Dangerous Entanglement

Episode 14

/KELVIN’S POV/

I woke up that faithful Monday just an hour before the sun reaches its prime, though I was up earlier for like a couple of minutes to eight, the persisting call ring from my smart phone had drawn me out of the deep sleep. It was my sister calling, she called to complain about my mother’s deteriorating health, she and also notify me that she just got a mail from the hospital about the result of the last test which shows mother is highly diabetic.

There and then, I decided I had to go home and see things for myself, and moreover, I haven’t been home since I moved out here and started working in Dexter’s club, that’s about eight months ago. After all, this is the best time to go and see her, it will be the holiday seasons in about two months’ time, leaving the club will not be advised at that time, so I better go now at the beginning of a new week when the club is known to have less guests who come to patronize.

I made myself some cereals while on the phone with my sister, and here her out, and I must admit, in a very long time, my sister hasn’t been this humble, especially when speaking to me. At first I thought the fact that I have taken up charge with providing a huge chunk of the family needs made me gain the respect I was getting at the moment. But nah, I got to understand that mother’s condition is actually critical and she is scared about what might be the outcome, and that alone is a very strong reason why I had to go visit and see things myself.

After waking up from my second lap of sleep, I quickly reminisce on the events that played over the weekend, it had breezed off so fast, and all through the weekend, I spent very little time at the bar, Instead I did more of going round the whole club and supervising how our staffs are attending to the guests. I made some corrections and adjustments. To my greatest surprise a guy has already made himself a corner in the bar his spot where he sells joints and cocaine. I was very furious at the bouncers, because I didn’t expect such things to go on in the bar and they don’t know about it.

“Sorry senor, please don’t hand me over to the authorities and I won’t bring my wares close to your club again, I promise” the young afro American dude pleaded with his hands placed together.

“How did you even get that into this club?” I questioned him after I had dragged him by the collar to the back area with the help of one of the bouncers. He only kept mummed and said nothing. But the look he gave the bouncer and the reciprocating look he got made me understood that there was some collaborations between those two. I pretended I didn’t see nor understand what just occurred.

“How long have you been bringing this to my club?” I questioned him.

“About two months ago sir” he responded with his eye lowered staring at the floor.

“Two months!!!” I reacted with my voice raised, realizing how negligent I have been in my managerial responsibility in the club with too much attention on the bar. Making me have the rethink of staying at the bar again like I usually do.

This same negligence and nonchalance is the reason why I didn’t for once noticed or have a critical thought about the cash Dexter was bringing into the club for me to deposit along with the earnings of the club.

“I think maybe I’ll just let Loren be at the bar permanently while I take up my managerial role more seriously, after all, that’s the main job Dexter said he was offering me in the club.” I thought to myself as I was still in shock of what I just heard.

“Okay, here is the deal, am gonna let you go, but I never want to see you or your products anywhere close to my club…” I declared as I try my possible best to where a scary face and also make my voice as authoritative as possible.

“But I swear brother, if I see you, we won’t be having this brotherly discussion we having now and I won’t hesitate to call the cops on you” I continued with the act because in as much as I know that’s no way my character and I don’t have the skill what’s so ever to be like GHOST in the television series power, I know with fact that’s what I need to be at the moment.

“Have I made myself clear senor?” I leaned forward closer to his face to make that statement as I throw back his earlier word at him.

“Thank you, boss” he said as I gestured at the bouncer to take him out of the building.

I immediately find my way to the office at the back to relax my nerves as my heart was pounding really fast, what just occurred aint me at all, but like they say, desperate situations calls for desperate measures. I have always being a timid guy, in fact, I am known to only talk when necessary or at least when talked to. If I was from a well to do family, I would have dropped into being classified as a nerd, but here I was, making threats to a drug dealer.

I went about my chores around the house for that morning, as a young black man from a not privileged home, cleaning has always being something we do ourselves, so have gotten used to the routine of cleaning the house every morning. Though in this case, I just need to do some very light cleaning and also put something’s in place.

I placed an order for launch and then went on to go through the account book again, since the day the FBI agent dropped by, I made sure to always have the book back home with me trying to see if there was any magic I could perform on the numbers to make the records straight in order to avoid the impending danger coming at us.

Still I couldn’t work out a way around it, I just had my pizza when it arrived, whirl away some time to wait for a perfect time to move to start going to the club, I had to stop by the bank to cash in the cash from over the weekend, and this time, it was well and exactly what we made over the weekend without any additions.

I got to the club and everywhere was set, Loren who didn’t know what I will be feeling like today was confused on whether he should be at the bar or just be ready to be part of the servers.

“Hey Loren, get your ass to the, that’s where you will be staying from now on” I said to him immediately I got into the building and attended to pleasantries.

“You mean it Boss?” he asked with a shocker on his face.

“Yeah man, have already guided you with all my expertise and have watched you grow, and within your days of internship have come to the conclusion that you are fit to take my place in the bar” I try to be as dramatic as possible while saying that to him.

“Oh don’t you want that, I can easily employ a professional…”

“Come on boss, I prefer this to moving around all night trying to serve the guest drinks with trays” He quickly cut me off, not letting me to complete the sentence.

“Actually this past few days that I decided to take a break off the bar, I noticed allot of irregularities around the club, and that necessitated me to take up my role as the manager with more vigor”. Loren was just happy about his new full appointment as the bar tender, he wasn’t even really paying attention to the explanation I was giving.

“Can you imagine we had a dope dealer in the building for over two months?” now that question got me his attention and he was also surprised.

“Are you serious boss? Where does he stay?” He fired two quick questions.

“Don’t worry about that, it’s been taken care of, and hopefully for good” I declared to him. Just from the blues, Loren asked a question, though I won’t say I wasn’t expecting that question from him, but it was coming very much late than I expected.

“Ermm boss” he started, with the uncertainty of whether he should continue very much obvious in his voice.

“Talking about irregularities, the FBI agent that came the other day, what’s his business?” he finally motioned the courage to ask the question.

“Oh that agent that came in on Friday right… was it Thursday or Friday? Well don’t worry about that, he just came for some casual questionings” The question came to me unprepared as I didn’t know if I should let a staff know that there were some irregularities in the financial record and statement of the club.

“Are you sure about that boss, because ever since his visit, you have been going home with the account book” he pointed out as he gestured towards the account book that was placed on the table before me.

“Common man, I tell you have got it under control, it’s nothing you should be worried about” I still try to reassure him not to mind the agent.

“Okay, at least can I know what the nature of the problem is?” he still try to press on.

“You must be a real persisting motherfucker you know?” I made a little bit of angered face to put him off the subject.  Just then Barb showed up from the door leading to the back area of the club.

“Oh my God, this lady is going to come get on my nerves now” I thought to myself as my disgust was obvious to Loren who was already making smirks on his face.

“Hey Boss Kelvin…” she called out as she was already making her hands to come wrap over my shoulders.

“Please Barb, don’t do that” I quickly raised my right hand to stop her move towards me.

“Oh sorry boss...” she quickly apologized.

“I just wanted to ask about Dexter, kind of being a while I saw him, we don’t get to see even his normal late evening visits anymore.” She asked and tried to look concerned.

“Yeah that’s true, I also mean to ask that question” Loren quickly added.

“Dexter is fine, he is away on a business trip, if you all have noticed, he has other business he is running, he is a very busy man”. I quickly got up and went straight to the back into the office because I could see what the next question coming was going to be.

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