WHAT BILLIONAIRES TASTE LIKE

Fanny was yet to gather the grace to shut his eyes to sleep. He was yet to believe his eyes and to come to terms with the fact that his look-alike, that very young boy that took his place in the crime was no more. The hands of justice caught up with him earlier today. He was found guilty today – guilty of the said rape and murder- even Fanny had expected the law to catch up with him because Ruby did a tactical snitching – going straight to the family of the victim and Beijing police to make his reports. He knew the chances of his look alike making it was tiny, even though he spent huge money to hire one of the best attorneys in town. Indeed he wanted his look- alike to survive the trial and he wished he could turn the justice in his favor. Although he was glad that his wealth could save him, yet he couldn’t forgive himself that some people could do shit for money; that some people could spill their blood just to emancipate their family from poverty; that some people had designated themselves as sacrificial lamb for the atonement of wealth which their generation unborn would come to enjoy. That boy took his place in death just to amass wealth for his poor family was one of such people. He couldn’t believe his eyes today. Never in his life had he beheld such tragedy.

Some months ago he made an attempt on Ruby’s life and he was proud of it but with the sudden demise of his hired look-alike, he confirmed Ruby was really out-and-out to do away with him. Everything was still fresh in his memory; how the young boy was sentenced to death by electric chair. At first Fanny never wanted to witness it- even when he tried to, the screaming voice of the boy from the execution yard sped into his heart- it was like the speed of lightning and the throbbing force of earthquake. The scream had struck his heart and in a jiffy the boy’s voice couldn’t be heard at earshot, everywhere went ghostly, only the creaking noise of doors opening and slamming could be heard somewhere nearby. The executioners were out; their eyes holding fire and blood, with their lips paused in darkness and mortality- the boy had been executed. It would have been him. It would have been an end to his wealth; his fame and love with Opula. Onlookers and sympathizers had gathered around to sympathize with him and family of the boy. He could over hear voices.

“Please take heart for the death of your twin,” one of the sympathizers told Fanny, “We know you will miss him but take hold of yourself,” another sympathizer told him.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

Before he left, he approached the parents of his look-alike.

“I am really going to miss my son,” the father of the young man whispered, wiping his tears and sniffing.

“I will miss him most,” Fanny wailed, and hugged them. “So what awaits you now?” he asked.

“We will invest the money you paid him,” the mother said amidst tears.

“Yes, we will invest it into real estates, and oil, so that nobody in my lineagae will ever sacrifice himself for wealth again. Our son has paid the prize,” the father cried.

His gaze came upon the calendar as he started counting the days, only to realize he had two days to return to the arms of Opula. He had mixed feelings about Opula and Ruby as he stared at the calendar; he was of the thought that Opula might have lost feelings for him and Ruby might have turned her heart against him now. He would never stop regretting the decision he took about giving up Opula as prize instead of paying the money. He wished he could turn back the hands of time and too many wishes struck in his head, and one of such was to marry Opula upon returning to her in two days. As he paced up and down the room, he pondered about the evil he would unleash on Ruby after reclaiming Opula from him; the worst would be if Ruby had revealed the game to her, just to get back at him and make her hate him for life. He knew Ruby could do that. And it would only take God stop Ruby from falling in love with Opula.

“I know what to do. First I will have to redeem Opula’s love for me. I know he must have fed her with rubbish stuff about me, making her to spite me hugely. Once I redeem her love, I will walk her down the aisle, yes I will marry. She will be glad” he said within himself, and reached out to the wine shelf to fetch himself a shot of whisky. “Yes, after that she will have babies for me, elsewhere. I will keep her out of the reach of Ruby, out of the reach of anyone, and keep her within the confines of body guards and all she needs.” He grinned after gulping the shot of whisky he just poured. “Hmmm,” he snorted, stroked his hair and said, “I will now face Ruby. I don’t give a damn whether we are cronies or not. I will make him pay for digging up my past for hurting healed wounds and making it turn red. I will sacrifice his soul on the altar of pain. For daring to take what belongs to me and causing misery and peril to my heart, today marks an end to our brotherhood and friendship. If I can’t trust him with my woman then how can I trust him with my life. We will never cross the same path and remain unhurt; it is either he hurts me or I hurt him. War war and war shall we endear till the end of time,” he said through gritted teeth and poured himself a shot of whisky and grinned after gulping…