Family Affair

The day was sunny, the skies were blue and the sun was shining. It was the star of the day. The land was green, with a well-manicured lawn. Rono attempted not to think whether it was carpet grass or naturally grown, it didn’t matter, it was a beautiful place. She had chosen a beautiful location. The lawn had wooden chairs. I don’t know what carpenters would call that type of wood, but it was beautiful. Rono immediately fell in love with the place. She had always seen it and the river that flowed by it, on her occasional days along the bypass road. She wondered why people had called it that, I mean it needs a name, but bypass was a name. The mood was cheery and the place was filled with joy. A few meters away from the hotel, the sweet aroma of barbecued meat filled the air. Her father loved meat. The meat was like a national anthem. Rono had inherited that from him. She also loved meat. She ate it whenever she had an opportunity. But what it had taught her, was how to recognize good meat from great meat. And that talent she had used to her advantage. At the edge of the field near the restaurant, there was a children’s park. Her small sister, her children, and even her sister’s child were all playing at the bouncing castles. They seemed very happy as they bounced along. They filled the air with laughter and cheer and good vibes. Her parents sat at the end of the compound near the lake.  From where they sat, one could see the whole resort. It was very serene with open ground, trees lining up the paths and the land was green. Just above the lake, there was a waterfall, small but nevertheless a waterfall. Some of the activities Rono had planned for the day included; horse riding, cave exploring, and boat riding. So far, they had explored the cave and went horse riding. The resort had served her purpose. What she loved more was the lake, it seemed so calm and relaxed. Her husband was chatting away with the cooks as he barbecued the meat himself. He always amazed her, how quickly he got along with everyone. She lacked that gift. Her quick response upon meeting strangers was to hate them first, and then decide later whether the decision needed to be changed. She looked at him and by instant connection, he looked back at her. He signaled for him to join her, and he told her to give him a moment. Everyone was happy, the mood was happy. Everything was fine, food was plenty and so were soft drinks. Rono approached her parents and smiled at them.

“How do you like the place?” she asked them. Her father just waved his hand around as if measuring. He was a very well-built man. In his early fifties. Looked younger for his age and always looked like a boss. Always. From the manner, he sat, to the manner he talked. He lived his life like he owned the world. Her mother was more relaxed, always smiling. They were chatting away before Rono interrupted them. Their relationship had always inspired her. They were so much in love even at this old age. They always knew how to communicate. They made each other laugh. Rono had always admired their relationship. They had taught her what love is. Loyalty and commitment. Their love had been challenged a couple of times, but somehow, they always stuck together. I guess that was the point of marriage. Sticking to each other. As they laughed and talked about the place, her husband joined them. Rono smiled and told him to take a seat. She stood up with her back to the lake and stared at the sky. She took a deep breath and began her speech.

“Mom and Dad, thank you for taking time to be here today. I want you to know that I appreciate that and I do not take it for granted. You all know my husband,” her parents stared at each other with that glance that only a husband and wife knew the meaning. Rono continued, “what you don’t know about him is that he is a great man and I love him” Rono stated. Her body was so tense as she began the speech, but after saying those words she relaxed. She felt like she had released a load off her shoulder. Her father had been sitting in a relaxed position. Looking like he owned the place. He did not change his position, but he now looked like he was paying attention. Her mother just sat there smiling. The children screamed, and instantaneously, they all looked in their direction and found that they were still bouncing. Joyous screams. That made everyone relax. Rono took it as a sign from the universe for her to continue her speech. She looked at her husband and he was smiling at her. He ushered for her to go on. “As I grew up, I saw the love that the both of you shared, you inspired me, you might not know it, but you taught me how to love. And, your love story is a very inspiring one, a very great one.” Her parents looked at each other and smiled. The atmosphere had now relaxed. The mood in the resort had also changed. The lake just looked calm as the wind blew the water. The trees shuffled as the wind passed by. Rono continued “Do you know Amazon?” she asked, gesturing to her dad and mum. They all looked at each other with the expression that clearly stated they had no idea what Amazon was. “Amazon, is like a local shop, except it is online.” She told them. “You know how you go to Kim’s shop to buy clothes on the east side?” she gestured to her mum. “Yes,” her mum answered. “Well, it is the same except instead of going to Kim’s shop, you take your phone, connect to the internet and type amazon, then you buy anything you want from clothes to shoes to furniture. Using your phone and it gets delivered to you.” Her father now looked interested.

