C11 CHAPTER 11

A blue and white tax packed at the front gate of a big mansion which was Ashar’s parent house. Somia carried her hand bag as the driver packed, opened the back door and got down. Put her bag on the head of the car, brought out money and paid the driver off.

“Wow!! His house is very near to my place, I will be glad to be coming here everyday and be going to work together because of the transport fees!” Somia was talking to herself and brought her phone and wanted to call Ashar so that he could talk to the security guards at the front of the gate and allowed her in. That was how she had been calling him since because the estate that Ashar were living was not a kind of place that someone could just entered except if they had knew you.

She wanted to be dialing his mobile number when his call entered and Somia picked.

“Hi! Where are you now? Are you at the gate now?”

“Yes Sir!, just arrived there now even it’s you that I want to call so that you can talk to them when your call enter!”

“Okay! Give the phone to them, let me talk to them!” Somia walked more closer to the securities and gave the phone to a man sitting on the chair. It took him some seconds talking to Ashar and Somia was just looking at him. The man stood up after few seconds later.

“Welcome Ma!, you may go in now!” Gave her the phone and opened the gate for her. Somia entered looking around and didn’t knew the apartment to enter.

As big as the house was and how lovely it was didn’t be like surprised to Somia because her father’s house was big and beautiful than that. A young man ran to her as she was looking around and Ashar too was just leaving his room going to the top of the house upstairs to tell her how to come in.

“Good morning Sister Somia!, good morning and long time Ma!” Put the bucket in his hand down when Ashar too came down to that place, looking at them from upstairs.

“Good morning!!” Somia greeted with lower voice and looking at him.

“Do you remember me Ma!, Am one of your workers then. You may remember me because am still in your house when you arrived from London for your father’s death!” He was very happy to see her and Ashar was busy looking at them but didn’t heard their interlocution.

“I remembered you very well. The laundry man right?” Saying with lower voice.

“Nice to meet you again Ma and my regards to Madam, help me to thanks her very much. The money she gave us that time when she wanted us to leave was the one that I used to set up my laundry house and just working here as part time laundry man!” Checking his pocket.

“That is good! Do you have people working there or it’s only you running that place?”

“There are many people there Ma, and I just still managing here as part time laundry man. This is my complementary card, please ma give your people and I will do them well!”

“Okay!, I will. Am going inside to see Ashar!!” Put the card inside her bag and the man took her to the apartment. Somia opened the door and entered.

As she entered she met Ashar’s father in the living room drinking coffee and watching BBC news, when Ashar’s mother was coming down from her room.

“Good morning Sir! Good morning Ma!” Standing at the front of Ashar’s father and greeting them.

“Good morning beautiful lady! You must be Ashar’s personal assistant that he has been waiting for since?” Ashar’s father was very nice and cheerful man and that was whom Ashar too was.

“She is! Why is that it’s home that you came, you suppose to meet at the company and go anywhere you want to go from there!” Ashar’s mother said as she was sitting down beside her husband. Ashar’s mother was not harsh just making sure Ashar didn’t lose focus on Somia because it was Iqimat she wanted him to marry and become one big family.

“Am the one that ordered her to come here so that we can go from here, even she is my both home and office personal assistant because it’s not everyday I use to go to the company!” Ashar Said as he came out from upstairs with the office case in his hand.

“What is all this that you are bringing as if she is your first Personal assistant, your formal personal assistance which time did he ever came to this house!” His mother said with loud voice.

“It’s nothing! I know you are suspicious because she is lady and not just a lady but beautiful lady. But I trust my son, he can never disrespect us!” Ashar’s father said with smile.

“That is it Dad! Somia let go, we are running late!” Said and two of them going out. Door opened and closed, two of them came down and the laundry man ran to them. He was with the securities talking to each other.

“You are going Ma, take care Ma!!” Saying with respect and honor.

“Thank you! See you again!!” Somia Said with lower voice and looking at Ashar looking at them. The driver opened the door for Ashar and two of them entered.

The driver too entered and the laundry man went back to where he came from, the driver started the car and driving out. Somia was still feeling somehow as she expressed it for her friend Nana.

“It’s like you and the laundry man know each other, saw the way he ran to you and greeting you with respect!” Somia was silent for few seconds and talked up.

“I don’t know him anywhere before, he just came to advertise himself as a laundry man!”

“The way he ran to you as you entered and with the greeting make it be like he really know you and have seen you for a long time!” Ashar Said and starring at her.

