In The Dawn - Cedric & Sarah

Chapter 12

A year passed with no word from Sarah. I called her many times but it would always take me to voicemail. I sent her multiple messages hoping she’d return them but she didn’t. I concluded that she changed her numbers since not even a single day did her phone ring. I thought of sending her a letter but I feared the possibility of it being received by her husband, it would be foolish of me. By that time I knew my baby was born but why wouldn’t she let me see him. It’s been over a year and she did not even bother to send me an SMS.
   Over the past months my luck gave me something to keep myself busy. After struggling for months without a job, I was saved by Buhlebendalo High School which offered me a second chance to be teacher, and this time I invested in the lives of my people. It was my aunt who advised me to apply for the post at Buhlebendalo when my CV’s could not be answered when they travelled to white schools. By virtue of experience, I never wanted to spend the rest of my life in a black neighbourhood. My uncle was right when he said I have a blood of black people with a mind of a white man. The struggles and sufferings of my people were too much for me to handle. It was a life I was not used to having anymore. I used to wake up in the first light to go to a farm and strived my body there for hours, with the sun burning me. My face changed its color. I know I was dark but I turned darker with each day I travelled to the farm. At the end of the day I was working for food and nothing else. I had big dreams that didn’t need farming. I had dreams that required money; real money. My dreams were simply too high for a place like Sharpville. I believe most people had dreams but it was impossible to fulfil them. There was no inspiration and motivation. Seeing beautiful houses in the city motivates a person to work harder for their dreams. It’s not like people who stays in villages do not have dreams, they do but they just lack inspiration and motivation. What’s inspiring about seeing your peers drowning themselves in drugs and alcohol? What’s inspiring about seeing people engaging themselves in crime? There’s no inspiration there. Sometimes the best way to boost your dreams is to catch a cab and go to the big city where you will be inspired. Believe me, you will never go anywhere in life if you are stuck in one place. People around you will not support your vision nor inspire it. Some of the people around you are jealous of your progress. Go to a place you are not known, and there is where you will find your supporters, your investors and your business associates.
  With me teaching at Buhlebendalo it meant that I had to lower my goals expectations. Don’t get me wrong, I liked being there but it also affected my dreams. The only good thing about it was me teaching my fellow black children.
      I shared my knowledge with every black child in my area. My teaching style was different from the rest of my fellow teachers. Reason being, before I got there, the school grades were low – very low, but ever since I started working there, the grades improved a lot. By early September, we were already in the 5th position in the whole region from 11th spot. I applied the experienced I got from JOJOS where I used to teach before. My learners enjoyed my classes. I made my kids feel welcome and comfortable as I always do.
     As time went by, I began appreciating my work. Now that I was home, my mother visited us more frequently, although she still spent most of her time at work but it was better than no visit. I told her what happened at JOJOS and she supported me through it. My expectations of her was to be angry after she sacrificed her life but my mother being my mother understood.
   MY LESSONS with my new learners went well. I made new friends. I was not a loner like I used to be. My fellow teachers made me feel welcomed and appreciated. One day when I knocked off from work, I walked home with my suitcase in my hand. It had nothing but unmarked scripts of my learners. My face became a regular around. People had forgotten that I once left them for a white school. They started treating me with love and respect. They saw a brother in me as I saw the family in them. We became a one big family. My father stopped writing to us in a long time. I had not heard from him since I started working at Buhlebendalo. I assumed he had already crossed the ocean. I tried to look for him but I had no lead. There was no one I could ask about his whereabouts. Growing up I used to search for him but no one knew where he was, even his close friends. Wherever he was, he seemed a ghost to us all. My mother even lost hope of seeing her husband ever again.
   From words on the street, my dad was a very honoured and principled man. He called a spade a spade. He fought with integrity and with love for black people. I heard great stories about him that I wish to have witnessed with him. I heard things about my father which I knew I could not live up to. His respect on the streets was high, especially from people he grew up with. If my father is dead where he is, may his soul rest in eternal peace. I may not have seen the great of him but I believe he was a man amongst many men. He was a great man I believe. I may not know him as a son but I know him as my hero. Lala ngoxolo baba. And if you are still alive, I would love to hear from you soon. I would want to have a good relationship with you. I want you in my life. Your wife needs you. Your children needs you.  Everyone needs you Senzokuhle ka-Ongahlulwa Nxumalo.
