Elizabeth pressed the doorbell to the house Jack said Kelvin lives in. She took a deep breath as she waited for the gate to be opened. Some moment later, she saw a woman who looked like she was in her late forties open the gate. She smiled at Elizabeth.
"Good morning," the woman greeted first."Good ma'am. I am here to see Kelvin Marsha."The woman looked at Elizabeth suspiciously, "did he do something wrong?""What?" Is she aware that her son is up to something? Or has he been a notorious guy all the while?"I'm his mother. What did he do?" The woman asked."Nothing really. I am Elizabeth," she said with a fake smile. Since Jack informed her of Harlan's death, she had found nothing funny to smile about. She has no idea of what her life would look like when all these are over and they have found out who killed Harlan."Come in, Elizabeth," she opened the gate wider for Elizabeth to get"He is not going to hurt me?" Elizabeth repeated, confused."You know, Kelvin can be naughty sometimes, but he soon comes back to his senses," Kelvin's mother said almost in a plea."Mother…? What is he up to?"A drop of tear fell down her eyes and rolled down her cheek."I don't know, but I realized that he has been behaving strangely too," Kelvin's mother said and wiped her face with the back of her hand."How?""He comes home late, wasted and angry. He throws things, breaks my plates sometimes, he plays rock music and the sound of it fills the house. The neighbours have complained about it, but…" she broke down in tears.Elizabeth had her own tears hiding somewhere in her eyes, threatening to fall on her face, but she was drawn with compassion as she saw Kelvin's mother crying. She sat closer to her, unsure of what to do, she patted her back."I'm sorry about that," she
Elizabeth's words hung over the room. It echoed in Kelvin's mother's ears until. Her son, her precious son, her little darling Kelvin is now a murderer. He killed Harlan. He killed his friend! She gasped, her head fell back on the sofa as everything started to spin. Elizabeth quickly got a cup of water water from the kitchen and gave it to her. She made sure Kelvin's mother drank from it before she poured some if the water on Kelvin's mother's head.She looked pale, startled, shocked and really horrible as she stared at Elizabeth."Eli… Elizabeth… repeat… repeat what you just said," she stuttered, staring at Elizabeth as if she was a ghost. "I'm sorry, mother. It's still a shock to me too. But, Kelvin made Harlan drunk before getting him killed," Elizabeth said.Kelvin's mother screamed. Closed her eyes and rolled off the sofa. She continued screaming and crying as if she had seen a ghost.Elizabet
Some hours later, Jack came back to Harlan. The tears had subdued but the pain was still raw. "Sir, can we go now?" Jack asked quietly.Harlan didn't bother replying, he stood up and went outside. Jack went after him. The drive home was quiet.Jack knew better than to say anything. When they got home, Harlan opened the door before Jack could get down to open the door for him."Make sure you have some rest, Harlan," Jack said.Harlan nodded and tried to smile at Jack being casual, but it was tears that fell from his face. He hurried inside, switched off his phone and climbed the bed. He wasn't sure how it happened, but he found out that his eyes closed. It made him wonder just how exhausted he was.Harlan woke up with a start. He had heard someone try to door. He was sweating profusely and his heart was beating fast. In his nightmare, he had seen Kelvin tell him that he would kill him
Throughout the drive to Kelvin's house, Jack didn't say anything and Harlan appreciated them. Mr Smith had insisted that from now on, Harlan would not go anywhere without some security men with him. The car behind them had three scary looking men, armed to teeth.Harlan had asked Mr Smith why he was making such a fuss but he had told him that he wouldn't watch another death attempt on Harlan's life again.Harlan took a deep breath as the car stopped as the traffic light turned red.He remembered the first time he had noticed the sign at age four, Kelvin's parents were riding Kelvin and him to a friend's party. He remembered asking Kelvin's mother what the sign was. She had said 'it means danger. Stop. It's the danger symbol' both Kelvin and he had laughed at the dramatic way she said it.He buried his head in his palm. How is he supposed to tell Kelvin's parents about what happened? How would they take the news? How would they
Kelvin fell with a thud. He didn't shout. He had had worst nightmare, worst imaginations than this, he had felt more pain than this. In most of his nightmare, he had begged for death. "Stop!" He heard Harlan yell like he had always done in most of his nightmare.Kelvin slowly sat back. He looked at the two scary looking men who aimed their guns at him. This nightmare seems slightly different from the rest. In the others, Jack had always been the only one. He saw Jack behind Harlan. Harlan turned to look at Jack."Why did you shoot?" Harlan snapped.Kelvin noticed Jack bow slightly and muttered 'sorry' but still aimed his gun at him.Harlan turned back, but Kelvin didn't dare look at him. He glanced at his foot instead. It was bleeding, but he couldn't feel much of the pain. The greater pain was in his head. Damn Den for assuring that the pain of guilt and the nightmare will heal with
