Chapter 4: Collateral damage

The butler

While going to Blake's crib I stumbled into the Boss angrily marching from the same direction. As the family butler I enjoyed some freedom around him thanks to our relationship that was almost brotherly that meant I was allowed to ask him questions, give my opinion and unsolicited advice sometimes. All of it because I was his eyes when he was not watching, his brain when he was not thinking and his ears when he was not listening. Running the family business and his estate was too much for him to handle alone. It wouldn't have been if Gabriel was not a crackpot and if he gave Blake a chance.

"Boss..."

"Piss off Clive am not in the mood" he said going past me.

And yeah, he was the only one who called me by name. Occasionally when he was angry and we were alone. Blake met me halfway.

"You have the address?" He asked looking and sounding relaxed.

"Yes, what was that? Why was the boss...?”

"It was nothing, please can I have her address?"

"I have the address, let’s go!" I said giving up on finding out what really transpired between the two men.

Gerald’s reaction and Blake's secrecy meant they didn't want any other person to know what they discussed although I could tell it was more of a reprimand and verbal abuse than a discussion.

"It will be better if I go alone" he said following me closely.

"You know what will be good?" I asked turning around, "You taking a shower and meeting me in the kitchen in five minutes"

"Okay, why?"

"How do you expect to leave this compound Blake? Let's assume you leave, what will you tell them if they ask where you've been?"

Blake

He was right about that. I never left the compound that easily, not without asking for permission and in this case apart from all Wallace's being mad at me, the reason for leaving the compound was catastrophic. It would have made it worse. So I took the butler's deal without hesitation.

"Okay" I said walking away briskly.

"And remember to put on something nice, try something that screams an apology"

I just nodded and pursed my lips before I dashed back to my crib. Gerald’s offence was not affecting me that time. My brain had managed to shove it at the back of my mind for later that night. I emerged with a plastic basin and a sponge made from sisal, a grey towel around my waist, putting on a pair of sandals. The tap was far away so I drew water from of the cows drinking pods and went to the bathroom at the far end of my crib. After around ten minutes I appeared looking sparkling clean and feeling light as feathers having washed away the extra layer of dirt on my skin. I rarely got tine to take a shower, most of the time we worked dusk till dawn. And honestly I loved it, the not taking a shower bit, dirty and tired Blake would easily fall asleep on the creaking metallic bed with a mattress thin as a rake.

Back in my crib I locked the door, lest Gerald walk in and accuse me of incident exposure. I applied some milking jelly on my dry skin and used the small rectangular mirror on the wall to brush my hair. Flashed a smile of contentment, among the few things the Wallace family had not been able to take away from me. No one can take it away from you either. They had taken away my dignity, respect and self-esteem.

"This looks apologetic" I said happily taking a white cotton shirt from the hanger.

My wardrobe was still great. Graced by a few of my clothes I had managed to salvage from the house fires... disadvantages of living within a city that is a ticking bomb of gang and political violence. But I rarely put on the suits and nice clothes. I was not the same Blake I used to be. A soft knock on the door startled me.

"Who is it?"

"The butler, come on I said five minute we don't have all day" he said.

"Just a minute" I said sliding into my black trousers, I put on some white sneakers and grabbed some cash from my home bank under the mattress then rushed to the door.

"You look different" he said.

"Thank you can we get going before Gerald or someone sends for me?"

"Don't worry my friend, they know you're going out"

I froze. He realized I was not following him so he stopped to look at me.

"You told them I was going to find Anita? And they agreed?"

"Hell no, why would I tell them that?"

"What did you tell them?"

"That you were going to pack animal feeds in the isizu Dmax"

It was torturous but I was willing to do anything. The animal feed he was talking about were uncountable fifty kilograms sacks that most of the time left me with an aching back. And that was offloading alone. Now I had to load and offload.

"Okay, let's got then, maybe you should have just let me maintain my dress code" I said taking the co-driver’s seat.

It was hard to believe I owned a couple of those, with my own RAV 4 for logistics from one store to another. They were all auctioned by the bank to pay off the debts and loans I had.

"Don't worry, we are going to Anita's first then we go get the feeds"

"They still operate with this street gang mafia and political war in the city? Where are they getting their supplies?" I asked as we drove out of the first gate.

"There are the likes of Gerald who are untouchables, they control the politics and the war all of it and to them it's business as usual"

The butler was always busy, we didn't get much time to talk yet that day he seemed to be inviting me to a banter.

"So how powerful is Gerald?"

"You really want to know?"

"Yeah try me" I said confidently.

"Gerald belongs to a group of the rich and effluent of this town, the likes of Ben Richards in the Billionaire’s Resurrection..."

"You read too?" I asked happily.

"Your books when you are busy in the fields? Yeah I do read" he said looking at me before he focused on the road again.

