On the surface, Chief Timbabu looked to be a fierce man, likened to the devil himself without an ounce of emotions asides anger, rage and bile. However, a look into his familial way of life would show a husband and father who craves the love and affection of his family but could not get it.
Chief Timbabu was married to Narini, whom he picked up one night at a night club, took to his home and kept until she got pregnant and he decided to marry her. She looked to be one who wouldn’t trouble him but rather worship him seeing as she came from nothing. Over the years, she would eventually grow wings long and broad enough that he could no longer clip them. She was aware of his promiscuous lifestyle and the presence of so many women going in and out of his life but made no fuss about it. It surprised even the chief but he convinced himself that she stayed due to the luxuries she enjoyed. It was a loveless marriage.
Ariakshu, his only son, whom he only sees whenever he leaves the sanctuary of his yacht was also not keen on a relationship with him. The chief was not the boss at his home. He was the slug nobody cared about.
He had arrived home to his wife addressing the domestic staff; she saw him but paid him no mind. He was used to it but this time, he needed to contact his son who wasn’t taking his calls and he needed her to do it. Narini wasn’t having it and told him to call his son instead. He was in the process of trying to call him when he walked in. The chief was excited to see his son who would be leaving for Oxford University, but his son wasn’t interested and instead accused him of never being a part of their lives and did not want him tampering with his life as a student.
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The chief was not having it. His anger raged, he thrashed the expensive utensils in the dining area, made a mess, and exited the house, swearing never to see the face of his wife and son again, a lie he knew he was telling himself. He drove aimlessly around the city and finally settled to spend the night with his current mistress, Suzi, a nineteen-year-old girl who reminded him of a bittersweet past.
Excerpt:
‘Through the window from his Bugatti Veyron, Chief Timbabu could see the eagles soaring high above the ocean. He did not really like leaving his yacht much, but he had duties and responsibilities he felt greatly for. He loved driving when he left his hub, and he liked collecting new and vintage cars, one of the reasons he never had enough money, all his hobbies were expensive.
The car he was driving was known for its monstrous engine and speed; it floated rather than move. It was known as the car of the decade for all the right reasons only that not a regular person could afford it.
As he looked out the window again and lit his cigar, he could almost see a face of titan in the clouds. He snorted and pressed the button of the stereo in the car, filling the space with Elvis Presley’s voice.
Chief Timbabu was so fond of Elvis Presley’s music that if he were alive now, Timbabu would hire him to sing for him till the time the angel of death comes to take his soul. As the song – “Can’t Help Falling In Love”
started, Chief sang along in his deep voice.
The sun had begun to turn orange over the blue hues of the ocean. Chief Timbabu rolled down the window to stare at the setting sun; he felt like he was twenty-two again. When he fell in love for the first time, as he got the flashbacks of kissing her under the setting sun, he sighed and drove faster towards the baroque mansion he called home.
The chief honked as he reached the massive gold-plated gate outside the orchard of his extravagant residence, which was opened instantly by a uniformed guard who greeted him with a salute. The chief merely nodded and drove in, feeling the burden of responsibilities yet again. Nobody knew that the ever-spiteful chief had a fatherly side too. He may not be a very good husband, but he loved his only son Aryakshu dearly and wanted him to have a beautiful future somewhere far from their country and his father’s shadow.
Chief Timbabu was never a loyal man, “loyalty is not really my forte”; he laughed sometimes. He got married for convenience for his wish was to have a son which was fulfilled two years after he married Narini; a woman he found at a bar one night and had brought home. He had never known the reason why he asked her to marry him after she had broken the news about her pregnancy to him. He never stayed in one place for a long time, but having her around in his home wasn’t as bad as marrying another rich woman would have been, so he decided to ask her to stay and have the baby. That’s what he always told himself which was only half the truth, the other half he never wanted to accept.
The day Aryakshu was born, Timbabu knew he had to keep him away from his father’s dirty business. Aryakshu was not meant to become another chief or take his place; he was destined to get an education, settle down and have a happy family. As terrible as Timbabu was as a human being, he was not ready to sacrifice his son at any cost, knowing the fate of people involved in the field he was in.
Chief Timbabu parked his car and climbed the marble stairs to the foyer where he was welcomed by Anna, their one-eyed pit bull who was rescued ten years back by Aryakshu, that is how mellow his son was. The thought of having him in his business was a nightmare for the man who was a nightmare to many influential people in the continent. Anna jumped up and down to get Timbabu’s attention; he laughed and scratched her behind the ears. Anna’s eyes rolled, and her tongue
lolled out as she laid down in Timbabu’s feet.
“At least you like me, girl.” Timbabu laughed again, and the dog licked his hands. On entering the massive dining room, he found Narini having a staff meeting with the battalion of servants they had at the mansion. She barely looked back at him and went back to instructing the servants about a dinner they were hosting over the weekend. It was that way with Narini always, they hardly spoke or interacted at all. They didn’t hate each other but didn’t love each other either. Narini was well aware of all his mistresses, but she kept quiet about it, Timbabu was not sure if she really loved him or didn’t want to give up all the luxuries she was getting in his house.
“Narini,” Timbabu called out, but she acted as if she hadn’t heard him.
