MEANT FOR ME

Chapter 2. The contract

George and Maminita were having a discussion in Maminita’s house.

“I really do not understand her these days, something tells me my daughter is going through a lot and I also feel she’s hiding something from me.”

“She’s been behaving strangely these days, I just do not understand what's going on. I thought I would be able to have a word with her and that's why I am here,” he said wiping a few specks of dust off his buttocks as if he knew his buttocks were dusty. Maminita saw him off to the door promising to let her know he came by to check up on her once she returned.

The scene became messy and embarrassing when Loveth threw a few slaps at Johnson. And faced Olivia, she hit her badly on her cheek, leaving her with a bleeding lip.

“Stop this nonsense you are making out here.” in no time, different reporters and journalists gathered to take photos and video recordings of the scene that played out.

“Johnson, you will regret ever thinking of hurting my feelings!” she yelled at the top of her voice with heartbroken demonstrations not caring if she went viral through the media. Olivia forcefully pulled her hands off the rigid hold of Johnson and ran out of the restaurant with tears. A few journalists ran behind asking various questions as she left; their voices sounded like the barbarians but Olivia did not listen to any of them, she kept her face down in shame, tears, and pain as she managed to see through the tears in her eyes to find her way out. Loveth did not want to say more because she knew the drama that played out was broadcast live so she managed to walk out of the scene too and was followed by a press of corps like a swarm of flies behind. They soon left her and came to Johnson in the restaurant but he yelled at them angrily asking them to leave ... His personal assistant drove down immediately to pick him up since the news had gotten to all ears and he knew the mess he was into that added to his frustrations.

Everyone in the office focused on their phones and murmured into the hearing of themselves and would suddenly go quiet when their bosses passed. Everyone watched the scene on their phones and Maminita cried as she also watched the scene on TV, she cried the more seeing that her daughter's mouth was bruised. Maminita cried out her eyes and wouldn't stop... George soon arrived at Maminita’s place after watching the news on Tv.

“What am i seeing on TV?” he was asking angrily as if Maminita were in the position to answer those questions. As they spoke, Olivia ran into the house in full tears. She cried profusely falling on the floor like an helpless lover!

“What is the meaning of all these?” George's anger rose like a rocket shot into space.

“I am talking to you Olivia,” his voice raised, shock filled their faces as George took the issue personal

Johnson’s phone rang a million times while his personal assistant drove him home, he was heartbroken. He felt caged as if his whole life was in a tiny bottle.

“s**t!” He hit the empty seat in front of him .... His personal assistant became scared as he did not know what to say and would not want to say a word, he sat fixed to the car’s steering like a piece of monument.

Olivia picked up some courage to stand up and leave for her room but George pulled her back,

“I am talking to you what have you done...?”

“Can’t you see my daughter is hurt?” Maminita interrupted sharply. George took in a heavy breath while Olivia quickly pulled out her hand from his as he watched her leave in full tears; George left angrily too leaving Maminita to her fate.

“Son what shame have you brought to our family?” Said Johnson’s father. He looked swollen as though words would burst out of him anytime soon.

“Do you want to kill me before my time or what? If your mother were alive do you think she’d be happy seeing all these? All she’s ever worked for going down the mud? Do you...?”

“Father please!” he interrupted and left. Their househelp, Rita hurried to assisted him in sitting gently on the couch so he could ease himself of the terrible way he felt at the moment.

Loveth was almost done smoking the second pack of cigarettes since that was the only thing that could calm her nerves in such a situation, she drew in more smoke and sighed a wicked glare on her face. Only the sound of the broadcasted video of what played out in the restaurant earlier showed on the mobile phone that was placed on a small round table beside her where she dropped her cigarettes and the ash that fell from its burns, these did not take her attention off the evil that ran in her mind as she smoked harder. Thank God her parents already left the country for a business meeting yesterday, she could smoke as many packs as she liked, no body would preach to her about it.

Maminita kept on knocking and begging Olivia to open the door to her room but she refused, saying no word to her granny, this made her granny feel so bad that she sat at the entrance of her door all day crying and begging that she spoke to her instead of locking up herself in her room for hours.

Now that Mr and Mrs. James are back in the country, they will attend to the issue at hand; Loveth soon cried on the shoulders of her mum that her fans are beginning to hate her because of what they watched in the video and what they read about her in social media and in the newspapers. She was gradually losing her fans because of that daughter of a nobody, as she would always say. Her mother assured her of not losing her fans and that they would do their best to make sure the video was off the media. She was the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James and Loveth knows her mother would do anything to make her happy.

“I’ll ask your father to call a meeting with the Huffman’s right away” She assured her daughter that everything would be alright.

Olivia was gradually getting over the disorder that affected her whole body system, her granny kept treating her bruised lip with warm water; she would soak a piece of clean rag in warm water and use it to clean the face of her wound gently.

“Olivia, you have to be careful with those rich people, thank goodness I already spoke to you about it this morning. Imagine you on TV with that witch?...” her granny hadn’t landed yet when Olivia interrupted.