We went past the third gate. It was the final one before we joined the main road. It was also well tarmacked and there was a road sign indicating the name of the road "Wallace road" written on black on a white plate.

"Most of the time your crib is the only peaceful place in the vast Wallace compound"

"Okay, you were telling me about Wallace"

"He has links everywhere in the country and his boys club know a thing or two about this war and political unrest you can't fight them, they decide what happens and what doesn't everyone else is just collateral damage... anyway let's talk about you buddy. This is a free space you know, anything we talk about goes with me to the grave"

Without knowing, the butler had instigated something in me. Like a fire that was starting to get sparkles but it was eventually going to start to burn. There was a chance my misfortunes were not natural. They were man made and I wanted my revenge or just a taste of it. Even if it meant going through mean Gerald. Okay that was just a thought, what could I possibly do?

"What about me?"

"You were a business man am sure you are not planning to work for your father in-law until you die"

"Yeah about that, I don't have anything really or anywhere to start from but I'll figure something out"

"Am here to help buddy, personally I believe everything happens for a reason you better learn my friend, we are here" he said.

It was a great drive and I felt like we should hang out a lot. And talk. The words of encouragement gave me hope of getting back to my feet again, they reminded me of who I used to be. The best ever version of me.

"I can do this alone" I said when he pulled over to a small wooden gate.

Behind it were numerous semi-permanent houses. It was a beautiful homestead.

"Okay I will wait here just go in there and ask for Anita am sure they will be glad to have you"

"Was that sarcasm?"

"Yeah, they won’t be happy to see you she is the breadwinner of the family"

“And you didn’t think of mentioning that before we got here?”

It was good I had carried with me my savings which was something like her three months’ salary.

"Wish me luck" I said opening the door.

"Just scream if you need help I'll be there with this" he got out a gun.

"They are not violent are they?"

"Go find out" he said.

Anita Baker

When I got fired the first thing that came to mind was freedom, a ticket to get away from the asphyxiating Wallace's once and for all. But when I got home everything changed. My mother was not happy, after my father's death she had begged Gerald to give me that job and he was merciful enough to employ me simply because my father had been among his loyal employees.

With his money I had helped improve home a little bit. Despite mum's anger I was confident with my decision besides I was in my twenties with plans of my own about my future. There was no way I was going to be a maid my whole life and die while serving like my father did.

"Anita!" my little brother James shouted from outside running in the house.

My entire family was seated. Mum and my uncles were grumpy, watching TV. My second born sister was preparing vegetables for dinner while I was just seated there enjoying the feeling of being around family again even though they were not happy to see me I would have killed for a chance to hang out with them.

"Slow down James, what is it?" Mum asked.

"There is a man named Blake out here" James said.

Mum sprung up in anger.

"He has a lot of nerve" she said angrily marching out.

The rest of the family and I followed her but we were too late. She was already holding Blake by the collar angrily slapping the shit out of him and like he had learned to take it from the Wallace's he stood there defenseless like a tree trunk as mum rained down blows and slaps on him until she couldn't anymore. She was fuming, crying on his shoulder and he was humble enough to lend her one to cry on. A man with a golden heart, I might have wanted him for myself. It was the first time that thought was crossing my mind.

"Am Sorry Mrs. Baker, it's my fault she got fired but I want you to know that she was falsely accused, your daughter lost her job because she was kind to me, a collateral damage to a war of insecurity she knows nothing about. While I may not be able to repay the debt now I swear one day when am back to where I want to be I will never forget about her" he said his gaze fixed on me.

And I stood there shading tears. Although it was not his fault he took a huge risk to find me and apologize even when he didn't have to. That was enough for me to respect him.

"Am sorry for how I reacted, you understand she is the only one who has been providing for this family"

"It's okay mum, can I have a word with Anita please. My boss is waiting for me outside I don't want to get in trouble"

"Okay, Anita come on" Mum said wiping her tears, she was ashamed of how she reacted.

The family left for the house giving us some privacy, it was just me and Blake.

"Am sorry" He said getting emotional, "your tears are tearing my heart apart, listen am very sorry that Tessa came after you and if I could trade your job for mine I would but she won't listen"

"It's okay, not your fault. Go or else you'll get in trouble"

"The butler sounds fun today, anyway" he went to his back pocket and got out a bunch of notes, "This is an equivalent of three months’ salary, start a business I will give you some more until the business is stable enough"

"What are you doing?" I asked surprised but he forced me to take the money.

The butler blared the horn. He had to go.

"It's the least I can do, you have been my guardian angel and I don’t know what the future holds for me in that manor, bye" he said running out of the compound.

Tessa had no idea what he was losing. And from then my prayer was she kept forgetting how precious he was because if you ask me, she did not deserve him.