Chapter 4 Love in the air

Roger staggered out of the hospital room in despair. How could his father doauch to him. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see some morgue attendant enter into the room with a stretcher.

He looked away and focused his eyes on some distant point in the hospital's corridor. Loud sobs from behind made him look back and he saw his step mother being led out by a nurse.

She walked towards him and was about to walk away when Roger held her hand, making her stop in her strides.

"Where are you off to?" He asked with a smirk.

"I'm off to take care of my son." She answered him also with a smirk.

"I hope you don't entertain any foolish thoughts about what my father said earlier. I am the rightful son to inherit the company and anyone who dares to fight me for it will have themselves to blame." He spit out venomously.

Nancy gave him a plaid look as she reeled back in shock. She couldn't believe Roger was now baring his fangs few minutes after his father's death.

"And if that anyone happens to be the rightful heir to the place and your only brother? She asked rhetorically.

Roger only snickered.

"You're wrong here. He's nothing but my step brother. The result of my father's inability to know that I'm enough for him." He shot snidely.

Nancy was appalled. She couldn't have heard something more painful. She got out of the hospital and went into her car. The driver drove her home and she eagerly waited for her son to tell him the news of his father's death.

Unlike Nancy, who had walked away from the argument exhausted,Roger walked away smirking to himself. He felt that he had won the first round in this game they were playing.

He had to show both mother and son that he was now the family head and all major decisions rested on him including deciding the position of someone in the house.

He got into the company and headed straight for his father's office. He got into it and requested that the nameplate and a framed family picture of his father along with Chris and his mother be removed.

To him, it was like a mock to him. Since he wasn't included in the picture,there was no need keeping it around.

An internal memorandum was also passed around informing all the department heads and directors of an urgent meeting in the company's conference room.

The directorsand heads of departments all convened in the conference hall and there, Hales informed them of the chairman's death, so Roger would become the new CEO since his father had died intestate.

All shareholders of the company were also notified of a meeting that was to hold the next day.

Roger felt he had done enough and decided to go home and face the drama from his step mother due to the changes he had done when Hales came into the office.

"Chairman,how did your first official day in office go?" He asked slyly.

"To be honest, it feels good knowing I'm the chairman of this huge conglomerate. I can only work hard to show my father that he thought wrong of me. I'm equally good if not better than Chris. " He boasted as he sat in the huge swivel chair assigned to the chairman.

Hales coughed slightly and adjusted himself in the seat he was occupying.

"Concerning the secret note the chairman mentioned earlier, what do you intend to do about it?"

This question hit Roger square in the chest. He knew Hales was right.

"I'd have to find it. I can't just let it be. He could remove me from my position with the note." He said and hardened his gaze.

"I'm relieved you know that. Just know that whatever you want, I'm always here by your side. You don't have todirty your hands. Let me do all your dirty hobs for you."

Hales said and bowed low before Roger. The latter narrowed his eyes into slits and nodded his head. He had gained a loyal employee.

He immediately stood up and made for the door. Just as he opened the door to step out, he met Logan who was about to knock on the door.

He knew Logan was the company's vice president and had worked very hard. He knew his father trusted Logan a lot and inspite of his hatred towards his father, he also found himself trusting Logan.

Especially now that he bowed slightly to him in respect. He looked back to see Hales who had just sold himself to him and looked forward to see Logan, who was nothing but a devoted employee.

Mina skipped cheerily around the neighborhood. She waved to Mrs Perry, who sold Apple pie on the street corner and Mr Looke, the butcher.

She got to the gate of the Whittaker's farm and greeted the lady she met at the door of the farmhouse cheerfully.

"Oh dear! Look who we have here. Alice is at the stable. One of the horses had constipation and she's trying to get it to poo." Mrs Whittaker informed her.

Mina didn't need another information. She knew what she had to do. Turning around, she zapped across the yard like a flash of lightning. She made it to the barn in less than three seconds.

She got into the barn and met Alice whistling and trying to pat the horse's side although it was more like she was hitting it with her hand.

"If it had always been like that, do you think I would have been known as the whistling healer?" Mina chuckled and stood beside her friend.

"Oh, you're here." Alice huffed and made a dramatic patting of her chest.

By this time,Mina had dumped her bag and other things and was now whistling a melodious tone accompanied by soothing pats on the horse's side.

About three minutes later,the horse let out a torrage of faeces and it laid back on its side obviously relieved.