Pearls of Love (Episode 11)



Most Fridays are usually very busy, but there was always the consolation of weekend. However busy my Fridays I still ensured to close earlier. Especially this one, being my birthday. So many birthday wishes from colleagues at work and even external friends.

Getting close to the house, that evening, I could hear blaring of music from the building. Hmm, something must cooking, as soon as I parked the car, kids rushed to meet me.

“Daddy, daddy”, Peter and Pat chorused almost at once, I wonder how kids manage to echo words almost at the same time, even without planning it. Ann also came out, she had on a short bump, and a revealing blouse. Hmm, it's going to be a very swell night. I thought excitingly.


After giving a a light hug, she took my laptop bag, as I bent over to give Peter a pat on the back while I carried Pat up, she's still my best pet, even now, I enjoy carrying her so much, as she looks lovely each passing day. I have always loved the female babies, they have this special lovely nature and especially when they are beautiful.

The house had been decorated, with my best colors; blue, yellow, red and black. It looked real good,

“Wow what a surprise!” I exclaimed as I walked into the magnificent sitting room which had been transformed into a mini palace. It was really beautiful.

“When did you leave work?” I asked, surprised at the work done, they were very creative!

“At about 1pm, after picking the kids I didn’t go back to the office, we first went to the market to pick something’s before coming home”.

“You did all these by yourself?” I asked looking around the sitting room which looked like a mini palace.

“Gladys assisted” She replied.

"I really like it" I told her, giving her another hug as Joe’s “Good girls” filled the air. It reminded me of when we just met way back in the university. Joe had been my favorite musician.

“Happy birthday Mr. Dan”, Gladys comes in, I guess from the kitchen, she had on an apron.

“Thank you Gladys”, "This is so kind of you" I said referring to the cleaning, and decor.

Gladys had been with us for a while. I have often heard of bad nannies and house-helps, but not Gladys, she was like a member of the family, she had been the kids’ nanny since they were babies, right from Peter.

After exchanging usual pleasantries with Gladys, I went upstairs and put some money in an envelope, and went back to the kitchen to hand it over to Gladys.


“Thank you mister Dan, it’s kind of you sir”

“Never mind ma’am”

“What about a drink?” I asked her and she nodded.

“A little sir”, she replied.

“You don’t drink much?” I asked and she nodded.

It was my birthday and so there was a little freedom for everyone. I took a small bottle of stout from the fridge and gave to her. “I hope you hear from your son?” I asked her

“He’s doing fine” She replied

One thing, I am not good at, is interfering in other people’s affairs, you will hardly hear me ask people about their personal life, especially people working with me or working for me. I am this kind of very strict about personal affairs, I guess I don’t mix business with pleasure and mind my business a lot. People have complained severally about that, they say I am too official in everything, I guess that is just my life! But that doesn’t mean that if you bother to tell me about your personal issues that I won’t listen to it! In fact I have great ears for listening to people’s problems and giving considerate advice.

But Gladys is almost like my family, she took care of the kids since they were babies, she has really mingled with my family, I trust her a lot too. For the kind of person that I am, for me to trust you, you must possess a certain level of character. I hardly trust people, so if I trust a person that means there is certainly something unique about the person.

Gladys had been a widow since I knew her, she lost her husband several years ago shortly after the birth of their son who currently lives with her uncle in Sweden.

After exchanging goodnight greetings, I took a bottle of Big Stout and walked up to my room. The noted, the walkway to my room was decorated in blue ribbons and balloons. Someone sure know my best of best colors. The door to my room was opened; I was just wondering if I had left it opened when I saw Peter sitting at my desk, looking into the laptop, I quietly went behind him, hoping he won’t notice.

“I know you are there”, he said without looking up.

You know I always have this admiration for him, he is an intelligent child, very sharp, maybe he inherited that from me.

We are both not great sleepers, if you enter Peter's room while he his sleeping, he gets up immediately, and very alert too, that’s just like me, regardless of how long I have been sleeping and no matter how tired I was, even if you try to play a prank on, I am alerted, once someone enters into my room, even when you try to sneak, and I will get up, except if I don’t want to.

I smiled as I leaned on the chair. I noticed he was trying to send a card through 123greeting cards. Peter was already becoming an expert on computer, just within a short time; I wasn’t surprise at that too. I have often told people that the easiest thing to learn is computer and technology as long as you have the interest.

