Nala 27
Freetown, Sierra Leone
"He looks like his mother, fights like his aunt and is as smart as his father. What other path is there for him?"
It's the crack of dawn; I was looking down at the capital city from the office my family built overlooking the city. I saw my reflection in the window as I watched the sun rise in the horizon. A smile was absent from my features, but it didn't take away that my beauty has only been enhanced over the past couple of years. Cuteness has been replaced by maturity which has given me a more chiseled and sensual look. Pregnancy and these past couple of years of motherhood have changed my figure. I gained back the baby fat I had lost in my college years. The weight isn't necessarily distributed in all in my midsection as I expected to happen after I gave birth. My chest, hips, and thighs have been affected for the most part. I'm not complaining, it's always the appearance I wished I had growing up but the stares I get maneuvering in the office aren't the most ideal for this working environment.
I've been the face and CEO of the company my husband has left to me to take care of. For our family I have taken that seriously. All my time has been committed to growing this company and being a mother to Zachariah. It has been difficult to say the least, but my husband made the infrastructure of the company easy enough to manage to the point where we became the most valuable company on the continent within six months of his departure. We are now the darlings of the financial world with every international government on the planet in the queue to be a customer of the natural resources that we have monopolized for the entire region of West Africa. I've been acknowledged as the best CEO under thirty by Fortune 500, something unprecedented for African located company.
Zachariah has been growing up fast; he's now over three years old talking and running around the house with the energy of an explorer. It's been a joy to watch him grow and wish I could spend more time with him. I've done the best I can and so far, I haven't seen him be affected by neglect. I have left him with the nanny periodically to handle things with the company but I mange always to be the first person he sees in the morning when he wakes up and the last person he sees when he falls asleep even if I had to bring work home with me. This company is his legacy, and I don't plan on squandering it. He may not have the childhood that I had with my parents, but he'll definitely feel the love his father and auntie couldn't feel.
Sunlight started to flood the room exposing the various rolled up posters, confetti, and evidence of a political campaign in the room. After increasing the country's GDP by a trillion dollars naturally the people of this country's quality of life have risen with it. Everything has happened really fast but even so the changes have been felt. The success of our company has trickled down to other smaller companies in the country created just to support us. That has created hundreds of thousands of jobs in addition to the jobs that were offered to the entirety of the region of West Africa. The people know who has changed their fortune and why their bellies are full. Naturally their hearts have cried out for me to take a more active role in government. Coincidently, a presidential election was on the horizon.
"Mrs. President your 6'oclock is waiting outside." My now, former secretary came in and bowed deeply to let me know my guest had arrived. I merely nodded without turning around to look at him signaling him to let my guest in. The night before I succeeded in winning the Presidential Election for Sierra Leone becoming the first woman president in the country's history. I was scared that it was even getting to this point. Everything was happening quickly in the span of three years. Thylonius, everything you planned has went exactly as you thought it would.
"Madame President it's a pleasure to see you again." Nicholas entered the room with a brilliant smile. He looked like a completely different person that was on my doorstep all those years ago. He was a gaunt, sleep deprived, and broken man on his knees balling his eyes out in front of my door back then. Grief and guilt filled his very being giving me the news of the apparent death of my husband and sister-in-law. Like I was instructed I put on a smile and welcomed like family. Using our little family as a safe haven for Nicholas to recover to his former glory. The once intelligent, confident, and powerful man returned and exceeded that by being present in our household. He made it a point to spend as much time as possible with little Zachariah. Taking care of him when he had time away from the UN and I was busy building up the company. With his guilt dissipating and his confidence coming back he moved on with his life. He was now married and the new secretary general of the UN. His life has never been better.
Back then looking at him in that state and the man he has become now. Internally, my thoughts of Nicholas haven't changed from then and now. The feeling of disgust looking at him filled every part of my being. To me he was a pathetic excuse of a man that didn't stand on his principles. Every chance he has to go refute his own ideology and words, he does. He never had the stones to shake up the status quo. Being apart of leadership these past few years I understood how easy it is to control a person like him. At that realization, the revulsion towards him just continues to grow. Despite my real feelings I never betrayed my husband's instruction and kept things cordial and smiled at the presence of his old friend.
