ℂ𝕃𝕆𝕊𝔼ℝ 𝕋ℍ𝔸ℕ 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝕋ℍ𝕀ℕ𝕂

║NINETEEN║

       ROLLING ON THE BED, Neil stretched his hand to touch his wife, he sat up yawning and looked at his side on the bed where his wife normally sleeps and didn't see her. The room light was left on and he switched it off before he slept. He removed the blanket, covering his body, stood up from the bed and walked straight to the bathroom to see if Bailey was there. He knocked before pushing the door open but didn't find her in the bathroom.
“Cupcake,” he called her, he stood in front of the dressing mirror, looking at how tired he was. He opened his room door, walking to the kitchen, at least if Bailey wasn't in the room, she will be in the kitchen, that's her favourite place.
    He stood in the hallway, checking the wall clock hung on the wall. It read 3:15am.
“Where is she?”  he muttered to himself after checking the kitchen and didn't find her.
He sighed and began searching for her, in other places of the house.
“she is not in the kitchen, not in the laundry room, not in the children's room, not even in the sitting room…where else could she be?” There was only one place he hadn't checked in the house and that is the study.
“so this is where you've been hiding?” he opened the door to the study, sighing loudly.
“Hey, you are awake.” Bailey smiled as she looked up from her desktop computer.
“I have been searching the entire house for you.” Neil walked in, taking a chair across where she sat on a chair behind a desk.
“I am sorry cupcake but this is really important.” she said pointing to her desktop.
“What's up?”
“Um… actually, I want to create my own business website.” she said as she carried her teacup to her lips, taking a sip out of it.
“Cool, how is it going?”
“Ba…d, I must say. I have been finding it hard to register my domain name, I don't even have a name yet… silly me.” she rubbed her laryngeal prominence, exhaling.
“You haven't thought of any?” Neil said as he sat.
“At all…Nothing. It's not that I haven't thought of names to give to my catering business, I am not just satisfied with the names.”
“What's the name?”
Bailey smiled sheepishly. “You are going to laugh at me.”
“I won't” Neil said helping her to tuck her black strand of hair behind her ear that have fallen out of her hair band.
“Pinkie promise?”
“It is only toddlers who do pinkie promise.”
“Whatever, are you going to promise or not?”
“Fine, pinkie promise.” They interlocked their pinkie finger together.
“Nebajoiwin.”
“What language is that?” Neil stifled a laugh.
“English. It is the abbreviation of both our names and the children.”
“Seriously?! What's the name again?”
“Nebajoiwin.”
Neil bursted out laughing.
“You promised you weren't going to laugh.” she said with a faux frown.
“I am sorry but that name sounds so funny… where did you get that from? Even Chinese people can't bear that name,”
Bailey rolled her eyes and pouted. “I am sorry for breaking the promise, it was just too funny I couldn't hold it any more.”
“What's your suggestion?”
“Uh… it's not necessary you use our names, you could use your sister in conjunction with yours, since she helps in the delivery too.”
“But I'm the founder."
“It doesn't matter.”
“Okay…”
“How about, Hernan home delivery service, in memory of your father. You told me the tragic story about how he was killed as a missionary in China.”
“Hmm…” Bailey bit her lips thoughtfully.
“If you don't like it, you can use your full maiden name, Hernandez or maybe Bashire– the abbreviation of you and your sister name or Bashiredez when we add the three last letters of your maiden name.”
“Your suggestions are very good. I am finding it hard to choose,” Bailey wrote the names in her  journal, saying the names aloud to hear if it sounds good. “Hernandez home delivery service, no…” she cancelled the name and moved to the other “Bashire home delivery service… Maybe. Bashiredez home delivery service… awesome!” she picked up her highlighter pen, highlighting it.
“I think I will choose this one.” she said showing Neil the name she highlighted.
“Okay. Hello I'd like to request for the service of Bashiredez home delivery service. I want to order a milkshake.” Neil placed his phone on his ear, acting as if he was really talking to someone.
“The name is just on point,” Bailey laughed. “Oh Neil, I don't know what I'd have done without you.” she said  kissing his cheek and hugged him.
“That's right, you can't do fine without me, because we are one. What God has joined together, let no man…”
“Put assunder.” she completed the statement for him.
“Exactly. Okay, let's continue, we haven't finished creating the website, have we?”
“Nah. The next step is to find a web hosting company.  Cupcake can you please pass my journal, there is an information there I need to fill into the computer? Cupcake?!” she turned her head to find Neil starring at her. “Why are you staring at me, that way?” she clicked her finger.
Neil grinned widely and leaned in to kiss her on her lips “I love you Cupcake.”
Bailey blushed hard, resting her head on his chest, enjoying the sound of the rhythm of his heartbeat against her ear and his warm breathe on her face.
“I extremely love you too.”

