An Old Friend
"Ma'am, lunch is ready," announced the servant.
Just then Mirenda entered the apartment and all eyes turned to her
"Good evening," Mirenda greeted them as she walked in wondering why they were all looking at her.
James and Mrs Haward remained silent as they watched Mirenda slowly walk towards the direction of her room after greeting them to which they reluctantly responded. Mirenda knew immediately they were planning something which could only be against Jason and Julia. She wondered what they were planning.
"What is going on?" Mirenda stopped to ask seeing how her brother and mother were looking at her.
"Please excuse me," the servant said and left the living room.
"I am going to take a shower," James said and kissed his mum on the cheeks before exiting the living room for his room, completely ignoring Mirenda, who was still frozen to her spot staring at the both of them.
"Sit down," Mrs Haward said to Mirenda as soon as James exited the living room. "Where did you spend the night?" she threw the question at Mirenda before she even had the chance to sit down.
Mirenda paused her movement for 30 seconds before relaxing on the sofa. Wondering where the question was coming from. If anything, Mrs Haward was very much aware of where she goes, when she didn't spend the night at home, even though that wasn't a habit.
"I was at Henry's," Mirenda replied anyway.
"Okay, you can go. I just wanted to know," Mrs Haward said, picked up her favourite magazine and started glancing through.
Mirenda could not move as she was wondering what that was all about.
"Are you still here? You can go. I am done," Mrs Haward repeated seeing Mirenda was still seated.
Mirenda slowly got up from the sofa looking at her mother confused. She walked towards her room still wondering what all that was about. Mrs Haward's stared at her back above the magazine until she made a turn and her back was no longer visible. She scoffed and continued reading her magazine.
Back at the hotel, Jason was sitting on the bed thinking of what to do next. It was like he was back to where he had started from and this time, he didn't have Julia but he had Peter, his loyal and trusted guard, and he believed that was enough. He didn't want women around him anyway due to his childhood experience that traumatized him.
He stood up from the bed and walked to the window, looking outside. The memory of his childhood terrifying incident flooded his mind. He was almost sexually abused by his nanny, had it not been for the timely intervention of the man he called 'dad'. The nanny didn't get the chance to touch him but stripping herself naked and equally stripping him off his clothes was enough to traumatise him his entire lifetime. Since that day, he always sees women as a mischievous gender hence his decision to stay far away from them. He shut his eyes at the terrifying memory but as much as he didn't want a woman anywhere close to him, he realised it was different when it came to Julia. He rather prefers having her around him. He was not sure why he got close to Julia.
"Is it because she was terrified by his very presence?" Jason thought. "Or the fact that she was too naive and scared of him to plan anything evil?" he thought.
He retrieved his phone from his pocket and unlocked it. He went into his gallery which had just one image in a password-protected album. He unlocked the album and clicked on the image which covered the phone screen. It was the picture of Julia he had taken while she was sleeping. He zoomed in on her face as he looked at the image. Julia was pleasing to his eyes and he loved seeing her but still doesn't know why. He closed the image, moved away from the window, placed it on the table, and headed for the bathroom. Even though he believed Julia's absence didn't bother him, he would have preferred she was around.
It was late but he still decided to go out of the hotel after taking his shower, hiding behind a mask and a cap. He hailed a taxi and gave his destination as a popular theatre. There was a music concert going on and he purchased a ticket and decided to go watch. It was midnight when Jason returned to the hotel and decided to go to bed with the decision to visit an old friend of his to start something.
In Florida, getting someone to employ him will be very difficult with his experience and more especially, the Haward scandal. He decided it was best to start his own company and make it work. He had enough capital for that.
Meanwhile, back in the apartment, Jason had bought for Julia, she equally went to bed with a decision to go on a job search the next day. Back in Croydon, she stayed at home to keep the house as Peter and Jason went to work as that was the decision they took. Now she need not do that. She felt it was time to pursue her dreams. Lying in bed, she tossed and turned as she was finding it difficult to sleep without Jason. Jason was not exhibiting any love in his cuddling but she couldn't sleep without it. She hugged the pillow but it wasn't helping. She frowned throwing the pillow to the floor.
In the morning, Jason hailed a taxi to his friend's office as he was not getting him on the phone. He arrived at the office and was informed his friend hadn't come to work that day.
"Is it possible to get his contact to call him?" Jason asked.
"I am sorry sir; we don't give employees contact out," replied the lady who looked at him suspiciously.
"Okay, can you call him so I can speak with him instead?" inquired Jason.
The lady looked at him for a while thinking about his request.
