Chapter 14: 14. ARE THEY EATING OR CRACKING JOKES
Claudia who noticed the daggers Vincent was piercing her with try and ignored him but she has to justified herself because the daggers were too plenty towards her. "Why are you looking at me like that" she said looking at Vincent who turned to look back at Jae Won. Vincent went ahead and put down the cooked cassava and plantain from the burner.
"I'm just a messenger so no need to point daggers at me" she continued while she went closer to Jae Won side with her bag around her shoulder. Vincent didn't say anything for about a minute. When they all thought it was over Vincent talked and surprised her with his comments.
"I'm not angry at you just that" he paused while he took a deep breath "didn't you fight with her, so why are you telling him about her when you know she is not a good person" he stopped. He took glances at Jae Won who was speechless between these two siblings who kept arguing about something he knew but couldn't understand.
"I don't mind Jae Won being crushed on but not when that person is not a good person, I won't allow that" this time he said it In English facing Jae Won with smiles lurking at the corner of his lips. He lowered the heat of the burner in which the soup was on.
Claudia gave up and went upstairs to go wash up and change so she could help Vincent for the meal. She came back after a few minutes. She went ahead to place the mortar and pestle at the back of the kitchen where they always pound their fufu and prepare everything that was needed the only person left was Vincent to come and pound so she could stir after the cassava and plantain which would be made into sticky dough. Vincent and Jae Won came so Vincent could do his job I mean the pounding.
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Back at the living room, Christiana and Samuel were busy fighting over the remote control. Samuel wanted to watch a cartoon they were showing and Chrisatiana also wanted to watch a Ghanaian series on a different station. None of them were willing to sacrifice for one another.
Mr Jonathan on the other hand was busy making call with his board of directors. They wanted to let the police handle the perpetrator who almost sold their secret to their competitor. Mr Jonathan here knew the perpetrator very well, in fact with the help of his mother did perpetrator got the work after he graduated from the University. So Mr Jonathan didn't want to break the mother of the perpetrator heart. Though Mr Jonathan has informed his mum about the things he had done and had given him a second chance because of his mum.
With the noise that was coming from his children turned Mr Jonathan into a scary daddy because he went ahead and switched off the television and told them to go do their homework for the next day even though they were done with their homework the Friday they returned home.
"But daddy we are done with our homework" Christiana retorted but went back to her shell when her father gave her the stare of her life. "I think I'm gonna go play with Jae Won" Samuel said running as if his life depended on it. "And I think I'm gonna go study" Christiana said while going up to her room. Mr Jonathan went back to the call he was making trying to convince them.
A few years back when Mr Jonathan was still in the University before he took over the company. He came home for vacation, when on one day his father asked him to bring some documents and money from his room he forgot to take it with him to the office.
He happily took the briefcase sat in his car and drove to the office. At the packing lot of the company, he was attacked by a thief who took the briefcase but fortunately for him, Gloria was busily looking for something she drop. She saw the scene where the thief took the briefcase running towards her since the entrance was on her direction.
The thief thought he has gotten a weak prey so he didn't hesitate to run towards her since she is a woman and definitely can't fight him. That was the biggest mistake on the part of the thief. Gloria was a black belt taekwondo practitioner. After he got close to Gloria, she stepped forward with one foot keeping her knee slightly bent.
She swept the thief's leg out from under him using her leg. As the thief fell, she guided him to the ground using her body weight and control to pin him down. She looked up towards Jonathan who was calling the police and as satisfied with the what Jonathan was doing, she kneel on the thief's back, with her knees pinning his shoulders to the ground.
"Fuck" is what the thief could say after he was pinned to the ground and what just happened written all over his face. "Was he taken down by a woman" he thought. He raised his head to look at Gloria who smiled devilishly at him "don't ever think women are weak again" she said while she continued to apply joint locks to the thief's arms keeping him immobilized and waited till the police arrived.
Jonathan thanked him and made a promise to her when they went up the office after he realized that document could cost his father's company. He begged her father to allow Gloria to intern in the company since she was already coming for an interview.
From then they became best of friends and promised her whatever she wants in the years to come she should tell him. That's why he gave her son a second chance after he screwed up. Mr Jonathan was able to convince his board of directors to let go of this incident for the last time.
***
Samuel who had gone to the back of the kitchen to play with Jae Won only to find him trying to pound the fufu. Vincent was standing beside him guiding him but Jae Won couldn't even lift the pestle up to the point of bringing it down. Vincent kept laughing and laughing till he went to hold Jae Won's hand to help lift the pestle up and down for a while.
After a few minutes he left Jae Won to do the pounding by himself and the moment Jae Won could lift the pestle up it take hours to bring it down. Samuel who was looking this lovey dovey scene for some time couldn't kept his mouth shut "I think we are gonna eat this fufu in our next life" Samuel said while he went to pull Jae Won from that nightmare he was watching.
"Jae, you've done your best. Let me continue so we finish early and I can go prepare your meal for you" he said while he went back to his pounding. Samuel took Jae Won to the back of the mansion to play catch and throw.
After they played for a while, Jae Won got curious "what game do Vincent like best" he asked Samuel who was about to throw the ball but ended up pausing mid way. He grinned his face trying to remember what his dear elder brother liked. "Oh he like playing basketball at the school park on the other side of the mansion" he replied making Jae Won smile, his smiles could even repair the damage of an earthquake.
After a few throw and catch, Vincent came to call them food was ready and Samuel run as fast as he could to get to the dining table. "Go call the rest" Claudia said in a raised voice sending chills down Samuel spine.
Samuel went up to call her mother and Wendell who has been playing video games from the time they arrived from church till now. He almost forgot about Christiana.
They all came down to have their meal but Vincent didn't join them as he went back to the kitchen to prepare a meal Jae Won could eat. Jae Won joined him and they prepared his meal. Vincent has been learning how to prepare Korean food so that Jae could eat something. This time he prepared rice with many side dishes he watched on YouTube.
The two went to dining table to eat. The rest of the family was done with their meal and they cleared the bowls making space for Vincent and Jae Won. Vincent was eating fufu while Jae Won was eating his rice. This scene was so romantic as they keep staring at each other and laughter coming out of the dining table only they knew what was funny.
"Are they eating or cracking jokes" Mrs Gladys said while pointing at them with I'm not surprised look on his face. She turned to continue to watch her series leaving those two lovers up to their own world.
Jae Won was busy laughing when Vincent placed his hand on his lips to take out the rice stuck on his lips. He went ahead and put the rice in his own mouth while he smiled at Jae Won who was as red as something. " Sorry, there was rice" Vincent said looking at Jae Won. "Thanks" he said while he lowered his head back to his eating before his face gives him up.
"I will go buy you phone" Vincent said when he realized Jae Won didn't have phone.