The Hated Millionaire Heir

Headlines

“Meeting starts in one hour.” She reminded her boss, Tony switched to his wrist watch and noted the current time, 9:30 a.m, he murmured. Pushing his laptop to the side he pulled the day’s newspaper underneath the pile of arranged documents, he paused to wrap the sleeves of his shirt nearing his elbows and leaned on the desk to read the headlines. SUDDEN CHAOS, the bold capitalized heading screamed, below was a picture of a building surrounded by ambulances and fire trucks, the walls were charred and glimpses of press caught in the act casting the news, sipping his mid-morning coffee he flipped to the next page. Tony hadn’t been on the loop for the past three days, he didn’t watch the news or enter into any social platform to know just what was on everybody’s lips, however, Tony wasn’t desperate to get slapped by this bombshell. “I like staying afloat. The less I know the simpler life gets.” He ushered his wisest words, living by his rule Tony shifted his eyes from the second page to his desk, using his fingers he perused the pages and counting each he stopped at the number five. Pressing his thumb inside he slipped his whole hand till his before page was overturned by the current page. SPORTS, the head section in green capitalized letters titled, THE BATTLE OF THE SEASON, the headline shouted, smiling Tony took a sip of his coffee as his eyes eagerly read the story below. Ten minutes later he was done with the newspaper or what he wanted to read, Tony placed the newspaper on a far end of the desk and settled a file on top of it, he turned to his laptop to peruse on some agendas for the meeting in fifty minutes time. Thirty minutes later he had an idea of what the meeting would entail and turning to his coffee mug he grabbed it and rose to exit the room.

Down the stairs he noticed most of his staff members were on their break, their computers were still on and the company’s logo was floating on the monitors, he went past his secretary’s desk to the cafeteria and as he approached the serving table he noticed the service provider in white clothing was glued to his phone. “Eeeerm.” He coughed slightly, realizing it was his boss calling he immediately apologized collecting himself as he approached him, “What can I get you sir?” he asked humbly, “Refill this please.” He said handing him his mug. “Why were you so glued to your phone? I realize most of my employees are as well. What’s going on?” Tony asked out of curiosity, “Sir you don’t know yet?” he began the question set in rhetorical state, approaching Tony he handed him his mug filled to its brim and turned to grab his phone. “This is what is going on.” He proclaimed, the hand sized hone was fully filled with the day’s newspaper and the headlines were the most readable part, “Can I see that.” He insisted pulling the phone form his hand. Using his thumb and his finger beside it he zoomed in on the newspaper, it was then did he understand the topic with much heaviness to draw his employees from their work, “Thank you.” He appreciated as he rushed to his office. His journey to the entrance began as his mind was in disbelief, there were common incidents of fake news and how quick and often they spread, perhaps this was one of those instances, maybe the newspaper he read was forged by some street fool looking for the spotlight, as he walked in his office he hurriedly settled his mug on the desk and turned to close the door. Tony searched for his newspaper and pushed the file on top of it, he then turned to the second page and there he read the headlines similar to that one before, WILL THE KANGS EVER BOUNCE BACK?, the bold heading questioned its readers.

In his blue jeans and stripped vest, he held the spanner with his right and the ring with his left before he crawled down the green van. Ricky bit the torch illuminating the parts above him analyzing as he perused his hands checking for lose ends. He moved higher and higher till he was completely under the vehicle. Scanning the muffler he noticed an odd creaking sound, using his spanner he calmly hit the catalytic converter and neared his ear to the muffler. Normally the car would echo the sound through the muffler to the tail pipe, however, when Ricky neared his ear he heard the vibrations with no echo, “The muffler is old.” He concluded tapping the slight crack he spotted. Aware of the problem Ricky rolled out and dusted his back and behinds after standing up, the car owner had described a creaking disturbing sound when he drove, “The muffler has a crack.” He told another mechanic glued to his phone. “How can that happen I thought the muffler can’t have any cracks?” the mechanic loudly wondered, “Well it does and many reasons could explain it,” Ricky paused placing his tools inside the metallic toolbox. “The owner of this car has done half of the maintenance. He paints it, refurbishes the seats and everything but the muffler and the tailpipe have been ignored.” Ricky theorized sitting down on a plastic blue chair. “Why would it still be damaged?” the mechanic said standing up to grab a spanner, “Bumps, rust, poor roads.” He stated, “These are the primary reasons, how he stores the car also has an effect so at one point the muffler’s indestructibility is compromised.” He concluded rubbing the sweat from his forehead with his backhand. “So how do you fix it?” the mechanic asked walking to the van, “That you will figure out.” Ricky informed, “Why me?” the mechanic asked as he peered through the raised windows. “Because you need experience and this is the best way for you to earn it.” He emphasized, the mechanic chuckled having figured the agenda as he walked back to his seat. For some brief minutes the two mechanics went mum with each other, Ricky was humming a tune to a song he loved as a child while the other scrolled through various social media posts sighing in shock with various unexpected topics.

