*????COINCIDENCE????*
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*CHAPTER 31*
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Jimmy was talking ” …Would you rather have
him lead us or you would rather have someone
whose plate is clean and who un-derstands the
vision to lead us? Who was there from the
beginning of things and watched him put brick
by brink and un-derstands his inspiration or you
would want a boy who just sprang up , and
whose image is tainted to be the new face of
Heritage group and the leader of chocolate
city?” Jimmy says facing them in the room.
”Ofcourse. It is a slap to our faces, he may be
his son but, you should be accorded same
respect. I will stand with you to vote him out”
”Me too”
”Me too”
”We too” Half the room says .
”The fact that Jacob keeps pushing him to us
as though he is right for us is disappointing.
So what if he runs a multimillionaire company?
He didn’t do it on his own without his father’s
influence . The boy will not be the President of
the Heritage group as long i am on board”
another man says.
”Good talk!” Jimmy nods “You all have been
supporting me all this while and now, more
than before we nee-d to stand together and i
promise you, we would achieve this together”
”And, are we going to split the shares equally
as you promised?” another asks.
”Ofcourse” he lied. ”We would kick the other
five to eight board members who are loyal to
him out, it would be just us eleven. He would
be irrelevant by the time his son is no longer
here and he is washed out, it would be me
running things and all would change and the
first point of call is stop this stupid charity
event . That money can be used to bust a
business arcade and have businessmen,
moguls from all over to come together. You
know casinos bring more money? High Cl@$$
Hoe houses brings cash , infact, anything that
doesn’t involve charity organisation and
community fund-me projects for the poor
brings money and i intend to make double or
ten times what he has achieved over the years.
We are going to make history and we are
going to be rich. Are we all in or not?”
”We are” They chanted.
”Good, sew the seed of discord, it starts from
you” He points to them, ”Any minute the others
would walk in here and so would he, he has
been sent for. Stand together”
”Jimmy..you are the future” someone else
says smiling broadly as they shake him.
”I know, not pretty boy Jaime Lockswire, even
his name is an embarr@$$ment to the
Wellington family, no respect!” Jimmy spat.
”Yes, our thoughts exactly !”
He nods as they talk between themselves, he
is resting by the corner watching them with a
smile. ”Oh! Confusion is sweet, so sweet”.
He brings his wine to his li-ps.
*
”Sir, we would like to have a word ” One of the
board members approaches him ”In the small
conference room down the hall Sir”
Jacob turns to his wife ”I would be back” he
kizzes her cheeks and then he follows him.
Others follow behind him at the same time.
He is surprised to see all the board members
@$$embled as he enters the room.
”Is there a problem Ladies, Gentlemen?” he
looks around the room. “What’s with the
closed door meeting?”
”Yes there is Sir and the meeting is
necessary. Your son Jaime Lockswire, we want
him out of the list of candidates and he would
not be in the running race for Mayor, we take
our votes back, the ones given anyways.!!” The
spokesman for Jimmy’s team states.”What? Why?”
”We are bothered about the bad publicity he
has being bringing to the company and the
campaign.”
”Come on, a little youthful exuberance isn’t
enough to dent his image, Jaime is-”
”We have come to an agreement Mayor,
majority of us has”
”Is this all your saying?”
”Yes Sir” A few of them chorused.
”I highly doubt that else you lot would have
brou-ght it up way sooner than now”
The chuckle causes him to pause, nodding his
head in un-derstanding.. he looks around,
seeing him standing there, a drink in his hand
”You did this didn’t you?”
”No Mayor, they decide, i follow” He points to
them and then shrugs ”I am but one man
Mayor, what power do i have?” Jimmy smiles
ruefully.
”You did this Jimmy, i smell you all over it!!”
Jacob insists.
”No Sir, look at this- this way, you are the
President, yes, it is your company yes! But we
all have shares in this as well, so you cannot
un-der no circu-mstances enfor-ce a candidate
on us. it is free and fair and you have no right
to enfor-ce your lineage on us” The man points
to him.
”I am not enforcing nothing, everyone brou-ght
his or her child here as a candidate or those
they feel is a good candidate, i brou-ght my
son, everyone pitched, i pitched, everyone’s
child is given an opportunity, so why can’t my
son be given one?”
”You son is given an opportunity already
Mayor!!” Another says matter-of-factly.
”He isn’t, else why are you all insisting that his
name be wiped off?” He inquires pointing his
right finger downwards.
”Your son is, your other son.!!” Came the reply.
Jacob is quiet, Jimmy smiles.
”Jaime is my son!” Jacob states firmly.
”A father who willingly discards one for the
other, isn’t such a good father afterall ” The
man continuous without fear.
Jacob stares at the man who spoke. He had
always had a thing against Jaime he
observed. And he had always found him and
Jimmy in quiet conversations. He wasn’t
surprised he was anchoring the opposition.
Jacob shakes his head ”If Jimmy has half the
potential of Jaime, i wouldn’t be looking at
Jaime. I gave Jimmy all that he has and will
ever have, i took care of him and loved him,
what did he do? He went behind my back and
ruined me, not once, not twice .I will not allow
a third, it isn’t a charm”
”Is that why you refuse to give me your last
name father?” Jimmy says from his corner not
looking at him.
”Jaime doesn’t have my last name, we don’t
see him crying about it.” Jacob notes without
looking at him.
”Because he choose not to have it, because he
realized how full of shit you are father” Jimmy
says, his eyes are angry as he stares at him.