"Okay," she replied, picked up the receiver and dialled her boss's number.
"Hello, Mr President, apologies for disturbing you. There is someone here who wishes to speak with you. He says you are kin," she said on the call in the presence of Jason.
Jason watched her carefully and after a minute she handed the receiver to him. Jason took it and brought it to his ears.
"Hello Benjamin," Jason said.
"Hey, J, long time. How are you?" replied Benjamin.
"Yeah, it is. I came to your office to see you for something very important," said Jason.
"Come over to my house. Kindly take my address from the pretty lady in front of you," Benjamin said and laughed. "I wish I could see your face when I said that," he added
"Good you didn't have to then," Jason said maintaining an expressionless face not even looking at the lady in question.
Jason gave the phone receiver back to the receptionist and she spoke briefly on the phone before putting the receiver back.
"Here, this is Mr President's address," she said handing Jason a small card.
"Thank you," replied Jason and he exited the office.
Jason hailed another taxi and gave the address to the driver. In less than 30 minutes, the car stopped in front of a big and tall gate.
"This is as far as I can go, sir. They don't allow non-residence beyond this point," said the driver.
Jason looked outside at the big tall gate and its environment before paying the driver and getting out of the car. He pressed the doorbell and he heard a voice from the intercom.
"Good morning, please may I know your name?" came a female voice.
"Jason Haward," Jason replied.
"Please come in Mr Taga is expecting you," she said and the gate opened by itself.
"Thank you," replied Jason and he entered the compound.
He headed for the building which was just a walking distance away from the entrance but he saw a car approaching him.
"Good morning Mr Haward. I was sent by Mr Taga to pick you up," replied the gentleman who stepped out of the car to speak with Jason.
"Thank you," replied Jason before sitting in the car and the car drove off beyond the building he had seen.
It was a small garage with a security post. The main house was far away from the entrance. The car pulled over after a 10-minute drive in front of a huge mansion. Jason was greeted by Benjamin, wearing a white robe and holding a glass of drink in his hand. Jason seeing the content already knew it was wine.
"Ah! J, you finally here," Benjamin said with a smile as Jason walked towards him.
Benjamin hugged Jason and led him into the house whose front door opened automatically when they got close to it.
"Welcome my friend. You haven't changed. You still have your expressionless look on," Benjamin said with a smile.
"It appears you haven't stopped starting your day with a glass of red wine," Jason replied and Benjamin laughed placing a hand on Jason's shoulders and still holding his glass of red wine in the other.
"It's been ages. So glad to see you. I saw the news on television and I said, 'What a bunch of idiots' The Jason I know will never do this. I was wondering what kind of brains they got sitting in their heads," Benjamin kept talking as he led Jason who was just silent and listening down the hallway.
"Hey, how long will it take you to trim those hedges?" Benjamin yelled at the worker who was cutting the hedges of some plants in a flower garden with a pool and relaxation spot at one side of a huge compound once they exited the long hallway.
Benjamin continued walking on the pavement without listening to the reply from the worker and went through another automatic opening door which led them to a living room.
"This is a visitor living room, let's go upstairs to the family one," said Benjamin and Jason nodded.
Benjamin was not bothered by Jason's silence as he already knew that part about him. They did not run into any female workers in the house even though he had a lot because he knew how Jason felt about women.
"Have a seat dear friend. It's good to see you again," Benjamin said with a smile and emptied his glass.
"Likewise," replied Jason with a smile.
"So, what brings you here?" Benjamin asked crossing his legs.
"I am looking to start my own business here in Florida and I need your help," Jason began.
"Say no more, J. I have a company which I am struggling to manage. Why don't you take over that company as the owner?" Benjamin suggested.
"Which of your companies?" asked Jason knowing Benjamin owns a lot of companies.
"Taga's Estate Developers. J, I know nothing about estate management, that is your speciality," Benjamin said and relaxed in his seat.
Jason was silent after hearing his suggestion and Benjamin smiled.
"I know what you are thinking. It's not a giveaway, I am selling it to you?" Benjamin added.
"J, I owe your father Mr Haward and it's just fair I don't turn my back on his son, my best friend," said Benjamin.
"Are you Mr Haward's son? Mr Johan Haward?" came the voice of an old man making both of them turn in the direction of the voice.
"Dad, you should be resting," Benjamin said and got up to meet him. "Meet my dad J," he briefly introduced as he walked towards the old man.
"No, I am his adopted child. Nice to meet you," replied Jason standing up.
"You are the stolen child of the Coopers," announced the old man and both Jason and Benjamin looked at the man surprised.