Breaking Malcolm’s Walls

Chapter 2- The Arranged Marriage: A Tale of Tradition and Independence

Beatrice waited till he got out and served him dinner before leaving. She never took days off except she was sick. It must be a little difficult for her eventually staying alone.

“Come join me for dinner”

Malcolm implored her.

“No Mr Bane, I shouldn’t be seen on the same table as you are.” She said quickly looking away as if she was being prosecuted.

He wondered where the older generation had come from and why she would have such a mentality not to eat at the same table with her employer. He knew his father would have had an hand in that and must have given her strict warnings before sending her over to him.

“It’s not my father asking”, he said again.

“It’s a part of my contract with your family, it will be uncultured of me to do that.” She said to him.

After much deliberation, she reluctantly agreed to. His father won’t let her get away with it if he found out about this.

It was a quiet meal, Beatrice said nothing and so did Malcolm. She smiled at him and he could see how truly beautiful she was for the first time. He had just seen an angel. She was smiling with her eyes, he pursed his lips like about to say something but he didn’t.

“Is there anything else I can do for you before leaving?” She asked.

“None”, he said as he stood up to leave.

He wondered if there was ever a time his mother had done right by her. He knew how she was only loving to him and strict with others. His thoughts kept him engaged, shortly after he dozed off.

He stretched out of bed, full of life. He got ready and picked up breakfast on his way to work, after all he was a bachelor and despite having a housekeeper who also served as his cook.

Kennedy was his usual self. Looking almost the same way with his polo top and Jean trouser, his hair neatly styled to the back.

“Good morning sir”, he said.

“Good morning Kennedy”, he replied.

It was easy to tag him as a rude and proud man because he never responds to anyone who greets him except his parents, Kennedy and Beatrice.

His stroll into the company felt a little longer than usual today. He dropped his bag at the reception and asked the receptionist to bring it up. She couldn’t say no to his face but had a lot to say as he left.

He loved the attention, he lived for it. He just had been more serious with work these past years but he gave the ladies his time and attention when he could.

Apart from having an authoritative father, he gave him time to explore his youth and even saved him from trouble a couple of times. He never treated those women right and they always came back to haunt him, from not wanting to let him go to owing to him being rich and wealthy.

The list was long. A couple of them had a restraining order and a good number of them cursed him for how he didn’t want to commit. Every woman wanted to commit to this handsome young man.

He didn’t have it different at the company he was heading. Despite a good number of these females badmouthing him, they wanted to get entangled with him one way or the other. Some flirted, some pretended and others were clear with their intention.

Days when he was in a very good mood he’d smile at a couple of them and motivate the ladies during the meetings and when he wasn’t he’d be as cold as ice, uninterested, unbothered and very much uninvolved.

Sam already knew he had turned in for the day. The unrest was familiar and only Malcolm could pull that off.

She stepped out to join him to his office.

“Care for a cup of coffee?” She asked him.

“I’ll pass, what time would Mr Austin be in?” He asked.

Sam was offended but was quick to hide her feelings.

“He should be here at exactly 11:00am”, she replied.

“Okay, get the meeting hall ready before then”, he said.

“And when should I reschedule the dinner with your parents to?” She asked.

“This weekend should be fine, tell them I’ll be staying till the weekend was over”, he said.

He knew he needed to appease them, especially his mother. She would have been worried not hearing from her son on why he didn’t show up for dinner the night before. His father wouldn’t care much but would have demanded a change in plans from him.

“This is enough to spend some time with them, I could help you with your bag if you don’t mind”, she said to him.

“My housekeeper will gladly take care of that”, he replied without emotions in his words.

“Okay, I’ll be back by 11:00am”, she said as she walked out of his office.

Sam was a very good office-partner. She knew her way around the corporate world and she helped with things he didn’t want to do.

No other person could have done this role better. She loved her job and she gave it her best.

At about 30 minutes to 11:00am, his office line ringed to confirm a direct interview with him from a Mr Austin. He had instructed the receptionist to keep him waiting till 11:00am on the dot before sending him to the meeting hall.

Malcolm was there with Sam. He was going to hire him to run as one of the truck drivers for the company and he would serve as his driver days when Kennedy couldn’t make it or when it was his day off.

The interview was done quick. He knew he was gonna give him the job but he had to go through procedures and present the offer to him.

He’d need to enroll for a four weeks training before hitting the road.

Samantha took care of the rest of the things that was needed to be done and Malcolm retired to his office.

The day went by within the blink of an eye or so did Malcolm think.

He packed up for the day and excused himself from the office. He was needed to attend to an issue at the corporate headquarters.

Meanwhile, the last meeting they had almost involved investors both old and new and he was guessing this impromptu meeting had to do with them again.

Investors wanted to increase the percentage of revenue of their investments. They unanimously stated they wanted a 10% increment and even a billionaire knows that when investors start pulling out their funds from the business it could lead to bankruptcy.

