THE OTHER SIDE OF RUTH

Owing to a great number of factors, Ruth's father had to retire early from the army and had to involve himself in some sort of trading which instilled in him a well driven muse and desire to migrate from the main city to the remote countryside of Ireland, seeking to establish some sort of business outlet that would fetch him some lucrative sources of material wealth and cash on which a whole part of peasants living there, mostly depended on.

Having settled there in 1996, he began life as an employee in some other local sawmill which already existed before he came to the town though not up to the equivalent standard to which he later built his own and subsequently found interest in enhancing his day job which wasn't sufficient to cater for his needs when he discovered the potentials and benefits of cutting wood for sale that he could richly gain profitably if he were to set up a running but he still held on to it tenaciously primarily because of his ambition to have a timber milling factory under his name despite having to put up with the boorish attitudes of those above his status including his boss.

He got married to a teacher living in the same town when he turned forty-five and had a nuclear family that had to put up with intrigues of other families living in the same neighborhood and a partially sustainable life in the rural areas, on which they struggle to live in since the town had low amenities and poor income from scanty firms, fully present in the town.

His meagre salary wasn't sufficient enough to cover for the needs of his two children as well as his wife until he suddenly got fortunate to strike a secret profitable deal with one of the most popular company in the main city primarily through the inside help of an old friend whom he knew to have gotten employed by the company some years before his retirement.

Afterwards, he didn't hesitate to quit his job and succeeded in establishing a more firmer mill which soon surpasses his former boss's wood factory fourteen years later after he left his work to pursue his dreams, in terms of producing and supplying quality timbers to enabling markets in the distant city where his valuable merchandise was often needed though not among the top ranked companies involved in the same line of trade but his woods was still recognized by many buyers to be durable and long lasting in construction works especially most of the houses situated at the central side of town, at the remote areas far off south from the seashore, that were roofed and partially built using the hard barks of his strong timber together with the use of concrete to build the house.

He used some of the funds which he got from his lucrative business to erect a fancy mansion on a hilltop which turned out to be a significant eyesaw of every single person living in the same town with the affluent fellow especially his workers that came visiting his luxurious manor each time to submit periodic reports of the day to day sales of his small but functional enterprise including those working in his crop plantations located twenty five miles far inland away from town but was somewhat a short distance away from the wooden signpost with the name of the town inscribed on it.

Before that, when his infant business was still yet to attain a greater level of expansion, quite a few locals in the poorly developed community who were finding it hard to provide for their basic needs, were given chance to generate some income to sustain their families members for the being but as time went progresses, his timber empire began to expand .

At first, his workers were satisfied with the way they were treated at their workplace and the wages they earned at the end of the each month for having paid on time which was suffice enough for them to cater for their families especially those working in his plantations despite the harsh climatic conditions they doggedly faced throughout the year when its the rainy season while his workers tending to the timbers at the sawmill under the profound supervision of Sean's father, didn't show any sign of insubordination with his managerial skills though partly discontented with the way he handled minor quarrels and brawls that frequently occurred amongst the poorly fed workers of the lower class secretly incited by his private bodyguards whose presence in his firm intimidated the workers whenever he paid a visit to see how his merchandise are being sold and how the operations are well handled by all the staff workers down to the least employee who does the menial job in his enterprise.

But as time went by, things slowly began to change between him and his workers whom himself as well as his bodyguards started to taunt with every little chance they get as a result of his hidden pride that started to manifest itself to everyone that comes in contact with him including his family members as his wealth grew larger though there were no complaints against his cruel management found amongst the workers since bulk of the profit gotten at the end of the month were shared at a sufficient amount to all the workers equally without any reduction in their salaries which made majority of his staff workers remained ignorant and endured his poor dictatorship in terms of prolonging the usual duration of their working hours into the night, and later adjusted it to the next day when they were supposed to resume after retiring to their abode to hibernate in their homes with their families who were getting frustrated with their frequent absence at home due to the late night working hours they frequently engage in without caring about the consequences of endlessly working throughout the week without rejuvenating their strength profoundly by resting their weary body though night shifts were set up to avoid the complete breakdown of human labour and machinery in his timber firm which would cost him dearly but it was no practical solution to the problem the workers faced every year.

