chapter 4 : THE REUNION AND FATHER'S TRUST
1328 Words
The following morning, Mr. Pablo called out to his maid, Akua.
“I hope everything is in order?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” Akua replied promptly.
“Eeh,” Mr. Pablo continued, “I don’t want to hear a*********s today.”
“No stories, sir,” she answered.
“I’m about to set the dining room,” she added.
“Please, set it. I don’t want stories. Everything must be done properly. Look, let me tell you— I want the food to be steaming hot the moment they arrive,” he instructed firmly.
“Okay, sir,” the maid responded.
“Uh-huh,” he added with a soft chuckle.
Just then, his daughter, Naaafi, stepped into the conversation.
“Who are we having over, Dad?” she asked curiously.
“My business partner,” Mr. Pablo replied, smiling. “And yours too.”
“What? That guy is coming over here?” she exclaimed.
“Uh-huh,” her father nodded. “If there’s nothing else, I’m sure the project will finish in record time—since both of you seem to behave like Tom and Jerry. You just can’t understand each other!”
Naaafi folded her arms. “No problem, Dad. The bottom line is that the project should finish on time.”
“Exactly,” he agreed.
“By the way,” she continued, moving closer and joining her father on the couch, “I spoke with some of the suppliers in China.”
“Oh, really?” her father asked, intrigued.
“Yes, I wanted to show you something,” she said, unlocking her tablet.
“Okay,” her father replied, leaning forward. “I’ve heard that name several times.”
“Yes, they’re very reliable,” Naaafi said with confidence.
“Yes, yes, yes, yes,” Mr. Pablo replied, chuckling. “Expensive, but reliable.”
“Well, yes—expensive, but worth it,” she agreed.
“Alright,” her father said. “What else did you want to show me?”
Before she could answer, the sound of voices came from the entrance.
“Ahh, my friend is here,” Mr. Pablo said, standing up.
“Here comes my old friend,” Mr. Pablo announced joyfully as the door opened. His old friend, Mr. Nyangumi, stepped in with his son, Kwame, laughter echoing behind them.
A warm voice rang out, “My good friend! You are welcome, you are welcome!”
“You’re looking wonderful,” Mr. Pablo said cheerfully.
“Looking good yourself, my friend,” Mr. Nyangumi replied, still laughing.
“I hope your journey went well. You are most welcome,” Mr. Pablo added, shaking his hand firmly.
“Aaah, Kwame!” he exclaimed, applauding lightly in surprise as he turned to Mr. Nyangumi’s son. “You’re welcome, my boy.”
Kwame smiled humbly. “Thank you very much, sir.”
“If I saw you on the road, I wouldn’t have even recognized you,” Mr. Pablo added with laughter. “Thank God for your growth. You are welcome once again.”
Both visitors looked genuinely happy to be with the family.
“This is wonderful,” Mr. Pablo continued warmly. “Please, sit down, sit down.”
“And here she is—the businesswoman herself, Naaafi,” Mr. Nyangumi said playfully.
“Greetings, sir,” Naaafi said politely, bowing her head slightly.
“Thank you, my daughter. How are you?” Mr. Nyangumi asked.
“I’m fine, sir,” she replied, smiling as both of them shared a light laugh.
“Thank you,” she concluded.
“Eeh, come and meet your business partner,” Mr. Nyangumi said teasingly.
“Yes, go and meet your business partner,” her father added with a knowing smile.
For a moment, Naaafi looked confused, staring at Kwame in disbelief. Then, hesitantly, she walked over and sat beside him.
Both Mr. Pablo and Mr. Nyangumi exchanged pleased glances.
“That’s the bottom line!” Mr. Pablo said proudly, while Mr. Nyangumi burst into laughter again.
“Hello,” Naaafi greeted quietly.
“Hello,” Kwame replied with a faint smile.
Their fathers laughed together, watching the two with amusement.
“Aaah, please,” Mr. Pablo said after a moment, “I think the dining table is set. We should go and eat.”
He paused suddenly. “Wait, wait—where is your luggage?”
“They’re outside,” Kwame replied respectfully.
“Aah, aah! Akua!” Mr. Pablo called out to the maid. “Go and get the luggage outside.”
“Yes, sir,” Akua answered, hurrying away.
Naaafi cleared her throat, laughing lightly. “Daddy,” she said with surprise, “I don’t understand what’s going on here.”
“What don’t you understand?” her father asked, pretending not to notice her confusion.
“You people have a project to complete in one month,” she said, gesturing toward Kwame. “Kwame lives in Abuja—and you expect him to fly from Abuja to Lagos every day for meetings and execution? How? Who does that?”
Mr. Pablo smiled calmly. “What happened to the hotels, you ask? Which hotels, Naaafi?” he said teasingly. “The family of Pablo is a hospitable one. Kwame is part of the family, isn’t he?”
He turned toward his friend, who nodded in agreement, a bit surprised.
“Yes, he is part of the family,” Mr. Nyangumi confirmed.
“You don’t expect him to waste money on some cheap hotel when we have guest rooms here, unoccupied,” Mr. Pablo said firmly. “Ah, hey—let’s go and eat! The table is ready.”
Just then, Akua returned, carrying the luggage inside from the car.
Both Mr. Pablo and Mr. Nyangumi walked side by side, laughing and holding each other by the shoulder as they joined the dining table.
Meanwhile, Naaafi and Kwame exchanged glances across the room. They wanted to speak, yet words failed them.
Kwame’s eyes dimmed slightly—he was not happy with Naaafi
The next morning, we see Mr. Nyangumi in Mr. Pablo’s house, walking slowly down the stairs. His son, Kwame, followed close behind.
“Kwame,” Mr. Nyangumi called.
“Yes, sir,” his son replied respectfully.
“I hope you’ll handle everything very well, like the good son that you are. Try and do your best, eeh?”
“Of course, sir,” Kwame replied with confidence.
“I believe you’ll make me proud,” his father continued. “Make sure you execute this project perfectly—and take good care of yourself, mmmh?”
“I will, Dad,” Kwame answered firmly.
At that moment, it was clear that Kwame was walking his father out, as Mr. Nyangumi was preparing to leave the house.
“Dad, you have nothing to worry about,” Kwame assured him. “I’ll make sure the project is a successful one. You and Mom deserve that vacation—I know you both need it.”
His father smiled warmly. “I knew you would understand, my son.”
They both laughed softly.
“I always count on you,” Mr. Nyangumi said proudly. “So please, make sure you handle this project well. Execute it with excellence, okay?”
“No problem, Dad,” Kwame replied.
“Good. I’ll be leaving now,” his father said, picking up his small travel bag. “Take care of yourself.”
“I will, Dad,” Kwame answered.
“I trust you,” Mr. Nyangumi said as he turned toward the door. “Come, see me off. Let me go now.”
“Alright, Dad. Take care of yourself,” Kwame said, walking beside him.
“Thank you,” his father replied with a smile.
“Thank you, too—and please send my regards to Mom,” Kwame added.
“I’ll do that,” Mr. Nyangumi said, nodding gently before stepping outside.
- Writer
