Chapter 10:The New Empire
633 Words
POV:Elias
One week later, the heavy glass doors of the hospital swung open. I wasn't leaving in a motorcade. I didn't have a suit on. I was wearing a simple t-shirt Sam had bought for me and a pair of cheap slippers.
In my arms, I held Bella. She was wrapped in a bright yellow blanket, her head resting on my shoulder. She was thin, and she still had a small bandage on her temple, but her heart was beating against mine.
"Where are we going, Daddy?" she asked, looking at the busy Lagos streets. "Where is the big car?"
I looked at the yellow buses (Danfos) zooming past us. I looked at the street hawkers selling plantain chips in the heat. A month ago, I would have looked at this scene with disgust. Today, it looked like paradise.
"The big car is resting, Bella," I said, kissing her forehead. "Today, we are taking the bus. It’s an adventure."
Sam was waiting at the curb in his old, battered Toyota. He opened the door for us with a wide smile. He had managed to rent a small, clean one-room apartment for us in a quiet neighborhood. It wasn't a mansion in Ikoyi. It didn't have a swimming pool or a chef. But it had a window that let in the morning sun, and it was safe.
As we drove away from the hospital, we passed the massive glass skyscraper that used to be my headquarters. I saw the giant gold letters on the top: OTUNBA SHIPPING & LOGISTICS.
My old rival had already put his name on my life’s work. I saw him standing on the balcony, looking down at the city like he owned the world.
"Do you want to stop, sir?" Sam asked, glancing at the building in the rearview mirror. "We could... we could just look one last time."
"No," I said, turning my back to the tower. I looked at Bella, who was busy watching a butterfly outside the window. "That building is full of stress and shadows. Everything I truly own is right here in this car."
We arrived at the small apartment. I carried Bella inside and laid her on the fresh sheets. Sam stood by the door, looking at me.
"What now, Elias?" he asked. "You have no office. No secretary. No bank account."
I sat on the edge of the bed and looked at my hands. The scars from the cement bags were still there, turning into tough calluses. I felt stronger than I ever had when I was sitting behind a mahogany desk.
"I still have my brain, Sam," I said, a small smile playing on my lips. "And I have the respect of the men at the construction site. Tomorrow, I start a small consultancy. I’ll help the small business owners in the market manage their accounts. I’ll teach them how to grow. We will start small. We will start honest."
Sam nodded, his eyes bright. "I'll be there at 7:00 AM, sir. I already found an old desk we can use."
That night, as the sounds of the city hummed outside, I sat by Bella’s side. I didn't have a billion naira. I didn't have a fleet of ships. I was a man with a small room and a big hope.
Chief Otunba had my money, but I had my daughter’s life. He had my buildings, but I had my soul. I realized then that I hadn't actually "fallen." I had finally landed on solid ground.
I closed my eyes and slept the peaceful sleep of a man who had finally paid all his debts—not to the bank, but to his heart.
- Writer