He turned to look at me, then stood on the chair and hugged me, he was so small. I carried him up and kissed his cheek.

“I am trying to send you a birthday card, didn’t want you to see it, until you check your mail” He said

“I haven’t seen it yet” I answered and he nodded. “How is your math’s today?”

“We didn’t do math’s today” he replied

“I hope you didn’t fight with anyone in school?” I asked

I had a rough time growing up as a kid, I didn’t go about fighting people, but people just love to pick up fights with me. Some people think I am proud and arrogant, probably because I kept to myself a lot and love to do my things my own way. Why should I be blamed anyway, since I don't in anyway dictate to people how they live their own lives!

“No daddy but one boy is always looking for my trouble o” he grumbled.

“Always report him to any of your teachers when you know he wants to make trouble, but when he is friendly, be friendly too, okay?” He nodded.

“What’s his name?” I asked

“Joe”, he replied.

Peter is a quiet boy, the same way I was when I was a little boy. But behind that cool, quiet person is a mind that would not spare an enemy. I was very quiet, humble, and obedient while I was growing up, but a lot of people took me for granted, misinterpreting my quietness for foolishness. It takes time before I react but when I react I do overreact, and that’s when everyone sees the bad side of me. I didn’t keep friends and up till now I find it difficult to keep friends. I have lived my life learning people, reading people and the philosophy of people interests me a lot. I discovered people are difficult to be pleased. When you are quiet, they say you are a sadist or you are too proud. When you are outspoken, you are too lousy, too irresponsible.

My thoughts was cut short, as Ann came into the room, she had a bowl of chin-chin in her hand.

“Boys alone?" She asked as she came in.

Peter's eye shifted to the bowl of chin-chin as I took it from Ann and threw one piece into my mouth. It tasted well.

I removed my shoes, sat on the rug and stretched my legs. Peter came and sat beside me.

You must be very careful how you live, kids watch their parents and emulate what they do, especially kids who admire their parents, particularly their dads.

I have noticed that Peter loved to do the things I do, this has made me even more careful in the way I behave when eh is there, so that I don't teach him a bad habit.

"So, how was your day? Ann asked, I think she had already asked before.

“My day was fine. Yes, I forgot to tell you. I ran into Ken on Tuesday”…

“Oh, dear Kate”, she cuts in “We’ve not checked them since she had her baby”

“We need to go there tomorrow and spend time with them, or you have any plans for the weekend?

"No I don't"

"Then you need to call her, and tell her we are coming, just in case they already have a plan for tomorrow.

Ann later returned to the kitchen while I played monopoly with Peter until Pat came in to call us for dinner. Over dinner, we discussed work, and watched a black movie. By the time, we finished watching the movie the kids were already asleep, they had slept off on the couch and we had to carry them to their room before returning to our room.

“So what am I giving you for your birthday?” Ann asked as we lay on the bed.

“Yourself would do, no better gift than that”, I replied stroking her hair.

“You say that every year. You already have me, any time”, she answered

“Okay, anything you like” I said still stroking her hair

“I bought you a pack of boxer and card; I hope you will like it”

“Oh, so thoughtful and kind of you”, I said kissing her.

“So you saw Ken today?” she asked.

“Not today, it was actually on Tuesday, I ran into him after a meeting”

"That reminds me, let me quickly call Kate now”, she stands up, went over to the land-phone, and dialed some numbers then waited.

“It’s Ann”, she said sitting back.

“Oh Ann, it’s been a long time”, I heard Ken said from the other end. The telephone was on speaker.

“Sure Ken, sorry we haven’t been to your place since your wife put to bed. How is Kate?”

“Fine just a while she’ll be here what about Dan?”

“Ken, how are you today?”

“I'm fine, just the normal runs o, you understand now” he replied. "You guys are the boss now"

“Today is Dan’s birthday”, Ann said cutting in before we started talking about work.

“Oh mine! That’s true”, Ken replied “Sorry, I forgot”

“Never mind. I forgot it myself”, I said to him over the speaker.

“It’s work, you know. We are always very busy everyday of our lives” he paused. “Do you know its Dan’s birthday today?” I heard him talking to Kate from the other end.

“Is Ann there?” I heard Kate ask

“Hi Kate”, Ann greeted.