Jacob walks up to him ”You may be my son,
you may have my blood running throu-ghyou,
but you are nothing like me, you are nothing
like Jaime and you are nothing like your
mother, because she never had any evil bone
in her body. You ruined me, you did despicable
things”
”Is that why you are ashamed of me father, to
call me your son in front of everyone, the
world, that only a few people know who i am,
is that why?”
”I do not have time for this” He wasn’t going to
indulge Jimmy. Not at all.
He turns to them ” Gentlemen,ladies if you feel
Jaime is not worthy enough to be a candidate
and run alongside others, vote him out, but let
it not be out of sentiments. Over the years you
have watched him grow, you have watched
him overcome and become the man that he is.
Half of the successes we have achieved as a
company is because Jaime pitched in, gave
his ideas. Must of the losses we have avoided
is because he stepped in. He has always been
business minded. He is smart and intelligent
and he got the vision we all have for a new
reformed Chocolate city and aside that, his
heart is good because he got love for people,
the community. You can see that. …” he point
to Jimmy ”I may not have given him my last
name but i provided for him, i did everything a
father would do for his son and what i did for
Jaime i did for him too, yet, Jaime is still
standing strong and waxing stronger, what has
Jimmy done other than run down three
companies, had issues with the law, enough
scandal on his plate that Jaime his brother
helped him to solve, but what does he do?
Hate the boy, hate his family and keeps asking
for more. Believe me, i am not a scrupulous
man and i am not doing what i am doing just
because i hate him. I gave Jimmy chance and
chance over and over again. I invested in him
for twenty years, almost thirty before i came
into the sp-ot light, all he has done is to do
unspeakable things. This is the public arena
and we know what clean bill means to me. I
will not have a son whose aim is to ruin me
completely be in my face nor in my company
and I will sure as hell not want to put other
lives un-der him because I fear for his
carelessness”
”Jaime is doing just that and yet , I do not see
you doing anything about it other than trying to
cover him up. And besides.. I was young and
stupid. My actions don’t count. But Jaime’s
does. He is all shades of bad at the moment
Pops! ”
”No! Jaime isn’t like you Jimmy, never like
you” Jacob points to his face.
”You put him above me!!” Jimmy is angry “You
always put him above me!” Jimmy matches his
voice.
”You made that happen all on your own”
”Sir, please” Someone steps closer “Lets not
get into all this. That is a private matter. We
are all just concerned. We believe that Jaime
isn’t a good candidate because all the things
going on in the news about him will affect this
company. All this is bad for his image, yours,
the heritage group and everything. That is all.”
”But we must admit that he is the br-ain behind
most of our Successes, in fact i and Mr Phili-p
had a meeting with him not too long, he was
talking about ..” Mr Egerel began and is cut
off. He and two others had recently concluded
a meeting with Jaime concerning developing a
community school, that is going to be state of
the art and given the un-der-privilege access to
educations, skills acquisition and an opportunity
to a better life, all free. If that wasn’t a selfless
act of a good man, then nothing is.
”I do no care to know what he has planned, all
i am saying is that you give me 100 backing
as you gave him and maybe i can make you
proud!” Jimmy cuts the man off and turns to
his father.
Jacob turns away ”My 100 is on Jaime , we
would move forward and anyone who thinks
that he isn’t worthy enough should pitch it, by
the end of the week. un-der the laws as
guiding the company, everyone is given an
opportunity and can only be voted out after
their coming out debate based on votes, pitch,
ideas and whatnot, not from mere sentiments.
All candidates already listed will be given an
opportunity to sell themselves to us, all votes
would be casted and who ever wins wins. I
had no intention of enforcing my son, it would
be free and fair, but everyone would be given
an opportunity. But my vote remains on my
son, Jaime”
”What if we have a collective agreement to
for-cefully remove him ?”
”Then get the collective agreements Mr Lupit,
i do not run a dictatorship company or a
movement, you get it and i will sign it. Until
then, excuse me ladies and gentlemen”
With that he walks away. They all stare at each
other
”All those in favour of writing Jaime off, say
Aye and raise your hands so we can get this
over with!’ He raises up his hands, Jimmy
raises both hands, a few others raise up their
hands, about five others left theirs down.
”Majority has the vote” Jimmy smiles
”Not quite Mr Jimmy, a few of us are against
this” She says ” Regardless of the news about
him and what he said today, Jaime has proved
himself a worthy candidate to me.. ”
”Ofcourse you would say so Mrs Barlow and a
potential son-in-law to you isn’t it. We all know
why you pitching for him, you should be giving
all your votes to Christine, she is your
daughter. Now i see why she doesn’t like you
very much”
”My daughter gets my votes Jimmy, Jaime
gets mine too, you get none and others may
think you are the future, i think you would bring
ruin.”
”You never did like me very much Mrs Barlow,
i wonder why?”
”Maybe because i see throu-ghyou!”
”Then run along Mrs Barlow, we know have
foul your loyalty stinks. Mr regards to
Christine” He blows her a kizz, she turns up
her nose and leaves.
”When i make President, she would be
uprooted first” Jimmy points at the door she
just closed.
”Jimmy, i believe you have potential. We stay
with you”
”Ah, thank you Mr Chena! Your support has
been unwavering”
”Me too, ”
”Me too’
”Mine is on Jaime” Mr. Egerel states
”Mine too” Mr. Phili-p steps forward.
”Then i think you should run along and chase
my father then old farts” Jimmy hisses
He shakes his head, looks at the other
members and then leaves. Three others join
him out, Jimmy smiles seeing the room with
people on his side ”And that is how to plant a
seed of discord. Thirteen to seven now, lets
see who wins Pops” he smiles.
*
TO BE CONTINUED…..