Jamaica

Chapter 8

Anthony, went by the diminutive name Tony, a man who had a past he wasn't proud of. His bright and shiny face was a big contrast  to his dark and murky past. This was a past in which his  misdeeds had landed him in jail. With time however, he became a free man, but having an unpleasant past meant he had to move with much caution and discretion. But he had a stubborn side that took the better of him, and it led him to defy the discretions and precautions he had to take to avoid being sent back to jail.

 Not having much to do to leave his checkered past behind, he opened a restaurant on Lagos Island with the hope of starting life afresh. But the normal life he so much yearned to live was for some time good, and it seemed everything was working in his favor. His  restaurant was booming with people from all walks of life, or so it seemed. 

In reality, it turned out to be an aggregation point for individuals with elegant and polished looks and manners. They wore the finest suits and agbadas, drove the finest cars, and lived in fine luxury houses. To ordinary outsiders, they were innocent looking hard-working people. For Tony, they were good for his restaurant business as they spent heavily and also left generous tips. 

But they were people with questionable pasts who would pay any amount or go to any length, to keep their questionable past, locked away from being exposed. Tony had always wondered why his restaurant was the spot they preferred to come and dine. While they were good for his business he was sure they had their reasons for coming here. After all, he wasn't the only restaurant owner on the island.

 Then one day he found out why, when a man who simply called himself Alex, a man wearing a dark brown suit, a lanky figure with hollow eyes, walked into his restaurant. Alex  had come explicitly to see Tony and to make him an offer he was sure Tony wouldn't refuse. As he came into the restaurant he looked around for a while and then sat down at a corner table. 

Sitting down he kept on looking around  before he decided to order for something to eat. When his order was taken he asked for a bottle of wine and when it came and was served, he slowly drank it nodding his appreciation of it. The cool refreshing taste of the wine was something he needed to help settle his mind for the job he had of convincing Tony. As he drank the wine with much contemplation, he thought about how his meeting with Tony would go. 

Then he was served his  food and he ate quietly while observing from time to time, the movement of clients in and out of the restaurant. He ate his food and drank his wine slowly, waiting patiently until the last client left.

"Sorry sir, we are about to close." Tony had walked up to him to remind him that it was closing hour. But Alex never moved an inch from his chair or felt any concern about leaving. Instead he smiled at Tony and told him to sit down with him. At first Tony refused and tried to argue with him. That was until Alex told him,

"We know you, Tony. We know about your past." Tony had never been approached by someone openly telling him that they knew about his past. And so it baffled him that this unknown man was telling him that there were people who knew about his past.

"And who are you?" He asked, shocked by the sudden revelation.

"Call me, Alex." He replied, grinning with confidence.

"Alex? Do I know you?"

"No,  but we know who you are." Alex carefully observed Tony for a while before he brought out an envelope from his inner coat pocket. It was an envelope containing photos of Tony. Something he was given to convince Tony to accept his offer.

"Sit down." He told Tony, again. Alex opened the envelope and brought out photos taken of Tony. He then placed the photos in front of Tony one by one so Tony could see them. Tony blinked when he saw them and forced himself to sit down. He looking terribly worried.