   All these thoughts occurred when I was walking back home after a long tiring day at work. The school had less teachers and more learners so it was more like a pain in the arse. It bothered me to see teachers ridding bicycle to schools when at JOJOS teachers were driving cars. Salary. The long walk from school to home was long and tiring. It was like walking from heaven to hell barefooted. The sun burnt my already dark skin to its maximum capacity. The sun strikes more in townships than it does in the suburbs because it knows we are poor and there’s nothing we can do. When I got closer to my home, I saw something I thought I’d never see ever again - Sarah’s car, the very same old car she used to drive. The very same car she used to fetch me with. It was parked right in front of my gate. There was no way I could ever think it was not her car. I was shocked and surprised that after such a long time, there her car was. I increased my pace to reach my home but another thought crossed my mind. Could it be her husband? I thought. Maybe he learnt the truth about the child and he tricked Sarah into giving him my address. Jon is a very resourceful person and anything is possible to him. He has money so he could find anyone in South Africa. I went over to the car with my heart beating faster than it should. I looked inside the car and I saw no one and I assumed whoever it was, was inside the house. I entered the gate – to the house. When I pushed the door open, my eyes couldn’t believe who I was seeing, it was Sarah sitting on a chair. I looked at her and I couldn’t believe my eyes – maybe they were fooling me. My heart pumped faster. She looked better than before. Her skin was lighter than before with no wrinkles. It was clear with no dark spots on it. My eyes moved around to check if she had no company of her husband and by the grace of God, she was alone. She studied my face and she realized how shocked I was. I went over to her in disbelief.
     “It’s you.” I said moving my hand around her face. “I’m so happy to see you. It’s been… I mean ages. Wow Sarah.” I said and my face brightened in excitement.
     “It’s good to see you too, Cedric.” she said.
     “Where were you all this time? I tried to call you but it wasn’t going through.”
     “Yeah, that’s because I changed my numbers.”
     “Why though?”
     “I wanted to be far away from the world.” She exhaled and she continued, “You once asked me to bring the child when he is born right.”
     “Yes. Where is he?”
     “Behind you.” She said pointing behind the door. 
I was too focused on Sarah that I didn’t see Anita who was sitting behind the door with a baby.
     “Is this him?” I asked in excitement as I went over to him. I took him from Anita’s hands and for the first time, I felt something great in me. I felt something I’ve never felt before which I cannot describe in words. I touched his tiny lips and it was the first time I ever felt connected to a human being. My tears dropped when I looked at him. For the first time my heart knew what love was. I had a new definition for love and that definition was him. I looked at him and I saw a part of me I never knew existed. There I was, with a stranger in my hands who happens to be my son. I couldn’t believe I was the father to a beautiful boy. After losing my girlfriend years ago, I thought love was over for me. I thought nothing will ever make sense to me. I thought nothing will ever mean something in my life but I was seeing a change of my words.  I held him so tight that I didn’t want anyone to disturb the bond with him. I Know I wasn’t there for Sarah and now she had made me the proudest man on earth. The happiest man in the universe.
     “I thought you were lying when you said you were pregnant with my son.” I said as my tears rolled down my cheeks. Anita who was still in the room excused herself. Despite Sarah’s request to never say anything to anyone about the baby, but my excitement couldn’t allow me to be silent about it. I told everyone close to me that I am expecting a baby with a woman I did not mention. They were so excited for me that finally I was having a baby after so many years. Although they were so eager to know the woman who was carrying my child but I couldn’t tell them. It would’ve brought shame, not only to my family but to everyone in Sharpville. The hatred between our races split us to be different people.
  When Anita left, I was left with the provider of my joy and with my joy in the house. I went over to sit on a chair that was not far from Sarah’s.
     “Thank you for blessing me with such a great gift. He’s gorgeous. He looks a bit like me.” I said smiling. “Have you named him?” I asked.
     “His name is Romeo.” Replied she.
     “Romeo. Beautiful name.” I said and continued, “It suits him.” I added. I looked at him with a smile. “Romeo. We must find you your Juliet.” I said playful and turned my eyes to Sarah. “Who named him?”
     “Jon named him.” she responded.
I kissed Romeo on the forehead before I could say anything.
     “Good name taste. Hello Romeo. Nice to finally meet you Romeo. I am Cedric.” I said playful.
     “When did you deliver him?”
     “He just turned six months.”
