Dangerous Entanglement

Episode 16

/KELVIN’S POV/

The day went on smoothly, I went all round the club monitoring the services the workers are offering, I see myself always standing at the top area where the VIP lodges were and I decided that night that we will be moving the office to that area where I can just stay at the top and monitor everything going on from one spot. All that needed to be done was an extension of the cantilever to the top of the back area behind the bar area, the office will be covered with a one way see through glass, thereby I can monitor all the in and out of the club entirely just from the comfort of my seat. All this has to be done within the week before the weekend.

To my greatest surprise the agent didn’t show up as I expected, no agent, no subpoena no going through our account books. About two hours to midnight, only quite a handful of people were left in the club, so I decided to leave for the airport and head out to so I can get home by midnight. I left still with the account book with me.

“Hey Loren, like I mentioned earlier, I will now be heading out to the airport, I will try to get here tomorrow before it becomes crowded.” I called out to him trying to wear my jacket while standing in front of the bar.

“No problem Boss” he mentioned with a salute in his usual dramatic way of responding to things.

“You are in charge, so please leave the ladies alone and don’t mess up our business” I stated out to him because I know how flirty a person he can be.

“You can trust me boss, you my role model in this business and I have been watching and making sure that I follow your footsteps to the later”.

“You better do that” I came closer to the counter and gave him a bro handshake and began to head out.

“Have a safe flight Sir” he said as I began to head out.

“And hey, just in case Dexter drops by tonight, tell him to call me, I really need to discuss some important shits with him”. i mentioned after having a casual turn that made me directly face him.

“Did you just say s**t?” Loren asked a bit surprised.

“Yes, why did you ask?” I questioned him back not knowing why he asked that.

“Oh you vocabulary is getting f****d up” Loren had said replying my question.

“What, what do you mean by that?” I asked again with my brows furrowed.

“I have always admired how you never used dirty words in your sentences, but here we are …” he started to explain his point but I have heard enough of it.

“You are in insane man” I said to him cutting him short of the rest of words he had to say with a big smile on my face as I made for the exit.

“Stay safe boss” he yelled out. I didn’t respond to that, rather I raised my right hand in acknowledgment of his wish.

The trip to Mexico was hitch free, I got home just before midnight, mother was already asleep and my sister rose just came back from evening classes, she was studying to be a lawyer, and I was her proud sponsor. Irrespective of how she had treated me in the past when she was the one in charge of the house, she is still my baby sister, therefore I need to take care of her and see her succeed to her full potential.

“Hey kelvin, you didn’t tell me you will be coming” she came at me with her full body and gave me a tight warm hug.

“Yeah, I didn’t really conclude on coming early enough to pass the information round” I said to her, though that wasn’t totally true.

“Well, come in come in” she ushered me in and closed the door behind me.

“Where is mama and how is she doing?” I asked as I took a sit on the only cushion in the house, it’s a three sitter cushion, we have had it ever since we moved into that ghetto.

“Don’t worry, we will start with this and in the next two to three years we will be having the full set, who knows, we might have even moved out of here” my father had said when he bought the cushion, only for him to die a year later. He was full of life and very optimistic about life. My mom stood her grounds and took over the family fully after his death, though I was very young, but I understood the predicament his death will bring on the family, one of which is that we will be going back to the projects.

“We are not leaving this apartment, we will live her no matter what it costs” she had said a week after his death and that was when I saw the strength of my mother.

Mother had taken up numerous jobs, mostly as a cleaner to make sure I and Sara were able to graduate high school without any hitch. Right from my senior high, I was forced to go out to fend for myself, I had to work jobs at malls that are willing to employ an underage black boy.

We had tough days, most of mothers pay check went to paying of the rent and other bills, while my own went to feeding the house. I didn’t last long as I gained the scholarship that took me to Brighton in New Orleans. And all the jobs I worked over there, I used for myself in working on projects and researches, feeding and other personal up keeps. My visa was only for studies, so I had to work out of record foe a very lesser pay.

Well thank God for Dexter, he helped me allot, he was a lazy ass playboy, I had to help him pass his courses by doing all his assignments and projects, these was not just for him, to impress his numerous girlfriends, I had to work on theirs too, for him to get them into his bed. Having Dexter as a roommate back in Brighton, was a whole adventure on its own.

