Chapter 33: The Rejected Gift

Chapter 33: Chapter 33: The Rejected Gift

The gardener looked at the two security officers and slowly shook his head in disappointment. He had been watching them for some time.

The gardener folded his arms.

"What a shame!" he said.

"Shame!, what have we done again?" one asked.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves," the gardener said. "Is it not a disgrace for a man to eat the food he has already vomited?"

They looked at each other, confused.

"What does that have to do with us?" the second asked.

"Everything!" the gardener replied sharply. "You know what you did, yet you sit here pretending to be innocent."

"Please speak clearly," the first security said. "We don’t understand."

The gardener moved closer and lowered his voice.

"Your duty in this compound is to protect this mansion, watch who comes in and out, and make sure there is no trouble. Instead, you are saying things that will put us all in trouble."

"We are doing our work. Nothing has happened," the second said.

"Nothing has happened ! Don’t worry. By the time I present your gossip before Madam’s banquet table, she will devour all of you." the gardener shouted. "That is the problem with foolish people. They wait until trouble comes before they think."

"Please, don’t be angry," the first pleaded.

"Why should I be angry?" the gardener said bitterly. "Am I the one wearing old shoes chipped by concrete and behaving as if the world belongs to me?"

They were silent.

He pointed at Simon, who was still giving gifts to the other staff.

"Look at that young man. He bought gifts to appreciate everyone, even though we are not related to him in any way. Did he ask you to pay?"

"No," they answered quietly.

"Then why behave as if he owes you an explanation because he gave you shoes? It costs you nothing to show genuine appreciation. A simple thank-you is enough."

The second officer stepped closer.

"We are sorry. We will behave from now on. Please don’t report us to Madam Flora. You know how strict she is. We may lose our jobs."

The gardener stared at them.

"So you know how to beg when your jobs are at risk? Where was this wisdom when you were misbehaving?"

"Please, forgive us," the second begged.

The gardener rubbed his forehead.

"You people will not kill me with foolishness. One day, two monkeys will go to the market and will not return because of bad behaviour!"

"Are we the monkeys you are talking about ?" the first asked cautiously.

"Must I explain every proverb to grown men? When a person refuses to behave wisely, trouble will teach him a lesson."

"We understand now," the second nodded quickly.

"I hope so," the gardener replied. "Madam Flora does not tolerate nonsense. Even your agency will not be able to save your jobs."

"We will do better," both said, straightening up.

The gardener gave them a final look and walked away.

Behind him, the officers stood quietly.

In less than an hour,it was 2:20 pm.

The sun was hot and still. Inside Flora’s compound, everything was quiet. The staff had retired to their positions. No one was talking.

Then the main door opened.

Madam Flora came out.

She was already dressed to leave. She wore a black designer suit. The suit fit her perfectly. It was clean, sharp, and expensive.

Her black heels matched the suit. Her hair was neatly packed and her face looked calm and beautiful, but serious. She looked like a woman who owned everything she saw.

She stood in front of the entrance. She did not look around. She just brought out her phone and placed a call to Simon..

"Simon, where are you? I am waiting."

Her voice was soft but firm. A voice that people obeyed.

From the side of the garage, Simon saw her. He bowed his head slightly.

"Madam, I am here," he said, though she could not hear him. He rushed forward.

Flora has about forty luxury cars parked in her garage. All of them were sparkling. There were Ferraris, Bentleys, Range Rovers, and Rolls Royces. But today, she is riding the latest model of Maybach. It’s black shines like glass. It sparkled under the sun.

Simon opened the driver’s door and entered quickly. He started the car. The engine made a soft, rich sound. He drove slowly to where Madam Flora was standing.

He stopped the car exactly where she was. Not too far, not too close. He came out again and opened the back door for her respectfully.

Flora entered the car.

Immediately, her designer perfume filled the space. It was strong, sweet, and classy. It was the smell of money and elegance. Simon closed the door gently and went back to his seat.

For a moment, there was silence inside the car. The air conditioning was cool. Outside, the heat was strong, but inside the Maybach, it felt like another world.