           ☬          ☬           ☬

     A traffic warden tried to stop Alfred's car as he sped off in his car, not observing the traffic signs, the traffic light was red and hasn't turned green, yet Alfred sped off in a haste to work. The police officers who saw him speeding, pursued his vehicle with the police vehicle. Alfred was so unlucky due to the go slow that was ahead of him. A police officer knocked on his window, motioning for him to lower his window. Alfred lowered his window and pleaded with the officer.
“I am sorry, I am so much in a haste to go to work.” he apologized.
“If you wanted to beat the traffic you would have woken up early. You almost hit a vehicle coming from your left. Do you even have your driving license?”
“Um, ye…es.”
“Let me see it.”
Alfred pretended to search for it, knowing full well he doesn't have it with him.
“I… I left it at home.” Alfred scratched his head nervously.
“How could you leave such an important document at home?”
“Like I told you, I was in a haste.”
“Can I search your car?”
“Why? Don't you believe me? I said I am not with my driver's license. I pass this road everyday to work and this is my first time of disobeying the traffic rules and regulation, I am deeply sorry.”
“If you are sure you are innoccent let me search your car.”
Alfred ran his tongue round his mouth, glaring at the police officer.
“Fine, the car is all yours.” he opened the door and got out.
After fifteen minutes of the police officer searching his car, the police officer found a handgun under the driver seat of his car.
“Why do you have a handgun with you, Mister?”
Alfred snorted sharply, “What do you use a gun for, tell me?” Alfred said infuriated.
“Don't answer my question with a question.” The police man raised his voice at him
“Self defence.” Alfred answered, pinching the bridge of his nose, regretting why he changed the position of his gun, he wished he had left it in the glovebox, he changed the position when Nicole saw it.
“Sir, I am sorry, you have to follow us to the station.”
“Wha…t?! Why?!”
“There are further questions I need to ask you.”
“Gosh! I am late and here you are telling me to follow you to your station. Dammit!” he spat.
“I am sorry.”
      Alfred reluctantly agreed to drive to the station with the police officer seated on the passengers seat, they were followed by two police vehicles.

           ☬           ☬            ☬

“I wanted to die of laughter when my wife told me the name she wanted to name her company.” Neil said to Nicole laughing as they sat in the office.
“What is the name?”
“Nebajoiwin.” Neil laughed again.
Nicole laughed, “Did she really mean to give the company that absurd name?”
“Yes.”
“Your wife is so funny.”
“Well, thank God we successfully created the website… ah!  She couldn't stop showering me with kisses and telling me how much she loves me just because I suggested a name. Bashiredez home delivery service.”
“Hmm, makes sense and it's unique.”
“Miss Harper, you need to taste my wife's food, her food is delicious, fabulous…”
“I hope it's not pepperlicious?”
“Not at all. She is experienced.” Neil chuckled.
“She has… wait a minute I need to answer this call.” Neil said when a call came in through the PBX – Private branch exchange. “Hello,” Neil said answering the caller.
“Good afternoon, this is Officer Erickson Townsend calling from Bristol police department.”
“Okay? How may I help you OfficerTownsend”
“A young man got arrested this morning for disobeying traffic rules and regulations and I think he may be a person of interest to your police department. I don't know if you'll be chanced to travel down here to Bristol.”
“I will, I will be there early tomorrow.”
“Good, I will be expecting you. Do have a nice day.”
“You too.” Neil said and hung up.
“Who was that?” Nicole furrowed her forehead, asking.
“Officer Townsend from Bristol police department.”
“Hope there is no problem?”
“There might be. The officer expects me to be in Bristol early tommorow morning.”