While I was still in my long thoughts about dad leading to Dexter, Sara had gone to fix me some cereals, we sat together on the cushion and ate in silence. I finished before her and went ahead to clean up my bowl.

“I am really glad you came Kelvin” I heard Sara said from my back as she steps into the kitchen area, she came closer and I collected her own bowl and offered to clean up for her to.

“Come on, it’s my mother’s health we talking about here” I said to her in a quest to let her know have done nothing out of the ordinary.

“Honestly, I know what I am seeing here, and it is really scary Kelv” she stated with wet eyes and sobs in her voice. I dropped off the cleaned bowl in the rack and brought her close to me into a tight embrace.

“We are losing her Kelvin, we are losing her” she stated as she could no longer hold on to her tears.

“We going to do all in our best to make sure she survives, we will do all we can, I promise” I said to her in reassurance to pacify her sorrows.

“Stop saying that to me Kelvin, I am not a kid anymore, I am not even a teenager, so you and the doctors should stop lying to me, I know what I see, and I for your information I am a potential medical student, I can read and understand the results, so I know mother is dying and there is nothing we or the doctors can do about it”. She furiously said as she pound her fist on my chest”.

“What, what are you trying to say?” I questioned her in a confused state pulling her of my body to see her in the face.

“Mother is dying Dexter, the doctors are trying to hide it from us so that we won’t be discouraged from clearing our bills…” she started to tell me the whole truth of what’s happening to mother.

“She is only trying to be strong but I can see it in her that she is going through pains, I have been the only one working here, I had to make her quit all her jobs and just stay at home, that’s why request for money from you has been on the high lately”.

“Are you serious now Sara?” I asked in rage and surprised things went from bad to worse and my sister didn’t let me in on it. She was unable to say anything other than weep.

“Why did you let it so bad without letting me know, it’s my mother we talking about here too, so you mean to say if I didn’t make the decision to come pay a surprised visit, I still wouldn’t have known that my mother is dying and even the doctors have secretly given up hopes on her”.

“I’m sorry Klev” was all she could utter.

“Oh yeah, you need to be sorry for keeping me in the dark with regards to what is happening in my family”. I fired at her.

“Come on kelvin, this isn’t the time for this” she try to defend herself.

“Oh yeah, so what time is it?” I fired back at her again.

“Is that Kelvin’s voice I am hearing from the kitchen?” A voice came from the room asking, it was mother, I guess my voice was going a little bit high and it must have woken her up.

“Oh mother, I am so sorry, did I disturb you sleep” I said apologetically rushing towards her.

“Oh no, I hardly get any sleep, I am always at home so I do sleep every now and then, but you know how it is, I am not used to long duration sleeps” she explained as I she went on to embrace me in a very warm hug.

“You don’t know how happy I am to see you today, and Sara, why didn’t you informed me he will be coming home today”

“I also didn’t know he will be coming home” Sara quickly responded in her defend.

“That doesn’t matter now…” I said.

“All that matters now is that I am here, though I won’t be staying long, I have to be back in Florida” I stated quietly as I was skeptical about their reactions that might follow.

“What, why will you just drop in by midnight and go back the next day?” my mother fired as she was obviously angry.

“I have to go back to work mother, my boss is not in town and I only left the club at the hands of one of the staffs”

“One particular reason why I haven’t been keeping you updated on matters”. Sara has stated rolling her eyes with her hands crossed on her chest.

“I thought you said this your boss is a friend” mother asked.

“One good reason why I could take this trip without in his absent and also without his knowledge” I explained to my mother.

“I will be going to bed, I have allot of routines to do tomorrow” Sara declared and walked straight to the room.

“I think you should also go to bed” Mother suggested as she tries to get up from the chair. I helped her up and as I walked her to the room my eyes fell on the wedding picture of my parents, the smiles and the flair, comparing the lady in the picture and the woman I was holding now, all the stress she has faced in this life, was visible on her face and all.

“No matter what you decide, please try to spend more time with me before you leave” mother said as I laid her on the bed.

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