     “You are growing so fast my boy.” I continued to play with him. “He is cute.” I said and Sarah gave me a look that would have had me think she’s plotting to kill me if I didn’t know her better.
     “It’s your last time seeing him.” She said with tears rolling down her face.
     “No, please don’t do that Sarah. Please. Now that I have seen him, please don’t make him a stranger to me. He is my son and don’t stop me from seeing him. It may not be everyday but at least make arrangements for me to see him once a month or twice. My heart is open to love through him.” I begged her. I know we agreed that I will see him once but let’s face it folks, we say things we don’t mean went we are angry or too excited. I meant my word but now that I met Romeo, things had to change. You can’t keep a father from seeing his child. A father has a right to see his child. I am Romeo’s father and I had every right to see him.
     “You don’t understand.” she said still drowning her eyes with tears.
     “Of course I won’t understand. There’s nothing to understand. He is my son and I deserve to see him.” I pleaded. Sarah said nothing but she continued to cry. My eyes jumped to her in shock after realizing the increase of her tears. She never took out a sound but her tears were a visible evidence that she was not willing to accept my demands of ever seeing Romeo.
     “Please don’t guilt trip me with your tears Sarah. I do not ask for much, but just to see him.”
     “I am sorry Cedric. I am so sorry.” She continued to cry. “I hope you will forgive me for what I have done.” She said with her face wet in tears.
     “Forgive you for what? What have you done?” this time around my face changed. I was more concerned. Sarah said nothing but continued to cry. “Please say something Sarah. Did Jon do anything to you? Is he abusing you? Talk to me please.” 
     “It is your last time seeing him alive Cedric. That’s what I’m trying to tell you.” she said and looked away with tears in her eyes.
     “What do you mean?” I asked shocked and confused.
     “Jon knows about Romeo.”
     “What! How?”
     “After finding out the truth, he was so angry and he made me choose between him and Romeo, and obviously I chose him.”
“You are not saying anything right now. Will you tell me what the fuck is going on?” My body direction changed to hers.
She first took a deep breath before she uttered her next words, “When Romeo was born, he was so happy to finally have a son. When he held him in his hands in the labour ward, I saw his face enlighten. It was my first time seeing him excited over something. My parents and his parents were present when I delivered Romeo. Immediately after delivering the baby in the world, he suggested a name Romeo and I was okay with it and everyone was okay with it. When I retuned back home, my family threw a party for me to welcome a new member in the family. Jon would always lock himself in the room to play with him. He was happy to have an heir, so was everyone in the family. He invited his friends and some of his employees over the house to see his son. Over the next two months, he began spotting differences in Romeo’s hair and eyes.  He always suspected something but he didn’t have proof and I never gave him a reason to. I tried keeping my little Romeo away from him as much as I possibly could but I couldn’t hide him forever, he’s my husband and Romeo is his son. Everytime he asked questions about Romeo I would make excuses. I would remind him of his aunt who had a colored baby with his husband, although they were both white. It didn’t make sense and still doesn’t make sense but I was glad it was something I could hide behind with. Personally, I still don’t believe how they were able to have a colored baby when they are both white. If we use our common sense well, we know the husband is not the father of the baby for sure. There’s no way in the world a lion can give birth to a tiger. It’s impossible. But with her being her, she convinced everyone that it was possible. She convinced me too, and to this day, they still buy her story. The baby doesn’t look anything like his father but hey, she’s good in fooling people.
   So each time Jon questioned Romeo’s appearance, I used his Aunt’s experience to brush it off. ‘I don’t know how this is possible. Maybe your Aunt’s luck was passed on to me.’, I would say to him everytime he brought forth the topic about the baby.  It continued to a point where Romeo was almost fourteen weeks when his features started developing. His nose, mouth and eyes were different from him. He saw zero resemblance of him. As I told you before that Jon is an intelligent man, so what he did was to go ask for professional help behind my back for clarity.
      He came back with different results from all specialists he visited. Some told him it was possible to have a baby that doesn’t look like him and some told him it is unlikely that a baby will not have a piece of his father’s gene. He battled his thoughts until he couldn’t take it anymore and decided to confront his mother. She confirmed the child didn’t look like him. At first he was blinded by love or excitement that he couldn’t see the obvious thing that the child didn’t look white or worse nor like him. To have his heart satisfied, he decided to hunt the truth himself. By that time I was blank, thinking he had forgotten about Romeo. He further asked around and people told him the child looks like a coloured.
