Nine

Minutes turned to hours and hours turned to days. It was soon time to leave for the farm. I had to cancel my trip to Spain because Grandma said she would handle all the company business till I got back. 

I had not gotten any encouraging news from Detective Zane and Michelle yet; the case posed to be a harder nut to crack than I thought it was. The police had closed the case this time because Grandma had requested them to do so, saying it was a false call on my side. And even when I persisted, I was informed they would not reopen the case until there was a solid evidence on ground. 

"Your ride is ready, ma'am." My chief maid informed me while I enjoyed a cigar on the balcony. 

I wore a red polkadotted suit with emerald jewelries and and a gold studded eyebrow piercing. My feet were visible in my transparent heeled shoes. 

I nodded without sparing her a glance, watching as the guards struggled with five of my suitcases. I had never spent time out the house alone; it was either with my parents, or Grandma or Aunt Joan. But now I was gonna do this alone, I needed to pack everything with me. 

I took one last drag of the cigarette butt, placed it on the ashtray and plodded down the stairs to the patio. Grandma, Aunt Joan and Cassidy awaited me. 

"Make us proud," Grandma warned sternly. 

I nodded nonchalantly. 

"Look on the bright side. Hopefully when you are back, you would have gotten a good tan. It is long overdue," Aunt Joan sang.

I rolled my eyes, finding her statement irritable. 

"Shall we?" Cassidy drawled, exhausted. 

What exactly had she done that made her look tired? But I waved the question away, deciding not to care and mind my business. 

I climbed into the Jeep. Cassidy climbed into the passenger's front seat and the guards clambered into two other cars and we drove off. 

I checked G****e map and it said the journey to The New Forest was going to be a two hours forty five minutes drive, without traffic. I lived in the densely populated side of Bexley, London and I knew it was not gonna be easy not having traffic at all.

Soft music played while I busied myself with watching the news. I listened attentively to how the stocks of the market were rising and falling, taking some notes down with my phone. Fortunately for us, there was no traffic and we arrived quite earlier. 

The farm was quite large. We drove into the open gate that had a large board on which was designed 'African Pride'. The compound held three large buildings. One was made out of woods, the other two were made out of bricks. There were smaller buildings scattered behind these ones. The front of these buildings was beautified with rows of flowers. A caramel coloured young lady walked out from the building made of woods and stopped by my Jeep, opening the door for me. 

"Welcome to African Pride. If you may come this way," her strange accent hit me as she led us to the building that had 'OFFICE' nailed above the entrance. 

The girl was lean and looked to be a teenager. She wore a short simple gown made from a beautiful material and a sandals that had long straps that stopped at her knees. Her hair was tied in a scarf made from the same material. The material looked alluring in my eyes and I really wanted a cloth made for me in that material. 

She led me down a long hallway and stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway.

"He is speaking with someone at the moment. He would be with you shortly," she rasped. 

Her beautiful droopy eyes were honey coloured. Her nose thin and small and her lips small but full. I had to admit she was subtly beautiful. 

"What is your name?" I enquired, intrigued. 

"Zala," her accent tumbled out. 

The name was not familiar. 

"What country?" I questioned.

"Ethiopia. It means one from Southwest Ethiopia," she smiled generously. 

For an African, she was indeed beautiful. But I could not bring myself to admit it openly. I was not supposed to appreciate anything blacks had to offer. 

"We do not need all these extra people," she pointed out, dragging me away from my thoughts. 

I gave her an intent glare, "I do."

She swallowed her next words as the door burst open and an angry Jide stormed out. He stopped at once to spare me a glance and then bumping into my shoulders that I almost lost my balance. 

Who stuck a finger up his ass? I scowled at his receding figure. 

*

JIDE

Mr. Kevin had called me to his office that evening while I was watering the gardens. 

"You sent for me," I prompted when I had taken a seat. 

He looked up from the a single paper he held in his fingers and fixed his gaze on me. He was black American who grew up here in London. He had a solid build and was almost a giant. He had been like a father to me ever since he picked me up from the streets five years ago, after I had spent two years in London toiling. 

"I did. I just got a memo from Mr. and Mrs. Khoza, the owners of the farm," he informed me. 

"Is everything okay?" I pried. 

"It depends," he replied curtly. 

"How?" I grated, getting annoyed with his lack of details. If he was not going to be open with me, he should not have called me then. 

"They wanted to inform us that they are sending Miss Ivory Stone our way," he announced. 

My palms hardened into fists and I clenched my jaw, "Why would they do that?"

"She needs us for a business deal. Mr. and Mrs. Khoza had refused the deal if she would not work with us here in the farm for a month. She needs our approval," he let me in on the loop. 

I breathed out. "So, why are you telling just me?"

"I trust you. You have been like a son to me and I know you would not let me down on this one job I am about to give you," he muttered. 

I relaxed a bit. "What could that be?"

"I want you to be nice to her. Teach her our ways, so she can gain our approval," he flung the task at me. 

I scoffed, then snorted and chuckled, "What?"

He gave me a stern look. He was serious. 

"Wait...You aree serious?" I asked, the laughter dying down. 

"Mm hmm," he hummed in agreement. 

"No. No. I can't do that. That girl is not nice to anyone. I can't be that to someone like her," I vehemently disagreed. 

He gave me a quizzical look, "How do you know that?"

I narrated to him the motherless babies home ordeal. Those kids were stranded somewhere in the street at the moment because of that witch. I did not have enough money to keep them all. 

"I am sorry to hear about that. But you will still have to try," he tried to dismiss but I was not having it.

"She would not make an effort," I blew out.

"How do you know?" He asked.

"I have met this girl. Have you not even heard about Ivory Stone before?" I responded, my jaw ticking. 

"You are meeting her officially today. Forget about what had happened in the past," he pushed. 

I shook my head and banged my fist on the table, "I do not believe you are making me do this."

"Calm down, young man. Do you hate her that much?" He inquired.

I gruntled, "I do not hate her but I do not like her either."

He shook his head at my doggedness. "She needs our approval for the success of her company."

I stood up defiantly, "Why should I care? She derives joy in ruining other people's life, let her know what it feels like for once."

"Then do it for us," he persuaded. "You and I both know we are losing stocks. The money we will make from this deal can put us back on track. Plus the fame we would surely amass. And if we are lucky, she may recommend us to the public."

I sat and scoffed. "Or try to buy us off. She does not deserve our efforts. She is a cruel rich brat."

Kevin chuckled, amused. "You are acting like I requested that you kiss her. Just be nice to her and try to make her nice to others too. From what you have said, she is going to be a lot of work."

"Work I am not cut out to do," I grounded out. "Why don't you ask Kofi? He would like her even before meeting her. And he will easily do this."

Kevin snorted now, "Kofi hits on every girl. He would surely mess things up. I trust just you."

Kevin's plea touched me. And even though I really did not want to do this, I had to. Kevin had provided and cartered for me when I had no one, when he did not even know me. I could not let him down now. 

"Okay. I will do it. But it is just because you groveled at my feet." I joked and he laughed. "And I would not try so much. One bullshit from her and I am done," I warned.

He grinned, "I knew I could trust you. We will just have to wait for her arrival."

I clomped out of his office to get back to what I was doing and await the little witch's arrival. But the witch was waiting outside the door with tons of guards and her PA. 

Did she really think things were going to go her way here? She had got the wrong memo then.