FEATURE DEAL

Rufus stared at the document in his hands.

Who would've thought that he'd  own not one, but two Oil Wells in his life time?

He smiled at himself as he stood in the middle of his immaculately furnished office.

"Who would've thought?"he said out loud as he stared out  the window into the city a hundred stories below.

He placed the document on the Fifty Thousand Dollar table and stared at the gold framed portrait on the table.

The smiling faces staring back at him were his most prized possession.

They made having all this wealth worthwhile.

"My wife and son"Rufus said under his breath.

"....em..I'm sorry sir,....but there's a woman here to see you"Came Zavy from the door.

Rufus threw his secretary a look that would've frozen the grains of sand on a desert.

"...did you not hear me when I said,...I didn't want to be disturbed?"Rufus said maintaining a steel gaze.

Zavy hesitated at the door.She lived in mortal fear of her boss.

And why not?

The dude was CEO of a Multi-billion Dollar company in Africa.

As far as the rest of the world was concerned, Rufus was a Giant.

But to her, he was a god.

With the Six Figure salary he was paying her, he had to be.

She dreaded barging in on arguably one of the most powerful men in the world, but this was an exception.

"...I'm very sorry sir but...there's a woman outside who insists on seeing you"Zavy said awkwardly.

"How did she get past security?"Rufus asked staring at the table.

"....I'm not sure sir.....she just...showed up in front of me" Zavy said hesitantly.

"What,via teleportation?"Rufus said with an arched eye brow.

Zavy was on the verge of saying something when....

"...excuse me" came a woman as she pushed Zavy aside and stepped into the office.

"....I'm sorry sir..."Zavy was saying as the most beautiful woman Rufus had ever seen stepped into his office.

High cheek bones,enchanting eyes,and an obscenely curvacious figure inside a short glove-tight black gown.

Her movements were fluid and feline-like as she approached his table.

She stopped halfway across his large office, as if to give him time to take in her appearance.
Rufus was entranced.

In all his travels he'd never encountered a more magnificiently seductive creature.
"...I'm so sorry sir ...I"Zavy began awkwardly.

"That would be all"Rufus heard his own voice say.

Zavy hesistated at the door for a few seconds,then closed the door behind her.

Long silence.

In his seven years of marriage to Bertha, he'd never even contemplated infidelity.It was a fact he was infinitely proud of.No other woman had ever held his gaze for more than a few seconds.

But this was more than just a woman.This was a goddess.

"...Do I know you?" his voice sounded odd all of a sudden.As if it came from somewhere else other than his mouth.

The woman just stood there silently staring at him with a strange sort of curiousity in her eyes.

She took a few steps towards him.The sound of her heels echoing inside the large room.

"You have done well for yourself"she began as she continued her approach.

Her voice was as poised and seductive as her appearance.

She seemed impressed by the interior of the office.

"...who would've thought that someone who came from nothing could have amassed so much in such a short time"She said as she reached the table.

The smells reaching him were intoxicating.Being a connoisseur of scents, he still couldn't identify it.

 But her scent definately had him spellbound.

"....you must be pleased"she said holding his gaze with a stare that was like a voodoo charm.

"Please....you'll have to forgive me, I am usually very good with faces....but have we met?"Rufus asked as the woman walked towards a life-sized portrait of himself on the far left side of the room.

Made by a world renowned artist in Italy on the order of a close personal friend.

"Exquisite craftsmanship.....humans never cease to amaze me"She was saying as her fingers traced the lines on the portrait.

Rufus was slowly losing patience.

Not only had this woman barged into his office,she was now ignoring him. He enquired again

"I'll ask you again...have we....?"

"seven years ago....at the  Drisis shrine...you came to me" the woman said without turning around.

Rufus felt a huge lump in his throat.

It was impossible..No one else knew about that, he thought to himself.

"...you must have me mistaken for...."

"You came to me seven years ago, tired of life...you wanted wealth and fame...and you were willing to do anything to get it"She said casually still staring at the portrait.

Rufus could feel the hairs on the back of his neck tweak.

"...I think you should leave...I'm calling security."Rufus made for the "Panic-button" under his desk.

"I told you the price would be your first male child.....do you remember that?She said calmly turning around to face him.

"....I believe his name is Jesse....isn't it?"

Rufus' finger hovered over the button,as his heart beat quickened.

"I handle all kinds of spiritual contracts ....but the seven year deal is like my main event......my 'feature deal'...if you will....(giggled)The deal was seven years of fame and wealth after which, ...you give me your son."She said simply.

"Get out of my office!!!" Rufus hissed in anger.

But for some weird reason he couldn't fathom, he couldn't bring himself to push the button.

".....your time runs out at exactly Mid-Night today"She said pointing at the clock on the far side of the office.

"Listen lady.....,"Rufus began feeling the anger rise in his voice.

"....I don't know who you are or what you want but....."

"..I wear many faces...many forms....seven years ago, I appeared to you as an old wizened man.....today I appear to you as this...the next time, I would be the angel of death."The woman said with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Get out!!!"said Rufus in full rage-mode.

His fingers finally pressed the button.

He welcomed the loud buzzing sound that followed.

The woman smiled at him.

"a paciscor est a pacisor, Rufus."She said.

"...the spirits have given you everything.....now,its your turn to do your part...in another Seven years, I will return for another life."she said holding up a blue pendant in her fingers.

Sounds of approaching footsteps.

" Place this pendant on your son's forehead before midnight....if you refuse,we will take back everything we have given you...including the lives of the ones you love."