    He later did tests to confirm his suspicions and they tested negative. The child was not his. He got very mad and upset. He spent days without telling me his findings. Before telling me, at home he acted normal like everything was fine with him. I noticed that the baby looked coloured too but I already had something to tell him should he ask me. His aunt was my backup story as always. I was ready to point out his Aunt’s baby to him that things like this do happen.
  A week passed and finally he decided to confront me. First he asked me if I was faithful to him and I said yes. He begged me to be honest but with my foolishness, I stuck to my lies that I have been faithful to him. My biggest mistake was lying to him thinking he didn’t know anything. I suspected nothing. He then pulled out results from his pocket and gave them to me to open. When I did, I was met with words written in bold about Romeo’s DNA. My heart stopped beating for three seconds and he asked me to explain. I didn’t think he’d go an extra mile to prove his son’s DNA. At first I tried to dodge his questions but he was persistent enough and I just let out the truth. I told him everything, including where we humped. I gave him all details he asked for. He even asked me silly things like if I enjoyed our sex.  I always thought I knew my husband but it was my very first time seeing him in that state. His eyes burnt in anger.
  I tried to apologize but no amount of words could calm him in his state. I begged him to listen to my reasons but he never wanted to hear any of them. After our long fight and argument, he gave me choice – either I choose him or I choose you. This choice was simple to me because I would choose him anyday without thinking twice. I’d choose my husband over any man in the world but he made it difficult for me. He said if I choose you, I’ll get to keep the baby and if I choose him, I won’t see the baby ever again. I tried fighting his options but he made it clear to me that it was either him or you and the baby. This then became a difficult choice for me but after thinking thoroughly, I knew I didn’t want to lose my husband so I instead chose him over you. In my mind I was hoping by choosing him, he’d give the baby to you to raise but he said to me, since I chose him, Romeo has to die.
After he mentioned this, I was disgusted and pissed but he reminded me what’s going to happen to me if I keep the baby. Our culture does not support fornication and adultery. Any woman who commit any of these, she is to be punished and by punishment I’m saying her womb must be removed and she must spend the rest of her life shamed. When I thought about this, it was a very difficult choice but then I got to a decision that if I choose to keep the baby, I will be a woman without a husband and a home or a name. How would I support my baby if my family disown me? You don’t have a job Cedric and I wouldn’t want my son to suffer. You are a good man that I know for sure, but I don’t think you could make a good father. You wouldn’t be able to support me and the baby. It was difficult for me to choose but I ended up agreeing to have him executed.” she paused and continued, “Right now you are seeing him, he has been fed an Aqua Tofana; poison. He will not live to see another day.” she added with tears rolling down her cheeks. “I thought it would be best if I introduce him to you before he die.” she said wet in tears.
   FOR MORE THAN FIVE SECONDS, my heart stopped pumping. My voice dried up. I could open my mouth, but no sound came out. What is this I am hearing? I asked myself. My heart became heavier than it was when I lost my girlfriend. It was pain that was multiplied ten times and more. A death of a living child I am holding. After gathering my breath, my voice was able to come out, “Are you telling me I’m holding a dying baby right now?” I asked with my voice breaking.
    “I am sorry Cedric.” she dropped tears.
     “How could you do this Sarah? How could you agree to kill your only child?” I said angry, with tears in my eyes.
     “I love my husband okay. I can make other babies but I cannot meet someone like him ever.” she said wiping off tears on her cheeks.
     “So you thought you’d rather sacrifice my son’s life for a stupid love for your husband. Are you even hearing yourself right now? What kind of a person are you that kills a baby for love? Look at him…” I forced her to look at Romeo and she did, “What do you see? Don’t you see love that is greater than your husband’s? Don’t you see love in a human form? Look at this innocent baby. Can’t you see the love I see in him? Can’t you feel the bond I’m feeling? This was your gift Sarah, and you failed to protect it. You chose love over this precious soul. You chose your husband’s love over a person who could give you infinity of it. His only fault was to be birthed by a stupid and selfish white girl.” I said shaking off my tears in my eyes that were flowing like a river.
     “You will never understand why I can’t leave my husband. You may say all bad things about me now but until you love someone, you won’t understand. Yes, I loved Romeo.”
     “Loved? Are you saying Loved?”
