Undercover Hearts

The contract

The Contract

The Joes’ family house was located at Lekki, Lagos State. It was a magnificent house equipped with all the comfort of living. Pa Joe was the grandfather of Jonathan Joe, the CEO. He was an old man supported with crutches to move from one place to another in the house. His father, Mr Dan Joe just retired from the company as the CEO some months ago therefore, giving the baton to his legitimate son.

In the will, it was stated that before the first son could claim his inheritance as the one to take the highest share of the company, he must marry. This, the grandfather believed, would make them more responsible and be able to shoulder the responsibilities associated with corporate affairs.

Jonathan Joe, the first son of the family entitled to the inheritance was a socialite. Many girls had wanted to be found around him but he would not give them a chance because he knew that these girls were only after his money. He was not ready to get married. He believed that women were a hindrance to living a free lifestyle. This had always been a bone of contention between him and his father.

His father had always called him irresponsible and very adamant. On many occasions, his father had advised him to look for a woman to marry to be entitled to the inheritance. The duo had never at one time come to terms. They had never been on the same page.

“My son, you know what is at stake. You need to marry a woman before you can be entitled to the inheritance as enshrined in the will,” his father would counsel.

“Dad, I have told you that I don't have time for such things you preach. Women are just a hindrance and burden. They are deceptive. What they want is your money,” he explained.

“You are an unfilial child,” his father would say and conclude.

That night when he got home. His father, Mrs J. Henshaw and all his cousins were in the sitting room watching a programme on the television. Mrs Henshaw was an adopted daughter of Pa Joe when she was a little girl. She had become a part and parcel of the family of Joe. Jonathan Joe was not aware of this fact and had always addressed her as his aunt. Only his grandfather and his father knew about this fact. She was an aggressive woman who orchestrated the divorce between his father and mother.

“Where are you coming from?” Mrs Henshaw disdainfully asked.

“That is none of your business, aunt,” Jonathan Joe responded angrily.

“You think you can inherit the company? You think you will have the highest percentage share of the company? No woman, no CEO and no inheritance,” she continued.

She was addressing him this way because of her selfish interest. She had wanted the inheritance to pass on to her and her sons. The worst thing was that his father had always sided with her against his biological son. It was like his father was being controlled by his aunt.

But his grandfather had always been soft and calm with him. He respected the decision of his grandson not to get married. He respected him because he was intelligent enough to handle the position. However, he had always told the fact to his face on getting married to a woman for him to be able to attain fully the position of the CEO of the company.

They were on this serious argument when his grandfather showed up on crutches. There was an absolute decorum in the sttingroom on sighting his appearance. They all feared for this.

“Now, I can see that you people are not mature enough. If such an argument arises again, I will re-write the will and donate one hundred percent share of the company to charity and everybody will be done for it. Is that clear?” He said authoritatively and left for his room.

Each time Jonathan Joe had a rift at home, he would resort to one his friends’ club house to drink.

Alex, Joe's friend, was the owner and the manager of a clubhouse. On the night of the argument between him and his aunt, he took his car key and drove to his friend's clubhouse to drink. He explained to him what he was passing through at home and drank to stupor.

“Why is the world unfair to me like this? Why is everyone wanting me to go against my wish. Why is circumstance treating me this way?” He said absentmindedly.

“Don't worry, Joe. Things will get better in the future. Just take life easy,” Alex encouraged him.

Many times, Alex would drive him home because of his state of stupor.

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In the evening of the following day at 6p.m at the Suya Joint, Jonathan Joe and Eunice met as agreed.

“I will accept the offer,” Eunice agreed.

Joe brought out a file containing the contract for the two to sign. After the signing, they assure not to disappoint each other.

Joe was honest to his own deal of the contract. He arranged for the best doctors to take care of her ailing father. He paid all the medical bills. Also, he paid for her study and their residential building.

However, he warned her to be true to her own deal of the contract and not to disappoint.

It was like a heavy metallic load was taken off her head. She was relieved of all her worries. Seeing her father's health improve after some days and that she still had the opportunity to go back to school, was a source of hope brought alive.

His father spent some months in the hospital for the treatment and was discharged.

Eunice never told her father about the contract she had with a man she met for the first time in her life. She feared her father would not agree with her. Therefore, she kept it a secret.

After some months, Eunice finished her course and graduated from the University as a Business and Marketing Strategist.

“Now that I am a graduate, I need to focus more on my business to support my father since my mother had travelled abroad for a greener pasture to support the family financially,” she said.

However, the thought of how to do her own part of the contract she agreed with Joe always pricked her heart for she was contemplating whether it was a right thing to do or not.