He brushed over the silver U-shaped tips and rings as he searched for a size he believed would help budge a rusted flange nut. Whistling as he did so Ricky pulled a two-finger wide spanner with one end bigger than the other, “Size 14.” He murmured, he had found his intended tool and leaving the mess of newly bought metallic aids he turned and walked to the behind of the van. He squatted and took a glimpse of the car’s plate; he scanned the exhaust and brushed his finger on the circular exit later rubbing the black soot on a rug he pocketed. Calmly he sat down his legs in the car’s shadow and his waist higher up on the outside, his hands leaned and blindly he brushed his fingers on the outside of the exhaust and moved lower to the tail pipe. He shrunk and went deeper till he was under the van, taking a glimpse of the tail pipe he moved lower to the main nut that joined the two metallic joints together. Using the bigger size, he gripped the spanner’s ring on the nut and with one hand he tightly gripped the tool and pushed to his head. Some pushes later the nut eventually budged and relieved he began turning the nut with his fingers till it fell on his chest and a creak sound followed as the tail pipe and muffler pulled apart.

“No way. Hey do you remember the shoe company we bet would collapse?” he asked, “Yes I do.” Ricky answered as he studied the two joints and worked to detach both wholly. “Well, it has collapsed,” he paused, Ricky underneath the car let a hefty laughter whooshing the rust from the metal pieces and into his mouth, chocking in sudden discomfort he thumped his chest with his fist as he crawled out. Some thumps and the rust was out in a clump of saliva and Ricky’s eyes in tears, “So I won the bet.” He acclaimed weakly as he walked for a glass of water, “Yeah I know.” The mechanic ushered disappointed he lost. Done with the post, he scrolled down and there the red outline body with the label TOPIC NUMBER ONE popped. Interested with the topic he began reading but at the meetup with the word’s calamity and Kangs, “Ricky you might want to look at this.” He called loudly.

At the far end of the garage, he crushed the paper cup and threw it in the bin as he walked from the dispenser. He grabbed a rug and rubbed his finger taking a bottle of grease beside the rug as well, as he neared his companion he glanced at the car and back to his associate, “What is it?” he asked. “You might want to look at this.” He stated handing Ricky the phone, a minute or so later Ricky placed the rug and bottle on the table and turned to grab his clothes. “Where are you going?” he asked, “I have to find a way to fix this.” He said reaching for his shirt, “But why? Its their company in trouble not you.” He highlighted, “Well I don’t care about them but the woman I love does and is part of this. So I am as well.” He related the two scenarios. Rushing to the washrooms Ricky changed into his formal clothes and stacked his work clothes inside a tractor tire leaned to the wall. “Take care of that I have done the hard part the rest should be easy. If it gets tricky call the others for help they can lend some tips.” Ricky concluded as he tucked his shirt and fixed his collar. Hurriedly he walked out of the garage in standard grey trousers and a black short sleeved shirt with white sneakers, “The Masons Enterprise.” He ushered the cab driver as he drove to the destination in a hurry.

She rushed up the steps in a hurry to the board room, Tony was seated in his normal seat listening to one of his workers present a well analyzed project for the company, “Knock!”, the bang interrupted as the secretary walked in. “Sir someone wants to see you.” She informed, Tony unaware of any meetings proceeded to ask the party involved, “Its your brother, Ricky.” She spoke. “Take care of this meeting I want the full report of every word that comes out of her on my desk tomorrow at noon.” He instructed as he exited the room and the secretary sat on an empty seat beside Tony’s. Tony walked down the steps to the floor below, he took the turn to the hallway and with doubt and caution of his brother’s appearance he nudged the door knob and walked in.

He sat there scanning his office, his legs were down and his fingers were entwined with each other, he was in an upright posture and when his brother walked in he turned to look at him as he closed the door. The two brothers didn’t speak from when Tony entered till his sitting, “Why are you here?” he asked harshly. “Have you read the news?” he asked rhetorically, “Then you know why I am here.” He finished. Tony was shaken after what he read and despite his meeting occupation mentally the news still knocked his nerves. “The Kangs have it rough. I don’t know why that would make you pull me out from a meeting with my employees.” He reprimanded, “Is there something we can do?” Ricky asked his face stern and serious. “Who do we think we are huh!” he muttered in shock, “The helpline company, the rescue team when they go south.” he paused, “Can we do something?” Ricky asked again. “Listen and listen carefully. The Kangs are our biggest competitors and with their setback we will outclass them and choke them to their extinction. So, tell me why would I risk this golden opportunity to soften up for their little fire fail?” Tony asked his hands rested to the table and eyes locked with his brother. “What if we own it? If we own their company or buy the most shares or perhaps help them but have most of their market and industrial manufacturing rights we will still be in control right?” he asked. Tony pulled back and let his brother’s utterances sink, “He has a point.” His inner voice aligned with the idea. The Kangs were in desperate need of a straw for them to not drown and The Masons were the only ones with a straw that strong and reliable. The kangs extinction was good but engulfing them into their name would mean the Masons would go worldwide and he would cement that achievement for eons to come.

“It can work but how do you suppose we do that?” Tony asked, “I have an idea in mind,” Ricky paused as he chose the best of the three alternatives he had in mind.