Bound To The Seduction

Chapter 32: Chaos

At Savannah Street, the Deputy Chief of Lands Bureau, Mr. Hakim proceeded with the demolitions as scheduled despite Henry's stern warnings. Only half of the residents had evacuated while some of the old folk refused to leave claiming they couldn't leave behind their ancestral land. Three forklifts and a few other heavy machinery lined up, ready to start the job.

These folks might have considered leaving if they had been given enough compensation. The developer who acquired the land, probably through illegal means, paid mere peanuts. Coupled with Deputy Chief Hakim's greed, the compensation paid out wasn't even enough to get a decent house in another location. The residents had tried negotiating for a fair price but Mr. Hakim could hear a none of it. How could he agree cough out the money he'd pocketed? In the end, he resorted to forceful eviction.

However, he underestimated the unity of those poor residents. In barely half an hour, the whole place had turned chaotic. They had only started tearing down the first house and almost forty protesters had gathered around the scene, fighting for their rights. The rowdy protesters surrounded the forklifts, threatening to overturn all of them if they dared to continue demolishing their homes.

Some older folks even went as far as threatening to commit suicide. Mr. Hakim snorted at their futile attempts. They were like tiny ants in his eyes and he could finish them with a stomp. In his eyes, they were wasting his time, money, and opportunity. He made a call and, in a few minutes, a truck full of police officers arrived.

How he did it? Well, with the Salva Corp influence behind his back, and him being the only brother to Henry's late mother, he could pretty much get away with anything. Mr. Hakim waved of his hand, giving his men the green light to proceed with the demolition.

***

Sarah returned home later in the afternoon and found her campus friend, Gloria, sitting on a tree stump outside her gate. She had a head lowered with both her and cupping her cheeks, and Sarah could hear her silent sobs. From her posture, she looked distressed.

"Gloria?" Sarah asked cautiously.

"Sarah," Gloria wiped her tears from her face and forced a smile. "You are here."

"Are you okay?" Sarah asked, her voice full of concern. She squatted beside Gloria and patted her back in a comforting way. "What is going on?"

Even before Gloria could speak, tears pooled in her eyes and she hurriedly wiped them with the back of her hands. "It's the evictions," she said in a shaking voice, trying hard not to cry. "My parent's ancestral home is at Savannah Street. A few days ago, they suddenly received a court order to evacuate the building to pave way for redevelopment. The compensation given was not enough to get them another house, especially now that the cost of housing is sky-high. Eventually, my parents moved into my apartment. They have been sad and I can't bear to look at their long faces anymore."

Gloria paused and glanced at Sarah, unsure whether to continue talking. Sarah gave her an encouraging nod and Gloria continued, "I heard the developer is under the Salva corporation."

"Impossible!" Sarah said in a soft voice as if talking more to herself. After mumbling two more times, she spoke out loud, "Are you sure?"

"I understand you're close with Henry..." Gloria hesitated before continuing, "But... he is a businessman. He is not as simple as you think."

A thought suddenly struck her. Those reporters. Their accusations. It's all made sense now. She had been so preoccupied with saving him that she failed to find out the truth. Despite all that, she refused to believe he was capable of such atrocities. Sarah suddenly stood up, turned around, and walked back towards the main road. "I have to talk to him."