"The pleasure is all mine guessing by the way you've addressed me you're here on official business. Please take a seat." I motioned for him to take a seat on one of my couch's as I turned my back to him and continued standing looking back out the window. The horizon looked beautiful as the sun started to kiss the city limits starting a new day. I noticed in the reflection that Nick shamelessly took a seat, not caring about or not realizing my act to keep the power dynamic tipped towards me by still standing. By looking at him sit and make himself comfortable in the chair from the reflection in the window; had me guessing that it was the ladder. He put his left leg over his knee and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling aloof to his duties.
"I wish this could be a social call Nala but your hard work hasn't gone unnoticed by the UN. Now that you hold public office and are still the owner and CEO of the most valuable company on the continent, the United Nations wants to know what you intend to do with your company. Obviously, we can't have a country leader openly have such a blatant conflict in interest." I turned to face him and tried to give the sweetest smile I could muster. I wonder if this was his move, the move of a puppet master finally showing his fangs or was the pitiful puppet being played again.
"I honestly don't understand how that's any business of the United Nations; this is a Sierra Leone issue we're not even a core member nation. Surely it doesn't affect global issues no matter what's decided." I decided to play dumb, I knew full well what would happen if our company fell into foreign hands and who would profit the most. Would he show me that he was now the puppet master or still the puppet he's always been. I studied his face and he looked confused and unsure, but he was still comfortable. He looked like he still felt like he was at home. He was relaxed like he was amongst family.
"If I can be honest as well, I don't know why it would be an issue."
'You can't be this aloof, it's an issue of power and control. Our company is a GDP mover to whoever owns it.' And inwardly said to myself without changing my facial expression.
"I've just been tasked with offering Sierra Leone the chance to become a member nation and veto rights along with the five permanent members of the security council in exchange for majority ownership of the company. This is on top of money that controlling interest will be worth of course." He smiled like he just gave me the greatest news known to man, like he just done me the greatest favor. I kept my face steady, keeping the same smile but turning around again to face the window.
"This is unprecedented, we are just a small country in West Africa with no real political power. Why would you give us such an offer just for a private company? A country that supposedly produced the greatest murderer the world has ever known. What would the other member nations say? There's no way the would readily agree to this." I felt the rooms temperature change. I turned my head to look at Nicholas to see that his carefree smile had disappeared. He stood back onto his feet and looked around. He walked towards the cracked open door. He looked outside to see if anyone was near and made sure to close it. He walked back to his original spot and kept his voice low in response to my doubts.
"This is strange, you've never mentioned that business before." I gave him a quizzical look like I asked the most obvious question.
"I wasn't the President of Sierra Leone until now. I was just the owner of a private company. I was investigated and acquitted of having any involvement with my husband's work. So, there was no need to mention it. Now I'm being offered such a huge opportunity for my country. I just can't make sense of the values of what we're exchanging. It seems unfair considering this country accomplishments." Nick's face was now focused and alert, trying to read my angle. As he racked his brain if there was an ulterior motive to my questions. The problem is there has never been any evidence that I played mind games. I have always been served at face value to him. It was the reason Thylonius married me in the first place. There were no secrets to discover about me, I was the most honest person you would ever meet. It was infinitely more impactful because of Nicholas' occupation as a politician and his career of investigating criminals. To him, I was on a pedestal of righteousness that no one around him could touch not even his own wife. His head fell to look at the ground, and his voice was quiet to not project, but I still heard his counter all the same.
"Truth is, that officially my late friend was never identified for his crimes. Officially, the truth of how World War III was started was because an American terrorist known as Lucius Williams murdered the U.S cabinet triggering a series of events that resulted in the start of a world war. There is no mention of Thylonius and CniDaria Williams in any criminal records. If you ever look up those names, they were a part of the many casualties that resulted of the war. Shamefully, this was done to protect my role in all this." His head still hung in shame, but I kept my voice steady. His words matched our research, but it was still satisfying to hear it from the snake's mouth.