Flora crossed her legs. She looked at her watch. It was 2:33 pm. She is a woman who hated to be kept waiting, and she also hated to keep people waiting.

"Drive to Barrister Martin’s office," she said calmly.

Simon adjusted the mirror. "Yes, Madam."

"Andrew is waiting for me there," she added. Her voice changed a little when she mentioned Andrew. It became a bit harder but it was still controlled.

Simon nodded. "Yes, Madam."

Simon pressed the button and the car moved. It glided out smoothly, as if it was floating on air, not driving on concrete. It moved towards the big gate.

At the gate, the two security men were standing at attention. Their backs were straight. Their hands were behind them. As soon as they saw the Maybach coming, one of them pressed the remote and the huge black gate opened slowly.

Simon drove out. The Maybach left the compound and entered the quiet street. The gate closed behind them.

Flora opened her eyes and looked ahead. She was ready to face Barrister Martin. She is ready to face whatever Andrew had in store this time.

Simon drove toward the estate gate.

Flora’s Estate is not just an estate. It is a world of its own. It is an estate in a quiet part of Knightsbridge. The gates are tall and black, with golden letters that read FLOAC ESTATE. Inside, everything looks perfect. The flowers are trimmed. The roads are clean.

As soon as Simon drove the Maybach out of the estate gate, the street changed, but the beauty remained.

Luxury cars were passing by. A white Bentley passed them slowly. A red Ferrari drove past with a soft sound. Then a black Range Rover with tinted windows came from behind. In this part of London, it’s a normal thing. Simon looked at the cars and smiled to himself. It always reminded him that there was another London - a London for billionaires only.

Inside the Maybach, Flora is looking at the street. The side view of her face looks sharp and carved to perfection like a model worth billions. One can hardly believe that a serene cherubic angel like her sits on a billion-dollar empire. Honestly, strong queens have the cutest faces.

Inside the car,Simon was struggling ,he is enveloped in thought about how to present the gift to her. The thought makes him restless, but a man has got to do what a man has got to do. It is either now or never.

Now, as they stopped at a traffic light near Hyde Park, Simon felt it was the right time. His heart was beating fast.

He cleared his throat. "Madam," he said softly.

Flora looked up. "Yes, Simon?"

Simon used one hand to open the glove compartment. He brought out the small box. His hand was shaking a little. He turned and stretched the box toward her. He tried to give it to her gently and respectfully.

"Madam, please. This is for you. It is just a small gift. It is a scarf. I picked it for you. I hope you will like it," he said. His voice was low. He was not confident. He was looking down.

Flora looked at the box. She did not take it immediately. She looked at Simon’s face. In his eyes, she saw hope and fear. She understood.

She took a deep breath and opened the box slightly. She saw the blue silk scarf. It was beautiful.

Then she closed the box and pushed it back gently to him.

"Thank you, Simon," she said. Her voice was calm and polite, but firm. "I appreciate it, but I cannot take it. Please keep it"

Just like that, she rejected it.

Simon’s heart broke. He felt a sharp pain in his chest. His face became hot. He felt ashamed. He quickly took the box back.

He was very hurt. He did not say anything. He just nodded and said, "Okay, Madam. Thank you, Madam."

He put the box back into the glove compartment and locked it. His hand was still shaking.

He pressed the accelerator and kept driving. He looked straight ahead. He did not look in the mirror again. He swallowed hard. He wanted to cry, but a man of his caliber could not cry in front of Flora.

In his mind, he thinks maybe she does not like it, or maybe it is because of how he presented the gifts with a pathetic story, you do not expect her to accept a gift assumed to have been gotten out of pity. If only she knew that they were truly bought by him.

As the blues play in the car, he whispers to himself, "Flora Darwin, you dare not reject my gift. I will make you accept it either by hook or by crook. You have just tortured the eagle that births unlimited money, a river where endless wealth flows. But only your kind has unlocked it, so wait. You will see a surplus spender in action, because over here, I order wealth around."