Chapter 7: Chapter 7
Songs for this chapter are:
Don't play cheap - Hulvey
Over the top - Lecrae
No chains - KB
Difficult - Gawvi
Yemisi
"I'm so damn spooked, I'm not going to lie. I haven't seen Mustafa in months. He hasn't for once stopped by to say hello to the kids. I don't know what to expect, " Cassandra tirades for the umpteenth time since we'd hit the road.
"Then expect nothing at all. That way, you won't be disappointed or surprised, " I answer, swerving the vehicle to the other side of the road that leads faster to the company. "Remember it's the president we are going to tackle with first before Mustafa."
Soon, we'd reached the company. I turn off the ignition and alight from the car after parking it at a safe spot. I was starting to feel a little agitated as well and that was thanks to my sister's endless panicking. Who knows anxiety could be this contagious?
I smooth my black suit like there was the presence of a disgusting crust or rumpling on it. Cassie alights from the car minutes after I'd stepped out. I give her a hopeful, pleading look, requesting silently for her to cooperate, and to be at her very best behavior. She returns my desperate articulations with a wry smile and nods her head.
Together, we step into the company after facing the high building head-on. It got to the point where I started to feel like I was the only one walking as soon as we arrived at the reception and when I look behind me, I realize that I had truly been walking alone for the past three minutes.
Cassandra stood on the spot where she'd last used her legs; frozen, flabbergasted, stuck. My heart skipped a few beats, my mind reeled, wondering how else I am going to convince her to be bold and to remain calm. We hadn't even seen Mustafa yet or...
Then I turned to look ahead of me. Only then, was I able to see the reason why Cassandra had stopped walking. Sitting by the ebony-colored sofa next to the brown mahogany desk at the reception was Mustafa with a slightly chubby, wooly-haired, dark-skinned, lady next to him.
I looked back at Cassandra to be able to decipher who exactly she was looking at and I was glad I did so. It appeared that she would have been able to face Mustafa without making it so egregious that she was anxious and scared to be around him which was a great thing as my pleadings didn't fall on deaf ears however, it seemed to be the presence of the lady that took her by surprise. An unwelcome one.
I didn't know who the lady was but I knew my sister didn't want her around with the deadpan, arctic cold eye she gave. It looked like she wouldn't even behave properly with the lady being around.
I take a deep breath. I have to look for a way to get this lady out of here without humiliating Mustafa since she is his accomplice. That might not be completely possible but there should be no harm in trying.
It looked like the action of breathing deeply that I'd taken seemed to be a lot more audible than I processed it to be because now, their eyes were on me and on Cassie too.
The climate in the properly air-conditioned reception increased to a hundred degrees Celsius. Soon, we would all be roasting.
I felt a hand land on mine. I looked to my side. Cassandra was holding me by the hand. She was trusting me. She wanted me to get the lady out.
"I appreciate you so much for endeavoring to—"
"You don't have to express your gratitude. It is something that is supposed to be done. Today is a crucial day and the reputation of this company must be upheld in inestimable value, " I cut in on Mustafa's words. Taking another deep breath as the temperature in the room increased to a greater boiling degree, I proceed to ask a question. A three-worded question that could cause a catastrophe in seconds. "Who is she?" it took a lot of willpower to act like the person in question didn't exist. I didn't want to give her the benefit of having my attention.
My palm became sweaty. My eyes dart slightly to Cassie's hands still intertwined with mine. She was fretting.
"Her name is Zoe. She's a lawyer as well."
"Oh, but there wouldn't be a need for two lawyers to uphold the prestige of this company today, would there? The President of Somalia is already cognizant of my presence along with you and Cassandra."
The silence in the room was pregnant. Pregnant with a big sac of rage, perspiration, words that were better left unsaid, and mostly the impatient calm before an apocalyptic storm.
"She is just here to support me, " Mustafa argued, unyielding and thwarted. He wasn't ready for some more tension-inducing situations.
