1 Get Married!
Jema sat on her executive office chair trying to get some work done. She had a schedule to keep up with and typed on her desktop with accurate speed.
She was typing when her phone beeped with a call. She paused to pick up the phone and relaxed on her chair in exasperation as she saw the caller's name.
It was her younger sister, Kylie. She wondered what was making her call at this time even though she knew really well that she was at work and didn't like to be disturbed.
She picked the call and on doing so, simultaneously pulled it away from her ear reflexively. Her sister shouted her name over the phone,fear evident in her voice.
She became alarmed by her tone. Her sister didn't wait for her to speak and said,
"Come to the hospital immediately", she said and cut the call.
Jema looked at the phone before dropping it on the table. She began to panic when she heard the word 'hospital'. Her father was in the hospital,admitted a few days earlier after collapsing from a heart attack, that she caused. She soon began to feel guilt wash through her again but she shook it off.
She picked up her bag from the table,put her phone in her purse and grabbed her car key before dashing out of the office.
Her personal assistant almost crashed into her in her haste. She tried to speak but her employer had already dashed into the elevator. She looked at the elevator wondering what could make her boss leave looking so worn out.
Jema looked at the control pad and watched as the numbers counted down. She was so jittery and was becoming annoyed that it counted down slowly.
She heaved a sigh when it did eventually get to the last floor and dashed out before the door could even fully open. Her employees who saw her did that almost gaped at her.
They had never seen their ever so composed boss's daughter so not composed.
Jema rushed out of the office complex and went to the parking lot.
She got into her car,switched on the ignition and swerved out of the parking lot almost recklessly.
She soon got on the expressway and drove like a maniac. She wondered what was going on in the hospital. Her mind raced as it hit only one possibility, her father might be dying.
She pushed the negative thought out of her mind. She didn't want to think negatively and fixed her mind on the impossibly positive.
She looked out her window and saw a sign telling her that she was way past the speed limits.
She took in a breath and slowed down so not to gain the attraction of the police. She then began to drive with more caution as she approached the hospital's street.
She felt herself tense up as she caught a view of the hospital building.
She arrived at the hospital and parked her car safely. She stepped out of the car and walked into the hospital.
She managed to pull back up her usual casual composure as she approached the receptionist. The receptionist looked at her and her eyes widened on seeing the personality before her. Jema looked at her coolly on noticing the nurse's reaction. She was used to receiving such reaction from people.
The receptionist scrambled through her files fully aware of the reason why she was here. She brought out a card and handed it to her before adding,
"I can take you there if you don't...", she paused on seeing Jema's right hand raised.
Jema left the reception silently and walked towards the ward following the description of the card.
She paused on reaching the private ward. She opened the door which revealed the presence of all her family,her two sisters, her step mother and her two girls. They were already present making her feel as though she missed it.
Her eyes quickly caught the bed and her father who was lying on it,eyes closed. He was not moving and seeing him inactive made her heart clench with emotion.
She looked opposite him and saw her sister Kylie seated,signalling her to come take a seat beside her. She walked over to the seat reserved for her and sat down.
Her stepmother who sat in a chair beside her father,gently tapped him to wake him up.
His eyes fluttered open and he asked,
" Jema,is she here,Jema",he called out for her his voice low.
"I am here now father", she said standing up and walking to his side,on the opposite side of the bed away from her stepmother.
She looked at him with so much emotions dancing in her eyes.
He turned slowly to face her and smiled weakly when he saw her smiling at him faintly. Her looks really resembled that of her mother,his first wife. They both had auburn hair and deep brown eyes,a gentle oval face with pouty lips.
He truly had loved her but he killed her with his own careless behaviour. They had both wanted a male child but kept on giving birth to female.
He had been desperate for a male child and after they gave birth to their second child which turned out to be twin girls,he remembered leaving the hospital to go get drunk.
He got carried away and slept with one of the showgirls who eventually got pregnant. On discovering that she was pregnant,he decided to take full responsibility as an ethical man that he was.
He took her in with him to live as his wife. The news killed his wife whom he had cherished so much. She thought he did so in search of a male child.
He wallowed in regret for months and entered into more regret when he discovered that she gave birth to a female child.
He looked at his daughter feeling his heart slowly beginning to palpitate. He had called them all together so that he could read out his will to them.