“That’s amazing!” her father stated. He seemed really interested in this Amazon thing.

“I Know” Rono retorted smiling. Capturing her father’s attention was difficult and she was amazed that she had gotten him interested.

“Well, what you don’t know about Amazon, is that the founder Jeff Bezos, presented the Amazon idea to his parents and they were the first investors. His father didn’t even know what the internet was, but they invested. Now the company and the founder are worth billions of dollars” Rono felt proud of herself for the way she had presented the information. Her father and mother were discussing something, but it seemed now she had gotten their attention. She continued.

“Dad, Mum, I want to renovate your building. You are both in the real estate business, but the world is changing. The skills that my husband and I possess have the potential to transform your investment, increase it by more than a 100%”

“What do you mean renovate?” her dad asked

“Bring in tractors and tear the whole place down. Build an entirely new building. Complete transformation. Of course, the building will still be a commercial center” Rono told them.

“Why?” her dad asked

“Because dad, we want to set up our headquarters there. That building has the perfect location. You know how important location is for a business. Furthermore, the new building will be a landmark. Every time someone goes to central, the first thing they will know about the place is that building.” Her father and mother now looked genuinely interested. her father had even shifted his position.

“New building means more rent, serious business people renting out your space and an increase of your investment.” Rono added.

“Obviously we have to think about this.” Her father told her. Rono nodded indicating that she understood. She sat down next to her husband and he held her hand tight.

“Don’t worry babe, you did great.” He told her. “They are going to accept your proposal” he added.

“How can you be so sure though?” she asked him.

“Because, I’m Mr. Know it All, remember.” They laughed.

“What’s taking that meat so long?” her father asked her

“Let me go and check on it” she answered. Rono and her husband walked towards the barbecue as they chatted. The children were still playing. It seemed like they owned the day. They lived for the moment. Rono loved children. The meat was ready and it looked delicious. She drooled immediately she saw it and couldn’t help it but take a bite. The salad and the dressing of the meat itself, just made one want to take a bite. They took the trays and headed back to their table. They placed the trays at the table and went for the children. They ran to the table jumping, running and bouncing. They were very happy. They rarely had any days as a family. Things had gotten so busy for all of them they rarely got together. After having the meal of a lifetime. Her parents gave them the news.

“What is so special about this new building you want to set up?” her father asked them.

“Dad if I may” her husband started

“Go ahead”

“In case you have not noticed, the architectural world is changing. The modern way of housing is creeping up on us, and it won’t be long before it gets to central. All the buildings around look the same. You can’t even differentiate one from the other. Don’t you want to be the one who revolutionized the change? In addition, we want our headquarters to represent our business name. But to answer the question, we will be hiring Korean architectures. They are the best in making the best out of a small space as well as modern architecture. We even have some plans; we can bring them to the office so that you can review them. I know this is a big risk, but we promise you, I promise you, we are going to make good of your investment. You will receive your ROI!” Rono couldn’t have said it better. Her husband had nailed the point.

“Your idea seems viable. But, before I give you any go-ahead, I need to see the plans and the contracts.” Her dad told them.

“Of course! Thank You so much dad!” her husband told her father. And they Shaked hands. Her husband and father never seemed to talk about anything. It is like they denied each other existed. But today, that relationship was slowly laying a foundation. She had never seen the two men agree before. They barely even had any meaningful conversation together. Rono hugged her mum and they left the men as they went to check on the children. Who knew that the saying “The way to a man’s heart is through the stomach!” would come in handy today? Not only did it unite her father and her husband, it had brought the family together.