“I already told you it was only an incident! And besides, it was that Loveth lady who almost got me killed the other day, I was surprised she did not recognize meat the event where I performed.”

Mr. James has just arrived at the Huffman’s, he did not look so nice. The househelp soon rushed to call Mr. Huffman, Johnson’s father.

“I do not need your greeting!” Mr. James’s voice sounded angry.

“ Please have a seat first so we can discuss this better”

“For what? For the embarrassment and mess your son has caused my daughter? Do you know what that meant to her? To her reputation and our reputation as a whole? Well, I do not think your company needs our corporation,” he rushed words out of anger.

“My dear friend, we are sorry. You know i cherish our corporation. Please i will talk to my son.” On hearing all these Johnson walked in confidently.

“Your daughter is the one to be questioned. She injured a poor girl and you are saying nothing about it.” his said angrily.

“Quiet son!” his father shunned

“Don't worry, i know how to treat that daughter of a no body. And listen, this should be the very last time you hurt the feeling of my daughter or your father's company and every other thingyou have ever worked for crashes!” he said and walked away banging the door behind. Johnson’s father was confused and tired, he watchedJohnson swell like a loaf of bread dipped into a pool of water... Johnson was causing a whole mess. Suddenly he banged the door behind too.

“Where are you going to son?” his father's weak voice faded with the sound of the banged door. He soon began to cry silently.

“Please i want that video, every write up and every damn broadcast about that issue closed right away. I do not care how it would be done but take that s**t off the net!” she said and hung up. Different thoughts ran through his mind, where and how could he trace her; he needed to protect her though he knew he owed her some explanations even if she was a nobody like Loveth would say so he stopped at almost every bus stop asking if anyone knew her and where he could find her. He showed them a picture of her which he got from the trending video and pictures on the internet. He finally saw someone who could direct him to where she lived.

“Who is it?” Maminita asked to know who was at the door but there was no response, she then walked towards the door to know who it was and behold the so-called Johnson. Maminita was not happy,

“come in” Johnson walked in carefully. “ thank you ma. Please I need to see Olivia. Thats why I am here.”

“So you can have my daughter in a bundle of mess again and put it all over the net right?”Olivia felt something was going on in the living room, she heard the voice of her granny and decided to go see what was happening. To her uttermost surprise, it was the ‘almighty’ Johnson, on seeing her his heart melted.

“I am sorry Olivia.” she was already dumbfounded and did not know if she should yell him out, hit him, or tell him the most hurting words of his life and get ready to go to jail. She knew she had plenty of tears in her eyes, they had already begun to pour down.

“You are here to hurt my daughter again!” cried Maminita. “Please leave us alone. You and your so-called model woman have done my daughter a lot of harm. So please leave!” she said pushing him out of their house.

“I cant leave without her grandma,”

“Don’t you ever call me that! Do i look like your grandma? I can never be a grandma to a wicked soul like you. Go with that your money that comes with a whole lot of pain.”

“No granny! I’ll go with him,”

“ if you do then forget about me, I’ll deny you the right and privilege of being my granddaughter. I'll break the promise I made to your dead parents when you were twelve.” Olivia began to cry profusely...

“And if you have decided to love this clothed evil in human form then be ready to bury me in no time!” Maminita cried so badly. Things were beginning to get out of his control, a tear ran down his eye now. “Granny,” she managed to call giving her granny a warm hug. “I am sorry,”

“Please Grandma, I want you to try to understand me, your daughter’s life is in a state of dilemma right now. If she stays here, the more dangerous it is for all of us.”

“Let it come I’ll face it. You were not in the picture when we faced terrible situations than this one. You know nothing about us so leave alone.”

“Please granny,” said Olivia

“Shut your mouth and stay out of this. I already lost my daughter which is your mother only because of my ignorance. And I lost my son-in-law who happens to be your father. Now I will not lose you to a bunch of rich evil men who use the poor and helpless to grow their fame, power, and wealth.”

“Please don't say that granny.” if things kept on going this way, her old granny would die of a heart attack when life hit harder on them, and he would not watch any more harm come to Olivia.

“I promise you, Grandma, your daughter is safe in my hands please, allow me to protect her”

“Leave my daughter alone!” she said struggling with their hands as she tried to pull Olivia’s hands out of his but she refused.

“I will come with you,” she said looking directly into his eyeballs they made their way out of the house immediate. Maminita screamed at the top of her voice and fell to the ground as if she had just received bad news. The old woman cried profusely seeing that they drove off in his car. The pain of seeing her granny like that ate her up. “Where are you taking me you sorrow giver?” Johnson did not mind what she called him instead he drove ruthlessly. In less than ten minutes, Maminita heard a knock on her door, it was the police. Her heart escaped from her chest. “Are you Mrs. Benson?”

“Yes, I am” She knew the hour had come, she really needed some explanations for the drama that was playing out. The police soon demanded that she bring out her daughter and that she had some questions to answer at the station.