“Narini?!” Timbabu felt neglected, and it was infuriating. He was the Cbxxhief Timbabu, and this woman was ignoring him completely. He gritted his teeth and tried to calm himself since he did not want to spoil the evening with his son, who was soon to leave for the Oxford. As if Narini had felt his frustration, she turned towards him and raised one eyebrow,
“Ja?! I m not deaf, heard you in the first time.” She replied coldly.
“Where is my son?” Timbabu asked her in even colder tone.
“He is out with friends. Farewell dinner.” Narini sounded bored and turned the television on to some cookery show.
“Call him and tell him that I am here to see him.” Timbabu lit one more cigar and let out a puff of smoke.
Narini coughed and wrinkled her nose slightly. “You call him.” She focused on tele again.
“I tried. He won’t pick my phone up. Have you been brainwashing him against me?” Timbabu questioned in a venomous tone.
“I have better things to do.” Narini was still calm and composed, eyes fixed on tele.
Timbabu took his phone out from the pocket to dial Aryakshu’s number but saw his son’s car in the porch through the glass wall. “Oh, there he is! My tiger booboo.” He smiled hugely and Narini rolled her eyes. She didn’t approve of how Timbabu showed up once or twice in weeks and still insisted that he was a caring and loving father.
The moment Aryakshu entered the room, Timbabu jumped on him, hugging hard. “Urm, dad! I can’t breathe. Please!!” Aryakshu stammered. He did not look as thrilled to see Timbabu as he was.
Without meeting the chief’s eyes, Aryakshu walked straight to the table and poured himself a glass of water. He stood there and sipped the water while watching the
tele. Timbabu’s face turned red, was the show more important than him? He, who was the head of the family, the reason they were living a lavish life, was ignored like he did not exist? He suppressed the urge to snatch the glass from his son’s hand and bang it on the floor.
“Aryakshu, my dear son, I have missed you so much.” He tried to plaster a smile on his face again, which took a lot of effort.
“Wish I could say the same,” answered Aryakshu looking at his mother. “I didn’t expect you to show up, dad, or even remember that I was to leave soon.”
“Why? You don’t miss your dad at all?” Timbabu felt as if he was stabbed in the heart. Aryakshu was all he had.
“You taught us to live without you, dad. Why complain now? When I was a kid, I waited for you to come celebrate my tiny successes with me, console me when I cried, but you did not. Now I don’t really need anything.” Aryakshu’s voice sounded cold like ice.
“I was trying to make money so that you can have everything you want,” Timbabu shouted. These two were so ungrateful.
“I didn’t have my father. That’s all that matters.” Aryakshu argued.
“Arya, come, let’s eat. You are around for a few more days. Let’s not spoil these moments.” His mother interjected. He followed her quietly to the dinner table, even when he had eaten out with his friends.
Timbabu also joined them quietly and took his seat. “I do care about you a lot. I love you, my son.” He whispered as he sat down.
“Hmph” was all Aryakshu could manage. He should really keep quiet.
“So, are you all packed and ready to leave?” Chief Timbabu took a big gulp from his wine glass.
“Ya.” Aryakshu nodded and looked down to his empty plate.
“Do you need anything else?” Timbabu pressed to keep the conversation going.
“No. Thank you!” Aryakshu’s eyes were glued to his fingers. He was avoiding any eye contact with his father.
“But I want to buy you a present. How about a car?” Timbabu smiled.
“Dad, please! No fancy stuff. I want to live like a normal person in a normal dorm.” Aryakshu finally looked at him.
“You don’t have to show your love by showering me with money or gifts. I am not one of your mistresses.” Aryakshu pushed his plate and stood up. “I am thankful that you are bearing expenses of my education and I will make sure that I return every penny as soon as I can. Till then please try to stay away from my mother and me.” Aryakshu stormed out of the room leaving Timbabu frozen in his seat.
“You filled his mind with lies about my mistresses,” Timbabu yelled at his wife.
“I told you I have better things to do in life. Also, he is not five anymore. He is twenty-two years old. He can put two and two together.” Narini spat and left the dining room with Timbabu and the lingering silence.
Anger and frustration hit the chief hard; he kicked the table shattering the expensive utensils and left the room. The servants rushed to clean the mess, none of them bothered at all since this had been going on for years.
The chief promised himself that he would never return to see the faces of his wife or his son ever again knowing precisely that he wouldn’t be able to do it. Such promises were made many times and never fulfilled. This was something the chief was helpless about. He wasn’t the shark in this ocean; here he was a slug nobody cared about.
Timbabu drove around the city aimlessly for hours, playing Elvis most heart- breaking songs on loop.
“Are you lonesome tonight”
His mind drifted back to the memory lane as the lyrics of the song pummeled his senses. He had been with many women, beautiful and confident and shy but his first romance never left him. The tormenting past glared back at the man looking into the rearview mirror. He punched the steering wheel and drove back towards the center of the city to see Suzi, his current mistress, a nineteen-year-old girl who reminded Timbabu of his past in a bittersweet way. It was her he needed tonight, only her. He was ready to pretend that he was still twenty-four, crazy in love with the most amazing woman to walk on the face of this planet. He was prepared to pretend that she was his and there was a happy ending waiting for them, too.
“Just pretend, I’m holding you”
–Elvis Presley
