Chapter nineteen

The dinner

Jakes said "I know I didn't tell you Laura will be staying here, I'm sorry. "

Jakes's father said "it's already done, are you loving this place Laura?"

Laura said "yes, sir."

Jakes's father said "making me old Steve is fine, feel at home need anything tell Dora she will help you."

Laura said "Thank you."

Jakes said "Thank you for welcoming Laura, dad."

Jakes's father said "just supporting my son, so, tell me about what do you love about my son?"

Laura said "well…."

Jakes's father said "shouldn't be that hard, I heard you're a couple now. "

Laura starring at Jakes hoping he will jump into this conversation and help her but....

Laura said "well, I like Jakes I think it's too soon to talk about love at this stage. "

Jakes's father said "what do you like about him then?"

Laura looking at Jakes, he was eating his food well enjoying himself.

Laura said "he is kind, caring and he knows what he wants and he goes after that."

Jakes's father said "okay, what are your goals?"

Laura said "I want to be successful business woman and have a leadership school. I want to help people fulfil their dreams."

Jakes's father said "sound ambitious to me, as for helping your people it won't be easy, people are poor because of being lazy."

Laura said "my people have dreams just like your people they just need someone to breathe life to their ideas, believe in them they work hard, hustle hard and the grind never stops."

Jakes's father said "you sound passionate, but all this inspiring people and helping them not in the successful business world, if you want this wealth don't care too much."

Laura said " is that how you become filthy rich not caring, you're just capitalist exploiting people in your world, those in the bottom should stay there working for you and making you rich while their lives never changes."

Jakes's father said "what are you talking about?"

Laura said "don't you own a mine company the Smith Gold, where a man died you fail to look after his family he left behind. He just discovered gold for you and nothing was given to his family it was on news."

Jakes's father said "he was doing his job, it is unfortunate he died after discovering that gold."

Laura said "unfortunate?"

Jakes said "babe, just leave it."

Jakes's father said "it's okay, we are just having a conversion, just business talks."

Laura said "how about the people you hire to be supervisors in some of your companies especially the finance one."

Jakes's father said "it's growing and making money, what about it?"

Laura said "those supervisors don't have qualifications only passed high school, meaning they will work there still in the same position years to come, with little salary they earn with no promotion and taking some of the cleaners to do a few months course on computer then train them to teach those who have qualifications and who will end up getting promoted and run the whole thing. "

Jakes's father said "I'm empowering them."

Laura said "are you, for them to earn less than 2000 for the rest of their lives, have no desire to be more than what they already are. This works for you, people slaving for peanuts it's not empowerment."

Jakes said "I think it's enough now babe."

Jakes's father said "what do you know about running a company and what's empowerment to you?"

Laura said " changing lives don't have to profit from everything you do, you have many companies , help them start their own business, stop sending them to learn how to use a computer to turn it on and off, invest in their future and them having an actual career that has progress."

Jakes's father said "I don't run entrepreneur school and sending my employees to study their dream career. My employees having their dream jobs are you kidding me, I donate to charities and schools I do my part. I suggest you change your course but too late for it now you're graduating next year, maybe do healthcare, social studies next year business it's not your thing."

Laura said "I think I will stick with business studies. "

Jakes's father said" Good luck, you will need it if you get where I am at and that's a big if."

Dinner wasn't great, Laura didn't make a good first impression and Jakes didn't help, kept eating his food poor Laura.

What was going on in the Thompson family since Eric wants things to change in the church and yes they benefitted a lot running the church like a business?

Eric's Mother said" I'm getting to politics, I will be running for mayor and listen to me Taylor you're not going to drag my name in the mud with you, the "Laura situation"."

Eric's father said "politics for what?"

Eric's Mother said "I'm a survivor unlike you, I'm true hustler, you have lost your touch have become soft weak and someone has to look after this family. Soon I will lose my position in that church already have a backup plan."

Eric's Father said "as for dragging you, you should have thought about that before getting to politics, do you care about the city do you even care about the people who will be voting for you?"

Eric's Mother said "I don't need your approval I will do this with or without your help."

Eric's Father said "I don't know you anymore , all this greed for what, I will come clean to the community, the church about my past to help them do better, my past doesn't define me or belong to me. Lord Jesus died for me, paid it all for me so I don't care how says what about what I did before I knew God."

Eric's Mother said "can't you wait until I'm elected."

Eric's Father said "I will no longer be controlled by you, I'm the head of this house my word is final and it is time you learn that."

Eric's Mother said "oh my! I see you have grown a backbone just hope you will back it up. "

Eric's Father said "what is wrong with you, this is not the woman I married."

Eric's Mother said "you keep saying the same thing and I will keep saying this you knew who I was when you married me Taylor Thompson."

Eric's Father said "you changed, what about your work at the church changing lives. "

Eric's Mother said "I'm done playing church, entertaining those church folks making them feel like kings, my time to shine now done pretending and this marriage is over."

Eric's Father said "you can't be serious It's over because of doing right things at church, giving God glory not glorifying ourselves."

Eric's Mother said "Do that, I live for such to be glorified and I get excited when they know how I am, the people, the demons and everything in this world."

Eric's Father said "I can't stand you right now, how does someone like you, who knows the word of God say such things, should you not rejoice that your name is in heaven not over such things. Your ego and pride, God have mercy on us where did we go wrong."

Eric's Mother said "I want a divorce, nothing will change my mind not you, and not the church members not even God. Just how it is now."

Eric's Father said "Our love, our son, our vows does that not mean anything to you."

Eric's Mother said "Sorry, Taylor we want different things in live now."

Eric's Mother stormed out, leaving Eric's Father crying and praying to God.

The smith family after last night talking about business and what does this mean for the new couple Jakes and Laura.

Jakes's father said "I could have join you, running together. "

Jakes said "just needed to be alone."

Jakes's father said "are things that bad with Laura already?"

Jakes said "what are you talking about, please respect my woman and my relationship."

Jakes's father said "alright will stay away from it, just tell me why you were quiet yesterday I think you have doubts about her? "

Jakes said "I don't have time for this."

Jakes's father said "Fine, I will mind my business."