“Not at all!. I have done with the assignment that you gave me and I have sent it to your mail!”

“I have seen it, good job and you look really beautiful today!” Threw a comment and Somia just shook her head and focus on the phone. Ashar brought out his phone, on it and looking at Somia’s pictures that he took that the same day. He took the pictures as he was coming down from the staircase, he had deeply in love with Somia. But now his hands were tight because he couldn’t go against his parents wish and didn’t had right to stop the wedding with Iqimat.

******

Iqimat was in the living room at there house, wearing a beautiful outfit and looking gorgeous. Put her cleaned and smooth legs on the chair and watching movies, also drinking juice and eating small chops prepared for her by their chef. Iqimat didn’t had any job be entrepreneurship or office works that she was doing since she had back to Nigeria from California. Just to reading novel, watching movie and sleep, it was her parent that brought her home when they wanted to start the matchmaking process and other staffs.

She took the novel that she was reading before watching the movie back on the table and the title of the novel was FORTUNE TELLER AND RETURN written by Zeezeefortune. Continue reading it and smiling when her father came out from his room, he didn’t went to office, it was sometimes that he uses to Show up to that place.

“Hi my daughter! How are you doing?” Asked as he was sitting down on another chair.

“Am good Sir and thank you!” She didn’t took her eye off from the novel.

“It’s because of you that is why I came down because I want to talk to you, are you listen!”

“This novel really catch my attention, sorry for that Dad!” Put the novel on the table and face her father and her father sat down properly.

“What I want to say is that you should have start working by now, resume to the company and take over my position as the CEO or you will continue as an entrepreneur that you are before. Think of something and stop just sitting at home for the past two years!” She looked at her father and frank her face.

“If it’s time I will start working but for now no!” Said with lower voice.

“Your weeding date has been picked and the preparation will soon start, also you and Ashar will be here in Nigeria together not that you are relocating back to California. So don’t think of your business there, that one will be sell, start planning of new thing now!”

“I know all this!, am just not ready to do anything now may be after the wedding!” She was talking when one of their workers got there.

“Ma! Your phone has been ringing since!” The phone started ringing again, Iqimat collected it from her hand and stood up.

“Give me few minutes Dad, we will continue with the conversation!” Said and going upstairs.

Door of her room opened, entered and closed it very well also locked it with key. Sat down on the bed and calling the mobile number back, it was international number.

“Hello!!! I left my phone in my room, it was one of our workers that just brought it for me now!” Said and Listen to the person conversation and which was secretly.

“Yes! I called you because I may forget before the night that we use to talk. What I want to say is that the wedding date as be picked and it’s first of January, next year!” Silent again and listening.

“So any plan will come between Second or third of January!” Stopped talking.

“There is nothing that can change it!, it’s first of January and the plan will be carry on second or third of January!” She breathe in and giving the person too chance to talk. The phone was in silent and the conversation didn’t went straight even if there was someone at the door listening, him or her could never understand.

“Okay!, great and bye!” She hung up from the call, unlocked the door and going out.

*******

Ashar and Somia came down to the compound of the company that they went to and very happy. Just finished having the meeting since morning that they had arrived there.

“Wow!! Thank you! You really do a great job on the assignment that I gave you, it’s the one that let us win the contract now!” Looking at Somia and smiling with his handsome face.

“Thank you very much Sir!” Said with smile too.

“Let go and have launch together, don’t say no to my order!” Looking at her.

“Okay Sir!” Said with lower voice and Ashar did sign to the driver that they were coming and going to the restaurant beside the company.

Two of them entered the restaurant, Ashar shift a chair out for Somia and she sat down after showing her appreciation and Ashar too sat down. A young man too entered with them and stayed at a corner as he saw one of the workers in that restaurant attending to Ashar and Somia.

Ashar ordered for what they wanted after asking Somia and the young lady left. As the lady left, the young man walked closed to them and he was a reporter.

“Good afternoon Sir, I won’t take much of your time. Please!! Can you tell me whom she is to you because I have saw you together like this at a supermarket that time and we all know that you have a fiancée!”

“Are you the only one here?” Ashar asked with low voice.

“Yes Sir, am the only one here!” Somia was just looking at him and didn’t said anything.

“She is just my personal assistant, you can see the tag on her neck and don’t let this go out Okay!!” Brought out some cash that was with him and gave it to the reporter.

“Okay! Sir, bye sir!!” Said and leaving the restaurant. Ashar shook his head, that was how all those reporters used to do just always wanted to be having a news to carry.