6% revenue increase was agreed upon with the condition of payment being trimonthly.

After much deliberation, it was accepted and the meeting came to closure and the next meeting date was announced.

Sam stayed extra hours at the office to take care of some business report she was taking too long to make a report on. They kept piling up. She couldn’t finished her work and decided to continue at home.

Kennedy dropped Malcolm in front of his mansion. He saw that a new building was being developed adjacent to his. The People of the community sure knew how to mind their businesses.

“ where would you like me to park the car tonight”, Kennedy asked.

“The usual place Kennedy”, he replied.

“You don’t always have to call me Kennedy, call me Ken for once and you’ll See that it’s a lot convenient”, Kennedy said to him.

Truth be told, he never once called him Ken and there was no particular reason for it.

He got comfortable calling him Kennedy and that had worked ever since.

“Just prepare to pick me up tomorrow by 7am, I and Sam have a flight to catch”, Malcolm replied totally ignoring Kennedy’s initial statement.

Malcolm was sitting at his desk, engrossed in his work when his phone rang. It was his father. Malcolm answered, "Hello, Dad. What's up?"

His father sounded serious as he said, "Malcolm, I need to talk to you about something important."

"What is it?" Malcolm asked, growing concerned.

"It's about your future," his father replied. "I have arranged a marriage between you and penila.”

Malcolm was stunned. "What? Arranged marriage? Dad, are you serious? I can't just marry someone I've never even met!"

"I know but son you have to do this for your family," his father said firmly. "Penila's family is highly respected, and this union will benefit our family greatly."

Malcolm felt trapped. He didn't want to disappoint his father, but he also didn't want to be forced into a marriage he wasn't ready for. "Dad, can we at least meet and get to know each other before we make any decisions?"

His father hesitated before replying, "I understand your concerns, Malcolm. I'll talk to Penila's family and see if we can arrange a meeting between the two of you. But you must understand that this is a serious matter, and you can't just reject this without considering the consequences."

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Malcolm felt as if the rug had been pulled out from under his feet. He had always thought that he would have the final say in whom he married. But now, with this news, he was faced with a difficult decision. Should he agree to this arranged marriage, or should he stand up for his beliefs and refuse?

Malcolm's thoughts were interrupted by his father's voice on the other end of the line. "Malcolm, are you there? I need you to come home as soon as possible. We need to talk about this marriage proposal."

Malcolm knew that he had to face his father and discuss this issue in person. He quickly made arrangements to travel back home, feeling anxious and unsure of what to expect.

When he arrived, he was greeted by his father and mother, who were waiting for him in the living room. They looked serious and concerned, which only added to Malcolm's anxiety.

"Malcolm," his father began, "I know this news comes as a shock to you, but we have to consider our family's traditions and reputation. Penila's family is highly respected in our community, and this marriage would be a great honor for us."

Malcolm listened intently to his father's words, but he couldn't help feeling angry and frustrated. He had always thought that his parents understood and respected his desire to choose his own partner.

"Father," Malcolm said, trying to keep his tone calm and respectful, "I appreciate your concern for our family's reputation, but I cannot agree to this marriage. I believe that marriage should be based on love and mutual respect, not on family obligations."

His father's expression hardened. "Malcolm, you have to understand that this is not just about you. Our entire family's reputation is at stake here. You cannot just think about yourself and your own desires."

Malcolm felt a wave of sadness wash over him. He had always felt close to his family, but now it seemed like they were speaking different languages.

"Father," Malcolm said, trying to keep his voice steady, "I understand that our family's reputation is important, but so is my happiness. I cannot agree to this marriage, and I hope that you can understand and respect my decision."

There was a tense silence in the room as Malcolm's parents looked at him with disappointment and disapproval.

“Well, I’ll give you time to think about it.” Thomas said as he walked out into the hall leading to his office.

Malcolm was shaken, he looked up to his mother with sadness and anger in his eyes. She chipped his face in her hands and implored him to consider accepting the proposal.

“Your father wants the best for you son and so do I. Moreover this marriage has been decided since your birth to strengthen both our empires. Now do you want to ruin this?”

She asked him smiling faintly while looking into his eyes.

“Mother you know that this cannot be possible. You do not need to emotionally blackmail me into doing this”

Malcolm said as he stood up to leave grabbing his suit jacket and car key.

“Give me a call when you get back to the house son and say my greetings to Beatrice” she called right after him waiving her hands into the air.

The journey to the back to the house was indeed a long one. Malcolm was lost in thought.

He needed to make a decision as soon as possible and this made him weary but he tried to look on the brighter side, Santos was coming in to the city tomorrow and they were going to catch up on the times they've spent apart.

He hoped this would be enough to cheer him up and he knew it was gonna be such a big surprise to Santos who would likely tease him about it first before helping him look for a solution out of his predicament.