The lawyer knocked on the door causing them them all to face the door, wondering who that could be.
"Come in Mr Chang", he called to the man and he stepped in upon the man's request.
A man in a black suit stepped in and greeted the family formally before telling them the reason for his presence. They all gasped and looked at the man on the bed. Jema shook her head.
" No way dad,what is the meaning of this, you are perfectly fine there is no need to... ",but she paused and sighed on seeing him raise his hand.
He slowly tried to sit up and his wife tried to help but he stopped her from doing so,he was determined to do it without any assistance. They all stared at him in a state of helplessness.
After a few seconds of struggling,he sat up into a comfortable position, cushioning himself with his pillows.
He cleared his throat and began.
" As he said, I called you all here to read my will to you. I want to see to it that there is no conflict whatsoever. You all should quit lying to yourselves,I am dying,I can feel life leave me with each breath that I take so you cannot tell me otherwise. Now listen attentively to Chang as he reads it out to you",he said slowly but with much authority and signalled the lawyer who was perfectly seated in a chair facing them all.
The man nodded and looked across the room at the faces of his audience before starting.
"I,Qin Malteng,write herein in this affidavit the exact way and manner I would like for my inheritance to be shared among my family", he said and paused looking at the faces of those in the room whose eyes were now fixed on him except Jema who was looking out the window. He cleared his throat to bring back her attention to the room and she faced him.
He then continued his reading.
" To my youngest daughter,Jaio,I would like to apportion the modelling sect of the company,seeing that she loves fashion,I believes this would be best for her".
Jaio felt like screaming on the top of her lungs. She did love fashion and would love to manage the modelling agency of her father.
"And to her older sister, Carly,I give my entire stake in the football club.",
Carly frowned at the reading she just heard. Did her father think she even had interest in sports as Jaio did in fashion. She scoffed when she realised that that was her inheritance.
" And to my power twins,Kylie I leave you in charge of my advertising and marketing sect, since you have a gift of drawing in a crowd and to your twin sister, Kyra,I leave to you fifty percent of my real estate".
Kylie and Kyra looked at themselves obviously pleased. Jema stood, arms crossed beside her father as she waited to hear her own inheritance.
"To my first fruit Jema,I leave to you Acacia,the remaining fifty percent of my real estate,and my assets scattered home and abroad. You have managed the company very well in the past years and I'm proud of you".
Jema smiled but quickly realized that she was quick to do so.
" But...I leave you the company if you get married in the next six months otherwise the company would be handed over to my other first fruit, Carly".
Jema's eyes widened in shock as she turned to look at her father, shaking her head. She turned and faced out the window,raking both hands through her hair.
"You've got to be kidding me,please tell me you are joking dad", she said flaring up. She couldn't believe that her dad was still on the very same topic that got him to this position in the first place.
The lawyer paused and her father turned to look at her.
" Do I look like I'm joking with you,Jema you are twenty seven for god's sake and you are yet to her married,refusing every suitor in a frenzy",he remarked sharply.
"First, I am twenty six and secondly I don't refuse suitors in a frenzy,I tell them a plain and simple, I am not interested and besides what does getting married have to do with running a company anyway", she asked,refusing to believe what was happening.
" Everything. You need a man in your life,this game of influence require that you have a rigid support as a woman ",he replied.
" Well I've been just fine on my own in the past years",she retorted.
"And that was because I have been there for you,but I no longer am going to be", he said adding the last part softly.
Jema felt her agitation evaporate on hearing those words that she didn't want to hear.
" I want you married Jema, this is a dying man's wish",he said making Jema look away.
Carly was pleasantly pleased with the turn of events. She knew Jema found men despicable and would never be able to find a boyfriend, talk less of a husband in the next six months. She leaned back into her chair and smiled triumphantly.
Mr Malteng signalled Mr Chang to begin his reading.
"Last but not least my lovely wife,I leave to you our mansion and a lifetime supply of money at your disposal. Thank you all for listening",the lawyer said and ended his reading. Carly's mother seemed satisfied but that was only because like her daughter,she knew Jema couldn't have gotten married by the times elapsing.
Jema looked across the room,suddenly feeling insignificant. She leaned over to kiss her father goodbye before leaving, her emotions messed up. They all just watch her leave.