“Ann, you forgot me, why?”

“Kate, see I’m sorry, honestly we’ve been busy. We will be coming over tomorrow morning with the kids,” Ann said. “How is the baby?”

“She’s fine’, Kate replied.

“See, we will be spending the day with you guys tomorrow, that’s why I called to inform you”

“Nice, we will be expecting you guys”

They talked for a few more seconds and hung up

I still had to catch up with the headlines on CNN before sleeping, by the time I finished seeing the headlines, Ann was sleepy, she must have been very tired.

“Goodnight” I told her when I noticed she had dozed off.

“Sorry I am very tired this night” she answered.

“I understand” I told her rubbing her back

I watched her sleep off. That was another thing I enjoyed doing- watching her while she sleeps. She sleeps like a baby. I turned the lights off, and then went out to my studies, took a canned beer from the fridge and started the laptop. I instantly got a mail notification on my desktop, the incoming mail sender name was unusual and the subject was even more disturbing... “Long time stranger!”, I didn’t instantly remember the sender's name.

Immediately I opened the email, some pleasant or unpleasant memories flashed through my head. I am not sure now if the mail is more interesting than the memories of the past.

Email...

Dear Dan,

Happy birthday, I stumbled across your profile somewhere today. It’s your birthday and I thought it good to drop a short line to wish you a good one! How is your family?

I hear a lot about you these days. Glad to know you finally achieving your goals and your dreams getting nearer and nearer. I have a read some of your books, hmm, interesting I must confess. I am also glad to know that you now have a perfect family.

Well, I am still single, haven’t met someone as nice as you since then.

Thanks for that time, even if it was just for very short time, but it still lingers on in my memory even up till now

Rita

Rita! You not hear me talk so much about Rita, but somehow, she has a least a chapter in my life's story. The mail sounded like some sort of joke, where did she surface from. I wiped sweat from my head, what if Ann had been the one reading this mail, I wonder what she would think! Rita and I did not really share any intimacy. All what happened between us was total infatuation, emotional misplacement and misjudgments. Yes, we had a fling or two, yes out of idleness! And imagine after all the years that I hadn’t even heard nor seen anything about her, then this mail.

Something tells me, this may be a new page in my life story, depending on how I manage it.

I had totally forgotten anybody by that name. Well I wouldn’t have taken her seriously anyway even if I had wanted to, not with her two babies. She wasn’t married, when I met her, and I don't know if she had any hope of getting married, not with two babies, a twin outside wedlock! All she ever cared about was career and money; she never struck me like someone that cared about family life.

I read her message for the third time trying to understand if there was any other hidden explanation to the message, for every statement someone makes I try to get my own deeper meaning to it. Whether it was just my imagination playing pranks on me, or it was for real.

Maybe I am very disturbed because Rita was the first girl that made me ever cheat on Ann, we weren’t married then though, but Ann never got to know about it but each time I remembered, I always felt guilty.

I forgot about my affair or fling with Rita long ago, I forgot anyone like Rita existed. But here from nowhere, she sends me an e-mail on my birthday after about ten years that we had neither seen nor heard from each other.

Without thinking twice I replied the mail thanking her for the message and I deleted the mail immediately hoping not to hear from her again. I didn’t want Ann to have the slightest idea about her.

Rita was not really a beautiful lady, facially, but she’s got some shape that could knock a man out. That wasn’t what attracted me to her, but her matured qualities even more than Ann possessed, she got ideas, independent and very intelligent, those qualities were the things that attracted me.

Rita and I met while Ann and I were apart for a very long time after we graduated from the university. I was alone and very lonely at that time, and I guess it was because of my loneliness that noticed Rita, if Ann was present I bet I wouldn’t notice any woman regardless of the tempting shape she might possess.

But I was kind of bored, and needed someone to talk to, I needed a companion, I needed a friend. I needed someone we could share ideas, someone who was matured and also has a vision. Rita had all of these characteristics, and so we became friends but I got more than I wanted, we went beyond just friendship. But in anyway, she also made a change to my life, because through her I met the woman who transformed my life, the woman through which I was able to earn my first real money, that woman was Jamie.

My story about Jamie is another story entirely; it wasn’t a story of romance, not fling, not even lust, but a success story, the story of how I made my first hundreds of thousands, in fact almost a million.

Categories: Short Stories & Articles

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