LEGALIZED
#EPISODESEVEN & Eight
President Musa gasped as he opened the gift hat his wife just bought for him on his birthday.
It was a portrait painting of Paris.
The drawing was so artistic.
How much on earth did his wife spend on such painting?
It must be really expensive judging from the perfectly drawn portrait.
âWowâ. He gasped. âHow much did you buy this?â.
âOne million naira from Tonic Art galleryâ.
He nodded thoughtfully. âWho is the owner of the art gallery?â.
âHis name is Anthony Francisâ.
âCan you contact him? I want his gallery to be my plug. I love this painting so muchâ.
Tears filled Harryâs eyes. âYou believe so much in my talent and so many people have come across it but they had all taken my talent for granted. This gallery of yours is one of the most recognized on the island and it is just too high for my standardâ.
âDo you remember your last painting of Paris clouds and buildings?â.
âYes sirâ.
âThe first lady of Nigeria came to buy it yesterday. I sold it to her for one million nairaâ.
He gasped. âOne million naira?first lady?Oh my God!â.
His phone rang and he connected the call. âHello, who is on the line?â.
âAm I speaking with Tonic gallery agent?â.
âMy name is Anthony Francis and I am the chairman of Tonic gallery. How may I help you?â.
âThe president of Nigeria wants Tonic gallery to become his plugâ.
Anthony swallowed his Adam apple at the sound of that.
Here he was thinking that the cocoa plantation was the only thing that will rise his to stardom.
But the landownerâs son had brought goodluck to his art gallery business.
He was going to be more than capable very soon to marry the woman of his dreams.
The president has made him his plug and that was going to make his gallery the most recognized in the country.
#fromyourfastfingers
Onyekachi Ikeh.
#LEGALIZED
#EPISODEEIGHT
Clara Thompson wept in the balcony.
She wept uncontrollably.
It was the first time that she was leaving the roof of her parents to live by herself and it felt so lonely.
She did not even completely understand what she wanted anymore.
She missed them all greatly.
Everytime she was not on night duty for the day and she was got back home so early, she would feel this emptiness in her heart.
Only her mother was communicating with her.
It has been three months since she left the house to her new lonely big house.
As she remained in her small balcony, she heard a sound downstairs.
She rushed after the sound and a young man was parading in the compound and was wearing a hood.
Her heart skipped.
Was the man harmful?
She panicked as she tried to run back into the house but he forced his way into the house and took off the hood.
It was Anthony Francis.
She gasped. She was so dumbfounded to say a word.
He smiled and gave her a big box.
She accepted the box and opened it.
It contained money.
âThat contains five hundred million naira. You can have back the four hundred million naira you used for my sisterâs surgery and use the one hundred million to re-establish yourself since you are out of your fatherâs houseâ. He explained.
âWhy are you giving me back my money?â.
âI want you to send it back to your fatherâ.
âTake back your one hundred million. I donât need itâ. She said sternly.
He fumed at her. âYou are still so rebelliousâ.
She leaned to count each bundle and took out the four hundred million naira. She forced the box that contained the one hundred million naira into his hand. âThat is your one hundred million naira. I have enough money to reestablish myself without your helpâ.
âYou donât want to accept money from me?â.
âYour returning the money says everything already and the feeling is mutual. I donât want to be indebted to you for anything tooâ.
He sighed. âWhy did you reject Joshuaâs proposal?â.
âWhy? You think it was because of you?â.
âI never said that. I was only askingâ.
The atmosphere felt so awkward.
âI donât want to marry a man that I donât love. That was also the reason I left my fatherâs house. I want to fall in love and get marriedâ.
He swallowed uneasily. âWhat about right now? Are you currently in love with anyone?â.
She met his eyes. How on earth can he be asking such question? âI have no ideaâ. She managed to say.
âYou look like you doâ. He searched her eyes.
âWhatever I feel is none of your businessâŠâŠâ..
ââŠof course it is my business!â.
She was surprised at him. âWhy is it your business?â.
He sighed. âWhy do you think that I have been grooming my gallery business so dearly? It is all because I want to be qualified by your father!â
Tears filled her eyes. âWhy are you making so much effort to be qualified by my father? You are so successful and I am so proud of you. The president use your paintings. That is so much progress. You were so determined ever since you were a teenagerâ. She sobbed.
He wiped her tears with his finger. âLove is making effort. If I donât make any effort for you, it means that I donât love you. I am willing to give my life just to make you my wife, Clara Thompsonâ. With that, he disappeared.
He left the one hundred million naira that she had returned to him behind.
Now that she was realizing that he still loved her so much, she was willing to make her own effort for him.
âExcuse me sir?â. Gretta rushed to Joshua as he sat in his parked car in the parking lot of Kachi mall.
She had traced him to the place.
She gave him a midget.
âWho are you?â. He asked her as he accepted it.
âI am Anthony Francisâs best friendâ.
He turned on the midget and they listened to the conversation that came from it.
(The conversation)
Smith Thompson: I donât want this story. Frame Jordon with a more realistic story. This story is not going to go viral.
Anthony Francis: Alright boss. I will send you another story soon and I know you will approve it because it will be very realistic.
(The present)
Joshua gasped. âThis is Smith Thompsonâs voiceâ.
âYes. Anthony had this midget even when he was sentenced to jail but he told me not to expose itâ.
âWhy did he do that?â.
âIt was because Clara Thompson was the one that testified against himâ.
âSo, are you telling me that Smith Thompson was the one that instructed Tony to create a false rumour about my fatherâs company?â. He looked suspiciously at her. âWhy are you telling me this? What do you stand to benefit?â.
âI want Smith Thompson and Clara to be locked in jail. I already sent the recording to your father. She denied him openly. She has no right to his loveâ.
âDo you want Anthony Francis?â.
âYes I do. I want Tony and I want Clara and her father to be locked behind barsâ.
#fromyourfastfingers
Onyekachi Ikeh