     “I made wrong choices, but please don’t make me feel worse than I already Am.” she said and I just looked at her irritated and she continued to speak, “The reason I chose him was because I knew he was not going to let you off the hook just like that. He was going to kill you. Everything I did was to protect you Cedric.” she added.
     “You speak of protection, who said I needed your protection? I don’t need it. I can fight my own battles.”
     “What did you expect me to do? Have my son live without a father?” she yelled. “Do you know the pain of growing up without a father? For someone like you, you should know it better because you grew up without him. You should know the pain. At least you are living in hope that someday your father will return, so what about Romeo? Do you think he would’ve survived? Knowing that his father is dead for being selfish? My choices may be bad today but tomorrow you’ll thank me for them Cedric. You are a great man and I’m glad I met you in my life, but we just met at a wrong time.” she said.
With anger, I stood up and kicked the chair I had seated on away, “What have  you done with my son!” I shouted so loud. Sarah jumped back in awe and she stood up to face me. Our eyes met and I added, “You are no different from rapists and police who kill innocent people. You have no heart. You do not think for someone else. You are only concerned about yourself. You have a heart of a stone that is evil and ugly. What kind of a monster does that to a young baby like Romeo?” I said looking at Romeo who was still in my hands, “He’s handsome. He is a baby that deserved to be loved. Why do you hate him this much? Is it because he carries black genes?” I calmed my voice down and yet with a teary voice, “He’s lovable. He was going to be a great man. A man your father and your husband could never be. A man I believe was going to be different from me and the rest of the world. He was going to be a great leader but you had to stop it before his life began.” I added, shedding tears. Sarah went down to her chair disappointed. She sat down and covered her face with her hands. I could see drop of tears flowing through her hands to the ground. They hit the floor and bounced back to her black sandals. Her sandals appeared to change colour when it was wet with her tears. She looked down the floor still with her hands covering her face and she sniffed heavily before she could say something.
     “You are quick to judge me when you don’t know my real story.” She said with a teary voice and continued, “Do you think this is the life I’ve always wanted to have? Do you think I’m satisfied with it? Do you think it makes me satisfied for having my son killed?” she said in a teary eyes. Her voiced sounded broken and her eyes flowed with tears. I sat down to my chair with Romeo still in my hands. I looked at him and immediately I forgot Sarah’s presence. I envisioned my life with my son in the next five years. How grown he would’ve been. I ran my mind to his first day at school and I could only see the excitement in his face. I could only see happiness in his eyes when he pass his first grade. I could only see the joy in his face when he graduates in primary. I could see him being a man I believe he was to be. The man I have never been. A man who is not coward and selfish. A man who cares for the world. A man who stays true to himself. A man who would not be led by another. A man of no other, for good use. I had imagined a great man my little Romeo would ever be, but where in his life would I be? Would I take a part in being his father or would I let another man father him? Was I going to be enough for him as his father? Was I going to provide for him as expected of a father? Would my presence in his life be a curse or a blessing? Curse obvious. Who would want to be fathered by a man who’s not financially stable? I was going to give him all the love of a father in the world but is love alone enough to raise a child? Wouldn’t that make me selfish if I deny a child a life he deserves for my stupid ego? If I decide to fight to be in his life then what…? Make him suffer like I did? Make his life miserable like mine? It wouldn’t be fair to a boy like Romeo. To have his freedom taken away from him. My mind jumped back to reality and Sarah was still drowning in ocean of tears. She still had her face down. As angry as I was, but my heart was too kind to not show care to her. With my left hand, I placed it on her back. She faced up when she felt the touch of my hand and her eyes were colored in red. The beautiful eyes I always admired about her were there no more. She looked torn in pieces, but who cared when all this was her fault. She brought it all in herself. I wasn’t sure if she was mourning for living-dead Romeo or she just regretted almost losing her husband. I removed my hand from her back and she looked at me for a second and looked away. She wiped off her tears with her hands. 
     “Of all women in the world, you are the last person I thought would do such a thing. I was a fool to believe you are different from all the women I met. I thought you were one of the rare breed in this universe not knowing I was lying to myself. I considered you an angel that is perfect but you have proven me wrong. You showed me how selfish and evil you are. You are a coward. You are a coward that is stupid and a fucking a loser. You are too entitled to Jon that you think you can’t live without him. Yes you can’t live without him because you are a gold-digger that is looking for a nice life through a man’s wealth. You did all this for money. You knew by losing him you’d lose a lot and you pretend to have done it to save my life. You always told me money is nothing but you chose it anyway. You chose it knowing you will be well settled. I hope the universe punish you for your selfishness.” I said and Sarah shouted out loud, “Enough!” she paused and continued, “Enough with your insults.”