"Interesting, that changes things. This makes the deal more palatable." I walked over to my com system and pressed the button. "Can you send the VP up here we have things to discuss." I then turned back to Nick as he motioned to leave. "Where are you going so soon?" He gave me a confused look back.
"I guessed that you wanted to discuss our proposal with your leadership. It'll be a process regardless. We have to present everything to the other member nations. It's not a vote that needs be cast, just an announcement but it's still a big enough deal to form an assembly. So, there's really no rush to hear an answer from you." I gave him a sweet and homely smile to get him to relax and saw his shoulders grow less tense, so it seemed to work.
"This will be quick I just wanted to debrief him and give you his opinion. He might have questions as well. That's why I hoped you wouldn't leave just yet." He nodded and plopped himself back on the couch that he was sitting on previously. He didn't have to wait very long as the secretary that brought him into the room previously, entered the room.
"Announcing Mr. Askiya the Vice President of Sierra Leone." She stepped aside and blended into the background as a caramel skinned, stocky, Prada suit wearing, buzz cut having, short man entered the room. He had a friendly look custom to what the more likeable politicians usually have. He ignored the Secretary General and went straight to me, bowed his head and gave me a peck of a kiss on the back of my hand.
"Mrs. Askiya what do I owe the pleasure?" Nick's face became awkward. The mention of my last name gave him all sorts of confusion. He didn't want to interrupt my recounting of his proposal to my right-hand man so he let his curiosity burn as she finished with her explanation and thoughts. As the Vice President thought in silence Nick took his chance to quench his curiosity.
"I'm sorry Nala, did you get remarried to this man or is this a big coincidence that your maiden name is the same as your Vice President?" I gave him an bewildered look. I acted shocked by his question.
"My maiden name is Roberts and I changed my name to match my husbands when I got married. Don't you remember when I was reintroduced after our vows? I would never divorce my husband." Nicholas looked twice as confused as before. To him, his best friend's surname has always been Williams. It never occurred to him that Williams' name was a fake surname. Given to him by the same person that was branded as a terrorist. So the only explanation was that she got remarried to her vice president without me telling him. He was about to shrug it off and stay out of my business until my last sentence registered to him. I have never referred to my husband as dead or that I was a widow like he did. My husband now noticed his realization as well and his smile disappeared from his face.
A silver light surrounded the Vice President as he started to shapeshift. His skin started to grow darker, and build started to grow taller and more chiseled. His hair started to grow locks out of the stop of his head while his fade stayed present on the sides of his head. His eyes faded color into a dull and cold grey that was so familiar to Nicholas. Thylonius Askiya now stood in front of the Secretary General and the blood of Nicholas left his face. Dred and worry replaced the confusion on his face. My husband walked towards him slowly, only stopping when he was in front of him, never breaking eye contact. No words were spoken between them and Nicholas eyes kept going from Thylonius to me searching for some explanation that he was never going to get. A flash of violet and crimson light filled the room and coming from the direction of the forgotten secretary. Nicholas didn't even turn to that direction to see what caused that light. He just closed his eyes and started crying silently. My sister-in-law walked towards him and only stopped when she was directly behind him. Nicholas finally opened his eyes and looked straight at me while still crying and mouthed 'Why'. There was a sickening sound as a hand punctured Nicholas body. Blood splattered all over Thylonius's suit but he never flinched nor de he break eye contact. Nicholas looked down, his tears falling upon his still beating heart in the hand of the woman he still loved and had never forgotten CniDaria Askiya. She was the first to speak in this situation.
"Don't worry your wife will be with you soon." Nicholas started to shake as life started to leave him and he now return the look of indifference that was still on my husbands face. He addressed his one-time best friend one last time coughing up blood all the while.
"What now?" Thylonius raised his hand and brought it on top of Nicholas' shoulders.
"Now, a dynasty will be born."