7.2 Thru the Fire

Sophie Nadz addressed the attendees, “Alright, we are gathered here this evening to renegotiate on the matter of the exchange of lots where I dispute and as we understand that multiple parties are involved, I want to enlighten you with new developments that will help you to reconsider your disagreements and settle our disputes without further delay. This meeting will be chaired by Mr Murshid, my lawyer.”

“Hang on a second!” cried Don Mohora, “Who is this chap? Why is he here? What is he doing here?”

 “He is my fiancé and my adopted next-of-kin,” announced Sophie Nadz, “You know, Don, he is Colonel’s son. Lafya here is his mother.”

“Colonel! Do you know about this?”

“No, I didn’t know,” Keré Manik shook his head.

“You only intend to marry. You are not married at this moment in time,” argued Don Mohora, “therefore, I wish not to sit in his presence. Either me or him, one of us must leave.” And he rose to his feet.

“Sit down!” ordered Murshid, “We are also going to negotiate over Mirihi that you have registered as a sole business and here is the letter you’re going to get tonight. It demands you to leave the land and abandon Mirihi with effect from today, that will be 22^nd Wednesday.”

“I am leaving,” Don Mohora got up, “You are out of your mind. I’m not leaving Mirihi until the lease period is over. I have an agreement signed with the owner of the property.”

“We are going to dissolve it tonight.”

“Unbelievable!” he uttered, “If you can do this to me, I can tell you that the sun will rise from the west on this Wednesday morning. Don’t waste my time!”

“We do it nicely and politely.”

“Alright, pay me a compensation of a sum I ask. I put a huge investment into it as you all would know.”

“No,” said Murshid, “we owe you nothing. When you have taken a shared business into your hands without a consent of the shareholder and while the business is going on in the shareholder’s property, you have to pay us compensation on the contrary.”

“Absolutely wrong,” snapped Don Mohora, “I did with their knowledge and consent. Gabi knows all about it. He isn’t here tonight. Why?”

“Sit down!” growled Murshid, “Final warning!”

“You have thought of that too!” And he dropped back to his chair.

“We did,” responded Sophie Nadz, “I have asked you numerous times and very politely to reconsider. And now we are not going to repeat. You do it the easy way or you do it the hard way, I am prepared to end this dispute for once and for all.”

“Sophie, you do have a lot of nerve to say that,” uttered Don Mohora, “I’m a bit amused.”

“There is no ground for amusement. This is my final talk. We act now.”

“What is the hard way?”

“Let’s start with the act you pulled today under this roof.”

“And what would it be?”

“Take a look!” She tossed a manila folder across the table, “I advise you to seek isolation to take a look at them.”

“Are you blackmailing me?” he asked grabbing the folder.

“It’s in full colour unless you paint it black.”

Don Mohora glanced at the contents very briefly and withdrew to a corner to take a better look. His whole life and family hang on a thread.

“Well,” Sophie gestured, “tell us your story about the fire. I can hardly believe you lost all your belongings. Let’s hear it again in presence of your ex-wife and son.”

Colonel Keré Manik cleared his throat. It was not easy to lie in front of his son. “I cannot describe the fire. There are fires that you cannot see and burns that do not heal. My house caught on fire and burned to dust. I tried to save my belongings. My clothes, my papers, my money, all burnt to ashes. Burglars stormed my place. Looted and set fire. I was trapped in thick black smoke with no way out. No escape. I was stuck inside my house, holding my belongings, when the roof fell to the ground. I could not find the door.”

“And the money?”

“I couldn’t save the money.”

“Colonel! They could not trace any banknotes in the ashes.”

“That is true.”

“They found crystal meth in the ashes.”

“That is also true,” said my father, “I believe the burglars looted the money and dropped crystal meth.”

“Each man at his own greed,” articulated Sophie Nadz, “I can hardly believe a word.”

Don Mohora returned to his seat silently.

“I’m finishing my house. I took a huge loan from the bank. I don’t know how to repay at this point.”

