"What changed?"
What does he mean? I wondered.
"What change?" I asked too
"Mo Hong has vowed never to work with the Li Family"
"I didn't vow. I just stated that I will be independent. By the way, I'll be travelling soon."
"Hmmm"
"Meaning" leaving with Mo Jinsheng, I now know how to mise my words.
"You are going to Africa"
He knows? It makes sense now that I think of it. Only the shareholders of Li Corporation knows that Mo Hong who owns Light Up is me.
"Yes"
*********************
Looking up at the warm sun and the leveled green grass,flowers poking out from behind them smiling shyly at the sun up ahead, the feeling of breathing in the scents of wild flowers... Otherworldly.
The ever smiling Mrs Alfred, a middle aged coloured woman, stout but agile called out excitedly:
"Miss Li!"
Right behind is her husband, Mr Alfred, a handsome and charismatic man.
"Mrs Alfred." We hugged.
"Miss Li, welcome back." Said Mr. Alfred. His smiles as gentle as ever.
"Yea, can we go now?" I said to Mrs Alfred who was still holding onto me.
I met Mrs and Mrs Alfred at a charity event. I was new and that had initiated a conversation. We had become friends from then on. When Thier business failed six months later, I had offered to support them but they had refused saying that the business was tiring.
They lived with me ever since. Being principled, they refused 'free help' as it is called in their native language which made them become my butler and cook.
In the evening of the same day.
"Ah! I don't think I'll get used to the flavours and spices but I still enjoy them"
"What irony that is Miss Li." She was all smiles
"But I do enjoy it, always. I cross my heart."
Very few people could make me feel so comfortable just being with them. These two are in the few. I just love them.
"How was China?"
"China"
All the memories rushed in at once.
I had received an emergency call and headed home but woke up two years later with no memory of how the two years had been spent.
Worst of all to the realisation that I was being played by my grandfather and his cohorts were my best friend and my supposed ex- husband. And it couldn't have been any worse than been married to a man who rules the business world, a terror to whoever offends him, the ladies very much included whom I cannot define. A cheat at that!
He demands I accept that I am Mrs Mo while he harbors another in his heart. Yet we are stuck together and I can't protest because I'm filial!
I have never been this cheated by life!
"Miss, miss, miss, Miss Li!"
"Yea"
"What troubles your heart?"
"Nothing"
"Well then, Miss An comes here every few days. She must miss.."
"An Qiao comes here. Ah! That girl never calls me yet she visits a house. Ump" I could not let myself be missed by such a friend.
"I'm going for a walk" I felt quickly. Something must have been chasing me.
"Miss Li, Miss Li, Miss Li... Miss Li wait" Mrs Alfred was calling me with all fervour and I was running away with all my strength. I wasn't ready to face that part of my life yet.
I was in my room panting like I had run marathons yet I couldn't run away from the agile Mrs Alfred.
She stormed in. I had forgotten all about the door. Is this what being dumb feels like?
She was towering over my small frame. Her gaze threatening but gentle, a mixture of coaxing and chastisement.
I trembled, dreading all the words that will feel my hears. I'm in for a handful. The feeling of being in the wrong overwhelmed me.
"I'm not at fault!" I protested.
"I never said so" she retorted
And so my ears kept leaking, water kept flowing out while Mrs Alfred continued with the coaxing and the parting and the 'what I couldn't remember' and then I calmed.
"Li Chaihong, life is never fair. People will never remain the same, they changed, they grow, they adjust, they overcome, they fail, they succeed, they lose, they gain, they die. We can't always control the way people act but we can control the way we react. Look where we are now." She sighed
"I get to tell you this today." She sighed again. Too a deep breath and continued.
"My brother and I were to share our father's inheritance equally. He was older but he didn't object thus we shared it that way. My husband was very interested in a unique business in which instead of selling products we sell people. We help companies, corporations and other businesses to fetch workers. We were the middle men. It was a new method in human resources management. We soon became famous. We were doing quite fine too. All of a sudden my only son fell sick and died. It was so natural that we dared to accept it.
A few months later, my older brother came back to us. We thought it was for a visit but he was staying too long. Although he was a quiet man he was not easy to please. It became so uncomfortable that my husband had to ask him when he would be leaving. Then he shocked us by bringing out a big bag with money in it. He said he had sold all his inheritance and wants to join our business. He was my brother afterall, we agreed. Unfortunately, he was trafficking people and by the time we realised we were already in trouble. I feel trusted associates stood as guarantors for us.
My stupid brother, he committed suicide and died in my hands. In the letter he left behind, he had gambled all away, was indebt and was given a way out, trafficking" she sighed
I sighed even more. Mrs Alfred was always so cheerful that I had never thought this would be her story.