It was afternoon and Scorn was back from his walk.
Soon Opel visited Scorn.
After sharing whatever news he got from the outsiders, Opel stood with stooped shoulders and tilted head.
Scorn tucked his palm over his face and sat quietly on the couch of the hall room.
“Are you sure?” Scorn asked with completely drained out energy.
“I…I…don’t know.
The informant told us that she met with an accident few years ago.
But he couldn’t show us her picture.
Assuming to be a person by comparing the names is irrelevant.
It might not be the person we are searching.”
“Ask the boys to visit the nearby hospitals and take the follow-ups.
Ask them if anyone came to take the…..the….deceased body.”Scorn’s voice cracked as he spoke.
He was literally shattered inside.
“Boss!
I’m sorry for being so incompetent.
I don’t know what goes wrong every time.” Opel answered with a faint tone lowering his head in distress.
“No one is blaming you.
It’s my luck that always attracts what’s worst for me.
And now I think I’ve accepted my fate.” Scorn spoke timidly.
“Boss!
This evening there’s a banquet in TE Hall.
You should be present there.”
Scorn nodded his head.
Later in the evening when Scorn was getting ready, he asked, “Opel!
Aren’t you going with me?”
“Yes boss!
Me and few of my boys will be there with you.”
Tucking his shirt under his pant, Scorn spoke, “Just take care of me today.
I’m devastated inside.”
After Scorn was ready, Opel went to his room to get ready too.
[In the Gopit area]
Zakai was getting ready for his dinner in his room.
He was opening the packed bento box with boiled vegetables and mushroom rice that got delivered to his place few minutes ago.
Just then someone knocked at his door.
KNOCK!!
KNOCK!!
“Yes!”
The door slowly opened with a low, rusty creak echoing as the heavy wood moved.
From the little gap, a mysterious head popped out.
“Boss!
Are you having dinner?” He was one of Zakai’s gang members.
“Yes!
Do you want a bite?” Zakai asked with a smile on his face.
“Umm…we mistakenly bought an extra box of sweet and sour pork.
We were thinking if you could join us…umm…then it won’t get wasted….”
BANG!
Someone hit the man on his head from the back.
“Can’t you see that he’s already with a bento box?
Will he waste it and eat with us?” Another one whispered which was loud enough for Zakai to hear.
“Actually…” Zakai stood up.
“I was craving something like that.
You won’t mind if I join, right?”
“No!
No!
All of them will be happy to see you on the dining table.”
The dining table was filled with his gang members eating and talking; the lively scene with passing food, bright laughter and happy voices.
Zakai slowly moved inside the room.
Locating an empty chair, he hesitatingly went there and sat uncomfortably.
“If you don’t want me to join…”Zakai spoke clutching his fists in nervousness.
“Then…I shall leave.”
“Boss!” One of them stood up.
Soon one after another, every one stood up from their chairs and bowed their heads towards Zakai.
“Boss!
I know I made a mistake.
It was my greed that made me do such thing.
But I promise you and to all my mates that I’ll serve you and my members with all my blood left in my body.” This time it was the man who was involved with illegal money with his prior boss.
“It’s ok!
Every person should be given a chance to rectify his mistake.
If your mates are ready to accept you, I’ve nothing to say.
“Zakai answered.
“Boss!” Another man stood up.
“We are sorry that we kept you excluded from us.
We were angry at you about what you did to our boss.
Everyone here felt insecure with you being our boss.
But today we realized why Mr.
Tsunami appointed you as our new boss.
We’d appreciate if you could forgive us.” The man bowed his head.
“Forgive us!” “Yes!
Forgive us!” Instantly everyone bowed their heads and yelled.
“Ok!
OK!
Sit down and let’s eat.” Zakai spoke abashed by his member’s courtesy.
Soon they sat down and started to eat along with Zakai.
There was clattering of plates, wine glasses clinked together and people leaned in close to share stories about the whole day.
Zakai looked at the hands moving back and forth to share salads, bread and main dishes.
There were many voices talking at the same time and the cheerful shouting that could be heard from across the room.
Zakai looked at his left and smiled at the man sitting next to him, “Thanks for your help.
Without you, I wouldn’t have dug deeper into boss’ illegal accounts and the transactions he made.”
The man nodded his head and smiled.
“I had to do that.”
Soon the members got tipsy and Zakai realized that the gestures became wider, glasses were set down a little less carefully and their eyes sparkled with a relaxed glow.
“Stop putting the leftovers into my mouth!” One of them yelled as others kept stuffing the dishes into his mouth.
Suddenly some fish sauce slipped from one of them and splashed into Zakai’s shirt.
“Holy Shit!
Sorry…soryy boss!” The man freaked out.
Zakai instantly took a napkin and patted on the stain.
“It’s ok.
I can wash it later on.”
“But this stain won’t go off easily.
Should I buy you a new one?” The man answered apologetically.
“Relax!
I can still wear it.
Even if the stain doesn’t go, it’s hardly visible.”
“But…”
“Relax!
I’m not a neat freak.” Zakai smiled and answered.
Suddenly one of them shouted with his tipsy voice, “Hey!
Do you know Mr.
Opel is a neat freak?
Even his room is a top-notch tidy one.”
Another man asked, “How can you say that?
As far as I know, no one is allowed to enter his room?”
The man replied, “I heard from the cleaning ladies of the safe house.
Although they never entered his room, but one of them told me that someone entered his room and that’s when she peeked into the room and found out about it.”
“Someone?
Who would dare to enter his den?” Another one asked raising his brows.
Zakai gulped.