Only the supervisors of his firm and those holding vital offices in his firm felt and notice the wrongdoings occurring in the enterprise which would affect the majority of workers in a sort of way that would worsen the ill conditions the workers face especially the assigned hours each workers were meant to perform their duties in the timber factory as well as the plantations and all these were secretly perpetrated by his bodyguards under his instructions as a way to enslave the workers and to reap the benefit in the end but they didn't act on it and remain silent since the workers never showed any serious sign of total discontentment.

Although some were not happy with the way things were, the workers kept to their duty even if it means staying out all night without the thought of going home the following day, working in his plantations each time the sun was at its summit and harvesting perishable crops whenever heavy downpour of rain occurs during the rainy season. For twenty years ever since he started his business, things slowly went bad to worse amongst his workers but no one was able to say anything about it, let alone come out in mass numbers to protest against the discreet mistreatment his thugs perpetrated at the expense of those working in his plantations and his mill including the men meant to supervise his two major sources of wealth since the economic conditions were favorable for the town and they were able to fend for themselves without relying too much on the meager earnings they received from him.

The supervisors were still unable to voice out their complaints for months even when their salary was barely substantial enough to purchase expensive groceries for their families in the local market but they found the need to soon after they were called to a meeting at their boss fancy estate one eventful day when the bright afternoon sun hovered in the bare sky above the lush mansion situated on a hilltop aloof from the roaring tidal waves of the ocean and the bar beach where coconut trees populated the western oceanside and were all seated on the couch in the living room, murmuring amongst

themselves while they await the boss who had gone for a short business trip to the main city for him to finish off a deal with another firm requesting much needed logs from his sawmill in order to sustain his firm from the brink of collapsing due to poor conditions ravaging everywhere in the country and was expected to be back from his trip that same afternoon though some of his henchmen were left behind to safeguard the estate during his trip away from his house including his property and to keep a close watch on any form of intolerable behaviour from the farmers in his absence.

Headed by Sean's father, the men kept on with the discussion amongst themselves which was getting a bit too personal and somehow frustrating for two men standing beside the entrance, armed with licensed pistols which they kept sheathed on their braces while they gazed on bluntly at the engrossed six men chattering to one another without caring about guards eavesdropping on their conversation that seems to be taking their complete attention as they sat comfortably under the resplendent bright light emanating from the chandelier dangling above their heads and ignored the dry hot humid atmospheric wind brewing into the house from the open windows.

Even the glossy rays of the bright red lamplight emanating from several lamps hung on a loop on the smooth wallpaper below some portraits at every corridor within the whole mansion including the upstairs rooms, which radiated upon the luxurious cubicle whence the men were present especially two priceless antiques exquisitely crafted to fitted the redness of the tranquil household. They knew that they were being watched by the two men but they chose to ignore them and kept on debating on important matters concerning the fate of themselves and the workers which they planned to discuss with the boss when he will arrive as promised few hours from the time they were allowed to set foot in his estate that he had left in the hands of his wife only to oversee affairs of the household rather than his office which he temporarily left in the trusted hands of Sean's father to management effectively while he was away on his trip.

As for his two children, his wife had instructed them to keep on with their education in spite of the hardship of their family coping with the harsh conditions the town faces and had told the servants to see that they were taken care of each time they come back from school in a black Chevrolet assigned to a driver to be driving them home from school every day but on the day of the meeting, his children didn't leave home for school since they were given a break from schooling following a recent case of burglars breaking into the school premises in the night with the aim of pillaging important assets owned and financed by the local authorities in response to the failure of the local administrative officers to cater for the needs of the people dwelling in the coastal towns.