“My daughter is not at home. I have not seen her for some days now. She asked the policemen to come in and see for themselves. They did not know what to say to the old woman.

“Thank you, mum, that video is finally off the net. I am really happy about that.”

“Anything for you daughter,” she said as Loveth cuddled her warmly.

“The police are handling the case. That thing will suffer for tampering with your life, your reputation, and above all for going anywhere near your man.” her face soon cheered. She gave her some more hugs and kisses.

Johnson and Oliva now arrived at an abandoned beach house.

“We’ll be here, they will not find you here.”

“How would we feed?”

“I’ll sort that out. I promise you will be alright okay,” he said removing his shirt and wearing it on her. I don’t want to take you to my other houses. My father knows there.” she remembers her granny and begins to cry. Johnson cuddled her into his stinking armpits and she beat him off her sight!

“You caused all these! If anything happens to my granny. I will never forgive you!”

“Look, Olivia, I know you have every right to be mad at me. But I cannot just help this situation. I think I’m in love with you! But I don’t just get it,” his voice sounded soft at the end. Her heart raised again.

“I love you too,” she said softly. On hearing this, he made an attempt to kiss her tiny lips but she refused, moving her face away from his.

George soon arrived at Maminita’s house. “Olivia!” he barged in shouting like a mad dog. “I am sorry!” still at the top of his voice. Maminita soon came out with eyes full of tears.

“She left.” what do you mean she left? “She left with that man!”

“Who?”

“The man from the Huffman’s?” he quickly remembered when they had a conversation in his house and soon he tore off the card Olivia was holding after he confirmed that it was Johnson’s.

“Johnson?” he was shocked.

“If that’s what they call him!”

“Oh damn it!”

“Where have they gone to?”

“I can’t say. I just need you to help me get back my daughter!” she soon realize she shouldn't have said the word ‘get back’

“No, I mean protect her for me, please. I beg of you.” Maminita already started to cry.

Knowing that Olivia has not been arrested by the police and Johnson is nowhere to be found irritates her.

“Father! What’s going on?” she sounded harsh.

“The police are yet to get her arrested. Even Johnson is nowhere to be found!”

“Oh s**t! I hate this Dad!” she yelled and left angrily. Mrs. James walked in as she left. “Honey, please do something about this. That thing cannot go scot-free after messing up my daughter's reputation, not juts her reputation but her brand, her name, and her fame. In short here is everything!”

“I understand how she feels, you just have to calm her down. Things will be fixed alright?”

It was a Monday morning and rumor already had it that Loveth had paid to get her mess off the net and that she was a bad egg. “How would he bruise the mouth of an innocent girl?”

“My goodness, she’s so rude!”

“Well, I do not think she did anything wrong in bruising her lip. If I were in her shoes. I’d smash her head to the wall. Did you not read before the news went off the net that Johnson cheated with that lady behind her back?”

“Oh stop that Lilian! Can’t you see it all looks like blackmail?”

“Whatever!” Lilian said and left their midst.

Mr. Huffman was busy going through documents in his office when he called the attention of his secretary to get him the documents from the company's lawyer.

“Sir, a message from the Mirons,” she says stretching a large envelope to him. He rushes to collect it and immediately asks her to leave. He quickly ran his eyes through the document.

“ damn it!” he yelled hitting the table in front of him. His secretary rushed back in and asked if he was fine but he yelled at her asking her to shut the door behind her! After much calculations he reached out for his mobile phone and called Mr. James but it wasn’t connecting. He had some other important meetings to attend so he planned that he would visit them after the close of the day.

“Johnson,” she called

“I am beginning to get worried about how my granny would be feeling. It's been two days now since I left and my mobile phone is totally down. Don't think she’s fine”

“She is, don't worry all these can not last forever okay. I can not even use the car since there's no fuel in it. I just hope we do not die here. There’s no water, and there's no food. We have to trek to a far distance to buy those things. I just hope this doesn't last for too long Johnson.”

“It won’t, he said kissing her forehead. We still have some snacks and water in the car. That can serve us for some more days I guess.”

After the day's work, Johnson’s father drove to see Mr. James in his house. He got there in a short time.

“What do you want in my house?” Mr. James did not bother to welcome him in the friendly way he usually does.

“What is the meaning of this James?” he asked stretching the large envelope towards him as he anticipated his response.

“The contract has been withdrawn from your company. That’s the document from my company's lawyer!”

“f**k this!”

“Yes! And f**k this marriage deal too! Your son has brought nothing but tears and bitterness to my family. If in less than 3 months he refuses to sign the marriage documents with my daughter then your company will totally lose this opportunity and your name will sink down the mud! You know what that means right?” he said leaving a wicked smile behind his cheek

“James!”

“Use the door when you are done.” Loveth suddenly came out from nowhere, yelling like a psychotic patient.

“Please bring Johnson back to me and jail that blackmailer!” she cried as her mother who had refused to say a word dragged her inside her room.