Page 15

Timi clicked his tongue. “NoNo. Don't you think you're putting too much effort for the role of a mere secondary character?”

“Sec…secondary?” Nonso spluttered. “Isn't your arrogance too much for someone nobody wants to be associated with right now? You think we can afford bad publicity?”

“Now, you're being too loud for someone who distributes STDs like hampers. They talk, you know? Your women.”

Nonso's eyes bulged. “How dare you—”

Agu raised his Cuban. “Boys, boys.” He studied Timi. “But, son, I'm afraid I threw the role open when you rejected it. If you want it back, you'll have to do better than missing appointments and antagonising your colleagues.”

Timi swallowed a hysterical laughter bubbling. Agu wanted him to beg. A final bite of the humiliation pie. But he'd stopped him from taking that flight and paid someone to spy on him. He needed him. Whether for the project, or to salvage his pride for being rejected, he fucking needed him.

“Tell him to go, Agu,” Timi said quietly. “Or I'll walk out that door, and you'll never see me again.”

They locked gazes. A battle of wills. Two merged ships with an allowance for only one captain. When Timi's palms began to sweat, Agu dropped his eyes. “Nonso, leave us.”

Nonso jumped up. “What? Agu, you can't do that. We already agreed I would—”

“And I'm unagreeing,” Agu snapped. “You have a problem with that?”

Many emotions battled on Nonso's face before he settled for a resigned grimace. “No, sir.”

“Good. Now touch Oku and go prepare for the second lead.”

“Yes, sir.” He touched Oku and turned to leave, but not before giving Timi a look that promised a thousand deaths and none, merciful.

Once the door closed, Agu snuffed out his cigar. “I see the lizard who dared knock on the King's door has come crawling back.” He glanced at Hulk. “When did your assistants start attending our meetings?”

Since you paid them to spy on me.

Now that Agu had made it obvious he needed him, Timi's confidence was back on a celestial level. “We can't exactly call this meeting normal, can we?”

Agu studied him with a furrowed brow, then relaxed into his seat. He lay Oku across his lap. “I suppose that's fair. My word is my bond, kid, and I promised to deliver you. You're my biggest achievement, it's only fair you opened my biggest investment, don't you think?”

Agu's major motion picture studio still under wraps.

A 300-acre lot in Enugu. First of its kind in Africa.

Thirty buildings and seven purpose-built sound stages already up.

Acres of greenspace and backlots made possible from his ill-gotten money.

If things played out as he wished, he could become the next Tyler Perry.

Finally getting the recognition and prestige he'd always craved without Timi's influence.

A strange expression crossed Agu's face. “I'm sorry about Doc, son. He didn't deserve to get caught in our…squabbles.”

Timi's fists clenched on his knees where they rested. Heart beginning to pound. Squabbles? Had Agu reduced his pain to a kids' tousle in the sand?

“I didn't peg you for a liar and cheap blackmailer,” he managed.

Agu studied him for a moment, then shook his head. “I've never been one to pass up a good opportunity. And lies? The way that man loved you, love like that can't entirely be—”

Through a roaring rising in his ears, Timi heard Hulk's pallid voice beside him. “How's your daughter, Agu? Haven't heard you talk about her since we got here.”

“Ehen? This is hardly the place.”

“Well, one would wonder…with the way you love her, if such love can entirely be—”

“It will do you good to not finish that statement, Alexander,” Agu cut in, his Anambra accent more pronounced than ever, bulbous fists quivering against Oku. A new chill engulfed the atmosphere.

A weak man like Timi who had watched men reduced to bloody pulp under Oku's golden head would have had a rethink, but Hulk met his fury head on. “Oh, was going to end there. Time is of the essence after all. Shouldn't we leave these juvenile gossips for your maids and get to the reason we're here?”

They glared at each other, and for a moment Timi was back under an orange tree, pushed behind a narrow back to hide his face. An incredible feeling swamping him, tearing an incredulous grin out of him despite the danger he was hiding from.

“Go. I'll be fine.”

Timi stared at Hulk now, same feeling from back then suffusing him.

Hadn't he buried this memory, this feeling?

Uncle Jude had defended him many times than he could remember.