Though the incessant murmurings amongst the impatient visitors kept them from boredom, some of them were getting frustrated with the passing hours without setting their eyes on the boss whose long absence was beginning to make the men a bit anxious and apprehensive about the anticipated arrival of the owner of the mansion.

A man with a white hat and dressed up in a clean red T-shirt , in his late thirties spoke his frustrations first soon after he got bored listening to the quiet complaints of the other five committee members.

"I can't wait anymore for the boss, William",

He said peering at Sean's dad with a serious look across his face and glanced at the guard standing at the door behind him who returned his gaze with a blunt expression.

"Thomas, be patient and keep calm. The boss will soon be here",

"That's what you told us few hours ago and where's he now, huh?",

Another quick-tempered fellow questioned.

"He's on his way coming. Maybe he's stuck in traffic",

"Or maybe he's not coming back today like you told us he would",

"Believe it or not, I simply delivered his message to you all",

William replied in his defense.

"Then he should have been here by now",

A third man in the group supporting the idea of returning back home, remarked.

"Come on, fellas. I have no idea what's taking him so long to get back home",

"Surely you don't know if he won't be able to make it to his mansion after spending two weeks away from his family",

"Are you sure that you got his message before telling us to meet here in his own house instead of the office?",

A fourth amongst the agitated men asked placing his fingers on the left side of his lower jaw and rested his back on the sofa, facing adjacent to the rest of the men including the head foreman.

"Yes, I did otherwise the guards wouldn't have let us come in here",

"True. That means they too knew of the day he would arrive",

"Of course, but they didn't tell us nor did they say anything Goddamm thing about it",

Thomas rejoined taking another look at the guards and lowered his head below the couch when he noticed that the guard was watching him as well.

"He must have instructed them to keep quiet about it without us knowing the entire time when he'll return to take his place at the office",

"Why would he do that when his wife doesn't seem to know about it?",

The fourth man inquired looking squarely at his coworker in a sort of way that read total doubt of his co-worker's speculation and adjusted himself closely when he noticed that the other man gestured at him to come close enough to listen to his soft whisper.

"It's just a hunch but we all know that the boss must have told them to watch us and the workers the entire time he wasn't around to supervise the farmers like he always does",

"Most likely plausible, indeed",

"We just have to wait for some time till he gets here. Besides, we really need to get him to accept some of our demands",

William retorted with more confidence.

"But, Aidan. it won't be that easy",

"Jameson's right. You know he isn't that simple to convince",

"I know that but we'll do our best to ensure he obliges to reach a good solution for this dilemma",

"What happens if it's not enough? Last time, we failed to get him to agree to our terms and now......",

"Would be different if we all come out strong with one voice",

"And force him to comply even if it means losing our jobs",

Thomas added, looking quite ecstatic about the whole demanding process and turned his gaze upwards at the upper stairs alongside the others, above their heads in response to a small noise of a door creaking slightly they heard emanating from one of the rooms upstairs, only to see a young girl dressed up in a black anorak that shrouded her hair including her baseball cap and blue jeans stealthily approaching the handrail of the staircase above on the left side of the parapet without paying much attention to her father's guests who have already been attended to by the servants helping her mother out in the kitchen to provide a delicious meal for the guests sitting down on the sofa in the parlor around some refreshing drinks laid on the glassy table instead of the dining room whence four chairs stood on both sides of a longer table.

The men including William paused and watched her heading downstairs with her white sneakers more stealthily than before till she reached the bottom floor where she stopped hiding herself as soon as she realized that the guards who had already seen her climbing down the staircase from upstairs and walked briskly to the man clad in black outfits standing at the door with his tough biceps protruding out his sleeveless black shirt, hiding behind his back.

As for the spectators especially William, they all peered at her with indignation and profound curiosity even though they never fond of their boss's children like they once did when they newly started toiling tirelessly for her father during the time she was a little kid very much younger than her brother whose facial appearance was a stark resemblance with that of his father both in manner of dressing and attitude apart from his striking resemblance with their boss.