"I'll just wait outside. Don't worry, I'm fine, " the thick madam murmured to Mustafa before she turned to leave by the door located at the far end of the reception.
She avoided Cassie's eyes as well. That I had noticed. Cassie looked like she'd wanted to say something or puke rather while Mustafa looked like he had wanted to bash me for subtly removing his accomplice out of the gathering. It was either Cassie couldn't puke in a place as public as a reception and Mustafa still had enough respect for me not to dare speak rudely to me or the sound of heavy footsteps had preoccupied their intentions.
Truthfully, the footsteps were louder than those of Japanese squadrons at a battlefield on a winter day.
The president had arrived.
It was time to get down to business.
In no time, the originators of the loud footsteps showed up at the reception. Each mountainous, turban-wearing, giant-bearded man in khaki pants and bulletproof vests standing behind one another like alignment in a military parade.
They were ready to take Cassie and Mustafa away into the wells of death at the very slightest signal from their president.
Cassie squeezed my hand. I squeezed back and rubbed on it affectionately.
A minute later, a short, light-skinned, giant-bearded man in a kaftan walked in amidst the path his troops had created for him. Their 'oh-so-elite' president was here.
Our eyes met. I stood firmer than possible.
Cassie let go of my hand. I glanced at her, wanting to ask her if she would be alright without my support but she had already composed herself before I got to ask. Despite how tense and saddening the atmosphere was, I smiled internally. When my eyes shifted to Mustafa, my internal smile widened into a grin.
They were making me proud.
Let's face the common adversary in unbreakable unison!
"Hmm, " the president observed, looking at the three of us intently. "I am sure you must feel very smart now, thinking that I fell into your hook right? If you think I am not going to kill these two swindlers, then you must be highly delusional."
"I never for once disputed that fact, your excellency. Why would I ever underestimate your powers as a president? All I seek for you to do before killing these two in your most preferable way is to give them the benefit of the doubt. I'm sure a president ruling by the Democratic system of government would not be so autocratic as to slay trespassers without hearing their sides of the story first and going about it legally."
"What side of the story is there to listen to from these fraudsters, Barrister Roberts? Tell me!"
"Are you ready to listen to it?" I took a step. A step closer to the president. Gosh, this was fun!
"Do I look like I'm here to hear stories?" he snarled, pointing at his troops of men, signifying that he was here to take actions rather than going through formalities and baseless arguments.
"Well, such intentions are never visible on facial expressions but I'm sure that above all the anger you are feeling right now and the unquenchable desire to unleash your wrath on these two, lies the curiosity to know why they swindled and sold fake gemstones to you. Am I correct? I would appreciate an honest reply from you, your excellency."
I couldn't suppress that stubborn smirk that was displayed at the corner of my lips. The President's left little finger twitched.
Was he actually...reconsidering? Was he?
"Yes, I want to know, " he admitted.
Checkmate!
"So I will take that as you wanting to hear their sides of the story right?"
His right finger balled into a fist.
Ooh, la la!
"Yes, " he admitted again.
"I'm impressed, your excellency." I smiled triumphantly.
"As the mediator, in this case, I would be representing these two and would be telling you their side of the story aptly. The minister of foreign affairs of your country purchased ten boxes of unrefined sapphire from this company two years ago. It is of no doubt that the seller of the goods in this case which is Mrs. Cassandra Williams had the duty to sell goods that were of the right quality as bargained for in the contract of sale of goods.
However, the seller, in this case, was unaware of the true authenticity of these goods since she was a layman and had no idea how to distinguish a fake gemstone from a real one but the buyer being the minister of foreign affairs, had the warranty that the goods were of sheer, inestimable value after a brief examination of the gemstones so, therefore, he bought the goods in good faith.
