5/22/23
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"I'm telling you coal is the future. We are gonna make thousands upon thousands in the next coming years cause the industry is booming." Scarpo said proudly leaning back in his chair.
Salem listened to his "coal talk" as she focused on organizing contacts in her notebook. She got pretty good at listening to conversations while multitasking, even if the information wasn't to drastic.
Scarpo paused and squinted towards the front gate. "There's a cowboy prick at the gate." He said in a unamused tone.
"I's got it." Joe said strolling down the stairs and walking to the gate.
Salem glanced past her book but didn't pay to much mind to the stranger.
Joe eventually got walked back up the porch as the man still stood outside of the gate.
"He's asking if we know Salem. His name is Louis." He said.
Salem's eyes widened. She hadn't heard that name in a very long time. She then looked up and observed the stranger again.
From what it looked like, even though it had been years since she had seen him, that was her brother. She frowned and put her book away.
"You know him?" Perlie asked looking over his glasses at Salem.
Many thoughts raced through her mind. The main one being she did not want her brother here at all. She wondered how he even found her. And what the hell did he want. Even though she did not want him involved in the slightest, she would not keep this from the family.
"Yes." She said still looking at the man.
"I believe that is my brother."
All of them looked at her with raised eyebrows. She sighed and walked towards the steps.
"Is he gonna be a problem?" Effie asked in a serious tone.
"He shouldn't be, but I'll deal with it." She said walking down the steps.
She took a deep breath and approached him.
"Salem." He said in a surprised tone, observing her.
"Louis." She put on her normal expressionless face.
"You look, very different." He said eyeing her.
"You as well." She said.
"Why are you here." She said slightly quick.
He paused, then sighed.
"I wanted to talk. To see how you are doing." He said.
"Since when do you care about how I'm doing?" She said.
He frowned. "Sae, come on. Can we please just talk. It's been years."
She looked away then back to him. "Fine."
She turned around "I'll be across the street in the park." She yelled to everyone on the porch.
She closed the gate and the two walked over to the park.
Louis crossed his arms and glanced towards the manor.
"Do you live there? What the hell did you do to end up in a house like that?" He said looking up.
She looked over as well. "I work out of there."
"What kind of work?" He asked gazing at her.
"City work. Helping out people and businesses in the city. Making sure everything is prospering." She said thinking quickly.