“Colonel! You will pay the money to Don Mohora and he is ready to re-exchange the lots. If you will not do it for me, you do it for your son and get my Malibu back.

“Colonel!” her voice was sharp, “If you fail to pay him, even within a time you guys agree, you will not come to get what you want from Lafya. Do you hear me? If you will, you will.”

Colonel Keré Manik understood what she was saying and sat nodding his head. At that point, I honestly did not know what they were talking about. Looked like another blackmail, perhaps.

“Don Mohora! What is your verdict?” she asked.

“We’ll terminate Mirihi business and return the property to the owner,” he said solemnly, “I would like to talk to you privately.”

“I will give you that chance when the matter is settled. Mister Murshid will proceed. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” he sat defeated and picked his words carefully. He seemed like a different man.

“Listen folks!” Sophie spoke, “I am announcing that I am marrying this boy. It is time that you make up your mind and get things done quickly. I’m in a rush. I’m not going to slow down or to compromise. Do you people understand?”

Colonel Keré Manik did not look at me, his son, or my mother. He sat nodding his head. He sat on the left side of Sophie Nadz three chairs away. On her immediate left sat my mother. I sat on her right while she sat at the far end. Lawyers and representatives occupied rest of the chairs out of twelve.

“Since we are all here,” said Sophie Nadz, “we are all associated in one way or another, I would like to ask Lafya to deliver a final word.”

And Lafya responded, “I am deeply thankful for all this and to Sophie Nadz from the bottom of my heart for calling me and taking my boy, his hand in marriage. I wish to tell Manik that he should leave us alone. We take nothing and he must find his way out without us. One lie leads to another. If he has something that doesn’t belong to him, let it go. It belongs to his son. Some good will rise from the ashes.”

“Well said,” applauded Sophie Nadz.

Suddenly, Colonel Manik flung his arm stabbing Lafya in the eye with a pen in his hand. One other person sat between them. Blood spurted out from her eye. The meeting came to abrupt end. We were up on our feet.

“Call Amelia!” cried Sophie. I ran to my mother’s side. “I will call an ambulance.”

“I have a car,” said Colonel Manik.

“Get lost!”

Colonel Manik put on his hat and left.

“My car,” offered Don Mohora.

“Guesthouse wagon,” cried Amelia stepping into the sand-filled floor.

Murshid placed a face towel on my mom’s face. They were fast to cover her face with wet towels. Amelia ran back and motioned, “Bring her this way!” towards the rear gate. Murshid grabbed that little woman on his arms and ran after Amelia. I ran too. Everyone ran.

A wagon braked to a halt in the narrow lane with its headlights on. Murshid climbed up the pocket door with my mother momentarily blocking me and Sophie climbed the passenger’s seat slamming the door behind. I ran to the opposite side to grab the other pocket door. There was no sliding door on the left-hand side. The van took off without me.

“Wait! Wait!” It was rolling towards Medio.

“Americana!” Amelia stood on the lane pointing a finger towards south.

I ran after the minivan. My motorbike was on the other side of the block. Those red taillights were turning to Medio. I thought I was closing gap, almost catching it, as it slowed at the turn. I ran.

On Avenida Medio, the main street was empty at the hour, the red taillights increased gap between me. I ran after the van. I lost the red taillights as it turned to a corner. I continued to run towards Americana Hospital on Cove Road.

I entered the reception lobby to find Stella in her nurse uniform standing behind the counter. “Where did they take my mother?” I asked panting.

“What is her name?” asked the nurse.

“Lafya, she’s just brought in…”

“What happened?”

“Stabbed in the eye.”

Nurse Stella glanced at a list and said, “She is not checked in. You should go to the Emergency Room.”

“Which way?” I was trembling.

“Down the hallway on the left.” She pointed the direction with a pen in her hand.

I ran to the Emergency Room and banged on the glass-fitted door. “Mother! Mother! Open! My mother!” My fists clenched and fleetingly figured that I wore a pair of new shoes grey in colour. I began to cry for the first time I ever remember.