When Fate Leads

Chapter 3

It was past 3:00am when UmarFarouq's bedside telephone rang. He woke up immediately, he has never been a heavy sleeper, he was always on alert...but when someone was in his line of business, there was no other option but to sleep with one eye open.

No one that he knew would call him at 3:00am, unless it was very important. He picked up at once.

"Yes" he answered.

"We've got a problem" the voice said through the phone.

UmarFarouq wasn't scared of problems but he detests problems: problems slow down business.
"I'm listening" He said

"Our storage house in the city has been raided and we have reasons to believe they have eyes on the other houses..." the voice said.

"Uhmmm" UmarFarouq waited for the rest.

"The package... we couldn't risk keeping her in the city" and there it was.

"So?" UmarFarouq was now impatient.

"We brought her here?" The voice responded.

"Here?" UmarFarouq almost yelled "here, the Island?"

What the hell were they thinking bringing her to the Island, UmarFarouq thought. The Island was a secure place and not just anyone should know the place even existed, let alone be there.

"I'm sorry Sir, it was a though call" the voice apologized.

"Where is she on the island? UmarFarouq asked. There was no time to be mad at anyone.

"The east wing"

"Keep her there" he said "I'll check in tomorrow. Inform the Island stewardess of her presence, She must be treated as our guest" he added and put down the phone, he didn't even wait for a reply. There was no need.

He stood from the bed kicking in his bedroom slippers, he walked to the adjoining room that was his closet. He stripped out of his white and blue stripped pajamas then he went into the bathroom to shower.

UmarFarouq's shower lasted until the prayer apparatus in the hall ringed, it resounded far and beyond the Island: that was the only way everyone concerned on the Island knows it was time for prayers.

He performed his ablution and stepped out of the bathroom. He dabbed his body with a clean towel, afterwards he put on a cream colored jallabiya and prayed. After his prayers, UmarFarouq changed into a white Nike hoodie track suit and went out for a run on the beach.

He ran till the sun was about to rise then he laid on the sand and watch as the sun gracefully started to appear in the sky: watching the sun rise was a ritual UmarFarouq was so fond of. There was no place the sun rose and fell beautifully like on his island, he thought silently to himself as he continued gazing at the sky. At that moment, the wind whirled wildly and UmarFarouq smiled, a satisfying smile: Today was going to be a good day, he thought, confidently.

Afterwards, he walked to the orchard and picked out some ripe fruits which he ate as he walked back to his wing.

He appeared at the sitting room that led to the dining hall, as usual, at exactly 7:30am. UmarFarouq has always been strict and precise about time. He would have breakfast for 30 minutes and proceed to his office at 8:00am on the dot, where all his employees will already be present, assembled and business will commence.

UmarFarouq was greeted at the sitting room by Inna Gaji, an elderly woman in her sixties. Inna Gaji was the stewardess: the manager, the person in charge of the island. No one knew the kind of relationship UmarFarouq has with Inna Gaji: some say they are blood relations, others say they had some kind of history. No one in the island knew the real truth about the two of them because everyone employed had met Inna Gaji on the island and everyone knows how she dots on UmarFarouq, and him, UmarFarouq respects and loved her like a son would a mother: she was one of the few people on earth that could make UmarFarouq genuinely smile, she makes him happy.