear it anymore like fire you will run, I swear to you Diana, those who do evil and have bad intentions against good people it would backfire and it would backfire against you too, I promise it willâ Mercyâs words plays back into her head. she shakes the thoughts away, surely that is not what is happening to her right? Surely⊠this guilt isnât as a result of the intentions she has against Emeka, Surely this guilt isnât as a result of a motherâs prayers?.
It cannot be, she rubs her chest.
If he has to make this believable, he has to go all out, he just has to be emotionless about it, he has to,.
He walks her into the house as Mama Tito opens the door for them, it was late, they watch the staffs take her things inside.
âWhere is Mama, and Olive?â
âYour mother is at sleep, and Miss Olive in your room Sirââ
âOkay, let them take those things to my room, tell Olive to take the guest room, my fiancĂ© would be staying with me from now onââ
âSir, but Miss Olive..â Mama Tito began to protest
âMama Tito pleaseâ Emeka cautions her
Diana stops him and herââNo, please donât, I will sleep in the guest room where I have been..â she says turning to him.
âNo Diana, by right she shouldnât be in my room, my mother wanted her but today I give her no more doubts, she is my friend yes but you are my fiancĂ©, she shouldnât be there, Mama has accepted you, us, comeâ He takes her hand, she pulls it away
âNo Emeka, not tonight anywaysâ she places a kiss to his cheeks, âI will see you tomorrowâ.
She leaves him walking away to her room, she directs the staffs to take the things to her room instead.
He watches her leave lost in thoughts, does she feel regret, guilty, thus was that what her recent behaviour was all about⊠or she was just pretending to be⊠a good girl? Didnât she want to sÂŁduce him before, now she is being the good girl, the prim and proper girl, he laughs.
Oh this changes nothing Diana, I see behind that whole facade of yours Diana. And the most comforting thing is that everything is falling according to plan, even the way she is feeling.
He smiles turning away, âGoodnight Mama Titoâ.
She stares at him curiously, not understanding him at all.
Emeka enters his room to find Olive asleep, he climbs in bed after shower, pulls her to him and goes to sleep, a satisfied smile on his face.
Diana doesnât sleep, she tosses and turns, she grabs her phone âhey Grace, can we see tomorrow, I need someone to talk to, please?â
âOkay Deeâ A drowsy Grace responds sleepily.
He is backing them when they enter the next morning, he grabs his pipe, lights it and puts it into his mouth as the smoke evaporates from the funnel as he puffs.
âWhat did you find out about him?â he says over his shoulders
The one who had been the spokeman all this time walks forward âOdinaka Uchendu, a business man, oil importer, owns chains of shops and car garages across the country, got affiliates in foreign shores as well, he helps companiĂ©s who arenât able to burst through and have gone under to have a chance at it again, some he buys off, others he invests and makes his profit, point is Sir, this dude is rich, money in his well never runs dryâ
âHmm, how long has he been in this business and what is his connection to Ambross Chikurdi?â
âThatâs the interesting part, up until ten years ago, nothing about him..â
âWhat does that mean?â
âIt means that he was a nobody, nothing, his profile dates back to ten years ago, as soon as he surfaced, he was already making money, so itâs either he is playing two identities or he was no one and his stars shines and he became this⊠rich personalityâ
âMaybe, maybe not, maybe the radar began to pick in on him when he began to leave relevant mark on the globe, like you said he helps people with their company, but he canât be a ghost, there must be an information before ten years ago, school, family, wife, children, a life. He didnât just drop from the surface of the earthâ
âMost of the information we have we got from online, the others we asked around, no one knows anything other than thisâ
âAnd this Tayo person?â
âWe havenât been able to reach him, and what the manger said, he was a front man for the house purchaseââ
âHmm, so he is irrelevant to usâ
âIt appears soââ
âThis Uchendu, what is Ambross connection to him?â
âAmbross company was nearing the end Sir, that is why he came to us the big sharks to help him, and we did, but the money we gave him went down the drain and so did his company, we arenât the only ones he is owing, but we are the largest. So I think he must have gotten in contact with this Uchendu person, I had a friendly chat with one of the workers, they said Ambross was praising a fellow recently then the same fellow shows up, he came visiting, and Ambross kept emphasizing that the man was a life saver and asked everyone to call him Sir, that he was the help they needed to get back on track, that man was Odinaka Uchenduâ
âHmmm, I am not really concerned about that but about my money, Ambross is owing me NGN 50 million naira, he hasnât paid a dime and the one year we gave him expired about 18 months ago and we have been patient, every time he claimed he had no money, we advised him to put the house on sale so he can pay part, sell the company to us and his debt paid, he refuses, now⊠he is doing business with another, how much did you say he sold that house for?â
âNGN70 millionââ
The man they call Boss whistles âSomething doesnât fit in here properlyâ
âSame thing we said sirâ the two men look at each other
âA stranger cannot exactly invest in a dying company unless he sees potential and doesnât just throw away NGN70 million for a house that could be priced down to NGN20 million maybe lesser with the right negotiator. Hmm, is it just me or there is something more that meets the eyesâ he taps his jaw
âNot just you sir, so what do we do. We donât know where Ambross had moved to, no forwarding address and no one in his company is aware that he has moved and we cannot go storming down there, we have to be discreet.â
âI want my money, if i donât get it I want the house and company he promised me, signed with his signature or did he forget he was given an ultimatum to pay⊠did he forget that I am a man who keeps to his words and I expect everyone to do the same?â he turns shaking his head and taking his seat , he continuous
âFind Ambross and get me my money, if you donât see him, pick up this Uchendu guy, let him tell you how to get Ambross, I want the house and the company he promised me if he canât pay and if he cooperates he will live, but of course that would be a lie. Once you get what is mine, afterwards⊠smoke Ambross, terminate him. No one goes scot free with my money, no one takes me for a fool, I donât care how long it takes, find Ambross!⊠This uchendu, he might know something we donâtâ he puts the pipe back into his mouth and inhales
âYes sir!!â the men before him nod.
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