"Harlan, I love you and I'm sorry," Harlan heard Kelvin say as the grip on his neck loosened and he fell to the floor.Harlan looked in horror at the blood that covered Kelvin's body. He jumped down on him and gripped him. He shook him roughly."Kelvin! Kelvin open your eyes!" He screamed but that didn't make Kelvin's closed eyes open."Young Master, what are you doing?" Jack asked, infuriated as he stared at Harlan pleading that the person who just attempted to kill him to be woken up."Did I ask you to shoot him?" Harlan fired. "Get the ambulance now. If he dies, trust me, I am going to see to it that you are miserable for the rest of your life," Harlan shouted at the confused Jack.Jack hurried outside and a few minutes later, Harlan heard the blaring of the ambulance. Kelvin was pulled into the ambulance, and as Harlan was going to get inside with him, Jack grabbed his hand."What
The next Monday, Harlan was okay and the effect of the alcohol in his system seemed to have worn off. Mr Smith had teased him of being the first person he would meet with a hangover of more than three days. All Harlan's effort to get to Mr Smith what Mr Smith was hiding from him about the Alberts proved abortive, he has plainly told him to mind his business which has fueled Harlan's curiosity more.He checked his reflection in the mirror as he adjusted the tie. Thirty minutes of YouTube videos had helped him get the annoying thing fixed.He texted Jack and asked if he was ready. He got a reply some seconds later: 'I'm ready'.Harlan took a deep breath before going to the car outside. "Any news about Kelvin?" Harlan asked as Jack opened the car's back door for him."He is still comatose," Harlan could notice the indifference in Jack's voice. He sighed.Jack got inside the car and drove to the Keith a
Before Mr Albert could say any other thing, the elevator opened and Harlan stepped out. The shock on Mr Albert's face was evident. Harlan smiled at him."I know more than I'm telling. For now, I am going to make one of the Alberts go to jail for the first time in a long time. It's thrilling to break such histories," Harlan waved at Mr Albert as the door closed.Harlan sighed. He wondered if what he just did was going to get him anywhere. He stopped by at his father's secretary's office and said hello before going back to the park. A few meters to the park, Harlan heard footsteps behind him and stopped. He turned around to see the man who had been walking behind Mr Albert earlier come toward him."Mr Albert said to collect your phone number," the man said, soundly slightly irritated that he had to go after someone as unimportant as Harlan just to have his number. A lot of influential people would offer their phone numbers to Mr
"The award of the best student in this graduating set goes to… before I call his name, I would like to add that he is the most handsome guy I have ever seen on earth —because I see a lot of things in my imagination. Combine his handsomeness with his being a genius and you have…" "Harlan Smith!" The audience and the graduating students shouted, completing the MC's sentence for him. Harlan came on to the stage, dressed in an academic gown. "Hey, Harlan, where is your cap?" Mr Healy asked in a whisper as he was about to hand over the prize to him. "Mrs Smith is wearing it," he said. "Now, you have to snap this picture without the cap," Mr Healy pretended to sulk. "Even with that, I still stand out," Harlan said and smiled. Mr Healy smiled and handed him the prize as camera light flashed on him. The MC called on Mr Healy to give his speech after prizes had been handed over to students that merits it. Mr Healy was given a standing ovation as he stood up from his seat in t
Harlan dropped the envelope containing all the cards on the table. On the same table was his car key, his ATM card and a note which read: goodbye. Thank you.He remembered the exciting feeling that he felt on the day Mr Smith gave him those cards. He shook his head quickly to get rid of the thought. This isn't time to be emotional. He just cannot forgive his parents for what they did. He had always hoped that his father would never have peace, just look what happened. All these while, he had been Harlan Smith without knowing it.He opened the door and went outside. He only took four clothes and a extra pants. He would start from scratch and go back to living the life he used to live before Mr Smith came into his life.The light in the compound made it a very beautiful sight to behold. The first time he had come here, he had almost thought he was imagining things. Funny how those days had passed really quickly."Sir, where are you going early in the morning?" Jack asked as Harlan was
Harlan almost choked on his food. He grabbed a cup of water and drank from it. She made a tsk tsk sound. "You are just like your father. Your face is flushed.""I am eating mo… Mrs Smith!" He almost called her 'Mom'."Does that mean you are studying law?" She asked."Yes. I am in my final year.""Wow! I can't wait to wear your graduation cap."Harlan found himself laughing in between eating. Throughout the rest of the day, he and Mrs Smith were discussing. She told him about her perfume company about how much she loved what she was doing. Harlan found out that she was a very easy going person. He had missed having her in his life all these years and he found himself wondering how great life would have been if she had been part of his childhood days.Later in the evening, Mr Smith came back home and the first thing he did was to turn on the television. The case had been a really fast one. Harlan would bet that everything was possible only by Mr Smith's influence. All the people that