Under Section Thirty-six, subsection two of the Sale of Goods Law, when a seller tenders delivery of the goods to the buyer, the seller is bound, on request to afford the buyer a reasonable opportunity of examining the goods for the purpose of ascertaining whether they conform with the contract.
Section Thirty-seven also goes further to state that a buyer is deemed to have accepted the goods when the buyer intimates to the seller that he has accepted them, or when the goods have been delivered to him, and if the buyer does any act with them, which is inconsistent with the ownership of the seller, or when, after the last of a reasonable time, the buyer retains the goods without intimidating to the seller that he has rejected them.
In this case, a period of two years since the transaction had passed by. No immediate complaint was made whatsoever. The goods were not submitted for a thorough re-examination before a resale to the government of Azerbaijan. If they were, there is no way you wouldn't have discovered on the spot that the gemstones were fake after putting them to the test of refinement.
Coming back to the buyer in a different country to throw a tantrum is of no necessity. That Azerbaijan is waging a war against your country for supplying fake gemstones to them gives you no right to blame the owners of this company for that catastrophe as there is now a transfer of risk and property from the seller to the buyer.
Muss Gemstones Limited is a company that the populace holds in great esteem and there has been no flaw whatsoever in its modus operandi or numerous transactions home and abroad and this issue which is uncalled for will not demolish the high reputation of this company in any way."
The temperature in the room became humid. Goosebumps came in a rampage on the soft flesh of my hands.
There was silence.
And another big bowl of silence.
The silence that comes from knowing that you've been utterly defeated. Knowing that you have no reason to speak to prove yourself right.
The President was tongue-tied.
Surprisingly though, he tried to defend himself. Interesting.
"Hmm. I see where you are headed at but would you be surprised to learn that I can choose not to be bounded by the commercial laws of this country and can still destroy this company and its branches for good?"
"I will be astonished to learn that because it would be the densest thing to do, your excellency. I don't think any sane human being on earth would love to enjoy running at multiple losses. Moreover, I think it's a universal concept to realize what an absurdity it is to come back after two whole years of purchasing a good to state that it was of low quality. This is definitely beyond an acquiescence of your rights as a buyer. It is simply beyond me."
"I can use my powers as a president and I will destroy you with this company. Who do you and your cohorts think you are to bring legality into the matter?!" he fused. Then his gaze became fixed on Mustafa and Cassie.
He smirked.
My heart thumped loudly beneath my chest.
Oh, God. Not these two, please. They have already suffered so much.
"Now that I think of it, I know the perfect way to destroy you. I'm aware of the fact that the owner of this company and this lady right here used to be a couple and they have children together. Hmm. Interesting."
"Do. Not. Even. Go. There. Don't even think of harming my children or using them as collateral to pay off the debt you think we owe you. My children have nothing to do with this and you should stay out of our personal lives completely."
I wasn't sure if I had heard right but I could kill to hear those iconic words over and over and over again. I wished I had the power to rewind.
Cassie had spoken. She stood up for her children in the face of the president. She did and I was proud. It was obvious that a good mother ought to protect her children.
But this was Cassandra.
A nine-year-old girl who was sold off to a loan shark by her mother.
It made me try to picture what our mother would have done if she were in this tight spot but since I couldn't, I decided to focus on the most important and it was the fact that Cassie had made a difference.
"You can't do anything to harm us your excellency and I say this as confidence in the fact that you really can not. I am not my moved by the presence of these mountainous statues standing by the entrance. It would be best that you leave before you lose your dignity and you know what that means for the president of a nation, " Mustafa added.
My babies are making me so proud! I know we still have a lot to resolve after this battle but this right here was pure gold and I love to see it!
"On this note your excellency, where factual information and power are being brought to the table, intellectual abilities prevail and so far so good, you have been unable to bring valid facts to defend yourself adequately. Power and authority minus intellect is equal to absolute baselessness. Your claim is, therefore, void ab initio, " I concluded.
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Exodus 14:14 - "The Lord will fight for you and you will hold your peace."