Her tone was suddenly dark and cold.

"Sir?"came the lead guard as three of them entered the office.

"Get her......."Rufus began but was cut short when he realized she wasn't there anymore.

Long pause.

"Sir....?"The man said as they scanned the room's interior.

Rufus' eyes were fixed on the spot next to the portrait where he'd last seen the woman.

She wasn't there anymore.

Seated on his table,next to the picture of  Bertha and Jesse,was the pendant.







"I'm thinking of sending more money to the orphanage in the Caribbeans...what do you think?"came Bertha's voice that night as they sat in the lavish master bedroom of their villa.

Rufus' mind was still on the visitor he'd had that day.How did she know all those things?he thought.

About Seven years ago, he'd been a frustrated broke and bitter man. He spent years searching for a job...with no luck.Things were beyond terrible for him.He could barely afford to eat and was willing to try anything.

Then he heard about this place,...this shrine where anything was possible.

At the time,he was skeptical about all this superstitious nonsense.But hunger was a great seducer of skeptics.

He had gone to the shrine deep deep in the forest to meet with the old wizened man who smelled like musty farts.

Anyway,The man promised to make him rich beyond his wildest dreams....all he had to do was pledge the life of his first male child.

To be fair,Rufus never thought he would ever live with a child, let alone father one.

He knew no woman would ever find him appealing enough to look at, let alone  parent a child with him.

So there was no harm that could come out of a simple pledge.He thought.
So he did it.

The old man said something about a seven year period which if not for the effects of the Marijuana in his system at the time, he might've heard.

Things changed almost immediately after that .Hours later,someone practically walked up to him on the street and offered him a fantastic job.

Everything else was a blur after then.Crazy Job offers came at him from everywhere.In weeks he had money he never believed was possible.

Two weeks after that, he met Bertha...Eight months later,they were married.

He never looked back after that.

An avalanche of wealth came crashing into his life.

He chucked it up to his good fortune.He hated to think that his sudden riches had anything to do with his indian-hemp induced visit to a strange shrine in a forest.

Now as he sat on his bed with the Pendant in his pocket,he felt very uncertain about a lot of things
"Rufus???"

He snapped back to the present as Bertha nudged him.

"Sorry love,"He said

"Where were you just now?"She asked with a concerned look on her face.

"...sorry dear.."he said awkwardly.

Long pause.

"Do you think I'm spending too much on the church?because I'm thinking of sending them more money."she said with a curious look on her face.

"No...em feel free to send them some more"He said hurriedly as his eyes went to the clock on the wall.

It was 9:15pm.

Was this for real?he thought.

"....Is Jesse in his room?"Rufus asked with his eyes still on the clock.

".....ofcourse he is....Bae you're sweating...what's wrong?.....we can pray about it"She took his hand in hers.

I'm so  scared.he thought to himself.

Should he tell her?

Would Bertha ever forgive him?

Knowing his wife she'd probably start a "Binding and Casting"Prayer session immediately.

"...what is it baby?".She asked again.

Bertha was a good woman,she deserved to know the truth.And maybe there was something she could do (prayer-wise)to save the situation.

And so he told her.

....he told her everything.

It was 10:04PM when he was done talking.

Rufus noticed that Bertha's hands were trembling.

Rufus felt terrible for keeping this from her.He knew how she got about these spiritual things.

"Bae,for all I know ...it could just be a coincidence....my sudden good fortune could be just that...sudden good fortune."

Bertha's eyes were brimming with tears.

"....deep down inside,....you know its not your good fortune"Bertha said softly

".....you ....(sob)....made a pledge .....that's the deal you made.?"

''I know it seems terrible....I wont let any harm come to Jesse....I promise"Rufus put his hand on her shoulder.

He knew his words were hurting her deeply.

What did she think of him now,...a fraud,a ritualist......???

Would she ever trust him again?

He was willing to do anything....if it meant running away with Bertha and Jesse.

Bertha threw his hands off her body and got off the bed.

"Don't touch me....you...you weakling.....!"She spat.

"....how could you be such a coward???"

Rufus cast his eyes to the floor.

".....It was a mistake,I promise you ,nothing will happen to our son...."

Bertha stared at him incredulously.

"Rufus,...my least concern now is Jesse."she said.

Rufus rose up from the bed slowly and approached her.

"What exactly were you talking about then?He asked cautiously.

WHACK!!!

Across his face went Bertha's hand.He'd never known his wife to be a violent woman.

Infact she scolded him if he even raised his voice at their son.

So her slap came as quite a shock.

"Impotent fool!!!"She said furiously.

"This money....this wealth...THAT'S our baby.You want to risk it by not honoring a simple pledge???....are you mad??....do you want to be poor again?"

Rufus was a frozen statute with a traumatized and shocked expression on its face.

"....Of course I knew your money wasn't natural.....I wasn't stupid when I married you....and you are squeamish over the life of one child?"

He couldn't believe his ears.

"....are you even suggesting what I think you're suggesting???"Rufus yelled.

"C'mon Rufus,don't a spineless whimp.....what's the life of one child compared to all the wealth and splendor we enjoy  ?"

"Jesus, Bertha!!!"

"We can always have another child Rufus....but I am not going back to poverty.....its almost mid night,....decide quickly....or I'll make the decision for you"

Bertha stormed out of the room....slamming the door behind her.

Rufus stood there perfectly still....his heart was pounding inside his chest.

Jesse was killed that night.


LIFE IS A CHOICE MY FRIEND
SO CHOOSE WISELY
ENOUGH SAID