"I just wanted to check on you to see if you are getting it, Sir," the Cctv footage officer said. He could not help thinking the CEO had come to check on his girlfriend who had come here with another man.Harlan stood up and left. The footage officer stared at his back. The CEO doesn't seem to be in the same mood he had been when he came in. He shrugged.****Harlan found himself at the large field where he already went whenever he was overwhelmed. He had had a lot of surprises in the past six months but none of them has even been as shocking as this. He rolled on the field and faced the sky. He heard the sounds of birds nearby and wondered if he would have any problem if he were a bird.He replayed all he heard from some hours ago in his head. The conversation between Mr Smith and Mrs Smith. His father and mother… he closed his eyes. So all these while, he had those two people's blood flowing in his veins and he wasn't aware of it.He took his phone from where it was lying beside him
Harlan crossed over to where he had parked his car. He got inside and looked out through the window. In the next seventy two hours, he would be buying up all what the Alberts had. Through the help of Mr Smith, he had been able to refile the cases that the Alberts had been guilty of but had won. Mr Smith had told him how difficult that was, but he had not taken no for an answer.He took a deep breath and silently prayed that all these would be over. He had been able to get the victims of the Alberts and had convinced them that they would be duly compensated if they came back for their cases again.As he was about to turn on the car. He saw someone familiar pass him by. Mrs Smith? The fact that she was alone, with no bodyguard, made him more curious to know why she was at the hotel. He waited for some seconds before coming down from the car. He walked in the direction she had passed and saw her enter the hotel.When got inside, he could see the receptionist go pale as he walked toward
Harlan's phone beeped. It was his personal assistant from the 'where talent glows' calling. He answered it."Hello?""Is there any problem?" Harlan asked."Not really. Mr Richard Albert has been meaning to see you all these while. He asked for your number but I didn't want to give him until I asked for your permission first.""Tell him to meet me at the Jay Team lounge," Harlan said and hung up."Drive to Jay Team," Harlan told Jack."I checked into the company where you made your friend the manager, things have gone really wrong there. Lot of workers have quit," Jack said as he turned the car in another direction."So?""He has done worse things than you are aware of," Jack said."Whatever he has done to me is none of your business," Harlan said.Harlan searched for his personal assistant's number of the company where he made Kelvin the manager and sent him a message to call in the evening.Harlan had informed his personal assistant at the Jay Team hotel to make sure no one other tha
The Alberts were in a pensive mood as everyone of them sat in the family hall. Unlike the other meetings where there would be chatters before the meeting started, today, everyone was focused on the phone, reading the various posts on social media that had managed to circulate around in the last three days. "Richard, how many companies don't want to partner with us anymore?" Grandfather asked."Seventeen."Grandfather sighed. "Let them go." "What are the updates about those riffraffs?" Grandfather asked."The TV station where they went refused to disclose anything about their identity. I have met with the owner of the station but he isn't saying anything," someone said."I have a friend there but he is more clueless than we are about the matter," someone else added."I have checked into it but there is really no one I suspect to have done this among our business rivals," another person said.Richard felt a feeling that he had missed something out... Funny how he seemed not to have th
Another movie had begun on the television and they both watched it as they ate the pizza Elizabeth had ordered. She kept stealing glances at Harlan. She had a lot of questions to ask him but she didn't know which one to ask first. "Stop staring at me," Harlan said without taking his eyes off the television."Huh?" She blushed and looked away.She looked back at the television and reached out to take a slice of pizza. At that same time was when Harlan was going to take one too. Because he was looking at the television too, he grabbed Elizabeth's hand. He glanced at her and for some unexplainable reasons, her face flushed."Hmm, I need to get something inside," she stood up and almost ran to her room. She locked the door behind her and held her fast beating chest. "Darn!"Harlan is in the sitting room… Why the heck is she over-thinking it? She shook her head and turned on the light in her room. She glanced at her face in the mirror. It was flushed. "No. This can't be happening!" She
Elizabeth didn't know how long she had been staring at Harlan's picture on the poster that had been placed in different places all over the campus. In the poster, the pictures of the six of them that had won the competition were there. When Harlan and Roger wouldn't show up, herself, Jason, Cecilia and Adrian had taken the picture. Roger had sent his picture and she had given Harlan's picture from the ones posted on the group chat when the gossip about their dates first started. Some skillful graphic designer had managed to put the pictures of the six of them together. In the picture, Harlan was the only person that stood out to Elizabeth.She looked around to be sure no one had been looking at her. There was no one. She sighed.Her phone beeped. It was a message from Harlan... No, a message from Jack because he is the one with Harlan's phone now. She checked it and saw a picture of some guy in a suit and tattoo on his neck. Under the picture, it read : would you recognize me if you s