Agu, even. Charles. Nejeere. And he'd never had this urge to burrow into their backs like a homeless rabbit.

What was this feeling, and why had Hulk invoked it?

“I see you've got yourself a ferocious bulldog, son,” Agu said.

He blinked and caught Agu's eyes. His whole body burned. Agu must have noticed him staring at Hulk's side profile longer than normal. He lowered his gaze. “If there's any dog around the vicinity, it definitely isn't my assistant.”

“Still…remember it takes a small dose of poison to knock down any wild animal.”

Timi dared not think of the implication of those words. “I came here to reach a consensus, Agu. Not poison dogs.”

“Get on with it, then.”

“I'll shoot Red Tinsel, but only on certain conditions.”

Agu pursed his lips. “Son, you're in no position to–”

“At least hear them first.”

Agu relaxed into his seat.

Timi kept his gaze on him. “As this is our last project together, the agreement would be between us. Not Buck. Not Timson studio. You, Mr. Clarence Nwabufor and Timi Lawson.”

Agu stirred. “You're aware my business is separate from me.”

“But this isn't business as usual, is it? You want me, only you would have me. I also demand 70% and a front-end payment. All of it.”

Agu smiled. “Inkblot. Mousypad. Haz_brothers. Some of the big names unwilling to work with you. No one wants you, son. Right now, you're bad market. Your endorsements have all been frozen or withdrawn. You lost most of your money. Nigerians hate you. You're nothing.”

Agu reached for the cognac and poured himself a glass. “But you know who's in your corner? Who has always been? Agu. You know who's ready to risk it all on you? That's right, Agu.” He took a sip, relaxing into his seat. “Will you drop this silly pride and stop wasting everyone's time?”

Timi refused his words searing through his composure. He continued like he hadn't been interrupted. “And please refer to me by my name from now on. I'm not your son.

Agu dropped his glass, saying softly. “You want to go down this road? ”

Timi ignored his increased heartbeats and matched that hard stare. “You already started the wild ride.”

“Or…,” Hulk's voice filtered in. He sounded bored. “You both simply get into the car and drive to your destinations without any incident.”

Agu cocked his head, eyes still locked on Timi. “I'm listening.”

“Negative productivity,” said Hulk. “Output declines as the variable factor increases. Add the lead actor to the overall budget: more budget cost, less returns. Deal with him directly: a reduced budget, more returns.”

Agu faced Hulk, interest lighting his eyes. “And the negative press? How is a substantial return guaranteed?”

Timi, who had caught himself staring at Hulk once again, averted his eyes quickly. “You were certain the rumours would die a natural death if I agreed to certain scenes,” he said.

Agu swung his gaze to him. “Ehen.”

“I'll go even further if Eketi is willing. Make us real.”

Hulk's gaze bored through him, but he refused looking at him.

They hadn't discussed this aspect, but neither had they discussed the fact that Hulk could steer dangerous conversations expertly and randomly throw in some economics jargon like an eccentric professor in shorts and converse shoes. Again, they needed Agu's trust.

Agu's eyes narrowed. “You'll do that?”

Timi sneered. “Isn’t this how you want me? Totally at your mercy?”

Agu stretched out his cane. “You have yourself a deal, Mr. Lawson.”

Timi touched the golden tiger head, cold metal pressing into his damp palms. Hulk got up and Timi joined him.

Agu threw three square foil packs on the table. “For practice,” he said.

“What are those?” Timi asked.

Agu smirked. “Give Eketi my love.”

Realisation dawned. “Fuck you.”

Raucous laughter followed their exit. They strolled down the dimly lit corridor lined by the MIB clowns, and a man coming from the opposite end stumbled into him. He apologised profusely and continued his way.

When they got into the car, Timi released his fist, revealing the paper the stumbling man had slid in. It contained another cryptic message .

Made your choice yet? I could make it worth your while.

This time, an email address was written behind.

“What's that?” Hulk asked as he started the engine.

Timi handed him the paper.

“They seem persistent,” Hulk said, studying the paper. “Would you send a–”

“They can go fuck themselves. The stage has been set, and I can only play one role.”

Hulk glanced at him. “Which is?”

Timi dragged down the seatbelt. “The lead.”