Memories Of The Sun - Chapter 24 Chapter Twenty Three

You know the pubs are full when the streets are out of folks who walk as if the ground is the deck of a storm-tossed boat. Each foot comes to the sidewalk as a collision. Been there!

They drank in excitement, from glasses to bottles, then more bottles and more bottles as the night dragged on. Is this what they actually did everytime a new member joined the crew?

Apparently we were celebrating me, getting the job. I drank just a little less. I have kids. I was watching Fake glasses getting sandwiched by Kelly and some other blonde? Okay! At least he has got some females!

Where is the boss? My eyes search the colourful bar, when Kelly shouts tapping my back.

“Hey wifey Not having fun?”

“Where’s Sam… I have to leave” I glance at my watch. I’m so late. Louis can’t go to bed without seeing me.

“You know your lucky!” She shouts through the loud music.

“You shocked the hell out of us!”

Kelly says I was courteous with my advert. At least I had something to say and I didn’t turn yellow when I was in front of all of them.

“Most times, people just leave… poof! Just like that they lose opportunities… But you, you were a bitch! I love you both!” She savors another drink. I think she is getting drunk. I’m an hour late at home. My husband is calling nonstop. God, I want to leave!

She pulls my hand dragging me to the counter. She is still talking and I’m uninterested. I curve a soft smile.

“You know Vanny”

“Yeah, what?”

“You definitely had to get this job… Apart from all the interview play… You had to get it.” Of course I had to, I’m super talented. I blow my trumpet inside.

“Yes, I think I did my best.” I tell her.

“No, you don’t get it!” She shouts, slamming her fist on the table.

What now? She is totally drunk. I look at her not saying a thing as she comes closer, pulling my head closer as if to warn me of an epidemic.

“Thing is… Your daddy paid us a little visit baby!”

What? I can’t believe it. I look at her disbelief allover my face. What did she just say? Does it mean my dad paid them to hire me? I can’t believe it. I was freaking clear with him. I said I wanted to start small yet he still found his way into my career!

I face her directly, my eyes dead with anger.

“You mean to say you guys knew I was comingand the interviewwas all a play?” She nods affirmative.

“That’s what I heard your dad wanted, to make you feel like the others. ” Oh my God!

“So he bought you people off?”

“The agency is practically yours!” She tosses to me and disappears in the black.

So my dad is still a tyrant! When Sam collides with me at the exist, I don’t bother saying a thing to him as I storm out. What a traitor he is? It’s like I will never have something of my own, without Daddy’s help. I call Simeon.

I’m silent as a cave throughout. When we are home, I bang my way out. I’m too mad for anything right now. He says nothing and follows me inside.

“Mommy is a journslist!” Eleanor shouts softly as she hugs me. They haven’t slept!

“Who is a journalist papa” Louis asks Simeon as he comes in.

“Someone who reports the news”

“Does it mean, we are going to watch mom on TV?”

“No honey, mummy doesn’t work on TV, she creates stuff that you see on TV like advets… Buuutt you will see your auntie, Ashanti”

“I want to see auntie on TV” Eleanor says excitedly

“Okay baby, we are watching Aunt Ashanti tomorrow… First thing when you get back from school… First let me get you guys to bed. Come on Louis.” I leave Dalia and Simeon inquisitive faces.

Later in the night. I head to bed. Simeon’s eyes are glued on me. What now? I get into my pyjamas and join him. We are silent for sometime until he breaks it.

“So, how was your interview?” I don’t want to talk about it. But it isn’t his fault. I face him.

“I got the job”

“Okay… But?”

“Dad paid them off, Simeon!” He passes his hands on his face.

“I was clear when I told him I wanted to try something out on my own. I wanted to start small… Normal. And now I own an agency!”

“Wow baby, I’m so sorryBut”

“I’m so madI was lied to… And the most pissing part is all of them playing their prank on me.”

“Who else?” He drops a lip. What now?

“Fake glasses, blonde, the short one, the flaw highlighter, the hard worker.and mostly that zoo volunteer!” He looks at me, trying to process and then embraces me. He thinks I’m crazy, doesn’t he?

“Come here… Why don’t you see it from this perspective. You know how Mr. Mats is… He loves you… And you didn’t really expect him to just sit back, and watch his daughter, toil for a job!”

“I was crystal clear!” I say through my teeth and bang my head back to his chest.

“Your dad wants the best for you. He let you do what you want, but giving you a little help!”

“He freaking bought me a company!”

“Because you have always been a bossYou make decisions Vanny. And he just couldn’t watch you scratch… Think about it”

“Did you know about it?” I’m suspecting he did with all these speeches.

“Know about what?” He is raising his brows. He definitely did. Simeon! What have you become? My dad’s accomplice?

I hit him hard with a pillow and make him a bed on a couch. Spend your night there, traitor!

As I lie in the bed, my brain keeps pinging. When I think of what my dad did, it’s cruel. In fact I was paying him a visit, first thing tomorrow. But then Simeon’s words have polluted my mind the more, sleep won’t come. Because come to think of it… Really, Vanessa could never do small and the people at Gava are really friendly and nice. Maybe my husband is right. My dad is doing this for me. A little help doesn’t hurt. I needed to be a boss. Simeon is right.

I glance at him. He is not covering himself of course. And he is snoring like a bear. How dare you snore when you lied to me?