She paused and looked at me with her eyes blood red. “Do you think I wanted all of this? Do you see me happy? Do you think I wanted to lose one thing that meant the world to me? Do you think I wanted to have my son killed over stupid love that I don’t have?” she responded in a high pitched sound and she continued. “Do you think I had a word in everything that was done? I am pawn in this life. I have no say in my life. I am not happy Cedric. I have never been happy. Have you ever asked yourself why I am so eager in bringing peace? It’s because I don’t have life. My soul is dead. My life died when I got married to a man I don’t love. From that day I lost my purpose in life. For all these fucking years in this marriage I have been pretending to be someone I am not for the sake of my family. I fucken hate my father. I hate my husband. I hate every men in this world. I fucken hate them. I am in a marriage I don’t want to be in because of them. I am broken inside because of them. My life lost its meaning the day I met Jon. I feel disgusted every time he touches me. I feel dirty when his hands run over me. The only time I feel free is when he’s away to business trips and functions.” Sarah said with tears rolling down her cheeks and the sound of her cry followed. It triggered my emotions when I saw her cry and the state she was in. All these time I thought she was happy not knowing how broken she was inside. She always showed me her happy side and not her sad side. I blamed myself for throwing insults at her. But one thing that didn’t sit well with me was what she just said. Why does she hate her father and her husband? What could they have done to make her angry? Why does she feel tied to this marriage when she can simply leave? Are they threatening her? What actually happened to her? Was it something she was forced to do? I thought to myself. I had hundreds of questions and none of them had answers. The only way to know was to ask her but she seemed not in a good space to speak, so I waited. I drove my hand back to her back and I brushed her softly. “I am so sorry to hear that.” I said regretting throwing insults at her. She continued to shed tears until she had none of them left in her. I comforted her in every way I could but my words did not have strength for her problems. I said all comforting words but still, she did not breathe out. I did all comforting gestures and yet the same. After a while of her silence, she finally let her words out.
     “You know, many years ago my father started a jewellery company with his friend Donovan Carlson. They were best friends. They met in high school so I was told. It was my father’s idea to start a business together since them both loved jewelleries. They started the business off the ground with no capital or an investor. They used every cent they had to make sure the company starts running. My father was left penniless and we had to suffer at home due to lack of funds. My mother was a nurse at the time and her salary could not maintain us. Some days we went to bed hungry. My father’s vision for the company was to see it as the biggest company in South Africa and worldwide. They worked their arses off to make sure the company grows. Their persistent helped them through every challenge they faced. With no capital, and yet they were able to keep it running for three years.
Three years later the company started gaining its recognition in the business industry and it was then that both their hard work paid off. Many investors started injecting money in the business and they were able to grow it big. It gained the recognition nationally and internationally. When the business became a success, they started hiring people for positions needed and Jon’s father was one of those people. He was employed as a driver and later was promoted to transport manager after they saw his dedication.
When the company grew bigger, my father suggested again to his business partner Donovan that they venture into other businesses and he agreed. They then started a coffee factory where they manufactured their own coffee. In a space of four years, both their companies were a success.” I paused her to ask one question.
     “Sorry to interrupt you but your father is Thee Dan Scott?” I paused a question.
     “Yes.”
     “Wow. I have read a lot about him, I just didn’t know he was your father. When you told me your father is a businessman I thought it were those chancers who are still new in the business industry.” I said surprised.
     “Yeah. That’s him.” She paused and continued, “Now that both their companies were generating millions every year, they were able to buy any luxury in the world. Donovan started buying all the luxury cars you can think of. He bought houses in South Africa and Ireland. He bought not one but fifty diamond watches. He started spending his money recklessly while my father continued to build their empire. He joined gambling for fun not knowing it would leave him in debts. It became a habit to him that every night he gambled with millions until he had no cent left in him and began placing his cars and houses on the gambling. When he was bankrupt with no home, he started stealing money from the company to pay off his debts. His debts were over twenty million and his pay alone could not help him pay off his debts. My father noticed the change in the company’s profits and he did his investigation and learnt that it was Don who was stealing from the company. He confronted him and Don admitted to have taken millions from the company.