"Miss, I know what you are about to say but I can't let you leave the mansion. Not without getting any instruction from madame or an escort",

The guard said as soon as she came to him without hesitating like he had thought she would when she saw him staring hard at her.

"My room feels a bit stuffy, so I want to go out for a walk in the garden",

She gave him a coaxial response and a tricky smile across her lips which seemed to be convincing for the guard who took a shufti glimpse of the invited guests behind her only to see the watchful eyes of the men staring at them but he remained undeterred by her earnest plea and ignored the eyes of the spectators hoping to see him let her leave the room which was soon becoming a bit uncomfortable for the two guardsman by her presence in the room. Then he resumed his conversation with the boss's daughter soon after he returned his gaze at her pretty face that was almost shrouded by the hooded outfit.

"I'm sorry, Miss Ruth. I still don't believe you and I can't disobey your mother's orders to let you leave the house",

"My legs hurt and I want to stretch them a little",

"Not this time, Miss",

"Your father is coming back today and he won't be please if he finds out that you aren't in your room",

"I told you that I'll be back, Marcus",

"That's the same excuse you gave to us before you went missing",

"I'm not lying",

She pleaded fervently in her unrelenting demand to leave the house but her response fell on deaf ears.

"I won't take long, I promise",

"You lied to us thrice and you expect us to believe you now, right?",

Marcus answered feeling a bit bothered by her incessant nagging that was affecting his focus right there.

"Honestly speaking, I swear that I'm telling both of you the truth",

She replied crossing her heart as a gesture of her taking an oath in a funny way got the men giggling profoundly .

"If you really think that thing will work on me, you are absolutely wrong",

Marcus said sneering at her but she turned towards the second guard who seemed quite a different from his comrade.

"Sir Lucas, I'll back once I feel better in the garden and as for mother, you don't have to worry about her, she won't notice that I've gone to the garden because I will be back in a jiffy",

She replied taking a step forward away from the guards but they soon caught up with her the moment she stepped her foot outside the entrance.

"We can't let you outside even if you are telling the truth",

"I'm not gonna leave the gate like last time so, let me pass or else....",

She threatened with an even more stern look and tried to evade them but the guards refused to let her through and kept blocking her way down the stairs.

"I'm afraid you have to go back inside this time around",

"I said no. You can't keep me inside like I'm some prisoners",

"Miss, try to understand us. We are only acting on your mother's orders",

"Listen to us, we aren't stopping you from leaving on our own accord",

The guards replied trying to persuade her to head back inside rather than to leave the house which would spell disaster for them if she went missing like she did the third time they got severely punished for letting her take a stroll in the garden only to find out that she had snuck out of the vicinity through the gates without them noticing anything about her unexpected disappearance.

Before she could reply, a familiar car horn resounded outside at the gate which was locked from the inside and compelled the two guards including the young girl to look spellbound at the fancy vehicle parked outside the tall gate that protected the perimeter from intruders. No sooner had the guardsman left the entrance to the gates, the little girl surreptitiously slipped out their hands and took off to the garden at the flank of the mansion without them knowing about it, as well as their boss who had seen them battling to restrain her from leaving the premises till he no longer saw her sneaking to the back after he got distracted when the driver sounded on the horn for the guards to allow him through.

The driver of the black limousine quietly drove into the broad courtyard through the marble pathway and ended up parking the vehicle in front of the mansion after sailing round an erected fountain with an angelic sculpture in the midst of four streaming pillars of water, gushing forth into air from below but ended at a height slightly above the statue.

One of the transfixed guards wasted no time in opening the door for his boss to step out of the car and paved way for him to climb up the stairs while his comrade trailed behind the returnees to the entrance of the mansion.

The men inside had heard the car horn and immediately got themselves ready to welcome the boss from his trip before standing up in unison as a sign of respect the moment they spotted the boss whose stylish black overcoat almost covered his black trousers, entering the mansion for the first time since he came back from his trip after leaving the airport.